2011 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid DRL Upgrade and Install DIY

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2011 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid DRL Upgrade and Install DIY
2011‐2013 Kia Optima Hybrid DRL Upgrade and Install DIY
                                  By A.J. Biddles ‐ Version 1.0 ‐ 5/2014

2011­2013 Kia Optima Hybrid DRL Upgrade and Install DIY

         The KDM version of the Kia Optima Hybrid has LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL’s), but the US
version does not. The LED’s in the DRL’s are not very bright, and hard to see in full sunlight. This guide
will show you how to upgrade the LED’s to a much brighter version that looks very similar to Audi or
Mercedes OEM. Replacing the LED’s is not that hard and should only take an hour or two, even for a
first‐timer. Installing the DRL’s takes longer, as it involves cutting the bumper support; but still the
entire project can be completed in a day.

Parts to Order
       Mobis OEM Hybrid DRL’s
        92201‐4U000 (Lamp Assy – Frt Fog, LH) and 92202‐4U000 (Lamp Assy – Frt Fog, RH)
        Note that the non‐hybrid DRL’s will not fit the hybrid model. The hybrid DRL’s come as a single
        unit including the fog light housing. These normally come as a set, and I recommend purchasing
        them from k5optimastore.com ( http://www.k5optimastore.com/products/hybriddrls ). One
        thing to note is that the fog light housing uses a different bulb. The US hybrid model has a right‐
        angle 881 bulb for the fog lights, whereas the KDM version uses a straight 880 bulb. The 880
        bulb is included with the lights, but if you have previously upgraded your fog light bulb (xenon,
        LED, etc); it will not fit.

       Wiring harness
        0K000‐009021 (Pack Connector Asy 21)
         These come 3 in a pack, and you only need 2. This is optional, but highly recommended for a
        cleaner install. The KDM DRL has a 4 pin connector (2 for the fog lights, and 2 for the LED’s),
        whereas the US version only has a 2 pin connector (for the fog lights only). The KDM DRL’s do

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2011 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid DRL Upgrade and Install DIY
2011‐2013 Kia Optima Hybrid DRL Upgrade and Install DIY
                             By A.J. Biddles ‐ Version 1.0 ‐ 5/2014

    not come with a wiring harness, as they are Korean OEM replacement parts. If you do not buy
    the harness, you will have to drill a hole in the housing and run the fog light wire and the LED
    wire through the hole, and then splice into the existing fog light wire. Buying this harness makes
    for a clean install, and you can easily disconnect the lights if you remove the bumper again. You
    can Google the part number and find places online that sell this part for around $9, but the
    shipping is usually outrageous (like $12.95). I ended up calling my local dealer and was able to
    get it ordered in less than a week for a little over $15.

   LED light strip
    High Power LED Flexible Light Strip NFLS‐X3, specifically NFLS‐NW30X3‐BK‐LC2: Natural White
    (5600K)
     ( http://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/top‐emitting/high‐power‐led‐flexible‐light‐strip‐‐
    nfls‐x3/1465/ )
    Superbrightleds.com seems to move their pages around a lot resulting in broken links after a
    month or two. If the link no longer works, try this navigation: Bars / Strips ‐> Flexible LED Light
    Strips ‐> Top Emitting Flexible Light Strips ‐ and look for one of the first items with 5050 SMD for
    the LED Type. There are 3 different white colors to choose from: Cool White (7500K), Natural
    White (5600K), and Warm White (3250K). I highly recommend the Natural White as it is a very
    bright white with no hint of blue – looks like Audi or Mercedes OEM. For length you can buy
    either two 50cm (19.7in) or one 100cm (39.3in) and cut it yourself. The connectors are free, so I
    selected with connectors. Had I known it would come with a connector at each end, I would
    have just bought the 100cm and cut it (saving $2). There are clear markings where the strips can
    be cut.

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2011 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid DRL Upgrade and Install DIY
2011‐2013 Kia Optima Hybrid DRL Upgrade and Install DIY
                                By A.J. Biddles ‐ Version 1.0 ‐ 5/2014

Opening the light housings
Tools Needed:
      Oven
      Aluminum foil
      Flat screwdriver
      Phillips screwdriver
      Towel
      Pot holders (preferably 2)

Instructions
  1.   Preheat the oven to 225 degrees, while the oven is heating, do steps 2‐6.
  2.   Unscrew the Phillips screw on the back of the housing (green arrow).
  3.   Remove the 2 plastic caps on the back of the housing (blue arrows).
  4.   Unscrew the fog light bulb cover on the back of the housing (red arrow).

  5. Inside the bulb cover, unscrew the fog light bulb socket from the housing. If you look from the
     front, you can see when the bulb is lined up with the opening. There is a rubber gasket around
     it, so you might have to pull firmly. Do not touch the bulb.
  6. Remove the fog light bulb from the plug (pull the black plug out from the round black bottom,
     the round black base is part of the bulb).
  7. Place the light housing into the oven on a piece of aluminum foil with the clear lens facing up.
     Be careful that the light is not touching the sides or top of the oven. Also make sure the lens is
     not touching anything (not even the foil).
  8. Bake for 8‐10 minutes. Baking the light does two things: softens the black plastic so that the 11
     tabs holding the lens can be pried back without snapping, and softens the waterproof sealant
     that is also holding the lens on.
  9. Carefully remove the housing from the oven with pot holders (and turn it off), it should be hot
     to the touch, but somewhat manageable. Place it on the towel to work on it.

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2011 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid DRL Upgrade and Install DIY
2011‐2013 Kia Optima Hybrid DRL Upgrade and Install DIY
                              By A.J. Biddles ‐ Version 1.0 ‐ 5/2014

10. With the flat screwdriver, pry back all 11 tabs holding the lens on. If the black plastic is not soft
    enough to easily bend, put it back in the oven for 1‐2 minutes. You don’t want to apply too
    much force or you risk snapping the black plastic.

11. Starting with the smaller, pointed side of the lens, gently pry the clear lens off of the black
    plastic. The glue should easily come apart, but make sure all the tabs are clear as you pry it
    apart. The wiring for the LED’s will still be attached (green and black wires), so don’t pull the
    two pieces too far apart.

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2011 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid DRL Upgrade and Install DIY
2011‐2013 Kia Optima Hybrid DRL Upgrade and Install DIY
                               By A.J. Biddles ‐ Version 1.0 ‐ 5/2014

Replacing the LED’s
Tools Needed:
     Flat screwdriver
     Phillips screwdriver
     Wire cutters
     Crimp connectors (or whatever you want to use to splice the wiring)
     New LED strips

Instructions
  1. Start by cutting the black and green wires, leaving a few inches of wire on the plug side (the side
     attached to the black housing).
  2. Unscrew the 3 phillips screws holding the LED bar to the lens (blue arrows), and remove the LED
     bar.
  3. Unscrew the 2 phillips screws holding the circuit board to the LED bar (red arrows).

  4. The middle of the bar has the wiring connector from the circuit board on it. Slide the flat
     screwdriver under the tab on the underside of the connector and the metal bracket will slide up
     and off.

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2011 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid DRL Upgrade and Install DIY
2011‐2013 Kia Optima Hybrid DRL Upgrade and Install DIY
                               By A.J. Biddles ‐ Version 1.0 ‐ 5/2014

5. Gently pry up the LED strip from the bar (it is just glued on and should come up fairly easily), and
   remove it.
6. Assuming you have the 50cm LED strips, the strip will be longer than you need. Look on the
   strip itself and you will see scissor icons where it is safe to cut the strip (every 3 LED’s). Cut one
   section (3 LED’s) off of one end.

7. You will notice that the lens housing has 6 lenses where the LED’s were, these correspond with
   the 6 metal pads on the LED bar. When attaching the new LED strip, it is important to get an
   LED in the correct spot on the metal pad so that it will shine directly through the lens. Look at
   the location on the LED strip that you removed, not all LED’s go directly in the center of the
   metal pads. Yes, there are way more LED’s than we need, and some will not be seen once the
   housing is reassembled. Starting with the end of the LED strip you just cut (with no wiring
   connector), remove the paper backing and stick the first LED on the metal pad on the LED bar at
   the end that goes into the narrow end of the lens (the end where the “steps” are shorter).

8. Continue placing the LED’s in the correct positions on the metal pads working your way one pad
   at a time. There will be a lot of slack between the 1st ‐ 2nd and 3rd ‐ 4th pads, this is OK as there is
   space inside the housing. Make sure that you don’t bend the LED strip too much as it will
   weaken the internal wiring.

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2011 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid DRL Upgrade and Install DIY
2011‐2013 Kia Optima Hybrid DRL Upgrade and Install DIY
                              By A.J. Biddles ‐ Version 1.0 ‐ 5/2014

9. Once all the LED’s are in place, test fit the LED bar into the housing. Each LED should line up
    with a lens. If you need to adjust the LED’s slightly, you can.
10. Attach the LED bar to the housing with the 3 phillips screws, being careful that the LED’s still line
    up and the LED strip is not being pinched anywhere.
11. Assuming you bought the LED strip with connectors, cut the connector off leaving about 6” of
    wire. Attach the red LED wire to the green housing wire with a crimp connector (or solder and
    shrink tube, whatever you like). Attach the black LED wire to the black housing wire in the same
    manner.

12. Test the LED’s using a 12V power source, the positive connection is the top left pin, the negative
    is the top right pin. If the LED’s do not light up, try reversing the wires (as LED’s are polarity
    sensitive). Make sure everything is correct and working before reassembling the light.

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2011 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid DRL Upgrade and Install DIY
2011‐2013 Kia Optima Hybrid DRL Upgrade and Install DIY
         By A.J. Biddles ‐ Version 1.0 ‐ 5/2014

                       Page 8
2011 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid DRL Upgrade and Install DIY
2011‐2013 Kia Optima Hybrid DRL Upgrade and Install DIY
                                By A.J. Biddles ‐ Version 1.0 ‐ 5/2014

Reassembling the light housings
Tools Needed:
     Oven
     Aluminum foil
     Phillips screwdriver
     Towel
     Pot holders (preferably 2)

Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees, while the oven is heating, do step 2.
  2. Place the lens and black plastic housing back together in about the correct position. You should
      not try to force it back together at this point, just put it roughly back together. Make sure all the
      plastic tabs line up and that the new LED wire is not hanging down into the fog light lens. It
      helps if you pull any LED wire slack up through the fog light bulb cover hole.
  3. Place the light housing into the oven on a piece of aluminum foil with the clear lens facing up.
      Be careful that the light is not touching the sides or top of the oven. Also make sure the lens is
      not touching anything (not even the foil).
  4. Bake for 8‐10 minutes. Baking the light does two things: softens the black plastic so that the 11
      tabs holding the lens can be pushed back into place, and softens the waterproof sealant to
      reseal the light.
  5. Carefully remove the housing from the oven with pot holders (and turn it off), it should be hot
      to the touch, but somewhat manageable. Place it on the towel to work on it.
  6. Verify that the two sides are still correctly aligned. With the pot holders, push the two sides of
      the housing tightly back together, it is easier if you start with the wide end of the housing and
      work towards the narrow end. Also with the pot holders, push back all 11 tabs to hold the lens
      on. Work each one individually ‐ bending it back into place, holding for about 5 seconds, then
      moving on to the next one. If the black plastic is not soft enough to easily bend, put it back in
      the oven for 1‐2 minutes. You don’t want to apply too much force or you risk snapping the black
      plastic.
  7. Once all the tabs are back in place, let the light housing cool.
  8. Once cool, check the edges for any gaps in the sealant. There shouldn’t be any, but if there are,
      fill them with a waterproof silicone sealant.
  9. Reattach the fog light bulb to the plug. Do not touch the bulb.
  10. Screw the fog light bulb socket back into the housing. Again looking from the front helps you
      make sure the bulb is lined up correctly. There is a rubber gasket around it, so you do have to
      push firmly.
  11. Screw the fog light bulb cover onto the back of the housing.
  12. Replace the 2 plastic caps on the back of the housing.
  13. Screw the Phillips screw onto the back of the housing.

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2011 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid DRL Upgrade and Install DIY
2011‐2013 Kia Optima Hybrid DRL Upgrade and Install DIY
                          By A.J. Biddles ‐ Version 1.0 ‐ 5/2014

Comparisons
The LED’s themselves:

DRL’s in shade (stock on left, upgraded on right):

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2011‐2013 Kia Optima Hybrid DRL Upgrade and Install DIY
                           By A.J. Biddles ‐ Version 1.0 ‐ 5/2014

DRL’s in sun (stock on left, upgraded on right):

DRL’s in total darkness (upgraded on left, stock on right):

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2011‐2013 Kia Optima Hybrid DRL Upgrade and Install DIY
                              By A.J. Biddles ‐ Version 1.0 ‐ 5/2014

Installing the DRL’s
Tools Needed:
     Ratchet with 10mm and 8mm sockets
     Phillips screwdriver
     Wire cutters
     Wire (about 12 feet)
     Crimp connectors (or whatever you want to use to splice the wiring)

Instructions
  1. Remove the bumper (follow any of the DIY’s on the topic, there are several). There is no
     difference between removing the hybrid bumper and the non‐hybrid bumper. Yes, you will
     have to cut the bumper supports to fit the hybrid DRL’s.
  2. Once the bumper is removed, disconnect the 2 pin wiring harness from each fog light.

  3. Remove the 5 screws holding each fog light on.
  4. Remove the 2 additional screws holding the plastic blanking plate where the DRL LED’s will go
     (some of the fog light screws held this as well).

  5. Install the DRL’s in the opening holding them with 4 screws each.
  6. Cut the 2 pin fog light wire about 2 inches from the connector (wires are orange and black).

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2011‐2013 Kia Optima Hybrid DRL Upgrade and Install DIY
                             By A.J. Biddles ‐ Version 1.0 ‐ 5/2014

7. Looking at the new 4 pin harness with the clip at the top, you will notice the top two wires are of
   a higher gauge (thinner) than the bottom two wires. The top wires are for the LED’s, the bottom
   are for the fog lights. Connect one of the bottom wires to the orange fog light wire, and the
   other bottom wire to the black fog light wire. Polarity does not matter for the standard fog light
   bulbs.
8. For the LED wires you can either connect the ground to the same ground as the fog lights (black
   wire), and only run a power wire the rest of the way; or you can run a pair of wires for power
   and ground. I personally ran power and ground, as I had paired wire already. I ran the wire
   from the passenger side DRL across under the bumper support to the driver side DRL, and then
   up to the engine fuse box. If you are looking at the back of the harness (the side with the wires),
   the top left is the LED + wire, and the top right is the LED ‐ wire.

9. Once you connect both DRL + and – wires, run the wire up in front of the driver side wheel well
    to the engine fuse box. It is entirely up to you where you get your power and ground from – but
    make sure the power is only on when the car is on, and off otherwise. You can also run the
    wires all the way into the cabin and use the under dash fuse box – it is your choice. I personally
    used the ground point right behind the engine fuse box (10mm bolt about 4 inches from the
    fuse box where other wires are grounded). For power I used an ATM size Add A Fuse (available
    at most auto part stores or many places online) and tapped into the [ESC‐3] fuse in the engine
    fuse box.
10. Make sure you test the wiring and make sure everything lights up correctly (both DRL’s and both
    fog lights) before putting the bumper back on. If one or both DRL’s do not light, try reversing
    the polarity of the wires.

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2011‐2013 Kia Optima Hybrid DRL Upgrade and Install DIY
                        By A.J. Biddles ‐ Version 1.0 ‐ 5/2014

The Finished Product:

                                      Page 14
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