what is involved in replacing the center brake lite bulb (on the rear deck) on a 2006 Sonata? It appears to be somewhere near the truck lite fixture in the trunk.

(the dealer wanted $55.00 to replace it)

thoughts?

thanks!

 

You have to pull out the back seat and package shelf:

1. Disconnect the negative(-) battery terminal.

2. Open the trunk lid and then disconnect the connector of high mounted stop lamp.

3. Remove the package tray.


4. Replace the bulb(A) from the package tray.


5. Installation is the reverse of removal.

 

While that is the official method to change the bulb I think removing the package tray would make the job much more work than it needs to be. I have changed the centre brake light bulb in my 2006 Sonata and used a method I found on another site. It involves removing two screws that hold the brake light housing in place and then removing it from inside the car.

Basically, you need to lie on your back in the trunk to see and remove the two screws (I think the hole in the sheetmetal to access one is covered by a foam pad which needs to be removed). This will allow the unit to be pulled out of the package tray from inside the car.

It's a bit of a pain but worked out in the end. If I remember correctly, a lot of the problem is with the long tab on the bulb holder which creates problems trying to get the housing out of the tray and reinstalled again.

Good luck!

 

A person has to remove the back seat and the package tray to replace one stinking bulb??!! That's retarded and reminiscent of some of the poor designs on North American vehicles of the 80's that spurred the boon in sales of foreign vehicles.

It sounds like it would be easier to smash the back window and then replace it.

 

Looks like the same as my 2000 Sonata, and actually you can twist the socket to release it and it drops down out of the rear brake light assy. ("CHMSL" on a Chevy)
I did pull all that stuff to find out this. It is so tight in there that I cut a little plastic away to make it easier. I also shortened the studs with a little Dremel cut-off wheel in case I ever have to pull the CHMSL again, as it requires you push the package tray down to get the studs up out of their hole.

I did this because I was tinting the back window, so I wasn't bothered by the work, pulling the seat and all. But when I saw how hard it was to twist the socket loose, I wondered how frustrating it would be if all I was doing is replacing the bulb, so I feel your pain... but it isn't too bad if you are able to rotate that socket. The wire is pretty short on the socket, so I pulled up a bit extra while I was at it. You might be able to get an inch or two more without pulling too hard.

You can see the socket on post #2 here, thanks NovaResource for the nice clear drawing.

Tell us how it turned out...

 

Had to endure the NF Sonata center brake light challenge yesterday. For some reason, I lost the center and one of the side brake lights all at once so decided to just replace all three of them and be done with it. Thanks for your notes below. Made it fairly simple to do the center light without taking out the package shelf.

Dunno why Hyundai could not simply put one more hole in the sheetmetal to make this easier from below. Debating whether it's worth using a Dremel to fix that or just endure the current tricky process once every three years or so.

Anyway it's done! Thanks for the hints!

 

Good for you, glad you got it. I remember something about the socket that made it difficult to twist the holder to drop the bulb and socket down. Did you notice this and shave it for easier replacement next time?

 

I wish I read this forum before I attempted to do it. My wife's 2008 third brake light bulb burned out.

Pushed through the felt, removed the two screws and slid the housing up. Jammed my fingers between the housing and the back shelf, and managed to twist the socket free.

Then after many attempts, and much thinking. (Kbabe's Dad, Bro and Myself) We ended trimming the socket and wiggling the housing (with socket attached) back into place.

That thing is like 2" too long, so I really had to cut it down. And I can't tell why they made it that long in the first place.

Next time I'll remove the whole tray....and dremel a door in it.

 

I first attempted to remove the tray, but then decided on seeing if I could remove the housing from inside the trunk. Removing the housing is the way to go.

You do need to cut out the foam from the passenger side hole to access that screw, the one on the passenger side is the tricky one, make sure you use an xacto knife to clear all the foam out from the hole so you can get the screw out without losing it. I did tape a magnet to a length of wire to catch the screw if needed but it stayed put on the end of a medium size phillips screwdriver.

The screw on the drivers side was easy since it also secures the connector bracket and stayed with that assembly when unscrewed.

Then I was able to lift the housing up enough to get a needle nose pliers in to twist the bulb holder out and let it drop down and retrieved through the trunk.

I then scored both sides of the long plastic tab on the bottom of the bulb holder with a razor knife and just snapped it off (make sure you don't slice the wires, bend them over to the top), then I sanded what was left with a dremel tool to get it flush with the bottom of the holder. This will allow you to put the new bulb in the holder back in the assembly and slip it back into position from the back deck.

Then just screw the 2 screws back in ( I taped the passenger side screw to the end of the driver with electrical tape to secure it to avoid loss in the abyss between the tray and metal deck), reconnect the connectors and you are done!

I took some photos, will post them when I get a chance.

Good Luck - Bud!

 

Here is a link to several images of the post above.


https://www.hyundaiforum.com/forum/a...hp?albumid=178