So while other countries get a switch to turn off the incredibly loud reverse chime, and all of VESS, we in the US do not have this option. Economies of scale being what they are, Kia did not make a different wiring harness for the US cars, so it turns out the wires extend all the way to the 'crash pad' switch assembly, although there is no switch. By examining the factory wiring diagrams, there is a blue with a black stripe wire that runs to the connector that when momentarily grounded, disables the VESS system, until you push it again or turn the vehicle off and on again. I will put the wiring diagrams at the end as they are only for understanding what is happening. First you need to pull the crash pad switch panel out. To do this you need to start with the door aperture trim panel, which will pop out with a trim tool or carefully with a screwdriver. It is retained by the door seal, but you can leave it tucked in The two screws seen here backed out need to be removed. The lower panel that contains the fuse box door can be pulled out and down without totally removing it. Then the switch panel can be pulled out, you can get some purchase with your fingers between the steering column area. If you haven't removed newer car trim, it takes a good pull but do be a bit careful
Once the switch panel is out you can see the connector on the back of the switch assembly. This is connector M26 on the wiring diagrams. There is a blue wire with a black stripe that needs to be tied into. I used these: https://www.mcmaster.com/69515K23/ The snap onto the wire and allow a 1/4 male quick disconnect to plug onto it The Blue/black wire is on pin 9 of the connector. Ground is a black wire on pin 24
Now you need to add a momentary switch across these two points. Those red plugs will accept a 1/4 MALE quick disconnect, not the more common female https://www.mcmaster.com/7243K118/ You can wire it differently, this is how I chose to do it.
You can use whatever switch you choose, and mount it wherever you want. IT must be momentary. Press once with the car on and the VESS [fwd and reverse] is off, press again and it is back on again. A latching switch[that works like your basic light switch] will not work, the system will revert to 'on' Something like this: https://www.mcmaster.com/7397K25/ Would work. Drill a hole in maybe the fuse cover and pop it through Something like this https://www.amazon.com/U-S-Solid-Open-Close-Momentary-Symbols/dp/B01HQQOFHY/ref=sr_1_16?dchild=1&keywords=momentary+switch&qid=1622937809&sr=8-16 Might be cool with an LED you can tap into the pink wire on pin 10 and the LED should light when you defeat the VESS That is it My switch is just hanging there now, I have to find a permanent spot for it I have ideas to have it just shut off the reverse chime, and to do that access to the reverse circuit is required. There is a connector nearby 'JM03" forward and above the fusebox In the center of this image is a connector with 3 brown wires[pins 30,31,32] and a bunch of gray wires, the 3 brown wires are all reverse light wires. You can see I have attached one of the red taps to the brown wire. I have not figured out a way to automate the reverse defeat, but I am thinking about it.
Great! Now I don't have to buy the schematic! I have an idea to put a capacitive touch switch in the panel behind the blank switch. I have found some that should work behind the plastic cover, and maybe also drill a small hole, fill with clear epoxy and get the indicator light to light too. Looks like they come several at a time so if it works I'll send you one. Greg
So simple grounding without the 200 ohm resistor mentioned in prior threads works fine, eh? Stands to reason. Would your reverse-noise killer simply toggle the disable line twice more -- first on entering reverse, and then coming out of it? An "auto-disabler" could be a simple-ish thing that receives power from READY mode, delays a couple of seconds, and then pulses the line once. It could also monitor the LED line to make sure it stays off. _H*
Precisely My actual electronics are just too weak to design a circuit, plus I have been in manufacturing so long I cannot tolerate anything that cannot be built by idiots in the dark with their toes and needs to last 100 years, and be cheap. My ideal circuit would be a 1 second delay, so you get one bong, then when the reverse signal goes away, another signal to reset the VESS. Result is single chime in reverse. Fairly unannoying. Regular operation forward.
Don't worry should be really simple, a simple 555 timer circuit. These may do the trick for the switch https://www.amazon.com/TTP223-Capacitive-Switch-Self-Lock-Arduino/dp/B01LWKFS7L Greg
ENirogus, can I use some of your pictures on my site? I will give you credit of course, even your real name should you wish to divulge it. Greg
Shout out to ericlrice60 over at kianiroforum for confirming that the wiring is that same on the hybrid[I don't think he has implemented the mod, but it appears the wiring is there] https://www.kianiroforum.com/threads/2020-e-niro-reverse-chime-defeat-for-us-cars.9643/page-2
Thanks for putting this guide together! I bought a momentary LED switch since I liked the idea of having it light up when the VESS is disabled. I tapped into the pink wire for the LED capability as suggested and took a stab at wiring the switch up, but for the life of me I can't get the VESS to override when turning the switch on (I'm a novice when it comes to wiring things). I'm sure I have something backwards or crossed. Can you suggest which wires to connect to which terminals on this switch? This is what I bought: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B091CVMG49/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_8051QPNQJVT6RF19S00P?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 Thank you!!
So I don't see wiring pinout for that switch, but the idea is you would have ground wired such that the LED is always grounded and the black/blue wire momentarily gets ground when you push the switch, and the pink wire goes to the positive of the LED. The part of the schematic I posted that shows 'VESS UNIT' and CARSH PAD SWITCH shows the same pinout you would use on your switch OK towards the end of the video. there should be a '+' and '-' on the switch. Ground goes to the minus. Pink [from car] goes to '+' as I think this is the positive of the LED. One of the terminals marked 'NO' should get the blue/black wire and the other gets ground[so a jumper between '-' and one NC contact, the one that does not have the blue/ black on it I think
That did it, thank you!! I'd wired Ground to one of the NO terminals instead of the minus. Now I have a working kill switch; the LED is lit when VESS is on, and dark when VESS is off. Perfect! I'm sure my neighbors are all grateful to you since they no longer have to hear me when I get home from work late at night. Woot!