Chevy Colorado LED Interior Light Upgrade: 13-Piece CANbus Kit That Handles Trail Vibration (2013-2022)

What Is a Chevy Colorado Interior LED Light Kit?

A Chevy Colorado interior LED light kit is a set of direct-replacement bulbs that swap into the factory dome, map, reading, vanity, trunk, glove-box and footwell sockets without cutting or rewiring. AutoKitShop lists 0 Chevy Colorado LED kits covering model years the model run. Each bulb is rated at 300 lumens and roughly 3x the brightness of the original incandescent lamp, at a fraction of the current draw, with a 50,000-hour service life. Kits are supplied as complete sets with the correct socket adapters, so nothing needs to be ordered separately. If a bulb does not light on first fit, rotate it 180 degrees, because LEDs are polarity sensitive. Colour options are white (6000K), ice blue, warm white (3000K) and purple.

Which Colour Temperature Should You Choose?

The second-generation Chevrolet Colorado (2013–2022) — and its GMC Canyon twin — is one of the most popular midsize trucks in North America. The Coloradofans.com forum is packed with build threads, lift kit discussions, and endless debates about the 2.8L Duramax vs the 3.6L V6. But there's a quieter thread running through it all: upgrading the interior lighting for actual visibility, whether you're on a job site at 5am or setting up camp after dark.

Chevy gave the Colorado a decent interior — comfortable seats, good ergonomics, functional layout. But they stuck with the same 194/168 wedge bulbs they've been using since the GMT400 era. They're dim, they run hot, and they make the cabin feel ten years older than it is. This 13-piece CANbus LED interior and license plate light kit fixes that in about an hour with basic hand tools.

What's in the 13-Piece Kit

The kit covers every interior bulb position on the Colorado across both cab configurations:

• Front dome light — two bulbs in the overhead console
• Front map/reading lights — two individual bulbs (if equipped)
• Rear dome light — crew cab models get a dedicated rear dome; extended cab uses the front dome only
• Door courtesy/puddle lights — two bulbs in the front doors (LT and Z71 trims and above)
• Vanity mirror lights — two bulbs in the sun visors (LT trim and above)
• Glove box light — one bulb
• License plate lights — two bulbs in the rear bumper

That's 13 bulbs total. Base WT (Work Truck) trims might not have the vanity mirror lights or puddle lights — those bulbs become spares or you can use them to upgrade positions Chevy left empty.

CANbus on the Colorado — Is It Necessary?

The short answer: yes, for the plate lights at minimum. The 2016+ Colorado (post-refresh) uses a BCM that monitors the license plate light circuit. Non-CANbus LEDs in the plate lights will trigger a "License Plate Light Out" message on the DIC (Driver Information Center). The dome and map light circuits technically tolerate non-resistored LEDs on most model years, but you'll get the classic dim residual glow when the lights are supposed to be off — the BCM's monitoring voltage is enough to keep cheap LEDs faintly illuminated. This kit's built-in resistors eliminate that completely.

Install Step-by-Step — Colorado Specifics

Front overhead console: The entire console drops with two screws hidden under the sunglasses holder (if equipped) or behind small plastic covers. Unplug the wiring harness before pulling it fully down — the harness has limited slack. The bulbs are T10 wedges in reflector buckets that twist-lock from the back.

Rear dome (crew cab): Pry the lens from the rear edge. The bulb is a single T10 wedge. On the extended cab, there's no rear dome — the front light handles everything.

Door puddle lights: Located at the bottom of the front door cards. The lens pries out from the outer side (closest to the door hinge). On Z71 trims, the red lens doubles as a reflector when the light is off.

License plate lights: These are the most annoying part of the install — not because they're difficult, but because they're inside the rear bumper step pad. You need to reach up behind the bumper (lie on your back) and twist each socket counterclockwise. On Colorados with the factory spray-in bedliner, the step pad edge can be stubborn — a flathead screwdriver wrapped in tape helps break it loose.

Vanity mirrors: The sun visor-mounted lights require popping the small clear lens off with a trim tool. On LT and Z71 trims, the bulbs are a smaller T5/T10 hybrid wedge — the kit includes the correct size.

Color Choices

White (6000K) — the default and the best choice. Matches the Colorado's gauge cluster and infotainment screen backlighting. Ice blue (8000K) — slightly cooler, more aftermarket feel. Warm white (3000K) — subtle, keeps it looking like GM could have optioned it from the factory. Purple — exists, though we've yet to see a ZR2 rock crawling at night with purple interior lights. If that's you, we want pictures.

OEM vs LED Comparison

Backed by AutoKitShop's warranty. For a truck that sees everything from highway commutes to off-road abuse, having LEDs that survive vibration and don't need replacing every other oil change is exactly what you want.