review Installed: Chevrolet's Lighted Bowtie For The 2019 Silverado

[Zane]

The Merva Brothers

Founders, GM-Trucks.com

February 27th, 2019

 

When you take delivery of a brand new 2019 Silverado, you'll be faced with a few choices beyond which trim level or options you want. You'll also be asked which accessories you want to be installed on your truck before it rolls off the sales floor. Most GM accessories can even be factored into the sale price and financed. So, we're setting off to try out some of these certified accessories that are available for the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado. Our goal is to let you know if they are worth the cash or if you should take a pass. 

 

We've always loved the look of a blacked out bowtie and the idea of one that lights up seemed too cool to pass up. So we headed to our local dealership and ordered the 2019+ Illuminated & Blacked out front bowtie. Here's how it went and what we think. 

 

 

What is it?
Chevrolet Illuminated Grille Bowtie Emblem in Black
Part Number: 84069488
MSRP: $275.00
Manufacturer Website: https://accessories.chevrolet.com/

 

Main Features

• Doesn't effect your factory warranty
• Direct replacement for the standard gold bowtie
• Same quality as original parts
• Wiring harness is plug & play and matches factory wiring

 

 

Here's the bowtie and grille as it came from the factory. 

 

Installation

The first step to install the illuminated bowtie (or the non-illuminated black bowtie) is to remove the front grille. The grille on our LTZ was easy to take once we understood how it was fastened to the body. The entire process runs around 30 mintues  We'll be covering how to remove the grille on the 2019 Silverado in detail soon. 

 

A plastic trim removal set makes this process much easier. 

 

After a little bit of pulling and careful prying, the entire front grille section comes off. Note the grille can be removed without having to take off any body panels or reach under the vehicle. This is a huge improvement over past Silverado generations, which required more disassembly to access the grille mounting hardware. 

 

The grille is a solid unit. Switching it out with another trim level's grille would be easy at this stage. This is also a good time to clean up the grille. 

 

To remove the factory bowtie, release four tab clips on the backside of the grille. One is inside of the support post where you will also run the bowtie's wiring harness. 

 

We popped out the bowtie and cleaned behind it before installing the new one. It was filthy underneath!  

 

The included wiring harness plugs into the driver's side headlight harness. It then snakes through the radiator opening and clips to the bumper. We found it easier to run the wire through the grille and connect it to bowtie, THEN snap the bowtie to the grille afterwards. Attempting to plug the harness into the bowtie after it is mounted on the grille turns out to be extremely difficult. 

 

We tested the bowtie to make sure it lit up properly before we attached the grille back onto the truck. 

 

 

Our Impressions

Installation of the illuminated bowtie turned out to be pretty easy provided we used the right tools. Our plastic trim kit was invaluable during the process, allowing us to pry and remove pieces without scratching them. The kit also didn't come with instructions, so make sure to ask your dealer for a set of them when you buy it. They can print it out for you. 

 

The quality of the bowtie is on par with other factory parts and matches accordingly. The wiring harness looks similar to those already running under the hood giving the final fit a factory feel. 

 

 

So while the look and feel of the product is excellent the actual performance of the illuminated bowtie left us wanting more. We expected an illumination effect with a similar brightness to our DRL lighting. Instead, the bowtie glows a dull white at light. During the day or bright sunlight the illumination effect disappears completely. We do appreciate that the color temperature of the bowtie matches the headlights and DRLs. 

 

 

The MSRP of $275 is steep for the eventual lackluster performance. Excellent build quality, plug and play performance, a factory look, and no warranty interference offset the price to an extent. 

 

If you want a quality replacement for your gold bowtie that adds a little more flare to your 2019 Silverado, the Illuminated Black Bowtie could be right for you. If you're looking for a bright centerpiece that stands out with the same intensity as your other lighting, this may not fit your bill. 

 

 

[Sierra Dan]

Zane,

 

You guys have a damn fine looking T1 LTZ !

I think the illuminated bowtie was designed to be lackluster in a safety way.

Subtle enough to be pronounced..... but not overpowering. It is a nice touch.

Great writeup. Keep up the good work 

[zmarquis]

Any chance you can post instructions? My local dealer won't share them with me.

[Comscan]

And I was really looking forward to getting the same illuminated bowtie for my truck too, but having now seen the level of brightness I am having  second thoughts.  Thank you for the write up.

[Hobey]

Pretty neat, I too would prefer brighter but understand the safety of it being too bright....thanks for the insight and feedback for all members here !!!

[Tam Luong]

Your review is so detailed.