DIY DIY Improving LX sedan interior light

Amomicivic

Well-Known Member
122
117
San José, Costa Rica
Vehicle Model
Civic LX
DISCLAIMER: You do this mod at your own risk. I am not responsible for any damage done to your car or yourself as a result of doing this job.
My car does not have moonroof or hands-free link, so the map lights work independently of the interior light, but I wanted more light output inside the car when I opened the doors. Using the existing hardware, all it takes is run a wire from the interior light to the map lamps in order to all work as one.
This setup has the following advantages:
  • The interior and the map lights will fade out and go off at the time programmed by the user.
  • All the lights go on when you unlock the driver's door but do not open it or when you remove the key.
  • If you leave any of the doors open without the key in the ignition switch, all the interior lights will go off after about 15 minutes.
  • The map lights will work manually as before.
Disadvantage:
  • There is no way to turn off the map lights when the doors are opened, since there is no switch as in the interior lamp. If you want to turn them off immediately, you can take the bulbs out or just wait the 15 minutes that takes to the computer to turn off the interior lamps anyway.

Bill of materials:
  1. 50 cm of #22 AGW wire for automotive use. You can use a smaller gauge one, since power consumption is 1.6 Amp @12V.
  2. One #22 AGW gauge wire tap-in squeeze connectors.
  3. Crimping tool.
  4. One pair of insulated crimp-on snap connectors for #22AGW.
  5. Single sided foam tape or a small strip of foam.
  6. Plastic wire ties.
  7. Soldering iron, rosin core solder and flux.
  8. Phillips screwdriver or 8mm socket and ratchet.
  9. Plastic trim tool.
  10. One wire clothes hanger or a piece of thick wire.3M Super 33+ Vinyl electrical tape.

OK, let´s start!
1) Take off both clear lenses of the map lamps and of the interior lamp using the trim tool.
int1.sized.jpg


int2.sized.jpg


int3.sized.jpg
int4.sized.jpg


2) Unbolt both the map and the interior lamps and unhook them from the respective connectors.

3) Take off the insulation of one wire side and crimp-on one the snap connector.

4) Cut a piece of foam tape and wrap it around the snap connector. I ran out of foam tape, so a wrap the connector with a piece of foam and secure it with a plastic wire tie.

5) Disassemble the clothes hanger and use it and run it from the hole of the interior light to the hole of the map lamp. Be careful with the headliner in order to not crease it.

6) Secure the wire without the snap connector to the clothes hanger firmly using the electric tape and run the wire between the headliner and the roof (you can remove the driver’s and passenger’s sunvisor holders if you need more wiggle room - they have to be rotated counter clockwise to be removed).

int5.sized.jpg



7) Cut the wire as needed and proceed to tap the pink wire of the interior lamp connector. Wrap it in electrical tape to protect the connection and foam to avoid rattles.

int6.sized.jpg


8) Cut a 5 cm piece of wire and take off the insulation of one wire side and crimp-on the snap connector.

9)Solder the other side of the wire to the map lamp as shown. Then put a piece of electric tape over the solder joint.

int7.sized.jpg


10) Reconnect and assemble the interior lamp.

11) Connect the crimp and map connectors and bolt the map lamp in place.

12) Test the circuit. Both the interior and map lights should dim when the door is closed and come off at the preset time by user.

int8.sized.jpg


int9.sized.jpg


DONE!!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Not a bad mod at all. Edited & updated images to the server. Thank you for doing the diy
 
you can add a switch by using the part from a 7th gen accord, the plastic color may not match perfectly but you could also add a blue overhead console light using the same part



I had done this in my 8th gen civic, it worked perfectly
 
yea, i just put the switch on the accord piece in line with the pink wire, so it acts like the dome light switch without a "on" function, plus i ran a wire up from the interior illumination kit to the led which i swapped to blue from the stock amber
 
if i remember right that piece came from a 03-07 accord EX trim, EX-L and EX-L v6 models got homelink, and if you get it from a navi trim the part is stupid expensive cause it has a microphone in it

in 08 and up the accord changed to having sunroof controls up there too like the civic
 
Back
Top