1 9005 male connector w/pigtail (or H4/H7 male connector for ‘02-’04 model; see II).
1 40/30A automotive relay – Radio Shack or any automotive parts store, i.e. Pep Boys, AutoZone, etc.
1 Reel of 14-16 AWG wire, any color. You can use multi-color for color coordination, but it gets pricey. As you’ll see, we’ll label the wires to identify each connection. 20 feet of wire should suffice.
1 14-16 AWG inline fuse holder w/15A blade fuse, any automotive parts store, i.e. Pepboys, AutoZone, etc. Ordered mines through Mouser.com, part #: 576-FHM001 (shown with mini fuse holder, you can use standard size fuse holder – I just happen to have many mini fuses lying around and one of them is 15A)
14-16 AWG fork terminal connects – any automotive parts store, I’ve ordered bulk qty for future projects through Mouser.com, part #: 644-PV14-8FX-M. For a more secure install, you may want to use o-ring terminal connects instead. I used what I had available.
14-16 AWG female quick disconnects – any automotive parts store, I’ve ordered bulk qty for future projects through Mouser.com, part #: 538-19003-0052
14-16 AWG male quick disconnects (shown non-insulated 10 AWG for the purpose of illustration; I highly recommend insulated quick connects) – any automotive parts store, I’ve ordered bulk qty for future projects through Mouser.com, part #: 538-19001-0008
14-16 AWG T-taps – any automotive parts store:
Total cost of project: between $75-$160, depending on how you tackle the project.
Hours required: No more than 45 minutes to an hour.
1a2. Required tools & miscellaneous parts
10mm socket & ratchet wrench (or 10mm wrench)
wire cutter and stripper
terminal crimping tool (most wire stripper has one built-in)
heat shrinking tube (optional)
pen & masking tape
industrial vinyl tape
heat shrinking tube (optional)
1b. Mounting the relays
Before wiring up the relays, it is a good practice to find a mounting spot for them. Not only will you save time mounting the relays later, it also give you a sense of distance from the work area, i.e. you’ll have good judgement on how long to make patch wires, extensions, etc.
For this mod, the I used location is this spot where the stock airbox use to bolt onto:
Take a strip of industrial tape and tape the two relays together, ensuring a tight attachment. I applied a few strips of 3M industrial automotive tape between the automotive relay and Hamsar DRL relay to ensure a tight fitting adhesion. Mount the automotive relay with the Hamsar relay attached piggyback style onto the mounting location with a 10mm bolt. Make sure the location is secure and that you can close your hood without hitting the relays.
1c. Creating high beam replica female connectors
There are several ways of performing this mod. Above all, keep in mind that this mod was performed on a 2005 model USDM RSX. Obviously, the high beam connectors will differ from a 2002-2004 model (as all the folks who did an 05-06 conversion will know), but the high beam wire color identification (i.e. RED/YEL, RED, RED/BLU, etc.) should be the same. Use common sense when you work on this mod and adapt accordingly to your specific application.
Your available options:
The ghetto-rigged freebie method
You can ghetto-rig the set up by cutting and splicing your stock hight beam connectors and wire harness. This route is the cheapest but causes permanent damage to your OEM wire harness. Basically, instead of using replacement high beam connectors as described in option 2 and 3, you use your OEM high beam connectors and perform the required wire splicing and cutting as illustrated in the subsequent instructions and diagrams. If you want a seamless OEM-reversible installation, then you might want to follow option 2 or 3 instead. If you want instant gratification and don’t want to spend or wait for parts, this is the way to go.
The cost effective method, yet OEM-reversible
You can go to a junkyard and cut or purchase two used female 2-pin high beam connectors with trailing pigtails from a junked RSX. If you go with this route, be sure to cut out the right connectors for your RSX year model (i.e., H4 3-pin connectors for 2002-2004 models, 2-pin 9005 connectors for 2005-2006 models). Doesn’t exactly have to be from an RSX as long as the parts are either compatible female H4/H7 or 9005 connectors with pigtails. Be sure to have two wires coming out of each connectors. This is the most cost efficient route.
You can also buy the 9005 harness or the H4/H7 harness from local auto parts store or eBay (search for “9005 wiring harness”) for a fraction of a cost. I believe H4 connectors are compatible with either H4 or H7. 2002-2004 RSX owners, again, double check for accuracy. Expect to shell out between $5-$15 for these pre-made harness.
The OEM-reversible but costliest method (i.e. making your own OEM replica connectors)
Or you can create a new set of high beam connectors by ordering two brand new high beam connectors from Acura and corresponding pigtails. This is what I’ve done because I have a healthy supply of connectors and pigtails from a previous project and the subsequent DIY instructions will illustrate my procedure. Ultimately this is also the costliest option (costing up to $61.00 for genuine OEM parts alone). By following this route or Option 2, you leave your OEM high beam connectors and wire harness intact. To create a new set of OEM high beam connectors from scratch, the following parts are required:
2002-2004 models 04321-S2G-305 – CONNECTOR (3P 321F) 04320-SP0-K10 – SUB-CORD (1.25) (10 PIECES) (RED) 2002-2004 RSX owners, double check and ensure the parts and part #s are accurate before you order the parts. I make no warranty that the part #s are accurate. 2005-2006 models 04321-SH3-305 – CONNECTOR (2P 110F) (5 PIECES)
04320-SP0-N00 – PIGTAIL (1.25) (10 PIECES) (RED)
Before you insert the pigtails into the connector terminals, make sure the orientation and direction of the terminal joints are correct. Take the pigtails and secure the terminal joint into the terminals of each connector to create a brand new replacement high beam connector like this:
Top off the connector with a corresponding terminal cap:
Create a second replica high beam connector for a total of one pair:
Again, to save on cost, you can purchase pre-assembled 9005 (or H4/H7 for ‘02-’04 owners) female connectors w/pigtails!
Next pair up the newly created replica high beam connectors with the OEM connectors for a side by side comparison. Take a piece of masking tape and write down the wire color identification on the OEM connectors and then apply the tape to the corresponding wires of the replica connectors. We’ll be using the replica connectors as if they are the OEM connectors, leaving the actual OEM connectors unscathed. To access the right OEM connector, you will have to remove the power steering fluid reservoir by unbolting a 10mm bolt:
Here are the left and right connectors with proper labeling. We’re simply making replica OEM high beam connectors with correct wire polarity.
Right headlight/passenger side replica high beam connector:
Left headlight/driver side replica high beam connector
Once the pigtails are secured snuggly into the connectors and you’ve identified the wire colors of your replica connectors, we’re good to go. Take a 14-16 AWG fork crimp-on terminal and crimp it onto the pigtails identified as RED/BLU on both replica connectors.
Take a 14-16 AWG female quick disconnect and crimp it on the remaining pigtails identified as RED and RED/YEL:
Take a 3 feet 14 AWG patch wire and then strip 1/4″ from both end, using a wire stripped. Then crimp a 14-16 AWG male quick disconnect onto each end:
Connect one end of the 3 feet patch wire to the wire identified as “RED” on the replica left high beam connector and connect the other end to the wire identified as “RED/YEL” on the replica right high beam replica connector. By doing this, you’ve effectively connected the RED/YEL wire of the replica left high beam connector with the RED wire of the replica right high beam connector, forming a single bridged connection.
Attach a 14-16 AWG T-Tap somewhere along the bridged patch wire, preferably close to the left headlight. Then finally, make a 2 feet patch wire and attach a female quick disconnect on one end and a male quick disconnect on the other end. Connect the male quick disconnect to the T-Tap crimped onto the bridged patch wire and label this new patch wire with a masking tape as “30 AR”:
Unplug both OEM high beam connectors from the high beam bulbs, then plug in the replica high beam connectors onto the high beam bulbs. Ground the RED/BLU wire from each of the high beam replica connectors by securing them onto a bolt along the chassis:
We’re done with the high beam connectors for now.
1d. Tap into the IGN wire
Take the 3 feet GRN wire from the Hamsar DRL relay and run it from the engine bay and into the cabin. This is the hardest part of the install. Start by removing the two tapping screw from the left inner fender liner:
Run the GRN wire across the engine bay and through the left fender:
(image shows GRN wire with male quick disconnect crimped on, do not do this as you’ll see why)
Pull the inner fender liner and look for a grommet where your hood release cable passes through. Pull this grommet out of its socket:
Then insert the GRN wire from the Hamsar DRL relay unit through the grommet and insert as much of the GRN wire as you can:
Re-install the grommet back into its socket. You may need to use a flat head screwdriver for assistant:
Inside the cabin, remove the kick panel covering the hood release latch and pull the green wire you’ve just inserted:
Most likely, the GRN wire will not reach the ignition switch. I attached a 1 foot patch wire onto the end of the GRN wire, then crimped a male quick disconnect onto the attached patch wire.
Remove the ignition cover and find the BLK/YEL wire. This is the Ignition wire. It becomes active when the ignition is turn to the II position. Once the connections are completed, simply putting your key to the II position will activate the DRLs.
You want to take the male ended part of the patch wire and tap it into the BLK/YEL ignition wire:
a.) You can put attach a 10-12 AWG female T-Tap onto the BLK/YEL wire and complete the connection with the patch wire this way (safest).
b.) You can tap into another wire source that also utilizes the BLK/YEL wire, i.e. an alarm system (illustrated).
Whichever method you used to tap the patch wire into the ignition wire, make sure no metal terminals are exposed as you may inadvertently cause a short and blow a fuse. Tape up any exposed terminals (especially if the male disconnect is not insulated) and set the patch wire aside.
II. High beam dummy male connector
To activate the high beams under normal high beam mode or flash-to-pass mode, we need to send an electrical current to the relays that will cause it to draw full power from the battery when the combination switch is set in either high beam or flash-to-pass.
Again, you can ghetto-rig this setup by cutting or splicing a patch wire to the RED/BLU wire that’s attached to the left OEM high beam connector.
What I did instead, for a clean install, was ordered a set of pre-assembled 9005 male connectors from eBay. 2002-2004 owners, you’ll need the H7 connector. You only need to make use of one dummy high beam male connector.
H7 male connectors example [for 2002-2004 RSX models]
Then I plugged the left OEM high beam connector into the dummy socket to check the position and identify the polarity of the wires:
I then attached a 1.5 feet patch wire with a 14-16 AWG female quick disconnect crimped to one end, onto the end of the pigtail that is aligned with the RED/BLU wire from the OEM connector with a butt connector, labeling it as “HIGH BEAM RED/BLU 85 AR”.
I attached a 1.5 feet patch wire, crimped a 14-16 AWG female quick disconnect on the end, to the remaining pigtail with another butt crimp connector and labeled that pigtail as “RED/YEL 86 AR 86 HS”:
Attach a T-Tap to the wire you’ve just labeled “RED/YEL 86 AR 86 HS” close to the end of the wire, near the female quick disconnect.
For 2002-2004 models, you can take a non insulated male blade quick disconnect and crimp it onto a 14 AWG patch wire and insert it into the terminal of the left OEM high beam connector that corresponds to the RED/BLU wire, and repeat the process for the RED/YEL wire instead of making or buying premade dummy male connectors.
Once you’ve completed this step, let the patch wire hang on a visible part of the vehicle’s chassis. We’ll complete the connection in a few steps down.
We are done with this step.
III. Making the connections
By now, you should have labeled four wires:
30 AR
87 AR
HIGH BEAM RED/BLU 85 AR
RED/YEL 86 AR 86 HS
You’re probably wondering what the AR and HS stands for. AR stands for Automotive Relay. HS stands for Hamsar and refers to the Hamsar DRL relay.
Before proceeding, strip 1/4″ from the end of the ORG wire that is coming out of the Hamsar DRL relay plug and then attach a 14-16 AWG male quick disconnect to the end of the ORG wire. Crimp a 14-16 AWG female quick disconnect to the end of the WHT wire. For the BLK and RED wires, leave them alone as they already have end terminals pre-crimped:
Depending on where you mount the relay, you may want to shorten the Hamsar DRL relay wires for a clean connection. I shortened the WHT and ORG wires to 6″.
Connecting:
Take the wire you’ve labeled 30 AR and connect it to pin 30 of the automotive relay.
Take the GRN wire (pin 85) of the Hamsar DRL relay and connect it to the BLK/YEL ignition wire if you haven’t already done so in step 1d.
Take the wire you’ve labeled HIGH BEAM RED/BLU 85 AR and connect it to pin 85 of the automotive relay.
Take the wire you’ve labeled RED/YEL 86 AR 86 HS and connect it to pin 86 of the automotive relay.
Take the ORG wire from the Hamsar DRL relay (pin 86) and connect it to the T-Tap on the wire labeled RED/YEL 86 AR 86 HS.
Ground the fork terminal connect from the BLK wire of the Hamsar DRL relay to the vehicle chassis.
Take the WHT wire (pin 30) of the Hamsar DRL relay (with female quick disconnect) and connect it to pin 87a of the automotive relay.
Create a 2 feet 14 AWG patch wire and strip 1/4″ from both ends and crimp both ends with a 14-16 AWG female quick disconnect. Label this wire 87 AR.
Take the inline fuse holder with a 15A blade fuse in the holder and crimp a 14-16 AWG male quick disconnect to one end while crimping a fork terminal connect to the other end:
Connect the fork terminal connect end of the 15A inline fuse holder to the positive terminal of the battery. Then take the male quick disconnect end of the 15A inline fuse holder and connect it to one female end of the patch wire labeled 87 AR. Take the remaining end of the patch wire labeled 87 AR and connect it to pin 87 of the automotive relay.
Take the RED wire from the Hamsar DRL relay. The RED wire should contain an inline fuse holder with a 10A blade fuse in the holder and is connected to pin 87a of the Hamsar DRL relay. Take the ring terminal and connect it to the positive terminal of the battery.
The finalized interconnectivity of wires between the high beam connectors, automotive relay and Hamsar DRL relay should appear similar to this:
(Click to enlarge diagram)
What this all means
When you turn your key to the II position of the ignition, pin 85 of the Hamsar DRL relay is energized. This draws an electrical current from the battery through pin 87a and sends it to pin 30 of the Hamsar DRL relay (the circuit that sends out reduced currents), which then gets transferred at 60% intensity to pin 87a of the automotive relay. The 60% intensity current then energizes pin 30 of the automotive relay, which then powers the high beams at reduced 60% intensity.
Now if you operate the high beams or engage in flash-to-pass mode, pin 86 of the automotive relay becomes energized and the circuit between pin 30 and pin 87 of the automotive relay is bridged and the DRL unit is grounded (powered off). Now instead of receiving 60% current through pin 87a of the automotive relay, the high beams are now powered at 100% intensity by the battery through the bridge formed by pin 30 and pin 87 of the automotive relay.
IV. Testing the connections
Before we wrap everything up, let’s make sure the connections are correct. Make sure all the ground terminal connects are properly grounded to a metallic surface on the vehicle chassis (3 wires). Make sure all power terminal are properly connected to the positive terminal of the battery (2 wires).
Ensure that the light combination switch works properly with the car OFF. Test the high beam, low beam and flash to pass switches to ensure proper operation. Once you’ve confirmed that the lights operate normally while the car is OFF, take your key and insert it into the ignition.
Turn it to the II position and step out of your car to look at your headlights. Wait 5 seconds, the DRL should turn on – that is, your high beams should turn on, but at 60% of the intensity:
Now if you’ve gone this far, turn on your low beams. Your DRL should now be off:
Turn on your high beams with your low beams on. Your high beam should operate at 100% intensity:
Now turn off your high beams but allow your low beams to remain on. Hit flash-to-pass and your high beam should operate at 100% intensity. You may need an assistant to confirm this.
V. Clean-Up and other considerations
If you have loose wires, you may want to tie them up and organize them using zip ties. Make sure both fuses (10a and 15a) are easily accessible in the event that you need to replace them. What I did was take a insulated wire loom and tuck the exposed wire from the mod into it, then zip tie the wire loom onto the vehicle chassis when needed:
If you are driving around and the DRL turns off or you notice that it flickers, then one of two things could’ve happened. The wire connections and/or crimps you’ve made are not secure or your grounding is loose. You may want to check the wire labeled “30 AR” that’s connected to pin 30 of the automotive relay since it is the primary wire that activates the high beams. Or two, your automotive relay is poor quality. Lastly, check your ground and the fuses.
DRL on with low beams
To have the DRL on while the low beams are on, like the DC2R style, simply do not connect the ORG wire.
Next, pull the weather strip along the lower part of the door frame. You may need a small flathead screwdriver to help pop out the strip. You do not need to peel off the entire strip, just the last half of the frame:
Next, take the included 3M PAC primer and remove the towel inside. Then vigorously clean the surface of the upper plastic window sash again:
Clean as much as you can, utilizing half of the towel per door. If you think you’ve cleaned the surface well enough with water and soap, think again:
After you’re done cleaning the surface with the 3M cleaner, put it back in its package to avoid having its cleaning agent evaporate while you install the door visor.
Installation
You can start on either side. Pull out the correct door visor that corresponds to the door you will be working on, then peel out an inch of red adhesive backing and tape it to the front of the door visor:
Do this to all the backing (3 per door visor). However, peel off only half of the backing on the tapered back-end of the door visor. Next take the front of the door visor and locate the installation key tab. Insert this into the outer side mirror plastic housing as illustrated:
Make sure the tab is aligned with the outer side mirror housing and flush:
Next slide the front two clips on the door visor onto the upper door frame trim:
Next, take the remaining two rear clips and slide it into the metal door from from underneath:
Make sure these two remaining clips sit flush with the metal frame as they will be securing the door visors onto the door frames:
Once you’ve double checked the alignment, carefully peel out the red adhesive backing slowly while applying pressure with your palm to ensure secure contact:
When you are about to peel the red backing through the front two clips, gently lift up the door visor to give way. Continue peeling the red backing until you are done peeling the first backing. You do not need to lift up the second half of the door visor as you peel off the second strip of red backing as the clips are located underneath the door visor and will not interfere. Again, apply pressure with your palm as you peel away the backing. You may also want to move the door visor towards and away from you to ensure 100% contact between the adhesive and the plastic outer window frame trim. While removing the backing and applying pressure, always keep your eyes on the door visor to make sure they do not move in the process and that it sits flush with the door frame.
Finally, peel out the last backing on the tapered end of the door visor and apply the same amount of pressure, then look underneath at the last two clips to ensure that they are sitting flush with the metal door frame. Push the sagging lower weather strip you’ve removed earlier back into its grooves. You may use a flathead screwdriver to push the strip back in, or you can simply use your thumb with a bit of pressure:
Make sure the lower weather strip is properly back in its grooves and flushed with the metal door frame. The finished install:
Wipe the door visors with a clean microfiber cloth:
Enjoy your new genuine and functional accessory from Honda!
I decided to install the rear fog light because I drive through the desert and central California quite often. Depending on the time of the year, the central coast get insanely foggy (especially during the summer). I’ve almost rear ended a silver Miata because the fog was so dense up north. Since I’m traveling further past the central coast in 1 week (past Klamath, CA), and it is currently rainy and foggy season in that region, this mod was executed at just the right time.
To kick the mod up a notch, I’ve added a rear fog light indicator light; basically adding an additional SMD LED into the cavity of the gauge cluster where the high beam LED sits. When I have my rear fog lights on, the high beam indicator will light up yellow, wired so that the rear fog light can only be turned on if the head lights are turned on (just like OEM front fog lights). The whole setup is controlled using gslowr’s ‘07-’08 Honda Fit Sport combination switch DIY guide:
A modified after market OEM-style fog light wiring harness as the main wiring harness:
An extra rear license plate light sub-wire with male and female bullet terminals crimped on and routed through the 28mm hole plug on the rear firewall for an extra clean, OEM-style install:
Complete DIY guide will be available after January 4th. I’ll be away for the holiday, but will continue to post trip-related entries until then.
Here’s a video of the rear fog light in operation:
1x Acura RSX license plate light sub-wire, part #: 32113-S6M-A00
1x EDM spec ‘94-’01 Honda Integra rear fog light, part #: 34450-SV2-G01
1x EDM spec ‘94-’01 Honda Integra rear fog light inner garnish, part #: 71511-ST7-G00
1x EDM spec ‘94-’01 Honda Integra rear fog light outer trim, part #: 71512-ST7-G00
2x Honda 0.50 female pigtails (shown taken from OEM side marker connector).
Part #: 04320-SP0-X10, sold in a bag of 10 pcs.
1x After market OEM-style fog light wiring harness (or 4-pin 30A Bosch style relay with pig tails and 10A blade fuse)
1x 2-pin male connector w/pigtails (part #: 04321-ST5-305, sold in a bag of 5 pcs; male pigtails part #: 04320-SP0-G00, sold in bag of 10 pcs)
1x Rotary tool w/cut-off wheel and grinder/sanding bit
1x 30′ roll of 16 awg wire
1x roll of painter’s masking tape
1x Sharpie marker or ball point pen
1x Wire stripper / cutter
6x Male & female 16 awg quick disconnects (3 of each)
2x Male & female 14-16 awg bullet terminals (1 of each)
1x 14-16 awg quick splice connector
1x roll of wire loom
1x roll of vinyl electrical tape
Templating and cutting your rear bumper
1. To create the template which you’ll use to cut the mounting hole on your rear bumper, we’ll use the outer trim as a reference. This is the piece where the actual rear fog light sits in and is screwed onto. Trace the lip of the trim on a piece of paper. Next, cut 1/4″ inside and along the line you’ve just traced:
2. Take the rear fog light outer trim and test fit it into your template. You may need to make a few changes to ensure a snug fit. Once you’ve determined that the template is good, place it on the section of your rear bumper where you would like to mount the rear fog light and tape the top part of the template onto the rear bumper:
You can use the preceding as a general guide to mount the rear fog light on your ‘05-’06 RSX. The ‘02-’04 RSX models has a different rear bumper so if you’re installing it on an earlier RSX model, you may have to modify the measurements to suit your application.
3. Lift up the template (still held onto the rear bumper with tape) and apply a liberal amount of painter’s masking tape over the entire area of the rear bumper where you want to mount the rear fog light. Next, take a pen or a Sharpie and trace over the template cutout onto the taped surface of the rear bumper:
Stand back and examine the template affixed to your rear bumper. If you are satisfied with the location and alignment, it’s ready to begin cutting.
4. It is imperative that you wear safety goggles. DO NOT EVEN ATTEMPT TO CUT IF YOU DO NOT HAVE SAFETY GOGGLES ON! Start by cutting inside the traced line using a Dremel, AllTrade or similar rotary cutting tool equipped with a cut-off disc:
Be ready to use up to 5 or more fiberglass cut-off discs for the cutting (less if you use cut-off discs designed to cut through metal). If you don’t change them when they are overheated or worn, the disc will break and fly at you. It is important that you wear safety goggles to protect your eyes from the flying debris. Another thing to note is the melted plastic flakes flying off the cutting job is also very hot. I recommend wearing a sweater to avoid minute-burns. Once the base pattern is cut, you can switch the bit to a grinding to level out the curved corners:
Finish with a sanding disc for a clean presentation. Test fit the outer trim. If the hole is too small, you can use a grinder bit and gradually widen up the hole. REMEMBER: It’s always a good idea to start by cutting a smaller hole – you can always widen it up later if it’s too small. If you cut an oversized hole from the start, it could leave to mounting problems. The key point is to take your time and pace yourself. It took me about 1 hour to perfect the hole.
5. Remove the tailgate panel by pulling it upward with slight force. It’s secured onto the rear frame with 4 plug clips:
6. Remove your rear bumper.
Mounting the rear fog light
1. Insert the rear fog light outer trim into the hole you’ve just cut:
2. Pair up the inner garnish from the inner side of your rear bumper with the rear fog light outer trim you’ve just inserted. Align the 3 notches and key slot, then press the two pieces together until they snap into place to ensure a secure mount. If you’re installing on the left side, the notch key should be on the lower left corner:
3. Finally, insert the rear fog lamp into the outer trim and secure the lamp into the housing with two screws. Alternatively, you can use two nuts and bolts in place of the screw. You’ll mount the nut from the inside of the rear bumper. This will prevent the rear fog light from being easily removed:
If you are going to use nuts and bolts, remove the two original spring clips from the inner garnish.The bolts used were M5 .7, 50 threads, the nuts used were M5 .8 and the washers used were M5:
For extra security, you may use two nuts per bolt instead of one. The drawback is you’ll have to remove the rear bumper every time you need to change the bulb (unlikely), but the security and peace of mind is well worth the extra effort.
4. This is what it should look like so far with the rear fog light mounted onto the rear bumper:
Flush mount:
Making the connections
The reason why we’re using an after market OEM-style fog light wiring harness is because it will simplify the installation. Plus everything you need is already part of the harness; no need to purchase additional parts. All you need to do is rearrange a few terminal joints and make a few wire splices to lengthen the power wire. For folks that had to replace OEM fog lights (as I did) with an after market set due to cracked lens caused from road debris, this is a prime opportunity to use the after market fog light wire harness if you happen to save it. For those that do not have an after market wiring harness, follow the circuit diagram below and create your own harness using a few cuts of 16 awg wire, a 10A fuse and a 4-pin Bosch relay (with pigtail).
1. Remove the steering column covering by removing 3 Philips screw on the lower cover and separating the top cover from the bottom cover.
2. Remove two small Philips screws that is securing the combination switch onto the steering column:
3. With gentle force, push the combination switch to the left and out. You may need to pull it out with your hands or push it out with a screw driver.
4. Unplug the combination switch 16-pin plug:
5. Attach a female or male quick disconnect onto each of the two pigtail you’ve acquired. I used one female and one male quick disconnect to distinguish the connections:
6. Insert the two pigtails into the terminals on the plug as shown. Make sure they are in the correct orientation before insertion. Incorrect orientation can result in a damaged pigtail or plug, or both! If you are not sure, just look at the adjacent pigtail.
This is what the inserted pigtails will look like, note the correct location:
7. Crimp a quick connect to the positive wire (usually a RED/YEL wire) from the after market wiring harness then connect it to one of the pigtails that was inserted into the 16-pin combination switch plug on step #6. It doesn’t matter which one, but take note of the pigtail you actually make the connection with. This wire is directly connected to pin #86 (or 85) of the fog light relay.
>Take the remaining pigtail (the one that is not connected to the RED/YEL wire on step #7) you’ve inserted and splice it with the BLU/RED wire (pin #4 on the plug). You can use a T-Tap for the splicing.
The pin where the BLU/RED wire is plugged into becomes active when you turn your head lights on. If your Fit fog light switch is in the “ON” position while your head lights are on, the 12v from the BLU/RED wire will trigger the coil in the fog light relay, completing the circuit between pin 30 and pin 87. Alternatively, you can tap this wire into the IGN (ignition) wire to use as a trigger, but to remain OEM-style, this is what we’ll do for the guide.
8. Next, look for a thick WHT/RED wire in the after market fog light harness; it may simply be RED or a WHT wire color depending on the harness you use. This wire should be approximately 12-14 awg thick connected to one blade of a 30a blade fuse while another thinner wire, about 16 awg thick, is connected to the other blade of the same fuse. The end of the thicker WHT/RED wire will terminate in a brown 1-pin female plug. If you have OEM or after market OEM-style fog lights installed, cut off the brown plug and cap off the wire with an end-terminal. Then splice this wire to the OEM fog light wire power wire in your under dash fuse box with a quick splice tap.
Since the wire will be powering a 21w bayonet bulb instead of two 55w H11 bulbs, replace the 30a fuse in the fuse holder with a 10a fuse.
9. Ground the BLK wire from the after market fog light harness.
10. The main wiring connection is complete. You may want to make temporary connections to the rear fog lamp to ensure that the connections you’ve made in the preceding steps work before completing the installation:
To do this, ground the black wire from the rear fog lamp and connect the power wire to the BLU (or BLU/RED) wire from the after market fog light harness – the wire that is directly connected to pin 87 of the fog light relay. You may want to make the temporary connections with a pair of test leads. Note: If using test leads, connect the positive wire first and be extremely careful not to accidentally short out the positive clamp by inadvertently grounding it to any metallic surface! This can damage your test leads, your rear fog light, your combination switch and start a fire. Turn on your head lights, then turn on the fog light control on the Fit switch. If connections are correct, your rear fog lamp should light up. Turn off your head lights while leaving the fog light control on the Fit switch in the “ON” position. The rear fog lamp should turn off.
11a. Cut off the 2-pin brown female connector on the license plate sub-wire and crimp the corresponding bullet terminals to the wires (i.e. female bullet terminal to the RED/YEL wire and male bullet terminal to the BLK wire):
This will plug right into the rear fog light without any modification done to the rear fog light itself.
11b. Locate the 28mm hole plug on the left side of the rear firewall. If you want to install the fog light to the right side of the bumper, then use the 28mm hole plug on the right hand side, near the exhaust:
You don’t have to remove it. What you want to do is take a 10mm drill bit and drill through the center of the plug. If the hole is too small, carefully grind the hole to widen it up. You want to make the hole just big enough to snugly fit the rear license plate light sub-wire:
11c. Next, insert the bullet disconnect end of the license plate light sub-wire through the hole drilled from step 11b from the cargo:
Pull the bullet disconnect through the hole drilled onto the 28mm hole plug until the grommet part of it squeezes through. Continue pulling until it will not go further:
12. Take the BLU (or BLU/RED) fog light power extension wire from the after market fog light harness and cut it in half at the center. Attach approximately 10 feet of 16 awg wire between the cut wires. This will extend the wire to about 15 feet in length. Wrap up the newly extended wire with additional wire loom and tape it up:
13. Take the female brown plug from the wire you’ve extended in step 11 and plug it into the BLU wire that’s trailing from the fog light relay.
14. Route the extension wire through the driver side door sill,
through the driver side rear quarter panel (you may want to remove the speaker grill for easy access to the wire),
through the driver side rear cargo panel,
and finally into the tailgate panel which you’ve removed earlier.
15. This step is entirely optional. You can splice the BLU (or BLU/RED) extension wire with the RED/YEL wire from the license plate light sub-wire for a direct connection, and ground the BLK wire to any metallics surface. Or to keep it OEM-style, cut off the brown plug at the end of the BLU (or BLU/RED) extension wire. Attach a male 0.50 Honda pigtail (part #: 04320-SP0-G00) onto the cut wire. Take another male pigtail and splice approximately 1.5 feet of 16 awg wire to the end of it (this will be the ground wire).
Take a 2-pin male connector (part #: 04321-ST5-305) and align it with the license plate sub-wire 2-pin female connector and note the position of the RED/YEL and BLK wire (i.e. BLU aligns with RED/YEL and BLK with BLK):
Insert the pigtails into the male 2-pin connector accordingly:
then plug the license plate light sub-wire into this newly created 2-pin male plug:
Connect a fork or ring terminal connect to the end of the BLK wire then ground it to the factory tailgate ground bolt. Wrap the wires in wire loom and tape the looms with black vinyl electrical tape for a clean OEM appearance:
This is how the completed connection should look like at the rear bumper end. Clean and OEM looking. Test the rear fog light one last time, then make the final connections and reinstall your rear bumper:
Plug the bullet terminals from the rear fog light into the corresponding bullet terminals on the license plate light sub-wire, then cover the connectors with a 3 inch piece of wire loom. Tape up the wire loom securely with vinyl electrical tape:
This step is important because the rear wheels kick up a lot of gunk from the road and tosses it into the cavity of the rear bumper. If it rains, water picked up from the rear wheels can cause an unwanted short if the wires are not weatherproofed thoroughly. This is another reason why all electrical connections need to be fused and relayed.
To give you an idea of how far dirt and gunk gets kicked up, look at the debris stuck onto the inside of the rear bumper and how close the rear fog light is to the debris:
Rear bumper reinstalled with rear fog light mounted and wired, ready for use:
Completed install
Some shots of the rear fog light installed and operating:
Are rear fog lights effective?
Yes, especially when you drive in an area with a lot of fog, rain or snow. Below are several pictures of my RSX on Briceland Thorn Road in Garberville/Shelter Cove/Whitethorn, CA; ~150 feet away with thick fog (according to my Garmin hand-held GPS).
Here’s a photo taken with just the parking lights on:
Here’s another photo with the rear fog light on:
Since I drive through the desert and through the coastal fogs from central to northern California quite often, this is a highly functional and beneficial mod.
1x Lombard0’s side marker template, download it HERE
1x 3′ of string (OPTIONAL)
Preparing the template
Lombard0’s template contains the template for both the driver side and passenger side fender. Simply cut the template in half, at the center and use them accordingly.
1. Mask off the fender you’ll be working on with painter’s masking tape. For this guide, we’ll start with the passenger side.
2. Print out Lombard0’s template and carefully cut out the side marker template.
3. OPTIONAL: Take a 3′ of string and align it so that it’s parallel with the accent mark on the door, then tape up the string in place. This will be your guide to aligning Lombard0’s template correctly. If you are in a well lit area and are confident, you can simply use just your eyes to align the template with the accent line.
4. Take Lombard0’s template and align it with the fender line and accent line:
5. Carefully trace the side marker cut-out from the template onto the masked surface of your fender:
6. Double check to make sure the tracing is clear and precise, then remove the string and template from the fender.
7. Chances are, your side marker lights did not include bulbs. Twist the connector off the side marker light and insert a 194/168 amber wedge bulb into the socket. Set the connector and harness aside.
8. Install a metal cut-off disc on your rotary tool, put on your safety goggles and proceed to the next step.
9. Partially remove the inner fender lining by removing these two self-tapping screws:
Cutting the fender
1. Begin cutting the inner rectangle from the side marker cut-out as illustrated with your rotary tool set at high speed:
Take your time to ensure that the cut is precise. When cutting, you want to cut just a bit INSIDE of the traced line. If the hole you’ve cut is too small, you can always widen it up later. If you cut the hole too wide from the start, it can lead to mounting problems.
2. Next, cut out the left and right notches at medium speed.
Right notch cut:
Left notch cut:
3. Carefully grind out the rounded corners by slowly using the cut-off wheel set at medium speed in a stroking motion.
4. The untuned side marker mounting hole:
If you want, you can attach a sanding bit to your rotary tool and sand off the edges of the hole. If not, test fit the side marker light to make sure that it fits snug into the hole. Do not mount the side marker light just yet, simply place it into the hole.
Make sure to insert the side marker light in the correct orientation. You may have to make several widening and smoothing attempts before you can mount the side marker lights securely. Generally, the entire cutting process, including widening and smoothing the hole takes approximately 25 minutes per fender.
5. If the hole is too small, widen it up before continuing. Once you’ve confirmed the hole you’ve just cut compliments the side marker, apply a coat of touch up paint along the exposed metal edge.
Then wait an hour for the paint to dry. At this point, you can start on the opposite fender.
Here’s a video of the cutting process:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUbF_zXRgYA&feature=player_embedded
6. Once the touch-up paint dries completely, partially remove your inner fender liner.
7. Snap the side marker light (with wiring harness disconnected) in place into the mounting hole, then reach your hand behind the fender and squeeze the pinch tab on the side marker light while pulling it in from the inside and using your other hand to push it in from the outside. You can use a small flathead screwdriver to push in the pinch tab instead.The side marker light should snap into place:
(if you still have masking tape on your fender, now is the time to peel them off)
8. Reach behind the fender and plug the light socket from the wiring harness into the side marker light.
If you have a 2002-2004 RSX:
Route the 2-pin plug end of the wire through the large hole on the vehicle’s chassis, then plug rubber grommet into the large hole on the chassis frame. Plug the translucent wire tie clip onto into the smaller hole on the chassis that’s about 6″ apart and adjacent from the larger grommet hole.
If you have a 2005-2006 RSX:
The holes described in the preceding steps for the 2002-2004 models are occupied by a similar harness:
Simply pull the wiring harness’ 2-pin plug outside of the fender through the openings near the hood hinge.
And the 2-pin plug should extend into the engine bay as follow:
(shown with OPTIONAL 2-pin male connector w/pigtails)
Making the connections
You can cut off the 2-pin plugs from the side marker and directly splice the wires onto your signal light wires. But to retain an OEM-style installation within the scope of this guide, I kept the plugs and created complimenting 2-pin male connectors with pigtails.
1. Take two 18-awg T-Taps and attach one onto the GRN/YEL wire of the signal light on your passenger side. Attach the other T-Tap to the GRN/RED wire of the signal light on the driver side:
2. Cut two pieces of 18 awg wires at 2′ a piece and crimp on an 18 awg male quick disconnect at the end of each of the wires.
3. Plug these wires into the T-taps you’ve just attached in step #1.
4. Connect the wires you’ve tapped onto your turn signal wires with the GRN/YEL wire on the side marker wiring harness. For the BLK wire on the side marker light wiring harness, you can simply ground it onto any bolt on the chassis. For this project, I grounded the wire to the fender bolt within the engine bay located closest to the hood hinge secured through a fork terminal connect.
5. Wrap the entire 2′ wire with wire loom, then tape both ends securely with black vinyl electrical tape.
Testing the connections
Once all the connections is verified and tucked away neatly, insert your key and turn the ignition to the II position, then flip on the left and right signals. The side marker lights should blink in synch with either the left or right signal.
Next, press the emergency indicator button. Both side marker lights should blink in synch with your signal lights. Remove your key from the ignition and press the emergency indicator button. Again, the signal lights, including your side marker lights, should all blink in synch.
Once you’ve verified that your installation passes the test, you can wrap up the install and call it a day.
Side marker lights as parking lights
If you want to wire your side marker lights so that they stay on with your parking lights instead of blinking with your turn signal, simply splice the power wire onto your parking light wire instead of the blinker wire. This is the RED/YEL wire coming out of your parking light sockets. If you prefer to wire it this way, be sure to pick up a set of amber LED 168 or 194 wedge bulbs. The OEM set up was not designed to have the side marker lights wired to operate as parking lights. By operating the side marker lights as parking lights with ordinary filament bulb, you will risk overheating the side marker housings and sockets, potentially melting plastic parts and create an inadvertent short. LED bulbs stay cool all the time so it’s more safe and efficient.
Side marker lights that stays on and blinks
Another option is to wire your side marker lights so that they stay on with your parking lights and also blink with your turn signal. To do this, connect the GRN/YEL wire from the side marker light to the RED/YEL wire of your parking light, then connect the BLK wire from the side marker light to the GRN/YEL, GRN/RED wire of the turn signal lights. Remember to use amber LED 168/194 bulb to avoid overheating the side marker housing. A thing to note when wiring this way: your side markers will stay on with your parking lights, but when you signal, it will alternate with your front and rear turn signals instead of blinking in synchronization. That is when your front and rear signals are lit, your side markers will remain off. When your front and rear turn signals are off, your side markers will turn on.
1x salvaged wire plug from any Honda/Acura with at least two pigtails (wires with terminal)
You should be able to find most of the electrical parts at your local RadioShack or AutoZone. I found most of mine in my tool shack . A good place to order bulk of electrical component is Mouser, Inc.. Simply a great company, no doubt. For the sockets, wedge bulbs and plugs, you can order it from Delray Acura. Just punch in the provided part numbers and add to cart. So far, I’ve found that Delray offered the most economical price for these parts.
And finally, you need two pigtails to complete the mod. I just salvaged mine from a 4-pin plug with wires from a Civic power window wire harness at a local junkyard. You can order these pigtails from Acura too, but I don’t think it’s worth the $9.00+ per bag of 10 pigtails they are charging (after all, you don’t need 10 pigtails).
I. Working with the taillight plugs and sockets
The first thing you want to do is remove two pigtails from the salvaged plug. To do this, take a small screw driver or probe and pop out the wire retainer on the salvaged plug as follows:
With the retainer removed, take your mini screwdriver or probe and dislodge the wires from its housing. If you have a terminal release tool, even better. This is a bit tricky so take your time not to damage the wire terminal or plug. If you damage the plug in the process, you’ll probably have to saw it in half to remove the pigtail:
This is what a pigtail looks like:
Three other pigtails:
If your pigtail is long enough, i.e. 8.0″ or longer, you can skip the step below and jump right onto attaching the male quick-disconnect at opposite end of the pigtail.
Take the wire stripper and strip the end of the pigtail as shown above. You will connect the end of the pigtail to another strip of wire later.
Cut an 8.0″ strip of wire from your roll of 22 AWG wire and strip both the ends:
With the ends stripped, connect the pigtail to the newly stripped wire with a butt-connector. Simply crimp the butt connector at the middle, securing both wires together:
Or if you want an even more secure connection, you can alternatively solder the stripped ends together and then place a heat-shrinking tube over the soldered area and heat it up to shrink the tubing.
With the 8.0″ wire connected to the pigtail, crimp a male quick disconnect (measuring 22 AWG) at the other end of the 8.0″ wire:
The completed wire set should look something like this:
(The above pic shows a wire set completed with the solder/heat-shrink tube method.)
Next, take the 3-pin socket and look at it from the top where the wedge bulb is inserted. Saw off the tab as depicted:
The reason you need to saw off these two tabs is because they will obstruct the socket from plugging into the taillight compartments securely. At this point, you may optionally use a file and file down the edges from the sawed-off point.
Next, remove the taillight access panel and remove the turn signal socket. Remove the socket / bulb from its plug. The plug should have two wires, GRN/YEL (right side) or GRN/RED (left side) along with a BLK ground wire. Pop off the retainer as you did with the salvaged plug using a probe or a small screwdriver:
Again, using the probe or small screw driver, maneuver both wires out of its retainer:
Next, remove your brake light bulb (outter lens), then remove the socket from its plug and examine the three wires. The black wire is the ground wire, the red/yellow wire is the parking light wire, and the white/black wire is the brake wire:
Using your wirestripper, strip a part of the RED/YEL wire as shown. Use the 22 AWG stripper and strip the wire carefully, you just need to expose the copper wires and that’s it. Be careful NOT to cut the wire:
You can strip any RED/YEL wire from the taillight assembly as they all perform the same function. It is a generally a better idea to strip the RED/YEL wire from your brake lights (outer lens).
Next, take a T-Tap and place it over the stripped portion of the red/yel wire, then snap it shut (you may need to snap it with a pair of plier). Make sure you hear a click to ensure that it is properly secured onto the wire:
With the T-Tap in place, take your wire/pigtail combo and plug the male quick-disconnect into the T-Tap. Cut a piece of wire insulation tube/loom to approximately the same length as the wire/pigtail combo and cover the wire with it:
With all that completed, take the 3-pin plug you’ve ordered and pop up the retainer. Insert the two wires you’ve removed earlier and the pigtail into it: signal, parking light, ground (GRN/RED, RED/YEL, BLK).
Make sure the wires are inserted in the order as pictured below:
One thing you should keep in mind is that the middle wire is always the wire/pigtail wire that’s being tapped to the parking light wire.
Once the wires have been inserted, snap the retainer of the 3-pin plug back into place to secure the wire terminals, then plug the 3-pin plug into the 3-pin socket (with the two sawed off tabs), plug in the wedge bulb and then plug the connector back into your taillight assembly:
Test out your newly rewired taillights by turning on your parking lights. Both circular lens should light up. Flip on the left turn signal with the parking lights on, your left turn signal lens should light up AND blink at the same time. Repeat with the right lens. Next, turn on your emergency blinkers and see if it works without strange flickers.
If you passed all the test, you are good to go. If the blinker either blink to fast, doesn’t blink or flickers, then you probably have the wire mixed up when you inserted them into the 3-pin connector. Remove the retainer and start over.
Don’t forget to store the original bulb/socket and plug in a safe place in case you want to revert back to stock:
Basically, repeat the same process for the opposite taillight. The whole mod took me no more than 30 minutes, including clean up.
Be prepared to blow your turn signal fuse if you accidentally cross the ground and signal/parking light wires while inserting them into the plug. So.. make sure your light switch is off and you have a few 10amp Mini fuses handy just in case!
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