Exterior Modification DIYs - DIY quad brake lights By: Fiirkan

Well i don't likt how my car only had two of the four tail light light up when you brake, so i decided to fix that problem:D
Before:
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r283/HCFiirkan/Taillight%20Conversion/100_0707.jpg
you will need:
1 Rolls of 18 gauge wire
Electrical Tape
2 Brake light bulb sockets(got mine from a salvage yard Like these
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r283/HCFiirkan/Taillight%20Conversion/100_0708.jpg
wire strippers
10mm socket wrench
8mm socket wrench(if you remove tail light)
2 1157 bulbs

Estimated work time 30mins-1hour.

Ok start by removing the covers for the tail lights, then pull out the sockets below the reverse lights, then remove the plastic part of the interior at the back above the spare tire(it's only held in by clips). Then remove the 10 mm sockets that hold the plastic interior on the sides, the green wire hanging out is the one you will add
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r283/HCFiirkan/Taillight%20Conversion/bolts.jpg

Then lead the wire through the same hole that the factory harness goes through, and cut a small hole in the rubber and slide the wire through that, here is a pic of the path it should take
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r283/HCFiirkan/Taillight%20Conversion/in.jpg
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r283/HCFiirkan/Taillight%20Conversion/pathforwire.jpg

I cut the wires on the old light too short and had to remove the tail light to splice them. The factory colors on the car are Black, Red Black, and Green white, the 18 gauge wire i got was green so it worked out well for color coordination, obviously since i got the sockets from a civic at the scrap yard they are the same colors as my car on the harness, so connect the wires according to color(note the sockets i got did not fit perfectly into their new home, so i had to trim it to fit, the socket had 3 pegs to hold it in place where the fitting had 2)
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r283/HCFiirkan/Taillight%20Conversion/sockets.jpg
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r283/HCFiirkan/Taillight%20Conversion/splicing.jpg

Now since the bolts have been removed for the interior run the green wire up behind the plastic interior, and bring it out the hole, then splice the Green/white wire that goes to the factory brake light so that you have about 3mm of exposed wire, then wrap the new wire arround that exposed spot and tape it up.
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r283/HCFiirkan/Taillight%20Conversion/splicingintobrakelight.jpg

place bulbs back into their proper spots and move onto the second side, and repeat

I know some of this would have been ALOT easier if you use shrink wrap or soldering, but i didn't have a lighter for the shrink wrap nor a soldering gun, if you really want to ensure a snug fit with the wires you can also use some wire clamps of some sort.

So in conclusion i am very happy with the results from my modification as it looks 100 times better, i hope this will come in useful for people that wanted to do this before, and i am pretty sure that this is the first DIY posted for somthing of this sort(well i only looked on Jdmcivic.com and Honda-tech) but now Hondacivicforum.com has something taht Honda-tech does not:D
and last but not least the results
After:
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r283/HCFiirkan/Taillight%20Conversion/after.jpg

looks good man, i might think about doing somthing like that..it like sometimes during the day in the sun you can hardley see them

nice DIY!!!!..this should get put in the DIY section, get a mod on that

WAAAAYYYYY ahead of you man, i have already PM MXS about it;)

I honestly thought that more people would be interested in something like this[&:], i guess more people aren't into the modification on the wiring stuff

nice diy fiirkan if i could just get you to come down to tn and do it for me lol j/k oh hahaha you have the same color interior as my hatch but i like the differance shows up great

so, it's really not like this in stock form???

on SOMe cars ist is like this in stork form, i am pretty sure the sedans are, and some coupes, but not the Hatchbacks

si coupes and ex sedans have this, everything else does not

On my civic just the outside ones lighted up. I kind liked it that way. But great DIY fiirkan

looks good man. speaking of quad break lights, anyone have their third break light working in both the rear window and on their wing.