Mods can do whatever needs to be done with this.

A couple of people have asked me for more details on how I did my 3rd brake light mod, so I thought I'd do a short writeup on how to do it the way I did it (on a budget). This DIY is written for the 6th gen sedan, but I'm sure it can be used for at least 5th gens too, if not others. It might as well be universal, as long as the same basic principle is applied. I have uploaded examples of the 5th gen, 6th gen, and 7th gen logos as examples/templates. Expect to spend at least an hour and a half, if not more, on this.

The final goal:


There is something I would like to note. You are, of course, not limited to just putting "Civic" on your 3rd brake light. You can write anything that'll fit. It's up to you to make it as readable and appropriate as you please. You may also need to check any state or local laws about modifying this light. I am not liable for any damage to your vehicle caused by this writeup, nor am I liable for any citations you may be given if you install something offensive. With this in mind, let's move to the steps.

There is a step-by-step guide with photos for removing the rear deck panel on the 6th gen sedan at this link: https://www.hondacivicforum.com/m_136218/tm.htm I recommend referencing the rear deck panel steps, then reading the rest of this post. I do not (yet) have a quality digital camera, so I can't provide photos that show what I am talking about.

First, you have to remove the rear deck panel. Put the back seat down first so the trunk is open from the inside. This way, you'll be sitting on the back of the seat and facing the rear windshield. You need to pull the shoulder pads of the back seat by away from the deck. This is easy. Simply grab the pads and pull back and/or upwards on each one and they will pop loose. Use a flathead screwdriver to remove the round plastic insert that sits around the key hole for the back seat. If your Civic came with the baby seat bolt in the middle, pop the plastic cover off of that and remove it too. Also, be sure to reach under the panel and unplug the 3rd brake light bulb (or you'll regret it later). Pull on the lip of the rear deck panel and carefully pull up. There are many small plastic clips. Some will likely break if you are not careful.

Once you have the deck off, you'll need to take the 3rd brake light off. On some generations, it will just pop right off, on others, there may be a screw or two to remove. Once the light is off, you will need to take it apart. It has been awhile since I did this so I don't remember exactly how it is all held together, but it should be very simple, 3 or 4 screws at most. I believe there are 2 plastic parts on the inside, one holds the light bulb and the other is the red lens. You will need the red lens separate from the rest of the light for measurements.

Now, the tricky part: Printing the logo. You will first need an image of the logo to work with. Search the internet for the logo of your choice, or see the bottom of this post for the samples I added. Next, you need to go into your favorite image editor (Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, MS Paint, etc.) and open the image. If the image isn't already black and white, make it so. I used a black background with white letters for (IMHO) the best result, but you are not limited to this. Print a sample at 100% size and see how this lines up with your red lens. If it's too small, you'll need to go into the print options and guestimate how much larger it needs to be, maybe 125% or 135%. Of, if it's too big, downsize to 85%, 75%, etc. Once you get the right size through trial and error, I recommend printing on thicker paper, like 65 lb book, or cardstock. I had some laying around from school, so this worked out cheap for me. I feel that thicker paper will result in a better, longer lasting finished product, but if you only have regular paper, it might work. I also recommend printing on maximum quality so the black ink is thicker. These steps will make sure as little red glow leaks through the black ink and the paper, so your logo will look better.

Once you have your final printout on thicker paper, lay the red lens over it, center it, and trace the outline of the lens with a pencil. Cut along that line and you are left with a lens shaped logo. If you want to see how it'll look, put the logo in front of the lens and aim it at a nearby lightbulb. That'll give you a good idea of how it'll look.

Now, place the logo behind the red lens and reassemble the 3rd brake light. You shouldn't have to glue or tape it in there if it is the right shape and size; the lens and screw will hold it for you. Put the brake light back onto the rear deck and reverse the steps for removing the rear deck panel. There you go!

Be sure to plug the light bulb back into the brake light, and be careful with all of those plastic clips. Grab a cold one if you haven't already and enjoy.

Here are some templates:

[IMG]local://upfiles/23541/342F3216A0FD466389DA7D33B5E87A28.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/23541/DEE17AD46D37450B84883497C9156DDE.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/23541/386C230101884A31AEADA0607A7D75E9.jpg[/IMG]

 

I remembered seeing this thread a while back. I decided to do the same thing to my 3rd brake light, except I used a stencil blank that you can get at craft stores for about $3 for a 3 pack. I flipped the color of the image so that the lettering was black and the background was white (my printer was running low on ink) and I traced the outline of the letters onto the stencil blank and cut them out with a utility knife. I then cut the stencil blank so that it would fit inside the housing of the light and made sure that the Civic was centered and then I got some Krylon fusion spray paint for plastic and spray painted the stencil black. I was afraid that if I just used paper and printer ink that it would fade from the sun over time, especially since my windows aren't tinted (yet!)

I'm currently waiting for the stencil to dry and then once I get everything put back together I'll let you know how it turned out.

I'm very glad I remembered this write up.

 

Got everything back together and it looks awesome. Don't have any time to take pics today though. Will have to do it later.

 

I like the stencil idea a lot. Yours turned out really nice.

I've had that printed one in my 3rd brake light for almost a year and it hasn't faded yet. There's no tint over that part either.

 

damnit....i wish i could do that to my civic. its an '04 and the brake light isnt quite as wide. i dont think the logo will be legible if i do it......ah well, still may try