01-03 coupe taillight trick
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i took a look today and it seems the signal bulb wont fit in the brake lamp socket. but the brake bulb fits in the signal socket. the bulb is too large to even get halfway in the socket...cant even tape it so it stays as temporary.
what have others done to make this happen? is rewiring hard at all?
what have others done to make this happen? is rewiring hard at all?
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Originally Posted by jttegx
i took a look today and it seems the signal bulb wont fit in the brake lamp socket. but the brake bulb fits in the signal socket. the bulb is too large to even get halfway in the socket...cant even tape it so it stays as temporary.
what have others done to make this happen? is rewiring hard at all?
what have others done to make this happen? is rewiring hard at all?
Originally Posted by R1Style
Ya one of the bulbs are bigger and won't fit in the other hole. What you have to do is make the hole bigger by breaking off those 4 little locking tabs with a wrench/pliers and the bulb should fit right in.
If I get around to it I'll do up a DIY w/pics... I got an extra set of tails at my parents house.
If I get around to it I'll do up a DIY w/pics... I got an extra set of tails at my parents house.
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Originally Posted by born2xLr8
It's in your own thread


Originally Posted by genexrocket
naw, it doesn't fit exactly, so i just taped em in, lol. It's not like anyone would know 

i was following up with this and i thought i would be able to tape it as temporary. i guess his is 04 so its diff. but thanks anyways
looks like im gonna have to rewire
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Ok well you can't tape in the bulb when it's not in all the way. The bulb you can tape in temporarily is the smaller bulb in the bigger hole...
Like I said though... just break the tabs off the socket hole to get the bigger bulb in... simple as that.
BTW... have fun wiring those bulbs up if that's what you want to do rather then switch the bulbs around. The socket/bulbs for the brake lights are dual filament and the socket/bulb for the turn signal are single filament.
There is no way to make a single filament bulb/socket work as a dual... you would need the buy dual filament sockets/bulbs then rewire them in.
Like I said though... just break the tabs off the socket hole to get the bigger bulb in... simple as that.
BTW... have fun wiring those bulbs up if that's what you want to do rather then switch the bulbs around. The socket/bulbs for the brake lights are dual filament and the socket/bulb for the turn signal are single filament.
There is no way to make a single filament bulb/socket work as a dual... you would need the buy dual filament sockets/bulbs then rewire them in.
i used to have this setup b4, but right now i am using 04 tails.
i just switch the turn signal sucket with bulb to the brake hole
and use tape to hold the brake sucket with bulb in the turn signal hole. very simple
i just switch the turn signal sucket with bulb to the brake hole
and use tape to hold the brake sucket with bulb in the turn signal hole. very simple
Vic's almost done... thats sorta depressing...
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intresting idea, for all you that are looking for ideas on taillights... this is another intresting idea that acidbaby and I kinda were leaning torward...
this link if for the tread
http://www.7thgencivic.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=204374
and this link is when Acidbaby and I kinda start coming up w/ a diffrent Idea that works for coupes of all colors...
http://www.7thgencivic.com/forums/sh...4&page=4&pp=15
this link if for the tread
http://www.7thgencivic.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=204374
and this link is when Acidbaby and I kinda start coming up w/ a diffrent Idea that works for coupes of all colors...
http://www.7thgencivic.com/forums/sh...4&page=4&pp=15
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I'm using electrical tape and it's been like that for over a year and I've never once fogged up.
Anyways, here's a quick diagram for you guys. I'll do a real DIY if I ever have to take out my tails.
This is the smaller bulb hole

Close up of that hole (before)
***see those 4 tabs??? Those are what you need to break off... just use pliers of vice grips... grab them and bend them upwards... they'll break off clean. I've done this twice already.

After what they should look like (photoshop but you get the idea).

Hope this helped. Enjoy
Anyways, here's a quick diagram for you guys. I'll do a real DIY if I ever have to take out my tails.
This is the smaller bulb hole

Close up of that hole (before)
***see those 4 tabs??? Those are what you need to break off... just use pliers of vice grips... grab them and bend them upwards... they'll break off clean. I've done this twice already.

After what they should look like (photoshop but you get the idea).

Hope this helped. Enjoy
Vic's almost done... thats sorta depressing...
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uh, I will one up you R1 I have discovered a way to do this w/o breaking the stock houseing... instead of breaking the hole to fit the bulb, why not replace the bulb? If you use the same bulb as your turnsigs for the front or the back break lights (they are the same bulb) you dont have to break anything and you get the same light output... no fuss no muss! and if you recently cleared your headlights, you probibly have this bulb laying around somewhere, that is how I figured this out since I have TONS of bulbs laying around from the civic and my last car (I like hyper white
) and since I went back w/ OEM tinted houseings I took all my hyper white bulbs out( i used to have tezzas, i know, rice, that is why they are gone, lol) So yea, if you just want to see how it looks w/o breaking stuff, this is one option!
) and since I went back w/ OEM tinted houseings I took all my hyper white bulbs out( i used to have tezzas, i know, rice, that is why they are gone, lol) So yea, if you just want to see how it looks w/o breaking stuff, this is one option! My car breaks and explodes for no apparent reason.
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Here are some night shots of the before and after. Before is on the left, after is on the right. I think it looks really cool with the side bulb left in the taillight. I'll screw with it some more when I get the correct bulbs tomorrow.


If you dont want to break off the tabs out of fear like me but wanna see it. Get a heat gun.
Just take the heat gun warm up the tabs and push them inward or pull back, when they cool they are out of the way. This way its totally reversible if you get tired or want it back. Ill be doing that tonight to see.
Just take the heat gun warm up the tabs and push them inward or pull back, when they cool they are out of the way. This way its totally reversible if you get tired or want it back. Ill be doing that tonight to see.
why cant we just cut the wires and put t taps on the wires connected to the sockets and the male connectors on the wires with the power then when you want to go back to stock everything is cool and it take a minute without tools
That would work but for now I did the swap and I think I like it Ill post pics
The only problem with the wire tapping is that yes you get to keep the same bulbs in their place but that is where you have issues. The turn signal has the third wire that makes the bulb flash. So how would you go about doing that without swapping the bulb connectors as well.
The only problem with the wire tapping is that yes you get to keep the same bulbs in their place but that is where you have issues. The turn signal has the third wire that makes the bulb flash. So how would you go about doing that without swapping the bulb connectors as well.
Seeing this thread, and being a little bored, I swapped mine.
I used a soldering iron to melt the plastic. It made a near-round shape, that the socket fit right into, snugly, no tape or glue required. (sorry the pic is blurry, my cam doesn't like close shots.)


I used four small pieces of raammat and then a drop or two of hotglue to hold the brake light in.


I used four small pieces of raammat and then a drop or two of hotglue to hold the brake light in.
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