danomatic93

DIY: DC2 Map Light into EG w/Moon Roof

I saw some write-ups of installing a map light into a Civic without a moon roof. That style would not work for my EJ1 so, I wrote this up to share...

Tools needed:
-Screw Drivers - phillips flat head
-Box Cutter or cutting blade
-Wire strippers (or use the blade^)
-Electrical tape
-A brain

Parts needed:
-Map light from an Integra, preferably with the wire (white/red) too.
It should look like this:



Let's get started...

1. Remove the 7.5A interior fuse and test that the dome light will not turn on to be sure you pulled the proper fuse.

2. Remove:
-sun visors (4 screws)
-visors clips/stays (2 screws)
-center mini-visor (1 screw)
-A pillar garnish pieces (pull)
-Oh Snap handle on passenger's side (2 screws)
-plastic trim screws found behind A pillar garnishes (2 screws)
-moon roof headliner trim piece (pull)

NOTE: You can stop here or keep pulling off parts. However, I was able to do this with just removing these parts and keeping the headliner on the car.

3. Look at the back side of the map light. Notice where it will hit the headliner. Cut a pilot hole to see where else you have to cut from there. Measure twice, cut once. Or do as I do and don't measure and cut until it fits.

Back side of the Map Light:



Headliner with all the parts removed:


Headliner after first pilot hole was cut:


Test fitting:


4. Now, before you cut any more, notice that there are 2 brackets on the car that match up with the holes to mount the map light to.

See the brackets:



5. Cut the initial hole until the holes for mounting the map light match up with the brackets on the car.


6. I'm sure you noticed that the map light piece has a tab that also helps hold it in place. The easiest way to get the correct location in the headliner to make a hole for the tab is to press the map light into the headliner and mark where the tab leaves an impression in the headliner. Then make your hole accordingly.

The headliner with the cut made:


7. Wire it up. Hopefully you got the white/red wire and plug. Running up the Driver's side A pillar is white/red wire. Weird, I wonder... Yes, this is the wire you should tap into and connect the white/red wire from the map light.
Here's where the wire is:


8. Where's the ground!!?!? Well, when you screw in the map light to the car, the screws are the ground, proving you didn't lose any of the pieces.
So you can see, the White/Red white is power and the mounting holes/screws become the ground.


9. It's good practice to mount and test it first before you put everything back together:


10. Put everything back together and enjoy you map light!!

Linked

this is awesome, i wish i could find a map light to put in my ej1.

i was also thinking if you could tap into the dome light and also get the map lights to light up when the doors are open.

great DIY and i'm gonna look into this :D

deschlong

iTrader: (8)

Great DIY w/ step-by-step. This needed to be done.

@Linked:
Unfortunately, the maplights cannot be wired as-is to come on when the doors are open. There is no middle setting on the light switch (like your dome light) to which the wire for the "door open" switch can be attached. Too bad ... I looked into it too.

Linked

forgive me but lets agree to disagree.

i believe i could find a way to get the maplight to light up when the doors open (with some rigging i think)

theres a terminal in the dome light itself that i believe you can run a !2nd! wire from the maplight to. diagram attached below...


the terminal labeled "B" or "middle" is the relay that is powered when the doors are open. if we run a wire from that to the maplight (and put a switch in between for convienence) we can get it to come on

hamman_25

Good info. Might have to think about doing this

danomatic93

Yes, you could do that... But it would no longer be a map light. It would be dome light #2.

ej1love

i just posted something like this a week or so ago, **** is bright...

Linked

but maybe if i bypassed the switch on the maplight and went straight to the bulbs then i could use it as a dome light when the doors open, and also use the switch as a normal map light

bluebomber

iTrader: (2)

This is a great write-up. I think I'll hit the junkyard tomorrow for a maplight to do this myself.

Kluak

I know this thread has been inactive sense like july. but im just reading it because i want to install a map light into my 1994 accord coupe.

you could wire the map light to the dome light so that it turned on when the doors are open. but then your problem is it would just be a dome light when the doors are open and you wouldnt have power to it unless the doors were open. so what you could do.. if possible idk, im not an electrician..... is run the wire to the dome light swith to turn on when the doors are open. THEN run another wire for power to turn them on whenever you wanted.

wouldnt that work?

deschlong

iTrader: (8)

If you want it to turn on when the doors are open, you would have to custom wire it to bypass the switch. You might also need a diode.

Kluak

so it is possible then? cause i think itd be pretty cool.

anywho. does anybody know of a write up for a 1994 accord to do this? i looked around. maybe just not very well.

Kluak

hey i just found out the TSX has a map light that has the switch in the middle for the door or off. any ideas if that would work?

Rigginit

Just another option for others looking for map lights/front dome lights The wiring would be similar to above with the OP's info





I pulled this from a Chevy S-10 or similar pickup while at the yard for $5. Was incredibly bright and worked as Dome/Map both.