shortlid

Anyone every just replace the BULB in the socket that goes to the back light for the dash buttons or Cruise Control button? The bulb socket and the COLOR sock tat goes over it are like $5 a peice, a 12v minilamp at Radio Shack is .75 cents!

shortlid

Went to Radioshack and bought a 12 Volt 60 Mili. Amp mini bulb with wire leads. I am puting it into the Honda base socket and the color sock over it. Anyone tired this. Can I mess anything up?

qat727

Ok... not sure what kind of honda we're talking about here, but for the 92-95's, the switches have two bulbs. The bulbs are in little plastic holders, and the assembly is like $6 from honda. No bulb condom, so perhaps you're talking about a different model.... any way.... with the way it is on the 92-95's, you pull the little plastic holder and bulb assembly out, unwrap the wires from the holder, put the new bulb in, and rewrap the wires around the holder. Pretty easy to do, and cheap. I've done several of my bulbs this way when they go out.

http://www.radioshack.com/prod...earch

those are the ones that I use. I'm sure that later civics probably use a similar setup. As for the bulb condoms, you can probably carefully unroll them from the bulb and reuse them... otherwise, if you rip them, you're SOL.

hope this helps some

BlueIntegraBoy

iTrader: (5)

I replaced my bulb on my climate control. It only cost like $0.80 from an auto parts store.

shortlid

Thanks qat727, that info was great I got a simalar bulb but not that one. Do you know how many Mili. amps they are? The ones from Radio Shack I got are 60 Mili. amps?

It is going into a '99 EX Sedan

qat727

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BlueIntegraBoy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I replaced my bulb on my climate control. It only cost like $0.80 from an auto parts store.</TD></TR></TABLE>

the climate control bulbs on the 92-95's are a bit of a different story than the cruise indicator bulbs, but both can be a bitch to change. They were completely different bulbs in my car.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by shortlid &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Thanks qat727, that info was great I got a simalar bulb but not that one. Do you know how many Mili. amps they are? The ones from Radio Shack I got are 60 Mili. amps?

It is going into a '99 EX Sedan </TD></TR></TABLE>

Probably what I'd recommed is for you to pull one of your switches, and get the bulb out of it. If it looks like the one in the radio shack link I sent, then it is most likely the same as the ones used in 92-95's. I don't have a 99 around to pull a switch on, unfortunately, or else I would. I can tell you that the bulbs in the link I sent are very similar to the bulbs used originally. The only differences I see are that they sit a tad bit lower in the holder (you can adjust the wiring a bit, but it really doesn't make much difference), and they look a little bit brighter. I think the brightness is probably just because it's a new bulb..... best thing for you is probably the same thing I did.... just pull it out, and look for a replacement.

shortlid

You say the one behind the curise light is diff.? Can I get a replacment from Honda for that back light? The backlight in the cuise button comes and goes so i might be able to just tighten it up or clean teh contacts.

the bulb I got from Radio shack is slightly BIGGEr than the one it replaces. Hopefully it will work OK.

qat727

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by shortlid &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You say the one behind the curise light is diff.? Can I get a replacment from Honda for that back light? The backlight in the cuise button comes and goes so i might be able to just tighten it up or clean teh contacts.

the bulb I got from Radio shack is slightly BIGGEr than the one it replaces. Hopefully it will work OK. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I'm really not wanting to tell you wrong on this thing, considering the years are different and stuff has probably changed. I know that in my 92, the climate control uses a bigger bulb that is a wedge base, that has a bulb condom. I know that the cruise, defrost, and fog switches all use a small bulb, about the size of a grain of wheat bulb, that has wire leads and is in a plastic holder, and uses no condom. Any of the bulbs are available from Honda, the question to ask is if they can be obtained elsewhere. Wedge based bulbs are generally standard and can be obtained from AutoZone or the like. If the bulb has wire leads, you are probably going to be headed to radio shack for a replacement. If the bulb flickers on and off, you're looking at a loose connection, and almost definitely not a bad bulb. Like you had said.... check the contacts or the wires. If it's just the wires, you probably won't need to bother with replacing the bulb.

Kidnkorner

http://www.superbrightleds.com replace them with L.E.D. bulbs in the color of your choice!

shortlid

I would casue LED's LAST FOREVER!! BUT, I have heard from people you have to put a capacitor inline since LED's use MUCH less energy than mini incadesants and THEY DON"T DIM WITH DIMMER!! many have said there bightness dow not blend with other interior backlight parts.

qat727

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by shortlid &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I would casue LED's LAST FOREVER!! BUT, I have heard from people you have to put a capacitor inline since LED's use MUCH less energy than mini incadesants and THEY DON"T DIM WITH DIMMER!! many have said there bightness dow not blend with other interior backlight parts. </TD></TR></TABLE>

not capacitor, resistor, and the premade bulbs usually come with the right resistor built in. If not, it really isn't that hard to figure out what the right resistor is for a given LED.

and I believe you're correct on the thought that they don't dim with the dimmer. If you really want to put a LOT of time into it, you could make a separate circuit and run only LEDs for your interior lighting, and use a setup based off of a design like the one here:

as described here http://www.mikesflightdeck.com/led_dimmer.htm
but that's another topic altogether.

Does the bulb you need have a wedge base?

shortlid

No, in the base it has two exsposed hard wires.

qat727

I'm guessing that since you've already seen what the base looks like that you got it out of the switch, no?

did you find a suitable replacement from radio shack?

Kidnkorner

the bulbs used in intrument clusters and panel lighting are all wedge designs.

qat727

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Lynx Bus Type R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the bulbs used in intrument clusters and panel lighting are all wedge designs.</TD></TR></TABLE>

that's been my experience, but I believe the bulb at issue was the one in the cruise control switch.

shortlid

I bought the white back light one for the cruise button. AGAIN when I replaced it the ENGAGE BULB WENT OUT!! That one with the color condom is $16.89 at Honda!!!!!

Now I need that bulb also nothingt with hard oigtails at Radioshack checking microlamps.com next.