I recently installed some jdm style side markers on my eg civic.
I read that the jdm side markers are wired to the turn signals but I've seen stock side markers on american cars that are wired to the parking lights so I wanted to know if they need to be wired to the parking lights for legal reasons or if they should be wired to the turning signals?

 

It's not illegal to have the sidemarkers blink with the turn signals, that's how I have mine wired

 

Ive seen them wired in both ways iirc. If wired in with the turn signals, they wouldnt stay on at night like your corner lights, wil they?

 

No, they won't stay on if you wire them to the turn signals but that's the correct way to wire JDM side markers. I've seen them wired so they stay on with the corner lamps, as well as wired so they flash out of phase with the turn signals. Whatever floats your boat, but I prefer the "correct" method of wiring them to the turn signals.

fm

 

parking lamps

 

I know it wouldn't be illegal to wire them to the turn signals but the usdm corner lights have the side markers built in and the jdm corners don't so I figured maybe in the US you have to have the external side markers wired to the parking lights in order for it to be legal to use the jdm corners.

 

Um...if you just use your existing USDM sockets, you'll be fine. I didn't bother replacing my USDM bulbs for the JDM sockets.

That would make your side markers eye candy, but that's really all it is, isn't it?

fm

 

Thanks for the tips

 

Fryman & fm: I sympathize with both of your opinions on the topic .. I believe, in a sense, you are both correct.

fm has a point that it is admirable to emulate the OEM functionality from a different market. Pick a market and run with the standards they use there. This is not wrong, IMO. My only issue with this is that I don't know if it complies fully with my local laws and regulations.

Fryman, you have a point that in CAN/US, the corner lamps have an orange reflector which is not present on the JDM/EDM corner lamps. The reflector is there to comply with CAN/US regulations which are different from JDM & EDM. Straight replacement of your CDM/USDM corner lamp with the JDM/EDM one, without installing a sidemarker, would probably make you non-compliant (this is actually how my own vehicle is set up right now, and it would fail a safety, if someone knew enough to look for this). It makes sense, then, to me, that installing a sidemarker that lights up at *minimum* as a parking light would make you compliant again. I am not sure whether the addition of a lighted sidemarker still requires you to have a reflective area on the side - but for the sake of argument, let's presume it does. The question remains, then, of whether the JDM sidemarker is also retroreflective enough to be an adequate substitute for the original corner lamp reflective area - I suspect it is not. In fact, upon examining the way it is constructed, it does not appear to have any reflective properties at all! This situation should be contrasted with the EDM sidemarkers - these are different and more bulbous than JDM - and DO appear to be retroreflective.

In my mind, I do a little thought experiment along the lines of "How would Honda design its functionality of the sidemarkers on a Civic, if this feature existed in North America, while complying with all its local laws and regulations?" For me, the answer is this: Same JDM/EDM clear/white corner lamps which operate as parking lights and turn signal paired with EDM-style sidemarker w/ retroreflection, which operates as both a parking light and out-of-phase turn signal. This is the strongest combination of both compliance with vehicle conspicuity regulations and increased road/driving safety and visibility.

 

I agree,I was thinking it would have been nice if the side marker bulb had two filaments,like the corner light bulbs,so it would illuminate with the parking lights and also flash with the turn signal.
I also noticed that the side marker didn't look reflective.

 

So is there any way to make them stay on with the parking ligts but flash with the turn signals?

 

in the faq's i seen there is 3 ways to have them hooked up. on with park lamps, on with park lamps and blink with turn signal, off and just blink just have to wire it up to the correct wire doe each set up. james its in the faqs tho

 

in japan the sidemarkers only work wit the turn signals thas how i have them in my ej1but u can wire them up any way u want turn signals or parking lights or both