Honda Element Owners Club banner

DIY: Converting side markers to turn signals (w/pics)!

250K views 171 replies 93 participants last post by  LateToTheGame 
#1 ·
Probably one of the easiest mods to do with minimal knowledge of electrical engineering. ;)



Step one, Pop out the side markers (see page 260 in your manual) note - the plastic scratches easily.



Step two, Pop off the intake tube on the driver's side for easy access to the turn signal bulb.



Here is the turn signal bulb you'll be using:



Unsheathed to show 3 wires, we'll be splicing into the Green/Red w/Silver dots.



Using a quik-splice, to connect the wire with the wire leading to our side markers:



Wrapped up in electrical tape and put back in its place!



Cut the black wire on the side marker and strip the end. Do the same with the wire we spliced into the turn signal.



Now, connect the wire from the turn signal to the wire on the side marker and it's done!


Pop the side marker back and repeat the process on the other side.


Notes:
It takes about 10 minutes to do the whole job.


When the headlights are on, the side marker turned blinker blinks in sequence with the turn signals on the headlight adssembly. When the headlights are off, the side markers blink in unison with the headlight blinkers.

Hope this helps!




The mod doesn't affect the side marker coming on with the parking lights.

The mod doesn't affect the side marker coming on with the parking lights.

The mod doesn't affect the side marker coming on with the parking lights.

The mod doesn't affect the side marker coming on with the parking lights.
 
See less See more
8
This post has been deleted
#120 ·
With everything all laid out and ready to go, in a shop with a hoist and air for an air ratchet it could be done in an hour if you do the same process I did minus the photo steps.

As for the rear sidemarkers, I am just going to leave the outside of my Element as it is. I like how the lights are on it right now and I honestly think anything more would look too cluttered, which is why I prefer the sidemarker blinking mod because you only have to modify wiring and not cut into any panels or add anything else.

I don't know why Honda didn't make the sidemarkers blink i the first place, and to me, adding addition markers would look silly. But that's just me.

My '95 Civic at home has the JDM fenders with the sidemarkers and they look fine because the Civics then didn't come with them and don't have any lights on the side.
 
This post has been deleted
#121 · (Edited)
Thanks Kit :). One of the caveats of my persistant obsession over quality and careful work is I can't do much less and feel comfortable about it. Every job I do is essentially a "calling card" and 99.99% of the time if I wouldn't do it to my own vehicle, I wouldn't do it to someone else's.

I had to install projectors on a new Si one time at work and the box only came with scotch-taps to work to tie it into the OEM lighting so I did the best I could with those. I didn't like using them but I still took my time and did a quality job. I even went so far as to wrap all the wires up nice with electrical tape to keep them neat and left some slack so the headlight could be removed if need be. Seriously hated using the taps and the worst was when one of the techs had to work on the car later on for an unrelated isssue which required the headlight to be removed. He pretty much made fun of the fact I used scotch taps and I took offense to it because I know I'm lightyears ahead when it comes to the quality of work I do. I made sure to point out how much time and effort I put into ensuring the wires and connections were sealed up properly and organized neatly. Didn't hear much after my rebuttal so I think I made my point :).

I'm a solder-and-heat-shrink guy myself, but it turned out okay because I was picky, took my time and did it how I would do it on my own vehicle if I had to. Wasn't too hot about cutting into the customer's harness and permanently soldering wires in there because it was still under warranty. Scotch taps made it easier to remove and go back to stock if need be, you'd simply remove the taps, de-pin the connector, slide some adhesive-lined heat shrink tubing over the cut from the tap and seal it up. Done and back to OEM with no problems. If I was to solder it like I was mocked for not doing, you'd have to cut wires, resolder everything again and it would just be a mess. If he had said I WANT A PERMANENT INSTALLATION, then solder it would be.

Again, you don't have to go to such lengths like I did and the only reason I did is because I plan to keep the Element for as long as it lasts and I want to make sure that it is as close to OEM as I could get it. It's probably not reversible without more work, but I don't plan to change it.

And yes, if someone was to come into the dealership and ask for something custom like that, they'd get the exact same thoroughness, care and attention to detail that I put into my own Element. Because at the end of the day, you only get paid to do it right once :D.
 
This post has been deleted
#130 ·
Did mine today after 10 months of ownership. I guess I'm a little slow. Thanks Shen for the original post and Honu for the cool diagram (pg 12). I did the grommet/solder/shrink tube/factory look method and took about 2 hours. Again, I guess I'm a little slow. I used a bright green 16 gauge wire so I'll be able to find it if I ever go back to stock (why would I?) I would like to mention I did 'lightly' twist the wires together and did a bulb function test before I was committed to solder and shrink tube. Great mod had everything but the 2 grommets so I'm out 90 cents :razz: Great mod!!!
 
#133 · (Edited)
Okay, I've completed 1/2 of this mod and have a concern.

Lights on:
Sidemarker is on solid. (normal)
Lights on w/blinker on:
Sidemarker flashes opposite of turn signals (normal)
Hazard lights on:
Sidemarker flashes opposite of turn signal lights (normal)

Lights off:
Sidemarker is off: (normal)
Lights off w/blinker on:
Sidemarker is off: (PROBLEM)
Hazard lights on:
Sidemarker is off: (PROBLEM)

What have I done wrong?

Disclosures:
  • I have only done the drivers side at this point (do I need to do both sides before this will work?).
  • I swapped the filament bulb in the drivers sidemarker to a philips LED bulb.
  • When I lock/unlock the car the sidemarker flashes at the same time as the turn signal lights.

PLEASE HELP.. :? :?

One more update. This morning I flipped the polarity on the LED bulb and the behavior inverted. With the lights off it would flash with the blinkers, lights on meant no running lights OR blinkers. I'll try going back to a standard bulb tonight just to see if that makes a difference.
 
#136 ·
Just did this today- very easy, but I'm astounded no one has said to pop the clips out from the inside!!

After 30 minutes of prying with a credit card/screwdriver method to get the side markers out I just opened the hood and put my hand to the back of the side markers and squeezed the clips together- both came out in seconds... No more nightmare!
 
#137 ·
Did mine today. I don't really like the quick splice connectors so I used butt connectors at the front signal. Cut the green wire, added connector to the flasher side, then twisted the bridge wire onto the other half of the green wire and crimped that side on. Should be more durable.

Works great! Nice mod. I'm really surprised Honda didn't do this as factory. Generally speaking I always thought DOT wanted the front turn signals visible from the side of the car as well.
 
#138 ·
DIY: Converting side markers to turn signals

Last year I did mine. Chose to cut and then splice the wires, soldering them and then covering all with thick heat shrink tubing. Much neater, and less bulky. Been thinking that I may actually add larger amber lenses that stick out a bit... for much better visbility for inattentive drivers.

W. Li
 
#139 ·
Word of note:

For those planning on putting LEDs into the side markers, it might be the LEDs I purchased, but if your lights are not on, i.e. no parking lights, low beams high beams vice versa, the signals will not blink even if you're signalling.

However, if your lights are on, i.e. parking lights low beams high beams, then the markers will blink as usual.

Has anyone else had this issue? It could just be the LEDs I purchased, the eBay 5-LED SMD bulbs.

Also, the standard cheap cool blue LEDs will not work in the side markers, even with the OEM orange lens. The end colour looks more like a sickly green hue than orange. I will be going back to my standard halogen bulbs for the time being until I can find an alternative (as my standard bulbs have gotten so old the bulb glass is smoky for some reason)
 
#141 ·
First post! just got my 2009 ex on Tuesday. I noticed that my side markers blink with my turn signals (that's good!), but don't come on with my headlights or parking lights (that's bad.). Before I start tracing wires to figure out what the previous owner did, I want to make sure that this isn't the way honda designed it. Did the side marker operation change for the 2009s? Should the side markers come on with the headlights and/or parking lights?
 
#144 ·
you may have connected the wrong things together. you may have blown a fuse.

you need to review all your work, from the very beginning. or you could let someone pretend to do the mod from the very beginning and see if they try to do the same things you did.

blinkers and hazards use the same bulbs and share lots of circuitry, so it's not surprising they both don't work. you could think of left side blinkers as being half of the hazards.
 
#148 ·
in order for the marker to light up it needs to have 2 wires connected to it. so, if you cut 1 of the wires going to the marker and didn't connect it to something else, it's not going to light up. and if you connected the other part of that wire you cut to the signal/hazard circuit, you just grounded that circuit and neither signal nor hazard will work. the circuit was probably saved by 1 or more fuses blowing.
so, before you check the quality of your connections, check to make sure the correct things are connected. if the connections are incorrect, undo them (both sides), do them correctly, replace any blown fuses and you should be good to go.
 
#150 ·
i would have to pull out the owner's manual and then check the label on the fuse in the fuse holder. my E is about 12 miles away right now and my arms aren't that long.
there are both an underhood fusebox and an underdash fuse box. you may have to check both.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top