Making front map lights useful

BDZ · Oct 21, 2023

Xerocide, any chance you have access to the wiring schematic showing the ceiling light and map lights specifically on a Civic LX hatchback? It would be good to see that schematic and compare to the others since that is the car I have and can run tests on.

Xerocide · Oct 23, 2023

BDZ said:
Xerocide, any chance you have access to the wiring schematic showing the ceiling light and map lights specifically on a Civic LX hatchback? It would be good to see that schematic and compare to the others since that is the car I have and can run tests on.

Looks like the LX is also lacking the wiring for the door switch functionality. Hope this helps!

11th Gen Honda Civic Making front map lights useful 406C3C84-FC05-4886-AE2E-C16FEE0E5915_1_201_a

sashimi · Jan 22, 2024

Anyone ever find out more on this subject?

Trey · Jan 26, 2024

Xerocide said:
There is actually a wiring difference between a model with the door light switch and Type R's for some reason...

Looks like one wire needs to be tapped/ extended to get the door connected.

Stanleywinthrop · Jan 26, 2024

BDZ said:
Sashimi, I have been looking for a way to do the same thing on my 2023 Civic. I was assuming that the map light assembly with the door switch was probably a direct plug and play just because that makes sense. Can you tell me what happened when you tried to plug the new part into the wiring harness? Did the plug not fit? Did it just not work? Doesn't make sense since the map light assembly does have two ambient light LED's that turn on and off with the doors so I figured the wiring in the car would be the same allowing us to just switch out the light. I was thinking about buying the new assembly and seeing if I can figure it out but was hoping you could provide more detail regarding what didn't fit. Where did you find it for $40?

It would seem to me that the answer would be to either t-tap or solder a wire from the wire powering these two ambient LED lights to the missing third wire on the new light switch.

Shankmeyster · Jan 26, 2024

Pull one apart on an Si and look. We have full interior lighting on door unlock.

sashimi · Jan 26, 2024

Shankmeyster said:
Pull one apart on an Si and look. We have full interior lighting on door unlock.

Would you be so kind to do it? I don't think a lot of FL5 owners has an Si haha

BDZ · Jan 26, 2024

Stanleywinthrop said:
It would seem to me that the answer would be to either t-tap or solder a wire from the wire powering these two ambient LED lights to the missing third wire on the new light switch.

Based on what I've found by trial and error is that the ambient lights I think you are talking about are wired into the running/and or headlight circuit as they are only turned on when they are on. They do not turn on with door opening. I think the answer is to tee into the hot side of the dome light and running the wire above the head liner into the cavity where the map light assembly is located. The toughest thing to deal with then is finding a way to connect the new wire into the connector that plugs into the map light assembly. My connector looks like it might be the same as the one used with the new dome light but it doesn't have the connector pin to make the proper connection. So unless I can find the correct pin to add into the connector I would need a connector from a car that has the correct wiring. So to that end, right now my approach is to find a honda in the junk yard that has the correct dome light assembly and take the assembly and the connector. I would then wire that connector into my car and voila! I should now have map lights that turn on with the door opening. Any flaws in this thinking? One other problem is I think they didn't start using this map light assembly until 2021 or 2022 but I think it was used in various models so I need to find a relatively new car that's been junked. So far I haven't found one yet in my area but that should be a matter of time.

Director123 · Jan 4, 2025

Hello mate, is it difficult to disattach that rectangular module? I have some nasty rattles from that area and want to fix it. How do you take it off?
I have just bought an fl5 so imtimidated AF lol.

Director123 · Jan 20, 2025

sashimi said:
One weird omission I noticed with the FL5 was the switch for the front map lights to come on with the doors. (Parts are the same price too ?‍)
Even the very base model Civics and the Si has it. But we only have the switch on the rear dome light.
Fortunately, it's an easy plug and play swap.

P/N for light assembly with door switch: 34400-T20-A31 ~$40 shipped

This is just the FL5 light assembly taken out, will update soon

Hey mate, how to disattach this whole assembly? I have a nasty rattle from that area and want to fix it.
Cheers

sashimi · Jan 20, 2025

Director123 said:
Hey mate, how to disattach this whole assembly? I have a nasty rattle from that area and want to fix it.
Cheers

I swore I already replied and answered your last question. Strange.

anyway, you just pull down on the front part of it. There are two push pins that are holding it very securely so you have to pull hard!

CTR_Stormtrooper · Mar 6, 2025

I found an extremely simple solution.

Buy a used map light on eBay with the door switch on it, got mine for $40 shipped.

First, remove the dome light and map light assembly.

Fish a single tap wire through the headliner with a wire hanger, with the tap wire taped to one end, start on the map light opening side, and fish to the dome light opening, it's easier, more space for your fingers.

Tap a wire into the Dome light Door Switch wire, in the type R it's the center green wire, matches the layout of the switch. All I did was stuff the exposed wire I'm using for tapping into the back of the correct connector socket, the middle green wire.

I then taped the wire to the wire bundle to limit movement, again, this was the cheap, fast, and easy way.

Reconnected the dome light.

Now tapping the wire into the correct map light connector socket, or pin out.

Looking at the map light connector from behind it, the door switch connector or pin out is the lower left pin out, the whole bottom row is empty.

Strip your tapping wire exposing the copper wire, long enough to go completely through the connector from the back of it, with the extra wire sticking out of the connector from the front of the connector.

Bend the extra wire down and underneath the connector.

Connect the connector to the map light switch and voila, it now works as a stock wired setup.

Secure the added tapped wire to the map light wire bundle to limit movement after everything is reconnected.

This was my cheap fast and easy method as I was testing a solution, it took me 30 mins, I've ran this for 1 week and nothing has come a loose. So I'll probably keep it this way.