Repair or Mod Your Cruise Switch Lamp
-----Replacing or Modding Your Cruise Switch Lamp (7th gen specifically)
When I got my car (2002 Civic LX Coupe) the lamp on the cruise switch was burnt out (probably from being left on constantly) and it has been annoying the hell out of me.
So, with a little time I took the b***h apart and figured out how to replace it, it ended up being quite simple.
Here's how to replace it, or to mod it to the color of your choice on a 7thgen Civic.
1) Remove the panel holding the switch, you only have to remove one very obvious screw and there are two clips at the very bottom of the panel. The weight of the panel alone was enough to release these clips on my car. If your's doesn't, just work it out gently.
Step 1 Pic:
2) Remove the cruise switch from the panel by squeezing the large tabs on the top and bottom of the switch, then disconnect the cable bundle from the switch. The cable connector is held in place by a plastic tab (like all other auto cable connectors). Order doesn't matter here...but it actually might be easier to remove the cable bundle before removing the switch (simple either way).
Step 2 Pic:
3) Take the removed switch inside to your workbench. Look where the blue and black plastic meet for a black tab on each side of the switch. Gently lift these tabs with a flathead screwdriver, blade, fingernail, etc. Then, if the switch hasn't already shot off (it's spring loaded) work the black piece up vertically from the blue piece (assuming the blue piece is sitting flat on the table, acting as the bottom of the switch).
Step 3 Pic:
--The text says "Release this clip (one on each side), separating blue from black plastic. Slide Black piece upwards to remove."---
4) The lamps we're looking for are on the blue plastic piece and are extremely obvious as they are pretty much the only things there. Mine were mounted in brown lamp mounts (you can see the bottom of them in step2 and step3 pics). My green lamp was burnt so I took it out and replaced it with one from Radio Shack (#7219 (2) 12v micro lamps for $1.49 - part #272-1092 I think). To take the lamps out just use a screwdriver (phillips or flat) and turn the lamp mount (from the bottom) enough to unlatch it from the blue plastic board. It will then slide out the bottom. Remove the green bulb sleeve from the burnt bulb, place it on your new one, then insert the new lamp the same as the old one was (just look at it before you remove the lamp from the mount, or compare to the red lamp). If you want a different color light, just add the bulb sleeve of your choice, or a colored lamp, or an LED - remember an LED will need to be resisted on a 12v line (I considered a blue LED, it would need about a 470ohm resistor, adjust according to the voltage/etc of your LED).
Step 4 Pic:
****EDIT**** The red/amber lamp I was wondering about is the backlight for the word "Cruise" on your switch. If you swap the green and red lamps like I did, the lamp that shines through the bezel will be amber/red and the word "Cruise" will be green.****
5) Reassemble...****NOTE****: When putting the black and blue plastic pieces back together (restoring the switch) push the cruise button *IN* (so cruise would be on) before attempting to reassemble - it's much easier this way and may even be impossible or involve breakage to do it the other way.
Final Pic:
Final Notes:
Does anyone know what the red lamp is there for? It has contacts going to it, but I've never seen it used and I didn't take the time to trace the contacts. I ended up switching my red and green lamps to get a red (more amber actually..) cruise light. I did it first to test and make sure the circuit was good then kind of liked it because it was different so I left it (but replaced the green one anyway since it was burnt). If you want to do this, just remove each lamp mount, swap, reinsert, reassemble and you have a ricey, I mean sexy red cruise lamp...which of course increases HP and mileage.
To avoid burnouts, and having to do this to replace it, don't leave your cruise on all the time if you aren't using it. There may be other negative effects but this one sure is annoying ; )
-DarC KonQuesT CS/EE ----> DarC_KonQuesT[-a)(t-]spymac.net
-----Replacing or Modding Your Cruise Switch Lamp (7th gen specifically)
When I got my car (2002 Civic LX Coupe) the lamp on the cruise switch was burnt out (probably from being left on constantly) and it has been annoying the hell out of me.
So, with a little time I took the b***h apart and figured out how to replace it, it ended up being quite simple.
Here's how to replace it, or to mod it to the color of your choice on a 7thgen Civic.
1) Remove the panel holding the switch, you only have to remove one very obvious screw and there are two clips at the very bottom of the panel. The weight of the panel alone was enough to release these clips on my car. If your's doesn't, just work it out gently.
Step 1 Pic:
2) Remove the cruise switch from the panel by squeezing the large tabs on the top and bottom of the switch, then disconnect the cable bundle from the switch. The cable connector is held in place by a plastic tab (like all other auto cable connectors). Order doesn't matter here...but it actually might be easier to remove the cable bundle before removing the switch (simple either way).
Step 2 Pic:
3) Take the removed switch inside to your workbench. Look where the blue and black plastic meet for a black tab on each side of the switch. Gently lift these tabs with a flathead screwdriver, blade, fingernail, etc. Then, if the switch hasn't already shot off (it's spring loaded) work the black piece up vertically from the blue piece (assuming the blue piece is sitting flat on the table, acting as the bottom of the switch).
Step 3 Pic:
--The text says "Release this clip (one on each side), separating blue from black plastic. Slide Black piece upwards to remove."---
4) The lamps we're looking for are on the blue plastic piece and are extremely obvious as they are pretty much the only things there. Mine were mounted in brown lamp mounts (you can see the bottom of them in step2 and step3 pics). My green lamp was burnt so I took it out and replaced it with one from Radio Shack (#7219 (2) 12v micro lamps for $1.49 - part #272-1092 I think). To take the lamps out just use a screwdriver (phillips or flat) and turn the lamp mount (from the bottom) enough to unlatch it from the blue plastic board. It will then slide out the bottom. Remove the green bulb sleeve from the burnt bulb, place it on your new one, then insert the new lamp the same as the old one was (just look at it before you remove the lamp from the mount, or compare to the red lamp). If you want a different color light, just add the bulb sleeve of your choice, or a colored lamp, or an LED - remember an LED will need to be resisted on a 12v line (I considered a blue LED, it would need about a 470ohm resistor, adjust according to the voltage/etc of your LED).
Step 4 Pic:
****EDIT**** The red/amber lamp I was wondering about is the backlight for the word "Cruise" on your switch. If you swap the green and red lamps like I did, the lamp that shines through the bezel will be amber/red and the word "Cruise" will be green.****
5) Reassemble...****NOTE****: When putting the black and blue plastic pieces back together (restoring the switch) push the cruise button *IN* (so cruise would be on) before attempting to reassemble - it's much easier this way and may even be impossible or involve breakage to do it the other way.
Final Pic:
Final Notes:
Does anyone know what the red lamp is there for? It has contacts going to it, but I've never seen it used and I didn't take the time to trace the contacts. I ended up switching my red and green lamps to get a red (more amber actually..) cruise light. I did it first to test and make sure the circuit was good then kind of liked it because it was different so I left it (but replaced the green one anyway since it was burnt). If you want to do this, just remove each lamp mount, swap, reinsert, reassemble and you have a ricey, I mean sexy red cruise lamp...which of course increases HP and mileage.
To avoid burnouts, and having to do this to replace it, don't leave your cruise on all the time if you aren't using it. There may be other negative effects but this one sure is annoying ; )
-DarC KonQuesT CS/EE ----> DarC_KonQuesT[-a)(t-]spymac.net
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