praxiis

I've been meaning to post a tip on the inspire installation, but I got a pm about how to put in the sidemarker bulbs (the inspire tails have only one light in the red section)

Here's what I did:

Basically- I F'd up the 1st one by using a drill bit. I got a ton of tiny statically-charged black flakes all inside my tail (I got most of them out by banging, but some made it between the lenses and the case :P )

SO- this is what you do:

Materials:
Soldering Iron
Razor Blade (the ones you can hold- with the metal bar on top)

You'll notice that the hole was actually there originally, then plugged with plastic!!! There is a faint outline of the circle and notches where your light should go, so this makes it easier.

The one trick here is that the plastic plug is very deep in the center, so do not use the iron right on the center (you'll have 1cm of plastic to melt through- very messy).

Start melting the plastic with the soldering iron near the center, but not quite on it- you want to be as far away from the center, but without melting the 'seam' around the edge of the plug. You should be able to melt in a circle, and knock out the thick plastic part of the plug (in the center).

Once the center is out, I just used the iron to circle around the hole until it was as wide as the seam (cutting off excess plastic as it built up- put the blade flush with the surface, and slice the extra plastic off- it should come off easy if it's still warm).

Keep testing with the light socket to see if you have the hole the right diameter.

Once the socket fits, you need to make the notches. To do this, locate the four notches (you should see the seam in the plastic). Use the flat head of your soldering iron to press into the four notches, to make four square-like cuts out of the circle (at opposite corners, of course!). Once these are made, you should be able to fine-tune them with the razor blade. Remember- one of them has to be pretty wide. Once this is done, remove any excess plastic, and you should be able to put the socket through the hole all the way (including the locking notches), and you should be able to turn it so it locks in place. If you can't turn it, there's probably extra plastic either on the top or inside, along the circumference. Remove this, and everything should be fine.

Please reply if any of this is unclear, or if you need more instructions...

HTH!

Craig

TLBaller

thanks.. i have a question. what is a soilder iron? can i go to a home depot to get one of these? which blade are you talking about with a medal bar on top? (razor blades used to shave?)

praxiis

Single-Edged Razor Blades:

praxiis

Soldering Iron:

praxiis

The solderiong iron I have has a flat tip, whereas the one in the pic is pointy. You should be able to do a fine job with either, provided you have a moderately steady hand. Besides, if you cock it up, you can always hold the sucker in with Duct Tape!

HTH

Craig

dbox

dont do it man, sidemarkers suk

TLBaller

lol dbox.. its not the side marker your thinking of. i know side markers suck... its too played out and made for civics, integs, etc... what praxiis is talking about is something else (i have no idea why he calls it side markers) the one he's talking about is drilling a hole in the inspire tail lights.

praxiis

Sorry- that's what I thought my local shop was calling 'em... Whatever they're called- they're the 2nd red bulb in the inspire tails, on the side, not the back. What are they called?

Craig

TLBaller

brake lights.. US has 2 brake lights and japanese has 1

iNteGraz92

if they're sidemarkers for the rear, shouldn't they be called REAR sidemarkers?