blacktsx05

iTrader: (1)

does the tsx's with the spoiler from the dealer come with a brake light inside the car or is their a block off thing?

DLTSX6MT

When Acura installs the OEM wing, they deactivate the brake light that's on the parcel shelf.

Unfortunately, they don't remove it. Has anybody tried? I hate that huge plastic hump.

Is the space under the housing still finished/carpeted? Is it full of gaping holes and frayed edges?

feelgood13

I'm sure you can take it out. Tinter's have to take it out when the tint the rear windshield. problem is that it leaves a perfectly flat (uncontoured) area with a bunch of holes in it. looks really unsightly.

DLTSX6MT

Well, my interior is ebony, so if there were small holes I could easily plug them with black caps. And I think a crater/cavity would be less obtrusive than the huge plastic bulge, at least as long as there's no gaps in the carpeting in there. When/if I get around to doing this, I'll post what I find.

moda_way

They are VERY large holes and the caps would look out of place. I once thought to see if the JDMs didn't have it, but they do, so there unless you re-carpet the whole rear deck, it will look like

DLTSX6MT

Yikes. Thanks. Guess I'll leave it alone, then.

DLTSX6MT

OK, I have a plan. If I remove the big plastic hump/housing - leaving a gaping crater with exposed metal and holes on the parcel shelf - I can cut a panel to exactly the shape of the crater and line it with either fabric or mesh or screen. I can either match the fabric as best as I can to the existing material, in which case the panel won't look any worse than a flip-top cover of a storage compartment. Or if I use mesh or screening, it'll sort of look like a subwoofer.

So I tried to pop off that hump tonight. Stuck a large popsicle stick under it and tried to pry it out, but that thing will not budge. I'm sure that if I yank hard enough, I'll break it off its clips, but I want to be sure I'm not trying to do something that will break something before I lean on it in a way that's not intended...

Has no-one here tried this?

LoveMyTL-S

Perhaps it pops up from inside the trunk

DLTSX6MT

Looking up at the bottom of the parcel shelf from the trunk, you can't see the clips. There are actually two layers of sheet metal making up the parcel shelf, and the brake light housing is attached to the top sheet (which the bottom sheet prevents you from seeing/reaching).

DLTSX6MT

Done! I pried the housing up using a plastic putty knife and wood shims. One of the snap latches broke in the process, but it doesn't matter. After that, it's obvious that the 3rd brake light is installed before the rear window is installed, because it'll still taking some jimmying to get it out, but in the end, it comes out clean. After that, you just gotta get creative and fill the gap. The difference in the rearward view is tremendous, especially out on the highway when a car that's a few hundred feet back can be completely hidden by the pod!

acura_ak

i have a spoiler too and the dealership just unhooks the 3rd brake light. i don't mind the 3rd brake light there since my windows are tinted and cover it up.

DLTSX6MT

more pics...arrows show the tabs I broke. Maybe somebody can figure out how to remove it without breaking anything from these pics, but I'm still convinced that they install the brake light first, then put the rear window on over it at the factory...

PWPTSX

WOw that's nice, the mesh actually look like the 9th speaker in the car

vthree

iTrader: (1)

wat mesh? couldn't somebody like fabricate a cover to fill in the whole to make it flush with stock carpetting? if i was older and had time and money.. i'd do it. lol

TSXtravis

I've looked in past threads here, but not much luck. Anyone have a silver TSX with the OEM spolier? I don't have one, but have been considering it. But I want to see what they look like before I invest. And no luck seeing one on the road (silver that is). And are they difficult to self install or would you recommend a professional?

clee109

ok ok people, this is not that hard!!!! I can think of three ways to do this.
Number 1: Take your thumbs and push towards the glass on the back to release the hooked clips and slide out
Number 2: Under the trunk you may be able to access the clips (doubt it)
Number 3: remove the carpeting around it
Number 4: Use a flat head screw driver and wrap it in a cloth and gently pry it up.

Also: if the dealer unhooked it, YOU CAN HOOK IT BACK UP!!!! As long as they didn't clip the wires you can make it run again, probably just jump a fuse and you're back in business.

DLTSX6MT

From my best recollection...

1) I was working blind and had no idea where the clips were and what directions they went, but I did try this method and other variations. Besides, even after the clips broke, and the housing was TOTALLY loose and flopping around, it was still held in on the frontside by the holes in the sheetmetal and on the back/topside by the window. It took some serious yanking and twisting to get it out. "Slide it out" is not an option.

2) Nope. The rear deck is made up of two layers of sheetmetal. The brake light housing clips to the top layer. The bottom layer of metal prevents you from getting to the top layer.

3) It's a pretty tight space between the glass and the deck and a bit of an awkward reach, though to get tools in there. And I don't see why removing carpeting would help. Plus then you'll have carpet repair to do.

4) In the end, this is basically what I did.

For what occasion would a dealer remove and reinstall the entire brake light assembly? Before picking up my car, I nagged mine about taking it off and the said no way and they'd never heard of it being done.

clee109

^^^^I wasn't picking on you, I pulled mine for tints so you can think of a few ways to do it.

iglen

Hey DLTSX6MT! Awesome work on the mesh and thank for posting those pics! Great job... I only NOW researched how to remove this (for cleaning the glass behind it) and think I snapped something--I REALLY like that mesh thing you did... up for making some $ for another one?