Side Marker Install (Custom)
 

I decided to do this project because when i used to have my lambo doors on, the shock would make a bump on both my fenders, so i decided to cover them up with side markers!! how exciting!

"I am not responsible for anything that can go wrong to you guys when doing this. Do at you own risk." Now thats out of the way, read on!

Equipment needed:
-92'95' civic side markers
-18 gauge wire
-electrical tape
-wire connectors

Tools needed:
-soldering gun
-solder
-ruler
-dremel
-pencil
-wire stripper

Step one: get out your ruler and pencil. Now here are the measurements for THIS TYPE of side marker ONLY. (any other type will need to measure the inside of the marker instead of the outside.) Now draw in lightly, make sure after finishing drawing the rectangle; that it is not slanted, you want it to be straight.

https://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b...7/DSC01152.jpg

Step two: Next get the electrical tape, and tape around the lines of the rectangle as pictured below

https://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b...7/DSC01151.jpg

Step three: cut out the rectangle with your dremel tool, (You might need a couple of discs to cut the fender; they tend to run out) the electrical tape is there for a reason, cut inside the lines and dont cut all the way to the corner. Leave just a tiny bit left and do the rest.

NOTE:If you are not experience at cutting, get thicker tape, because sometimes when u hit the edge, the dremel might slip and scratch ur fender. Now you dont want that to happen.

Image after finish cut :

https://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b...7/DSC01161.jpg

Step 4: With the tape still on, get a flat head and ply out the cutted piece and just jerk it until it comes off.

Step 5: Now that your cut is finished, its time for the lighting.
SIDE MARKERS:

https://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b...7/DSC01155.jpg
https://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b...7/DSC01156.jpg

Prep Work: Take out the sander piece for the dremel and flaten out the edges on the side marker loctaed below, there should be a max of 4 edges, 2 on top, 2 on bottom. also, there is a little round piece near the edge, trim that piece off too.

https://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b...847/dghdfh.jpg

Step 6: Take your 18 guage wire and cut four 5' pieces of wire, and strip off about 1/2" of the tips. Now with your connectors, Put only 1 connector per wire.

Step 7: Take one of the side markers, take out the bulb assembly, and the bulb. Should look like this :

https://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b...7/DSC01173.jpg

Step 8: Take 2 wires and plug them into the assembly, make your u put in flat on the ground when puttin in the wires cuz the bulb thing will push out the other side when putting on the connector just like this:

https://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b...7/DSC01174.jpg

Step 9: Place your bulb back in

https://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b...7/DSC01175.jpg

Step 10: The part closest to the clip of the bulb assembly is the positive terminal. I marked the end of the wire with a piece of electric tape to know that it is the postive wire.

https://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b...7/DSC01172.jpg

Note: if u want to test the light, just touch the wires to the battery to see if it lights up

Step 11: Place the bulb back into the side marker, now its time to run the wire through the fender. u need to open your hood and run the wires through the cutted marker hole up to the top of the fender. Keep your head under the hood and the wire should pop up like this:

https://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b...7/DSC01176.jpg

use the dremel sander to sand the edges of the cut in your fender, then touch it up with either touch up paint, rust protection or clear coat. Let dry.

Place the sidemarker to the hole. start with one side first, then pop in the clip at the other side. It should lock in perfectly.

https://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b...7/DSC01201.jpg
https://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b...7/DSC01204.jpg

Now pull all the wires through. This is now i ran the wire. (you are gonna tap the wires into the parking lights)

https://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b...7/DSC01166.jpg
https://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b...7/DSC01167.jpg
https://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b...7/DSC01168.jpg
https://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b...7/DSC01169.jpg

Done. the wires are now in postion.

Step 12: ok, disconnect your battery. Unplug your parking light and pull the harness closest to you, so you have enough room to work with.

https://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b...7/DSC01182.jpg

Step 13: Now its time to splice it open. DO NOT CUT THE WIRE! here is where u need to strip it

https://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b...7/DSC01183.jpg

NOTE: Green is positive, Black/White is negative

Step 14: After you strip it, connect postive wire of sidemaker to the green wire as pictured below.

https://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b...7/DSC01184.jpg

Step 15: Get out the soldering iron, solder it on. After you finish tape it up with electrical tape. Do the same with the negative wire.

Step 16: so the same procedures on the driver side, and make sure you taped it good.
Step 17: Now after everything is finished and cleaned up, plug in ur battery and turn it on!!!!!! bam and this is the finished product. ENJOY!!

https://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b...7/DSC01196.jpg
https://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b...7/DSC01192.jpg
https://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/lao847/tC.jpg

NOTE: This will only turn on when parking or headlights are turned on. This will not blink when you turn on ur signals (because i thought the mirrors were enough, i dont like too much blinking)

Blinking option: If you want it to blink, you will need to tap the green wire only on the parking light and tap the other wire to the positive wire on the turning signal light, therefore, it will be on and will blink when u turn on ur signals. (extension of one wire will be needed in order to reach the signal wire.

awsome DYI very impressive

nice work

did you left the bare metal expose after you made the cut? i guess its covered by the sidemarker but aren't you worried about rust? maybe rub some touch-up paint or clearcoat on it for protection.

swt.. been waitin for a dyi on this

sryy..quick ques..other than amber bulbs, what bulbs are allowed in side markers? (colors, and intensities)

so the lambo doors damaged your car? Which ones did you have?

Great write up btw

Thanks for reminding me. yea i forgot to mention, yea i just touch it up with some rust protecttion, no paint cuz the side marker is covering it.

I really have no knowledge of what is allowed but i guess u can use the white bulbs too. dont know if blue, green, etc is allowed. might cause distractions

bought the ebay ones, didnt turn out so good, had to do so much adjusting. like they said, the more u pay the better quality you're gonna get

i thought the saying was "you get what you paid for" :P :silly: :silly:

oops thanks for correcting me, my asian side doesnt work good sometimes when it comes to these crazy quotes!!!! haha

haha its all good.

post more pics of the after.. 1 pic isnt enough.. put some more shots.. preferebly in the sunlight lol. not in a dark lot with a bad angle!! lol

cool. i wouldnt have the balls to do that. BTW its DIY not DYI

Looks nice... but just curious why you'd do that with the signal in the mirror already?

Ok ! In the dictionary under redundant it says... See redundant!! :eyebrow:

Im sorry but your car looks like a Christmas tree !



P.S . Why would anybody want to do that when you have turn signals built into the mirrors! :nope:

At one of our local Pacific South meets, Ontario Mills, one guy had BMW 5 series sidemarkers. It looked very nice, he didnt have them set up to blink, they only came on with the parking lights.

The side markers are night time indicator lights. They serve the same purpose as the lights inside the corner of the headlights.

They aren't turn signals. Read his first post over. He doesn't like the extra blinky so he wired it so that it turns on when the parking lights or headlights are on.

Dont know if your talking to me, but i already knew that.

I don't like the way it looks, but I guess I gotta give it to ya for doing something unique.