JDM Honda Window Visors Installed

One of first parts I got for my car, that I didn't install, was a JDM replica Window Visor. However, I wasn't pleased with the way the replicas looked, especially since I know what the genuine ones looked like. So I ended up re-selling them rather quickly.


I noticed right away with this car that the low angle of the windshield allowed water to wrap around the a-pillar significantly, and wanted to get the visors to remedy the situation. 3 years go by, and with the minimal numbers of car washes my car gets, my a-pillar often look like it has dirt/watermark tentacles wrapped around it.

I had recently helped a good friend install a I.C.E. system complete with GPS navigation, DVD player, USB and iPod integration, and reverse camera. We then also retrofitted turn signal mirrors on his car, which turned out to be a much bigger job than anticipated.

Being the great guy he is, instead of thanking me with a case of beer, he purchased the genuine JDM HondaAccess Slimline window visors for me, and even installed them for me on my car to show his gratitude.

I absolutely love these visors. Very discreet, they are so sleek looking and barely stick out at all. The tint on them also helps with the afternoon sun on my drive home in the afternoon. They're very well made with clips and double-side tape to secure them to the car, and also visually lower the roof line of the car making it seem less tall and bubbly.

Installation is very easy. And with the clips, you don't have to worry too much about lining them up right before pulling the backing of the tape.

1. Install the clips onto the visors. Roll down the windows and remove the upper portion of the window seals from its channel.

2. Prep the adhesive surface with rubbing alcohol.

3. Clip in the visors, and replace the window seals (start with the corners first, it will be a lot easier than doing them last).

4. Roll windows back up to hold the visors more securely in place. Remove the backing from the double-side tape, press down to stick to door.


That's it, you're done.

Custom LED Third Brake Light Retrofit

Ever since I installed the JDM style red/smoked LED tail lamps, I have been a bit bothered by the delayed reaction time of the factory incandescent bulb in the third brake light. Because LEDs turn on and off much faster, the third brake light always lagged behind the tail lights by nearly 1/4 second when I hit the brakes or release them.

So since my buddy was ordering some LEDs for his LED running light project (A la Audi), I took the opportunity to share the shipping cost and ordered me some nice high powered 4-chip Super Flux LEDs in red. These LEDs have a stated 100 degree viewing angle, which is important for automotive retrofit applications. And the wide angle also means the brightness specs mean something. A 20 degree 5mm LED might have more mcd on axis, as soon as you move off that 20 degrees, the brightness drops significantly. The 4 leg Super Flux LED is also shorter than standard 5mm LEDs and it helps a lot in this application as there isn't much depth between the housing and the lens on the sides.

Also important to consider is the colour of the LED used. LEDs produce light in very tight wavelength. This means a white/blue LED will have very little output in the red colour spectrum. And since the red lens on the third brake light is essentially a photo filter that only allows the red spectrum to shine through, if you used white LEDs behind it, you'll lose a lot of light. Test this by shining your white LED source (keychain light, flashlight, whatever) through a red lens, then through a white or clean lens, and see how much of a difference it makes.

So, anyways, onto making the LEDs

1. Remove the third brake light - Take the cover off, which will expose two 10mm bolts on either side. remove them, then un-clip the center from the hatch and unplug the harness from the bulb socket.

2. Remove the bulb and red lens - Twist the bulb holder out. For the lens, there are four clips. Remove the wider, flatter ones first; it's easier. Use a flat head screwdriver (carefully) to help if needed.

3. Cut the circuit board to size - Pretty self explanatory. Cut to desired size to fit the housing and number of LEDs you are using. Keep in mind the board has to fit inside the inner lip in order to clip the red lens back in.

4. Design your circuit - There are various LED calculators available online if you know the specs of your LEDs. And you can design your circuit in series, parallel, or a combination of both. Make sure you know what you're doing here, or get help from someone who does.

4a. Power goes out - What? It didn't happen to you? Well, it happened to me right about here, just before I can test my circuit. Can't just skip to the next step even if I wanted to since the soldering iron needs electricity too. I played some DS and ate some food (love gas stoves) until the power came back an hour and a half later.

5. Test/Make your circuit - Use a breadboard to make sure the circuit will work, and layout how you're going to place the components on the circuit board. then, just solder the pieces in place.

6. Put it together - Place the completed and tested circuit in the third brake light housing. If you cut your circuit board properly, it will sit nicely inside with the pressure from the metal heat shield inside the housing. Then clip the red lens back in, and it should hold the circuit firmly in place.

7. Re-attach third brake light to the car - Run the lead wires out through the bulb hole. You don't need to put the bulb socket back in. Just attach the positive lead to the white wire side of the harness, and the ground to the black. Clip the housing back in and secure with the 10mm bolts. Put the cover back on, and you're done.

I'm using 6 LEDs that have a forward voltage drop of 2.0V, and current draw of 80mA. I want to run each LED in parallel so that if one LED shorts out, no other LED is affected. I also found a circuit board that was printed so that each horizontal line was already connected, making my job much easier as I don't have to solder connections between every LED. I went with a single 150ohm resistor before the path splits to each LED. And according the the LED calculators, I needed a 1W resistor to handle the heat based on a 14v input. So that's what I got. It's enough since the brake light is not constantly on like a taillight or license plate light.


I'm happy with the results. The reaction time now matches the LED tail lights. The viewing angle is very good, and people say it's definitely bright enough to notice driving behind my car. Compare the OEM JDM version which cost $170USD, my retrofit for a fraction of that is a pretty good deal. Plus it was fun making it. I hope you have fun making yours as well.

RDX Cargo Light With Switch

This is something that can come in handy. Maybe you're parked having a picnic and want some music from your car, or maybe you're just carrying a long cargo (yes, even too long for the Fit) and need the hatch to remain at least partially open for the drive. The ability to switch off the cargo area light would come in quite handy.

Well, guess what, thanks to local Vancouverite and fellow FitFreak.net member Mugen_Dom, we now know that the cargo light from the new Acura RDX, as well as the 2007+ MDX, is a direct plug-and-play replacement for the Fit.

This cargo light comes with a built-in switch that enable you to turn off the cargo area light completely. The light pictured on the top is the Fit cargo light, and bottom is the RDX light with the switch.

Installation is very straight forward. Use a flathead screwdriver and pry the existing unit off the car; You'll see where you should insert the screwdriver blade. Unplug the light module, and replace with RDX module, then put the new light back in the car. Part number for the RDX light is 34265-SFE-003, and the list price is US$12.30.

Photo by Robert Gold

DC2 Type-R Weighted Shift Knob

So my part-time boss, full-time friend lent me his JDM DC2 Type-R weighted shift knob for the weekend. I had tried an imitation one (i.e. fake) that did not weight as much for a day, and did not feel much difference. But even with my casual, light, commuter shifts, I could feel a difference as soon as I screwed on the heavier OEM weighted shift knob in my Honda Fit.

I have to be honest, it wasn't night and day, but it was noticeable enough. The shifter just clicked into the next notch with my guidance. I tried a few harder shifts and it felt much better than stock. The weighted knob made it feel much more solid.

I like it. And now that A&J has come out with their own very reasonably priced short shift lever for the Honda Fit under their T1R line, I think I might have to look into getting the short shift lever with a nicely weighted shift knob. Maybe not a DC2 Type-R one though, it does get hot under the sun.

JDM Passenger Sun Visor Installed

Before picking my wife up at work today, I stopped in my mechanic's garage to say hi. He was not too busy at the time, so we walked around the complex to A&J Racing and I picked up a JDM passenger sun visor, while he inquired about the LED daylights for his own vehicle.

The difference between the stock North American one and the JDM visor is that the JDM one has a flip up mirror on the underside of the visor, as well as two pockets in the front for business cards and/or parking passes, etc. The mirror is a big plus as the wife can now fix her makeup easily. The lack of this mirror was a big pet peeve I had about the Fit from the beginning.

Installation of this item is a cinch. There are two exposed torx screws holding the sun visor in place. Remove these two screws and reinstall the new visor in its place. Easy as that. My wife used it as soon as I picked her up from work that day as we were heading straight to a friend's birthday dinner downtown, so it's definitely worth it.

Cargo Cover Installed

The lack of a standard cargo cover on the Honda Fit was something that annoyed me from the beginning, as I believe this should be a standard item on any hatchbacks. Now thanks to fellow Fitfreak member George02, I was able to pick up his cargo cover for my Fit without paying the ridiculous price ($236.16CAD) the dealers wanted for the piece. I've now got it installed in my car, and I already feel much better about having to leave items in the car while parked, even if it's just my jacket.

I'm using a stock photo of the hatch cover for now since I let my relatives borrow the digital cam on their trip to the Canadian Rockies. Really though, it just looks like that. So I might not bother updating the photo with my own. This is definitely a worth while item to buy. To avoid dealer prices, I recommend looking for a used one, or even a replica one. They will look and function almost exactly the same as OEM. Look on ebay, or at Zeta Products.

Fit Taillamp Options

As most Fit enthusiasts already know from various forums, North American Fits have a longer front end due to stricter crash test requirements, therefore no aftermarket or even OEM headlights from other markets will swap in without a full front end conversion. However, although the rear bumper of the North American spec Fit is also longer, taillamps are, for the most part, a direct swap; with the exception of some wire extending. I've compiled a list of all of the Fit taillights I've found so far:


OEM European Standard Bulb Taillamps:


This style is the standard taillights that are on almost all other countries for the Honda Fit/Jazz. Note that the turn signal bulb and the reverse bulb are reversed so that the turn signals are on the outside of the taillamps (see my other post about reversing the signal and reverse light.) Also, the taillamp and brakelamp functions are both on the top section of the taillamp, while the bottom red section is used for rear fog light, mandatory in many European countries. Usually the rear fog will be only on the driver's side, whichever side that may be in that country. On North American spec taillamps, both the top and bottom red sections will light up for taillight function, while the bottom red section also serves as brake lights with a dual filment bulb.


OEM JDM LED Taillamps:


They are available mainly on JDM vehicles because they do not have the rear foglamp feature required in many European countries. These were available after the facelift, and are the most popular replacement taillamps for Fit owners. There are three versions of these OEM LED taillamps. There is a Red/Clear version that's standard on the 1.3S, a Red/Smoked version that's available on the 1.5A, and a full clear version that's standard on the 1.5S. Replica versions of these taillamps are also available, but they do not have an accessible LED panel and therefore you can not change out individual LEDs if they burn out. There is also a replica of the clear/red version that keeps the lower reverse lamp section clear instead of trying to blend it in with a pink hue.


OEM Style Clear/Smoked Taillamps:


I have not seen these too often for sale. But once in a while they will pop up, and for a decent price. These are basically clear/smoked lense versions of E-code factory taillamps. E-code meaning they're made to European specs, which means they are meant to be direct swap with European taillamp arrangement described earlier. These often only have a bulb holder for the lower section on the Left taillamp, meant for European rear fog lamps. These will not be street legal in North America unless you add red reflectors somewhere else in the rear and side of your Fit.


OEM Bulb style LED taillamps:


These are designed to replicate the standard bulb style taillamps, but the top and bottom sections have been replaced with red LEDs. I have seen two versions of these taillamps; One that looks like the normal taillamp with red lenses over the top and bottom sections, and a smoked clear one.


Altezza Style Taillamps:


These are "Altezza" style taillamps for the Fit/Jazz. From what I've seen so far, these are actually quite popular as well overseas, especially SouthEast Asia. There are three versions available. The Red/Clear version are the taillamp of choice on VIP themed Fits. There is also a Black/Clear version available as well as a full clear version. All three versions are also available with an LED section in the main taillamp.


3D Style Taillamps:


3D, or as some people call them, "bug-eyed" taillamps are also available for the Honda Fit and Jazz. Two versions are available; Black, and Chrome. I'm not too sure about these taillamps as the holes for the two bug-eyed sections seem to be off-center in relationship to the reflector housing inside. I don't know how much that may affect light output. From what I remember, one of the bonuses of these 3D style taillamps is that you can paint the black version's housing to match (or not to match) the colour of your car, to give it another look.


You can also do some customizing on your taillamps to make them unique. Look at this post for some examples of customized Fit/Jazz taillamps.

All I Want for Christmas...

Or should it be, I want all for Christmas! *hehe*

I was told my by brother-in-law to make a list in exchange for his list he's given to me and my wife. I really don't know what I want this year, and the first things that come to mind are related to the near two-month new Fit. So I filled the list with things I'd like to add to my car. It's pretty much an addition to what I had already posted previously in my birthday Wishlist post back in November when I just got my Fit. New items I've found and want include overseas accessories items such as a bootlip protector, JDM footwell lights, JDM clear lense LED third brake lights, JDM hazard switch, and JDM power folding mirrors (which would have come in handy last night when I scratched my passsenger side mirror.)

So check out my GiftList. There's pretty good descriptions of what each item is, and links to more information and/or where you can buy them from. Keep in mind the prices I listed are in Canadian dollars.

Chrome Inner Door Handles

Fellow Fitfreak.net member Chikubi posted these JDM chrome inner door handles. It's these little things that make a big difference to whether the car feels like a econo-box or a well packaged little machine. Almost makes me want to bother my friends who are honeymooning in Japan right now to bring me a set. =P

Parts numbers are:
LH: 72160-SAA-J01ZA
RH: 72120-SAA-J01ZA

You'd need two of each for all four doors. According to Chikubi, they are around 1400 yen, or around $12USD each.

Wish List

When I went to my bank yesterday to get my certified cheque for the Fit, the teller was kind enough to waive the service charge when he noticed on my ID that my birthday was coming up in a few days. He asked if the car was a birthday present to myself. I had not even thought about my birthday in relations to the car because first, I bought it because my old car broke, and second, I really didn't know for sure when I was going to get the car.

I haven't really planned out exactly what I want to do with this car since I didn't plan on buying a car at all, and I'm trying not to start "playing" with it until I get my finances settled down. However, there are a few things I would like to add to the car:

• OEM Honda Cargo Cover - Available as a Honda accessory at the dealers. It's nice to be able to throw stuff in the back and be out-of-sight when you need to park somewhere. The less they see, the less tempted they are to break in.
• OEM Armrest Console - Available in other world markets either as standard/optional equipment or accessory, this piece replaces the North American stock center console with one that has a sliding padded arm rest with a storage console underneath. I'd like to put my phone charger, tire gauge, CDs etc in there. Harder to find, but the the title has a link to a dealer in the US, and locally A&J Racing and BPT lists the item. I'm certain other shops who sell JDM items can get these as well.
• OEM Passenger Side Visor w/Mirror - I notice that my wife does use the visor mirror sometimes in our other cars, especially if we're running late for a dinner or something and she's forced to finish her makeup in the car. It also comes with card holders so you'll always have your business cards handy.
• Aftermarket Alarm System - Hondas, especially small Hondas, always end up taking a large number of spots on any "most stolen cars" list. Although the car has an immobilizer, it's still a serious concern. Many of my friends have opted for two-way paging alarms such as Compustar. But I'd like to know how well they work in a high-rise condo/parkade setting to see if they're worth the money.
• OEM black headlamps - Anyone local want to trade their black headlamps with my Alabaster Silver ones? It's great if you want some contrast at the front of your car because the lighter Alabaster Silver emulates a chrome housing headlamp. And actually, Some markets in the world, the top line models come with a light silver painted housing. For me though, as I mentioned in previous posts, I think my car looks a bit too cute for my liking. Black headlamps would definitely help.

There are a few other import market OEM accessories and other things I find interesting, but the above items are the ones I'm sure I'd like to have. Too bad most of these items are fairly pricey and/or difficult to find and purchase, so I'm not holding my breath (so no pressure you guys). Anyways, I'm sure now that I've got the car, I'll have a full plan of attack for exactly what I want to do with it soon enough. Already, a few of the preliminary ideas might even "X" the black headlamps if I was to get them. Stay tuned...

Aria/City Conversion

Those who liked the "Domani" conversion on EK Civics because it looks less bug-eyed, might also be interested in an "Aria/City" conversion for the same reason. It gives the car a bit more of an upscale look. The crease in the side of the fender will match up perfectly with the Fit, so it should be an easy bolt-on swap as long as you've got all the parts needed (fenders, wheel well liner, rad/headlamp support, bumper, rebar, hood, lights, etc). And since you'd have to get a lot of the same parts just to fit JDM bumpers or aero kits, or even headlights on your North American spec Fit (because of our longer nose due to crash standards), This might be an option worth looking into. Keep in mind though that there are a lot fewer body kit options for the Aria/City front end. And with the less raked hood, you might even be able to fit a K24 under there.

*Please note that this post is based on underhood photos I've seen of the Aria/City, where it looks like the frame and headlamp allowance space is made to fit with the Fit front end as well. I have never attempted this conversion, or even seen an Aria/City in person. So I make no gaurantees this conversion will be a direct bolt-on, or that it will work at all.