Fog Lights for 2005 Sedan

[2005Accordforme]

Hi All. Installed the Factory fog light kit last night for my 2005 EX-L sedan. The Honda instructions are excellent. You do have to have some nerve when it comes to drilling into your car, but I have installed rear wing spoilers before and recently put the smaller Honda deck lid spoiler on mine. It's also pretty challenging to remove the fuse box and the cover underneath, then remove the connectors and install the three wires. But this can all be done by someone moderately mechanically inclined, and will save you probably a couple of hundred bucks from having the dealer do it. I also previously upgraded my speakers (2 in the front doors and the 2 6x9's in the rear deck) and the stock stereo sounds so much better. Also, I installed the factory compass mirror, which was really easy. Again, excellent instructions from Honda.

[princess]

Welcome to the forum, ericlskinner! Glad we could be of some help! Looking forward to the pictures of your car..... :D

What speakers did you choose?

[2005Accordforme]

Hi Princess (what's the "runt" about?),

I installed Clarion 5.25" in the front doors and Audiobahn 6x9's in the back. I chose these because they had the highest sensitivity ratings, which is important for the Honda stock deck. This deck is "only" rated at 150 watts, but that is not RMS, so in order to avoid installing an additional amp, which would be a major pain, I chose the highest sensitivity speakers I could find. The higher the sensitivity in decibel ratings, the less power required by the stock deck amplifier. The Clarion's are rated at 93db and the Audiobahn's at 95db. Neither of these were expensive. The Clarion's I got from Crutchfield, who include the required mounting bracket adapters. For the rear, I had to cut away almost all of the grill material on the bottom side of the grill to allow a good fit of the grill back on the deck. The Audiobahn's (and all other aftermarket 6x9's) stand taller than the stock speakers. I do fully recommend folks change out their speakers, as the stock ones are really low quality. My next addition will likely be a self-powered Kenwood subwoofer I have left over from a previous car. It will mount underneath the back deck between the speakers. Well, probably more detail than you wanted to know, but I am an Engineering Manager for a large high-tech corporation so I',m pretty "techy". :)

[mrjtree]

Welcome to the forum too. Looks like you've made some great upgrades and the detail is welcome.

How long did it take to install the fog lights? What did you use to cut out the portions of the front bumper? Was it difficult to route the wiring through the firewall?

I agree that the factory stereo needs upgrading. If speakers don't do the trick, I am considering adding an amp. There are some messages on the website about others that did the same. What model Clarion and Audiobahns did you buy?

[2005Accordforme]

It took about three hours for me to install the fog lights. I wanted to be very careful since I was cutting into my brand new car. I followed the Honda directions carefully, where I had gotten from the fog light kit from the e-bay dealer (HandA accessories at this link http://www.handa-accessories.com/accord.html). I used a hacksaw blade once I had drilled out the large holes per the template. There is no routing of the wiring harness through the firewall. As usual, excellent Honda design. There are two separate harnesses, one for under the hood of the car, and one for under the dash. The only real challenge in the whole process was working underneath the fuse box. You are required to un-bolt the fuse box, lift it up, remove the bottom cover, and unfasten two connectors in order to plug in some wires. There is not a lot of room to work under there, but it is doable. It's also very messy. Honda puts a lot of "goop" on the connectors so they don't corrode. Your hands will get very messy and slippery, but again, I was already committed, so it is doable. You do NOT need to lift up the air cleaner as per the instructions. You only need to un-bolt it and slide the harness under it--saves time and aggravation. Do follow the instructions everywhere else to ensure that the harness does not get near anything hot. The under-dash harness is fairly straightforward and took me only about 10 minutes to do. The speakers I chose are the following:
the fronts actually Pioneer TS-G1340R 5-1/4", and the rears are Audiobahn AS69Q 6X9". I got the Pioneer's from Crutchfield for $49.99 plus shipping ($5.99) and the Audiobahn's on ebay for $44.99 plus shipping ($18.00--kind of a rip). Both great prices for the speakers. As an electrical engineer, I can tell you that adding an amp could be a problem. Whoever installs the amp will have to install a component to basically step down the power on your stock deck to avoid noise problems. Since most stock decks of our kind really only need more base, I would recommend a powered subwoofer like the one I have, which is a Kenwood KSC-WA62RC, which can be ordered at Crutchfield.com for $189.00. It really does the trick and is not difficult at all to install. Hope this all helps.

[mrjtree]

Yes, that was very helpful. I am more comfortable now to tackle the fog light installation. Didn't know about the second wiring harness. I'm used to wiring through the firewall by popping out a rubber gromet or drilling through. I'll order and install the foglights when the weather warms up. I tend to take plenty of time also to make sure it's done right. Put on the smaller Honda deck lid a few months ago. It does take some faith to drill into a brand new car, especially the upper portion of the trunk.

As for the speakers, I'm sold and will follow your route. On this site, I read that putting in an amp was not straight forward. To be quite honest, it pisses me off that the factory set up isn't on par with the quality of the rest of the electronics. If speakers and a powered subwoofer do the trick, why not make them standard? When I test drove the car, I noticed it's shortcomings. Asked the salesman and manager if Honda offered any factory upgrades. Of course, you know the answer. Though, in the end it's comforting to know the system can be brought up to par with just speakers and a powered subwoofer.

Speaking of which, I looked up the subwoofer on Crutchfield and see it takes sound input from RCA jacks and power through a wiring harness (besides a hook up for a remote control power switch). Are you going to splice the RCA wires into the stock rear speaker wires? Any idea where you'll hook up the wires for power? I'm not concerned with the remote control wiring. If it sounds good, I'll leave it on all the time (provided the power to the unit shuts off with the ignition switch. Thanks for your advice! :thmsup:

[princess]

the "runt" is due to the fact that I'm 4'11".

[2005Accordforme]

For the powered subwoofer, I will tap off of the rear speakers since I doubt the stock deck has any RCA pre-outs, and it would be a major hassle to get to it even if it did. For power, I will run the power wiring down the driver's side of the car since I will want to tap into an ignition switch power source for the subwoofer for the on/off circuit. The main 12V power will need to go straight to the battery, meaning finding a way to get through the firewall. If you can, always solder your power and ground wires to their connectors to avoid ever losing a contact. The remote control shouldn't be a big deal as I plan in cutting a notch in the carpet and running the cable underneath the driver's seat and then up into the center console/armrest.

Your comment about being unhappy about the stock speakers is warranted. However, since this is a "family" sedan I suspect that Honda is less interested in putting money into the audio system. I had a 2001 Toyota Camry with the same problem. What Honda doesn't realize is that the Accord appeals to folks like us because they are both practical AND fun to drive. The same can't be said about the Camry.h

[princess]

You're right about the Accord marketed more for "family". I almost went with the coupe, but the metalflakes in the blue was a bit too much for me. We sometimes have little guys with us or older folks....having a back door access makes that easier!

The sedan is generally a great blend of pep & comfort... but those speakers had to go! I'm not planning on adding the sub to mine... I need the space for luggage! We load her up & take off from time to time & I like the trunk space. I'm afraid we'd lose more than we'd gain by adding it. (Although some music we listen to could use it!)

I think it's great that you're giving so much detail! Others will love having the info at their fingertips! If you get around to loading on pictures, we'd like to see how it's all coming along!:)

[2005Accordforme]

Hi Princess Runt. FYI, my wife is 5 foot, my 19 year-old daughter is 5'1", and my 16 year-old daughter is 4'10", so I am surrounded by runts. I can say that because I am 6'1".

[princess]

They all outgrew me here. Both daughters are 5'2" & son is 5'7". my prince is 5'9". I ended up being THE one that took after my grandmothers. They were 4'7" & 4'10"..... My sister is 5'4". I have numerous tall cousins & neices... I'm talking many girls in the family are 5'8" & above!

I don't mind. The one thing I really do wish for is the memory seat in the Accord! If I could add that, it would be done!!! We both drive the Accord & he whines about moving the seat as much as I do.

Still waiting for some pictures!!:)

[EXLNavi]

Originally posted by ericlskinner
For power, I will run the power wiring down the driver's side of the car since I will want to tap into an ignition switch power source for the subwoofer for the on/off circuit.

The accessory socket is your best bet. At least, that's what I did for a switched source for a cellphone kit.

The main 12V power will need to go straight to the battery, meaning finding a way to get through the firewall.

You may have a covered hole if you have A/T, where the clutch cable for the M/T models is supposed to be. Otherwise, it's trivial to route it through the firewall with existing wiring, right by the fuse box on the drivers' side. I've routed 8 ga. oil and gas resistant cable with no problems. (I'm a ham radio operator so I need lots of current). Don't forget the fuse. Burning a car down is not nice.

If you can, always solder your power and ground wires to their connectors to avoid ever losing a contact. The remote control shouldn't be a big deal as I plan in cutting a notch in the carpet and running the cable underneath the driver's seat and then up into the center console/armrest.

Very true. I cannot stress this enough. Soldering wires makes sure the joints are secure and that no dirt gets into it. I have a coldheat tool (crap) and a gas powered radioshack portable iron.

Your comment about being unhappy about the stock speakers is warranted. However, since this is a "family" sedan I suspect that Honda is less interested in putting money into the audio system. I had a 2001 Toyota Camry with the same problem. What Honda doesn't realize is that the Accord appeals to folks like us because they are both practical AND fun to drive. The same can't be said about the Camry.h

I really don't think so as much as I think that if Honda had a "premium" audio system in the Accord, they couldn't justify the price for the cars on the Acura line. But that's just me.

[princess]

They DO save some of the "goodies" for the Acuras..... I fear they'll never put memory seats in the Accord because of that....:(

[EXLNavi]

Originally posted by princess
They DO save some of the "goodies" for the Acuras..... I fear they'll never put memory seats in the Accord because of that....:(

Sometimes I wonder what Honda is really thinking in omitting these features on their regular brands in North America. Other brands have "premium" features in their "regular" brands.

Toyota, for example, has HID's in some cars in its regular lineup, not just lexus. Ditto for Nissan and Infiniti.

I mean, I don't think I'd need SH-AWD from the RL or rear climate control from the TL. But some things like heated mirrors (only offered in Canada, as if we don't have icy winters in the USA) and a current cell phone option would be nice. Here in NYC and NJ it is illegal to use a handheld phone while driving (in NJ it's a secondary offense only).

With Honda In other countries it's not like that. Japan obviously, but also in Europe you can choose all sorts of options for your Accord. Why do they reserve the special treatment for US customers?

[shaun1]

[QUOTE=2005Accordforme]It took about three hours for me to install the fog lights. I wanted to be very careful since I was cutting into my brand new car. I followed the Honda directions carefully, where I had gotten from the fog light kit from the e-bay dealer (HandA accessories at this link http://www.handa-accessories.com/accord.html). I used a hacksaw blade once I had drilled out the large holes per the template. There is no routing of the wiring harness through the firewall. As usual, excellent Honda design. There are two separate harnesses, one for under the hood of the car, and one for under the dash. The only real challenge in the whole process was working underneath the fuse box. You are required to un-bolt the fuse box, lift it up, remove the bottom cover, and unfasten two connectors in order to plug in some wires. There is not a lot of room to work under there, but it is doable. It's also very messy. Honda puts a lot of "goop" on the connectors so they don't corrode. Your hands will get very messy and slippery, but again, I was already committed, so it is doable. You do NOT need to lift up the air cleaner as per the instructions. You only need to un-bolt it and slide the harness under it--saves time and aggravation. Do follow the instructions everywhere else to ensure that the harness does not get near anything hot. The under-dash harness is fairly straightforward and took me only about 10 minutes to do.

Is it ok to remove the goop? I just got my kit and the goop is packed into all the connectors

[CA05LXDriver]

Is it ok to remove the goop? I just got my kit and the goop is packed into all the connectors
Why would you remove the goop? The goop is there to keep corrosion from occuring at the connectors... it is a little messy though....

[shaun1]

Why would you remove the goop? The goop is there to keep corrosion from occuring at the connectors... it is a little messy though....

Because there is so much of it. I can understand corrosion prevention. It just seems they packed 1 1/2 inches of goop into a 1 inch connector. I'll leave it there obviously. Just wondering.

[04EXNavi]

Kind of a non-sequitir, but regarding the 'goop' on the electrical connectors - I bought a box of those disposable rubber gloves for medical use for dirty work on the car and around the house. Great for keeping your hands clean, provided you don't snag them on something.

[SSMV6]

Those medical gloves are good for most automotive work unless you use some chemical cleaners (brake clean, throttle body cleaner, brake fluid, etc). Those chemicals are so corrosive to the latex that the glove practically melts on contact! :eek: Those gloves are also great when you're detailing your car so you don't leave any fingerprints. Just make sure you don't get the powdered ones.

[princess]

My prince wears gloves all day at work....they do get torn & destroyed, but he has a box & just replaces as needed. It's helped his hands a lot! They used to be cut & stained all the time.... I used to make him do dishes the night before a big event to get them clean down deep! :yes: That's my story & I'm sticking to it! :lmao:

[04EXNavi]

I used them sunday when I had to change the toilet...I was able to put my hands in the floor drain to get the old plastic 'waste deflector' out. You couldn't pay me (or anybody else) to do that with bare hands!

[andysinnh]

As a shadetree mechanice, I've been using latex gloves for years - but the trick was finding some that would hold up (i.e. not tear) and also not turn into liquid if you get something caustic on them. The type that has worked out the best are Permatex Blue Nitrile gloves. They're a synthetic rubber glove that is thicker and more resistant to chemicals, and hold up through an entire brake job (my litmus test). They're not really any more expensive than other gloves (under $15 for a box of 100), and I think I got them at Pep Boys.

andy

[CA05LXDriver]

2nd that on thre blue nitrile ones... I get them for almost free since my wife works at a cleanroom supply co =).... usually I am waist deep in them, but almost out at the moment!

By the way, if you think there is a lot of goop on the connectors, just wait until you start messing with the relay box... what a pita!

As a shadetree mechanice, I've been using latex gloves for years - but the trick was finding some that would hold up (i.e. not tear) and also not turn into liquid if you get something caustic on them. The type that has worked out the best are Permatex Blue Nitrile gloves. They're a synthetic rubber glove that is thicker and more resistant to chemicals, and hold up through an entire brake job (my litmus test). They're not really any more expensive than other gloves (under $15 for a box of 100), and I think I got them at Pep Boys.

andy