How to Install Courtesy Lights on Accord 2018+ for Added Convenience

feldsam · Apr 8, 2023

Hey everyone,

I recently installed courtesy lights on my Accord 2018+ and wanted to share the procedure with you. If you're looking for a simple way to add convenience to your vehicle, installing courtesy lights is a great option. These lights provide illumination when you open the doors, making it easier to see and navigate your surroundings.

Here's what you'll need for the installation:

2x T10 hard socket
2x T10 bulbs
2x 1m wire, different colors
Textile tape
2x tap wire connector
2x Honda lenses 34261-TLO-003
Utility knife
Multimeter

Procedure:

Prepare the T10 sockets by attaching longer wires of about 40-50cm. You can either solder or use wire joints. One side (GND) should be longer than the other by about 10cm. Tape the wires with textile tape about 30cm from the socket.
Remove the control panel from the door and disconnect the big gray connector.
Deinstall the door panel.
In the big gray connector, there are four big pins on the sides. One of them always has 12V, which in my case was red in color. Find and confirm using a multimeter.
Attach a shorter wire to it using a tap connector.
On the left of the driver side door, there is another connector plugged into the door lock. Remove the factory tape from the harness, about 3cm.
Find the dark green cable and using a utility knife, carefully remove the insulation. Wind the second wire on this green cable and insulate it with tape. If you add a bulb into the socket, it should light up.
Use textile tape to attach the wires to the factory harness on both sides.
Remove the factory dummy cover from the door panel and install the socket into it.
Install the panel back to the doors, reinstall the control panel. Finally, add the Honda lens, and you can proceed to the passenger side door. There are two differences:
- 12V is on the light green cable on the big gray connector.
- In the door lock connector, the right cable is light green.

That's it! I hope you find this procedure helpful. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to ask. Check out the attached photos for reference.

Happy DIY-ing!

Passenger side:

lima · Apr 22, 2023

For 2023, the yellow wire in the gray connector has the constant 12V.
I tried installing the courtesy light on the driver door for a '23 Accord Sport. I'm not sure if it may have shorted the door lock. Now, the interior lights don't come on when I open the driver door. The interior lights still work when I open the front passenger door or the rear doors. I tried checking the fuses in the driver foot well and could not find a blown fuse.

The car computer doesn't appear to detect the driver door opening and closing anymore.

Does anyone know if a fuse is blown, and where the fuse is?

feldsam · Apr 23, 2023

Hello, @lima, I don't have access to Electrical Wiring Diagrams for 2023 Accord yet, so I don't know how door open/close sensor is wired. On Accord 2018-2021 there is no fuse for door sensor, it just switching to GND. And does coutersy light comes on when you open driver side door?

lima · Apr 24, 2023

The interior light and the courtesy light no longer turn on when I open the door.

I was able to install the courtesy light on passenger door and it works.
The interior light still works when I open any passenger door.
It's just the driver door that's the problem.

feldsam · Apr 24, 2023

In that case it looks like you connected it to the wrong wire? I would remove bulb from courtesy light socket to see, if interior light start to work again

lima · Apr 25, 2023

The courtesy light is not installed yet.
What's strange is that the green wire on the driver door lock connector is reading 12.05v or so when I measure its voltage against one of the bolts/nuts on the door. This voltage is slightly less than the battery voltage. If the green wire is supposed to be grounded, then there should be zero volt between it and the metal on the door that is grounded.

This is a 2019 Accord Sport 1.5L 6MT. I mistakenly mentioned 2023 Accord earlier.

The voltage between this green wire and the (constant 12v) yellow pin on the gray connector is reading 12.6v, which is the battery voltage.

When I temporarily attach the door lock connector green wire to the door bolt, the interior lights are switched on and the car sound comes on to indicate that the door is opened.

feldsam · Apr 25, 2023

So you need to find right wire, my post is about Accord 10th gen and I don't have EWD for 11th gen.

lima · Apr 26, 2023

I had to take it in for a more thorough diagnosis. Turns out a diode in the door latch assembly may have blown.

Ghernandez42 · Apr 27, 2023

I had the same problem on my 2022 accord. Did a little digging and found I shorted the jab switch which detects if the door is closed or open. I ordered a new lock assembly for 40 shipped new and fixed my problem. I was hesitant to do it again but I did and it worked. This time I disconnected the connector to the lock to avoid shorting anything.

aznraged · Mar 4, 2024

Hi feldsam, I'm trying to do the same, but for the rear doors instead. Do you by any chance have a tutorial or the wiring diagrams for the rear doors?

PhilipS · Mar 7, 2024

Like these?

Ghernandez42 · Jul 25, 2025

So I did it twice, the first time I did something wrong and the door couldn’t detect when it was closed. The second time I correctly tapped into the correct wire and it worked, no humming noises or anything.

How to Install Courtesy Lights on Accord 2018+ for Added Convenience

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