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Personally I think that all bulbs (perhaps with the exception of those behind the dash instrument cluster) should be designed and expected to be replaced by the owner.
Honda seems to make this difficult on a number of fronts.
1) They do not put all of the bulb identifiers in the manual, leaving some out and using mixed terminology:
Some of the above appear to have a bulb type code, others say "LED", and others such as the Ceiling Light say "8W". I believe that indicates a bulb that consumes 8 watts of power and is not an LED (from the factory). Strange mix of descriptors.
What is the purpose of putting this text in the owner's manual? It is largely useless.
2) The manual does not indicate how to change all of the bulbs. So taking that Ceiling Light as an example. There are no instructions in the manual about how to change it. Yes you can find YouTube videos and such from third parties.
3) Finding any official (from Honda) documentation of the bulb types is very difficult. So again with the Ceiling Light, you can find that this is part number 34253-T2A-A01 and is described as "Bulb, Wedge (12v 8w) (Daiichi)". No indication of any actual bulb type code.
I know from third party sources (like searching for compatible bulbs on AutoZone's site) you can determine that this bulb might be a W5W bulb, which is a standard designation. Alternate bulb codes that seem to be similar to W5W are 2825, 168, 194, or perhaps T10. There are also various threads on this forum about replacement bulbs that I have seen.
So it would appear that they attempt to hide this information perhaps to promote people going to the dealer and having their service people do the replacement of bulbs using official Honda parts.
I guess my main question is: Where can I find an official document written by Honda that gives bulb types codes for all of the above bulbs using (ideally) the standard codes (like W5W) or vendor/country-specific codes (like 2825)? I assume that one does not exist. Is it documented in tech info used by service technicians? I looked at the Chilton repair manual and they do not seem to be there.
Note that personally I don't have a real problem figuring out how to replace bulbs or which bulbs to buy. I just think the hiding of information is silly.
Bonus question: For codes like 2825, 168, and 194, whose codes are they? Sylvania? Are they standardized by some entity? Just a de-facto standard started by some manufacturer?
All of that information would be in the service manual, IF Honda actually would sell you one, but they won’t. The manual is only available online by subscription and not cheap.
Yes, this is to drive business to the dealership. More than that I’m not getting into.
The number codes you list are industry standard bulb numbers that can be purchased at any auto parts store.
Last edited by Uncle Gary; Jan 16, 2019 at 02:36 PM.
Because most don't need a PhD to figure out how to replace. Stores usually have cross reference for replacements. Take the burnt bulb for reference. I would replace the left and the right side bulbs so to keep both sides to similar new brightness, and keep the lamp that is not burnt as a replaceable in the spare tire compartment. Make sure you identify the bulb,
And why does it cost $350 to replace a key? I suspect the desire to wring as much money out of us as possible is the reason. If a bulb burns out, go to your friendly Honda dealer and have him replace it. Cost: inflated labor charge + inflated price for the bulb.
Searching online can find the trade numbers for all the bulbs, but it's something we shouldn't have to do. I use LEDs wherever practical.
Related story: A friend's Volvo was damaged in an accident, and he brought it to be repaired. He got a call from whoever was repairing it. Everything was fine, but the warning light indicating a bulb was burned out was lit. "Do you want us to take care of that?" My friend say Yes, and he had over $100 added to the bill for replacing every bulb in the car.
Personally I think that all bulbs (perhaps with the exception of those behind the dash instrument cluster) should be designed and expected to be replaced by the owner.
Honda seems to make this difficult on a number of fronts.
1) They do not put all of the bulb identifiers in the manual, leaving some out and using mixed terminology:
Some of the above appear to have a bulb type code, others say "LED", and others such as the Ceiling Light say "8W". I believe that indicates a bulb that consumes 8 watts of power and is not an LED (from the factory). Strange mix of descriptors.
What is the purpose of putting this text in the owner's manual? It is largely useless.
2) The manual does not indicate how to change all of the bulbs. So taking that Ceiling Light as an example. There are no instructions in the manual about how to change it. Yes you can find YouTube videos and such from third parties.
3) Finding any official (from Honda) documentation of the bulb types is very difficult. So again with the Ceiling Light, you can find that this is part number 34253-T2A-A01 and is described as "Bulb, Wedge (12v 8w) (Daiichi)". No indication of any actual bulb type code.
I know from third party sources (like searching for compatible bulbs on AutoZone's site) you can determine that this bulb might be a W5W bulb, which is a standard designation. Alternate bulb codes that seem to be similar to W5W are 2825, 168, 194, or perhaps T10. There are also various threads on this forum about replacement bulbs that I have seen.
So it would appear that they attempt to hide this information perhaps to promote people going to the dealer and having their service people do the replacement of bulbs using official Honda parts.
I guess my main question is: Where can I find an official document written by Honda that gives bulb types codes for all of the above bulbs using (ideally) the standard codes (like W5W) or vendor/country-specific codes (like 2825)? I assume that one does not exist. Is it documented in tech info used by service technicians? I looked at the Chilton repair manual and they do not seem to be there.
Note that personally I don't have a real problem figuring out how to replace bulbs or which bulbs to buy. I just think the hiding of information is silly.
Bonus question: For codes like 2825, 168, and 194, whose codes are they? Sylvania? Are they standardized by some entity? Just a de-facto standard started by some manufacturer?
Our library used to have an online copy of Chilton's Manual for all types of cars. I just looked, and it's gone. : (
Go to you local library's web site and then to the bottom of the page. Look for "Fix Your Car." That's where mine used to have the Chilton's.
I'll make a separate post of this info -
Fit Light Bulbs
Front signals https://www.superbrightleds.com/cat/...3-536--824878/
7443 Switchback LED Bulb - Dual Function 60 SMD LED Tower - A Type - Wedge Retrofit
$14.95
When you order/buy the car with all the bells and whistles, someday something is going to go wrong and you will pay dearly to get it fixed. That is why I bought the LX. The key in the ignition design to start the car has been around for a long time. It is far more reliable than the fob that one keeps in his pocket to unlock and to start the car with the push button. Fancy? Yes! Does it work? Yea, most of the time. To get something like that fixed? Write the dealer a check for $1000. Replace a lost fob? Probably much more than replacing the cost of the key.
When you order/buy the car with all the bells and whistles, someday something is going to go wrong and you will pay dearly to get it fixed. That is why I bought the LX. The key in the ignition design to start the car has been around for a long time. It is far more reliable than the fob that one keeps in his pocket to unlock and to start the car with the push button. Fancy? Yes! Does it work? Yea, most of the time. To get something like that fixed? Write the dealer a check for $1000. Replace a lost fob? Probably much more than replacing the cost of the key.
Not sure of how you define a long time. The LX uses a transponder key to prevent hot wiring/bump keys the technology is around 20 years old, but it still relies on the key producing a code from its chip to authorize the car starting. As for reliability I've had tumblers fail in cars that were about 10-15 years old.
