DIY: Installing JDM sidemarker turn signals

[Plays_with_Toys]

This is a brief DIY on how to install JDM side markers on 95-99 subaru legacy's. There are two ways to wire these. One is to have the signals off all the time and flash in unison with the turn signals when they are activated. The other, and the one described here is to have them off when the the parking/headlights are off, in which case they light up in unison with the turn signals, and when the headlights/parking lights are on, the signals are also lit, and when the turn signals are activated the side markers will turn off and on in an alternating sequence with the rest of the turn signals.


Tools needed:

10mm socket
8mm socket
Floor jack/ jackstands
Wire snips/strippers/crimpers

Additional supplies:
8ft of black 18awg wire (red if you would like to color coordinate to for alternating signals)
4ft of green 18awg wire
4ft of white 18awg wire
4 no strip connectors
4 butt crimping butt joints (or sauder)

***note: I did not disconnect my battery, and while most will say this is the first thing to do when installing electronics, I didn't feel it was necessary because my lights and ignition were both in the off position. I had no problems, but to alleviate personal responsibility, you should disconnect the negative cable of the battery.

Alright, first thing's first, you're going to want to prep the wires for installation. The passenger side signal will have a white wire for a positive lead and the driver side will have a green. Attach the corresponding wires to the signals (I used butt joints, but you could also sauder for a stronger connection). The black ground wires will be remaining on the signals now. Attach 4ft of your black (or red) wire.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/03/img3044ov1-1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Now jack the car up (either one side at a time or the entire car at once). Pull the wheel off and pull the fender liner out to where it is pictured. There will be 3 -10mm bolts, and one 8mm bolt holding the fender liner in. There will also be some metal clips. Once all the bolts are removed pull the fender liner towards the car and down and it'll pop off easily.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/03/img3043fv8-1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/03/img3047fm5-1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/4898/img3048zu2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Next remove the grill (there are 4 clips on top and two on the bottom, hopefully someone can chime in on how to pop the lower clips without snapping them, mine have been snapped for months now). The top clips are easy enough, use the end of your car keys to push the middle tab down and pull the grill outward to the front of the car. Next remove your headlights, there are three bolts on 95/96 model years. For 97 and up you should be able to just remove the corner lamp with the turn signal socket in. Make sure you unplug the headlight harness and twist the turn signal socket out as well. For 95-96 headlights, when the three bolts are removed you're not done, there is a ribbed push bolt near the edge of the headlamp, some older pictures showing removal of this part are included.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/03/img3042ck5-1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Grab here and pull to the front of the car- Here's the bolt you are pulling out
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/03/img2597dp0-1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/03/img2599be9-1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Time to pop out your trim triangle. Push on the end closest to the front of the car, a small plastic lip holds this side in. On the back most end is a small white clip. Squeeze from the top and bottom on the small wings to pop this part out.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/03/img3040gy5-1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Unscrew the bulb holder of the turn signal and replace the bulb (if you wish). Loop this through the hold in the fender and let it droop. Fish the wiring up above where the fender liner is. Remember that the fender liner will push on the wiring, so leave some slack in the wire.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/03/img3045xu1-1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Now you can splice the wiring into the turn signal wiring. Match white to white and green to green. If you want alternating signals, ground to the red wire (this goes for both sides). If you want signals that fire at the same time as the other signals, ground to the black wires. Plug the bulb into the side marker, attach the marker and test. Take keys out and repeat on other side.

***note, in this image is a green wire spliced into the red with a blue splice. This is a line running to my foglight relay.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/03/img3049uq8-1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Now just bolt everything back together and enjoy your JDM awesomeness. Don't forget to plug in your headlight sockets, or else it'll be a real dark ride home.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/03/img3041io0-1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/03/interweb1pc6-1.jpg

[Wiscon_Mark]

GREAT writeup, thanks dude!

[ivwarrior]

Yeah, just one bad point. NEVER trust a jack to hold up a vehicle. Get jack stands under it BEFORE crawling under the vehicle or removing wheels.

[LeggoMyLeggy]

Well done! The pictures and description were excellent. I'll use your DYI when I get my side markers in.

Thanks,
Leggo

[Huffer]

Great write up. I'll be coming back in awhile when my smoked indies arrive.

[JPaul99GT]

heh, i was lazy. i just used a piece of romex and pushed the wires through the fender with that. i wasn't going to be bothered with jacking/ removing wheels!

good write up man, thanks for having the patience to do this, i didn't

[Reason]

One of the best write-ups to date on here, great job :smt023

[oskar_subaru]

could someone please explain the wirening a litle beter for me, wich wire goes where ? i just cant make thad picture out ? :-?

[Plays_with_Toys]

Do you want your side markers on while your parking lights are on and then when the turn signal activates the front/rear signals alternate with the side, or do you want the sides off and only come on with the front/rear signals? After that I can tell you what to wire to.

[oskar_subaru]

Do you want your side markers on while your parking lights are on and then when the turn signal activates the front/rear signals alternate with the side, or do you want the sides off and only come on with the front/rear signals? After that I can tell you what to wire to.

thad one :lol:

[Plays_with_Toys]

Ok, so looking at this picture,
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/03/img3049uq8-1.jpg

wire to the green/red wires. Honestly I don't think the bulbs care which direction you wire them. They're a simple filament. The driver side harness for the side marker will have a green and black wire. Extend both with the same colors. Black goes to red, and green goes to green. On the passenger side, white goes to white, and black goes to red.

In that picture, the two red splice connectors are for the side marker. The blue splice connector is so my foglights turn on with my parking lamps and can be ignored.

[oskar_subaru]

thank you sooo much !

this is deff. my next mode after i fix my crash damage..

[nosbocaj]

This is a great write-up. I just put mine on today and they look great. I didn't have to remove the fender liner though. I just tied the wire to a fishing rod and moved it through the car from the door to the headlights. It was very easy! It only took me about 30 minutes from start to finish. :grin:

[subiekid]

Does anyone know the part number for the harness? Or if I can purchase the clip at a regular auto parts store? I ordered a set for my 98 and they did not have the harness, just the bulbs.

[Plays_with_Toys]

Check out advanced auto parts, they have quite a few bulb sockets in their elecetrical area. You'd be looking for a 194 bulb socket I believe.

[dplacencia]

When I did it I didn't have to take the headlights off. But great write up. With it I knew which wire to go on.

[mrpyb]

great write up! i would have been incredibly lost without it. thanks!

[Navi271]

Awesome write up! I've had my sidemarkers only turn on when my parking lights were on for almost a year now..
I finally got around to making them blink!! Now my car is rollin' with alternating blinkers, YEEAAH!
oh and of course, thanks

[LunchBox04V]

I have a little bit of a electrical load question. I am sure I am going overboard, but I substituted 18 awg for 14 awg. Would that cause a potential load/overheat/fire hazard running the alternating blinker, and running light combo? Thanks for the help. I am sure I am getting excited over nothing.

[impreza_GC8]

I want to use this writeup to make the stock sidemarkers on my 2.5RS come on with the headlights and flash with the turn signals. Should be pretty neat and custom since 2.5RSs are not wired that way.
This writeup works with the Legacy because the parking light is the same assembly as the turn signal. For the 2.5RS the turn signal and parking light are separate.
I drew up a rough diagram and it seems I need to draw constant power for the side marker from the headlight and need to ground the sidemarker into one of the wires for the turn signal, perhaps the red one. Does anybody else agree with this? Or do I need to run two power wires, one to the headlight and another to the turn signal?

[1-3-2-4]

I have a little bit of a electrical load question. I am sure I am going overboard, but I substituted 18 awg for 14 awg. Would that cause a potential load/overheat/fire hazard running the alternating blinker, and running light combo? Thanks for the help. I am sure I am getting excited over nothing.As long as the sidemarkers don't draw a lot of current... Not sure what the two of them draw both on...

[decke48]

14awg is overkill for 5 watt bulbs

[LunchBox04V]

^^lol I know. It was what was easy to get at Home Depot. I was just worrying about too much load on the original wiring....

[Plays_with_Toys]

I want to use this writeup to make the stock sidemarkers on my 2.5RS come on with the headlights and flash with the turn signals. Should be pretty neat and custom since 2.5RSs are not wired that way.
This writeup works with the Legacy because the parking light is the same assembly as the turn signal. For the 2.5RS the turn signal and parking light are separate.
I drew up a rough diagram and it seems I need to draw constant power for the side marker from the headlight and need to ground the sidemarker into one of the wires for the turn signal, perhaps the red one. Does anybody else agree with this? Or do I need to run two power wires, one to the headlight and another to the turn signal?

The only thing I see here is I don't believe the bulbs are drawing the full 12 volts when they are in a dim state. This would be when parking lamps are on, and when driving with headlights on. As soon as the turn signal is activated it goes to 12v then down lower. I think tapping your headlight would make the turn signals be at their brightest setting all the time.

Also, subarus aren't really known for their electrical skills, and I know my headlights dim when I hit the brakes. I wouldn't want to load that circuit anymore than I need to.

[legacy_outback]

Just got my sidemarkers a couple days ago. My work hooked me up with some free wire :grin: . This writeup helped a ton, thanks man! I didn't take my wheels off though, just jacked up the front till the tires were off the ground to get a little more clearance.

[darjeeling]

Just did this with some Impreza OE side markers.

Who needs pre-drilled holes? I had a drill, a drill head and a will to use them.

Zip-Zip, two big holes...figure out which wire was the flasher-blink-blink (reading this first may have helped)...tie the wiring together, and pop it in...Easy-Peasy.

http://homebase.servebeer.com/web_Subaru_P1000477.JPG

[slaytalera]

just put mine in, i didnt need to remove the fender liner, i just popped out the plastic triangle with a screw driver(ill put pics later) and treaded the wire through the fender and solder everything togeter

[MarkSubi]

would it be okay if I would to leave the fender liner off when after I've talkin it off, and I would like to know if I could do the same with the liner for the front bumper?

[slaytalera]

would it be okay if I would to leave the fender liner off when after I've talkin it off, and I would like to know if I could do the same with the liner for the front bumper?


you could, butyour engine bay will get VERY dirty VERY fast. i wouldnt recommend hitting puddles that are deep or hitting them fast...but you could if you wanted to

[MarkSubi]

dang alright I might take the one off thats under my front bumper cuz I've been wanting to put some fog lights on my bumper cuz my leggy didn't come with any so I wanted to pop the covers off it and put them where they would be if it did have some.

[Zac]

hmmm after reading this and looking at my diagram are you sure your marker lights are alternating or just getting really really dim when your front blinkers come on?

[legacy_outback]

Mine seem to alternate. doesn't look like they get really dim.

[Plays_with_Toys]

They definitely alternate. I didn't figure out the wiring, I went off of a suggestion from Sybir who knew about this. I just did the write up after getting advice from other people :smt023

[Bubba_Crush]

First off very nice write up good info.

well can i ask you a ? i installed some fog/driving lights on my wagon ran wires for switch and all do you know how i could wire them into my running lights or do you know someone that could help me out with this its an idea i have been kicking around.

Thanks

[Plays_with_Toys]

First off very nice write up good info.

well can i ask you a ? i installed some fog/driving lights on my wagon ran wires for switch and all do you know how i could wire them into my running lights or do you know someone that could help me out with this its an idea i have been kicking around.

Thanks

I sent you a PM.

[slow95suby]

i just did a set on my gf's 95. was easy but i did not remove the inner fender i used some hard wire and pulled it out the other end.

[Brockley]

my fender liners have been off for 2 years now. honestly, it sucks. mainly the dirt/snow/other crap that gets thrown up into the door jambs.

[jonklein611]

Kudos on the writeup. Didn't take the fender liners off, just used a wire snake to pull the wiring to the turn signals. Now i can roll with JDM safety features :-)

Whole job took maybe 20min including removing / installing headlights.

[GTDrifter]

you can also have the markers on at all times with you lights one (they wont blink) if you attach the positive wire to the green wire on the headlights if i remember correctly
thats how mine are

[LiCelsior]

installed my clear sidemarkers today with alternating and they look so nice. was confused at the DIY at first wondering why it didnt want to alternate. but then i read a little more and saw that if i had the parking lights on then it would alternate.

[Subieee]

Just put mine on, they look dope!
But it got to cold, so i didn't splice them yet O_o

[Danny-G]

Could I apply this to my 93? I currently have deleted my side markers as I didn't like them just being on all the time and I would put them back if I can make them blink but stay off the rest of the time, the stock wiring is still there so I don't think I need to get any wiring. EDIT. I took a look at it quite a few months ago and, currently I have(to my knowledge) the only 92-94 legacy with blinking fender lights in North America. I just used a spare front combo light harness to figure out which one is for the blinker and for parking light, ground was easy. Once I figured out what wires to splice into, I spliced into them body side, *NOTE* it is important that you use the body side wires or the fender light will be out of time with the rest of the blinker lights, then I proceeded to enjoy my new found awesomness of fender lights. I still have the light side harness I used if any '92-'92 usdm legacy owners would be interested in making the marker lights on the fenders blink. I'm considering altering them so they alternate like the over seas ones do.

[Huffer]

Just started doing this - I had a set of clear indies as well as smoked ones. On my driver's side, my JDM sidemarker has black and green wire, on my passenger side I have red/white and black.

I'll take some pics and show people how I have them hooked up to my USDM headlights.

[Huffer]

Installing with USDM parking lights

Drivers side
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/08/9b6bf95c-1.jpg

Passenger side
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/08/2f98553f-1.jpg

[1-3-2-4]

Nice I still gotta do this

[jockstar]

Great writeup, only took 20 minutes! Thank you!

[camroncamera]

Just started doing this - I had a set of clear indies as well as smoked ones.

I'll take some pics and show people how I have them hooked up to my USDM headlights.
What are Indies? Indicators? Google was not my friend lol. Presuming that they are sidemarker "indicators"... the smoked lights - are they smoked/amber, or smoked/colorless? Smoked/colorless I think would be full of win.

[Sub-Goon]

Just got mine done! Thanks!

[1692]

Just got mine done today, alternating with LED's installed. Looks amazing! Pictures to come as soon as it quits snowing!

[fogls]

Another great thread. Just finished on my car. Thanks for the write up.

[Zangado1]

Too bad you dont live near Philly because i would pay you to put mine in on a weekend. I have had a pair of them sitting in my house for over a year now.

[Muse]

Does anyone know what kind of lightbulb socket I need for this, and what I can get one from? My sidemarkers didn't have them, just the lenses.

[r3v_v3ng3]

^ you can use the light bulb socket from a GC impreza sidemarker

[Muse]

Cool, thanks!

[WPEC]

just did this DIY today.
awesome write up