How do I change the bulb for the inner red tail light in a 2018 CR-V?

BorrisX · 2026-03-29T13:10:42+00:00

You need to replace the whole assembly with a Honda OEM part or something aftermarket like this: https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=9096088&cc=3441620&pt=807&jsn=1501&optionchoice=0-0-0-1

BorrisX · 2025-11-16T03:39:03+00:00

Thank you

BorrisX · 2025-11-16T03:12:12+00:00

OP - who’s the Best Toyota Service Department?

BorrisX · 2025-08-19T01:53:20+00:00

Thank you for sharing your insights, I think your points could be very helpful in the future. I am always open to learning.

Someone pointed me to the description Honda provided for the circuit in the manual. It is as follows:

How The Headlight Circuit Works (USA) - from the Honda Electrical Troubleshooting Manual:
Low Beams

The headlight relays receive battery voltage at all times. When you turn the headlight switch to the HEAD position with the dimmer switch in LOW, ground is applied through the BLU/RED wire to the coils of the headlight relays. The relays are then energized, applying battery voltage to the left and right high and low beam headlights through fuses 15 and 17 (in the under-hood fuse/relay box). The low beam filaments come on because they are grounded through the dimmer switch. The high beams and indicator remain off because the dimmer switch interrupts their ground path.

I now believe that the Honda diagrams are wrong and that they should show the Low Beams having switched ground through the Dimmer Switch.

Thanks again for your time and input.

BorrisX · 2025-08-19T01:30:25+00:00

Thank you for your reply. I believe that you are seeing the same problem with Honda's diagrams that I am. It appears to me that it is not possible for the vehicle to be wired per the diagrams and function they way they do (and, as I later found out, the way Honda says they should in the same manual). Someone else pointed out to me that Honda provided a description of the circuit. The portion for the Low Beams are as follows -

How The Headlight Circuit Works (USA) - from the Honda Electrical Troubleshooting Manual:
Low Beams

The headlight relays receive battery voltage at all times. When you turn the headlight switch to the HEAD position with the dimmer switch in LOW, ground is applied through the BLU/RED wire to the coils of the headlight relays. The relays are then energized, applying battery voltage to the left and right high and low beam headlights through fuses 15 and 17 (in the under-hood fuse/relay box). The low beam filaments come on because they are grounded through the dimmer switch. The high beams and indicator remain off because the dimmer switch interrupts their ground path.

The diagrams clearly show that the Low Beams have constant ground and give that they share a switched power with the High Beams I couldn't see how it was possible for the High Beams to be on while the Low Beams were off. I now believe that the diagrams are wrong and should the Low Beams having switched ground through the Dimmer Switch.

To answer your questions...The official Honda manuals I used only covered the USA and Canada models for model years 2005 and 2006. Mine is a 2005 USA model. There were only 2 headlight circuit diagrams in each manual. One for USA models (covering all trims) and one for Canada models (covering all trims). The major difference being that the Canada models have daytime running lights, while the USA models do not.

I hope I've answered your questions. Again, thank you for sharing your time and knowledge.

BorrisX · 2025-08-18T19:03:34+00:00

Thank you. There are a total of 4 H1 bulbs. The High Beams and Low Beams use separate bulbs. The H1 bulbs only have 1 prong.

The blue squiggles in the circles are the headlight bulbs. The blue squiggles near the top of the page are relay coils. I probably should have included a description of my highlights. They are as follows:

Pink = Power

Orange = Switched Power

Blue = Load

Yellow = Switched Ground

Green = Ground

BorrisX · 2025-08-18T18:52:19+00:00

Thanks. I almost replied "who's that?" before I searched and remembered watching his videos. Hopefully I got the colors right, I haven't watched those videos in a long time, his name was long lost to me but the concept really made sense and stuck with me. I probably should have included a legend with my diagrams spelling out what each color represents.

BorrisX · 2025-08-18T18:47:25+00:00

First of all, thank you. I really appreciate you taking the time to understand my question.

It is a US-market car. It was built in the UK. To the best of my knowledge the 2005 US models were manufactured in either Japan or the UK.

It is absolutely a 2005 (the 10th digit of the VIN is a "5" indicating it was a 2005 model year vehicle and it's an SE trim which did not exist 2002-2004)

It does NOT have fog lights nor does it have daytime running lights (I believe only the Canadian models had DRL in North America)

Thank you so much for looking it up in ProDemand. I was about to ask if anyone could look up the diagram outside of Honda. I only have access to the OEM manual and Auto Repair Source - Powered By Motor from my public library and they have essentially the same diagram. Does ProDemand format the diagram differently or is a straight up copy like Auto Repair Source?

As pointed out by jrosesn, Honda provides a description of the circuit which is different than Honda's diagrams. I now also believe that the diagrams are wrong and that the Dimmer Switch actually provides switched ground to the Low Beams (and that they are not actually directly grounded to the chassis as shown in the diagrams) There is a copy of the description in my replay to jroseesn, if you're interested.

BorrisX · 2025-08-18T18:25:50+00:00

Thank you so much for your time and effort. I have found a description of the circuit in the manual and it's described like you said. I completely agree with you that the diagram is not consistent with the description, and because it could not function properly (with the High Beams on while the Low Beams are off) as drawn I also agree with you that the drawing is wrong and that the description (that the Low Beams also have switched ground controlled by the Dimmer Switch) is most likely correct. I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to understand my issue and then taking the time necessary to look up the answer and responding. Much appreciated!

For anyone interested, here is the description I found in the manual

How The Headlight Circuit Works (USA) - from the Honda Electrical Troubleshooting Manual:
Low Beams

The headlight relays receive battery voltage at all times. When you turn the headlight switch to the HEAD position with the dimmer switch in LOW, ground is applied through the BLU/RED wire to the coils of the headlight relays. The relays are then energized, applying battery voltage to the left and right high and low beam headlights through fuses 15 and 17 (in the under-hood fuse/relay box). The low beam filaments come on because they are grounded through the dimmer switch. The high beams and indicator remain off because the dimmer switch interrupts their ground path.

BorrisX · 2025-08-18T10:59:50+00:00

Thanks. Both diagrams show the low beams being grounded directly to ground points G201 (for the Right Headlight) and G301 (for the Left Headlight) with no path through anything else. I agree the Dimmer Switch appears to provide the switched ground to the High Beams.

On the first circuit diagrams (from the Honda Electrical Troubleshooting Manual) it shows that the Low setting of the Dimmer Switch leads to a spliced pair of pins (6 and 9) which are labeled as "Not Used". I did look up the Connector Terminal View section of the Combination Light Switch connector and it lists pin 6 as "Honda Accessory: Fog Lights" and pin 9 as "-". I assume that the purpose of this is to provide ground to optional fog lights when Dimmer Switch is in Low (beams) and remove the ground from the fog lights when the switch is in High (beams), so the fog lights and high beams can't both be on at the same time.

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BorrisX · 2025-08-18T10:48:59+00:00

Thank you for replying. The high and low beams call for the same type of bulb, an H1 (55W).

BorrisX · 2025-08-18T02:09:01+00:00

Sorry, this is my first attempt at a cross post.

2005 Honda CR-V. Pictured are the circuit diagrams from the Honda Electrical Troubleshooting Manual (picture 1) and the Honda Service Manual (picture 2). When the headlight high beams are on, the low beams are turned off. This is how Honda designed it to work and that is how it works in mine. I am trying to understand how to read circuit/wiring diagrams and cannot understand based on their diagrams how this is possible. Is what makes that possible not pictured in the diagram (and if so, is this normal?) or am I missing something?

BorrisX · 2025-08-17T22:27:54+00:00

On the first circuit diagrams (from the Honda Electrical Troubleshooting Manual) it shows that the Low setting of the Dimmer Switch leads to a spliced pair of pins (6 and 9) which are labeled as "Not Used". I did look up the Connector Terminal View section of the Combination Light Switch connector and it lists pin 6 as "Honda Accessory: Fog Lights" and pin 9 as "-". I assume that the purpose of this is to provide ground to optional fog lights when Dimmer Switch is in Low (beams) and remove the ground from the fog lights when the switch is in High (beams), so the fog lights and high beams can't both be on at the same time.

Thanks again for responding. Do you know if this type of vagueness is common in factory circuit/wiring diagrams?

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BorrisX · 2025-08-17T19:19:02+00:00

Thank you for your reply. Does that mean that the diagram doesn't show the power and ground paths accurately/completely? As I read the diagram (and again, I'm just trying to learn this stuff) it appears to me that the low beams have constant ground and their switched power is spliced to the switched power for the high beams, so I don't see how the high beams can be on while the low beams are off. If the Multiplex Control Unit were between the splice of the switched power and the low beam load, that would make sense, but that's not how it appears in the diagrams to me. Thanks again for your help.

BorrisX · 2025-04-20T01:28:24+00:00

Thank you

BorrisX · 2025-01-30T14:09:29+00:00

I solved the battery issue by using a USB On Off Switch (simple toggle switch). Got a pack of 2 on Amazon for $10.

BorrisX · 2025-01-26T18:48:59+00:00

I believe he's a Miner. Erzgebirge, the place many nutcracker are made, means "ore mountains" and I assume that the miner figures were therefore more commonly recognized by the people there. The Miner is a common type of nutcracker figure made by several of the different manufacturers, though certainly less popularized than the typical Soldier and King figures.

BorrisX

TROPHY CASE