AcuraZine - Acura Enthusiast Community

Acura TL 2009-2014: How to Make the Under-Dash Lights Brighter

If you need to shed a little more light in your interior, here's an easy and inexpensive way to do it.

By Brett Foote - April 29, 2016

This article applies to the 4th Gen Acura TL (2009-2014).

The under-dash lighting in the 4th Gen Acura TL is pretty dim to say the least. So dim, in fact, that quite a few owners don't even realize there is lighting down there. Obviously, you don't want a huge amount of light in your interior at night, which could be distracting and potentially dangerous. But pretty much every other car out there that has ambient lighting at least provides enough so that you can see the various switches and knobs you might be interested in using while driving at night. If you find your TL's ambient lighting to be inadequate, here's a free and easy way to make it better and brighter.

Materials Needed

  • Drill
  • Drill bit (size based on preference)

Step 1 – Remove the tinted covers from the under-dash lighting

Pull the under-dash plastic panels down to release them from the retention clips. The driver's side has a twist fastener that must be turned to remove. Twist off the tinted black housing from the under-dash panel that covers the blue LED light harness. Remove the tinted black housing from the blue LED light harness by unclipping it.

  • Figure 1. Remove the under dash panels.
  • Figure 2. Remove the twist knob from the driver's side.
  • Figure 3. Remove the lighting.

Step 2 – Drill out the center portion of the tinted housings

Use a drill and, starting with a small drill bit, drill out the center portion of the tinted housings. Test the lighting and see if it is bright enough for your particular needs, then move up to a bigger bit if necessary. Once you've drilled the hole big enough to allow a suitable amount of light in the vehicle, reinstall the housings on the LED light harnesses. Reinstall the harnesses in the dash and replace the dash panels. Twist the knob on the driver's side back in place.

  • Figure 4. Drill out the center portion of the tinted housing.
  • Figure 5. Reinstall the LEDs and the lower dash panels.

Related Discussions