Need help wiring gen 2 headlights on gen 1 ls

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Pinknuts

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Hey guys, I've tried searching on here but haven't had any luck finding an actual write up on the best way to rewire for gen 2 headlights on a gen 1 car. I've got a pretty good idea of what I need to do but not sure if there's an easier way. Wish I could just get an OEM harness to plug an play. Please help from the few guys out there that have actually done this conversion. Thanks in advance.
 
They are brand new halogen housings that I am putting aftermarket HIDs in. And I just found out the hard way why I need the newer header panel. I managed to put the 06 LSE bumper on without it, but no go with the new headlights. And I actually already read your thread but it didn't have any details on the connector. So is that part number for the correct 6 pin connector with pig tail or without wires?
 
It's just a pigtail with six wires coming out. Basicall what you do is splice these wires into you existing harness that is on the car. If you look at my thread, you will see that I opened up the headlights to trace out which leads operate what light.
 
Ok awesome. This is exactly what I was looking for. I took the headlight apart last night to trace the colors out and wire each of the 6 pin individually with female spade connectors and it was a whore and not as clean as I wanted it to be. So if this is a ford part I will just add it onto my same order for my header panel while I'm at it. One last question. Since the gen 1 doesn't have the corner LED lights, which wire did you tap them to? I'm not sure if they are supposed to blink with the turn signal or stay solid at all times...
 
If I remember correctly, I didn't tie them in. I would have had to tie them in to the bumper lights lead and didn't want to have to run the wire and create some type of connection. So I just left them disconnected.
 
Pinknuts said:
Since the gen 1 doesn't have the corner LED lights, which wire did you tap them to? I'm not sure if they are supposed to blink with the turn signal or stay solid at all times...
Click to expand...

I literally just finished doing this project this morning.... I'm not saying this is the right way to do it, but here's what I did:

I bought 2 of the Ford 6 pin connectors and I bought some headlight wiring harnesses from a first gen LS from a junkyard:

P1010030.jpg


Then I wired the two together and made my own harnesses so they are basically plug and play with the car's existing wiring:

P1010045.jpg


And here is is again cleaned up and connected to the headlight:

P1010047.jpg


What I did with the LED wires on the new 6 pin harness was to make a connector (with the red and white wires that you can see in the pictures) that tied in to my original bumper marker lights which I wasn't using anymore since I put the 2nd gen LSE bumper on. That leaves them working as parking lights. I don't know if they blink on the 2nd gen or not, but I wouldn't think so since they're right next to the turn signal bulb?

Let me know if you any other questions and I can try and help you out
 
Wow that looks good man. Thanks for the help. It looks like you did the same thing I'm going to do with the HIDs. So I'm guessing you just drilled a hole in the headlight back cover and used the rubber grommet that came with the bulb?
 
Pinknuts said:
Wow that looks good man. Thanks for the help. It looks like you did the same thing I'm going to do with the HIDs. So I'm guessing you just drilled a hole in the headlight back cover and used the rubber grommet that came with the bulb?
Click to expand...

Thanks - and yeah, that's exactly what I did. let me know if you have trouble with the main harness in the car behind the passenger side headlight. I haven't seen anyone else who's done this mod mention it, but when I went to install that headlight, there was a main harness right in front of one of the headlight mounting screws. And, since there's nowhere to attach the top middle screw, there are only two screws holding the headlights in instead of the original three...

But after all is said and done, it's definitely worth it! Looks good from the outside and the HIDs look even better from the inside of the car! :D
 
I will be sure to let you know if I have trouble with that harness being in the way. My hearer panel won't be in until Wednesday. So the top mounting bolt won't reach the factory location? I'm sure I can make my own bracket to work. Also what connector did you use for the LEDs to the old bumper running light? I just zip tied up the old harness out of the way when I put the 06 LSE bumper on.
 
Pinknuts said:
I will be sure to let you know if I have trouble with that harness being in the way. My hearer panel won't be in until Wednesday. So the top mounting bolt won't reach the factory location? I'm sure I can make my own bracket to work. Also what connector did you use for the LEDs to the old bumper running light? I just zip tied up the old harness out of the way when I put the 06 LSE bumper on.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the top mounting hole is now further back then it was on the 1st gen lights. You may be able to cut the old bracket that's there and make it work if it's shorter - I just took mine out.
I used 2-pin trailer light connectors for the connection to the bumper light wiring. I got them at Napa a while back for some other project and they worked out perfectly...
 
LeaSr77 said:
I didn't have a problem mounting the top bolt when I did mine.
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Hmmmm - how did you mount the top screw in the middle of the headlight? Did you modify the existing bracket on the car? I'm just curious...
 
HDDave said:
Thanks - and yeah, that's exactly what I did. let me know if you have trouble with the main harness in the car behind the passenger side headlight. I haven't seen anyone else who's done this mod mention it, but when I went to install that headlight, there was a main harness right in front of one of the headlight mounting screws. And, since there's nowhere to attach the top middle screw, there are only two screws holding the headlights in instead of the original three...

But after all is said and done, it's definitely worth it! Looks good from the outside and the HIDs look even better from the inside of the car! :D
Click to expand...

I had an issue with where the connector for the driver side harness was mounted on the car. I just pulled that off and moved it down. I'm sending you a PM about putting HIDs in.
 
HDDave said:
Hmmmm - how did you mount the top screw in the middle of the headlight? Did you modify the existing bracket on the car? I'm just curious...
Click to expand...

Nope didn't modify nothing. Take a look a the pic and you can see it at the very top.

SDC11378.jpg
 
LeaSr77 said:
Nope didn't modify nothing. Take a look a the pic and you can see it at the very top.
Click to expand...

Do you have a picture from the top so I can see what yours is mounted to?
Here's what mine looked like - I have the original bracket I removed sitting on top of the 2nd Gen headlight to show the difference between the original mounting location and the nut on the new headlight...

P1010079.jpg
 
^^That bracket came on the car? I got ripped off, because I didn't get those.
 
jolinc01 said:
^^That bracket came on the car? I got ripped off, because I didn't get those.
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Here's an old pic of them on the car. If you don't have these brackets, what mounts the top of the Gen 1 headlight on your car?

brackets-1.jpg
 
Ok the fix to that is you need to find the same brackets that come on the Gen 2 headlights. They slant towards the mounting position. I don't have a pic from the top I just have that one that I took. But that mounting tab bends at like a 45 degree angle to line up. Look at the picture and you'll see what I"m talking about.

SDC11362.jpg
 
LeaSr77 said:
Ok the fix to that is you need to find the same brackets that come on the Gen 2 headlights. They slant towards the mounting position. I don't have a pic from the top I just have that one that I took. But that mounting tab bends at like a 45 degree angle to line up. Look at the picture and you'll see what I"m talking about.
Click to expand...

Oh - my Gen 2 headlights didn't come with those! I'll have to fab something... or maybe just modify the existing ones since I'm not planning on putting the old headlight back in....
 
Ok so my new 6 pin wiring harnesses showed up today and my header panel should be here tomorrow. I can't wait to get these sexy new headlights put in! But I decided to go ahead and have my body guy repaint the hood since my brand new '06 LSE bumper and grille make the factory paint look like poo.

Here is a pic of what that gen 2 bracket looks like. I guess that's one of the perks of buying a brand new pair is that they come with them. lol

IMAG0104.jpg
 
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