[Noir04]

I need to do a light conversion on my 2004

Due to England's regulations (and the rest of Europe), you have to have amber turning signals in the back. As well as a rear red foglight on the right side of the car. Although, you don't need to have reverse lights!! Also, you can't have amber parking lights on the front, and white (or blue) fog-lights are required.

but the main thing, I'm not sure how any of the lights come off, and the owners manual is pretty obscure.

Any help would be most appreciative.

 

[Kermit]

The front ones are the easiest. There is a 8mm bolt that holds it to the front bumper cover, (when re-assembling tighten this LAST). Then there are two L shaped pins that hold the light in position, the part you see is the lower part of the L and it goes straight down behind the light. Pry those up and pull them out, then just pull the lights forward enough to remove the socket on the wiring assembly.

The rear ones you have to get in the trunk and look behind the lights, there are 4 nuts that you can see unbolt them (a couple are your bumper cover, but if you take them off the cover will stay on so don't worry), once those are loose and you disconnect the wiring harness they should slide straight backwards out.

Good luck, sorry I don't have any pictures, but if you really need them I'll try to get you some.

 

[qwertz9586]

How are you gonna accomplish all the wiring to make the lights legal? I'd figure it'd be hard to convert the red brake/turn signal combo to a orange turnsignal. I know the G1s just need a new wiring harness to do taht conversion so maybe you can yank a G3 wiring harness for the rear lights and drill a new light socket next to the reverse light.

 

[Noir04]

Originally posted by Qwertz9586@May 19 2004, 07:54 PM
How are you gonna accomplish all the wiring to make the lights legal? I'd figure it'd be hard to convert the red brake/turn signal combo to a orange turnsignal. I know the G1s just need a new wiring harness to do taht conversion so maybe you can yank a G3 wiring harness for the rear lights and drill a new light socket next to the reverse light.

you are correct.

I figured that out after I tore the thing apart.

I scheduled a tech here shortly after the realization to do it, I'm just to cheap to pay someone else.

Unless, somebody can send a G3 harness or equillivant via USPS to a military APO. I'd be forever in your debt

As far as the bulb placement is concerned, it seems Ford may have thought that with the 04and changed it's mind, or could be going there in the future. Observe the pic

 

[qwertz9586]

Wow! At first I thought that part of the taillights was a turn signal until I saw it in action. Ford should have gone thru with their plan. It would have looked nice. It just seems retarded that it's not functinal.

 

[firstgen89sho]

ok, it's fairly easy, there are 3 main wires running to the back, there is your third brake light, there is yourleft signal, and your right signal, if you want to do the amber conversion, you need to run a wire from your third brake light down to run your brake lights, and now the 2 wires that run your brake /signal, you snip the wire that controls the brake signal, to each lamp, now what you do is run tose wires to the signal lamps, and at your multifunction siwtch on the column, there is a brake wire going into the multifunction switch, you need to snip that. that will get rid of your amber signal lights lighting up when you hit your brakes.

I'll see if I can make up a visual diagram to make it easier, I just preformed this on my G1, converted from the red tail light brake/turn, to a red brake and amber turn..... it took me no time at all....

 

[firstgen89sho]

Ok, here is a rudimentry pic...... hopefully it should help. check with the local dealeship first. for the proper wiring colors

 

[Noir04]

Originally posted by firstgen86l@May 21 2004, 08:57 PM
ok, it's fairly easy, there are 3 main wires running to the back, there is yourleft signal, and your right signal,there is your third brake light,

OH CRAP!!!

I forgot about the third break light!!!!!

:banana: :chili:

Dude, you are going to totally save me 100 bucks!!!!

So I got to run 3 wires from the front.

left and right turn signal and the rear fog light..

 

[qwertz9586]

Can't you just use your existing front turn signals, but cut the parking light wire and use that for the power to the foglights?

 

[firstgen89sho]

use your existing wires running to the back that run your brake/signal, cut those off of the existing brake lights, and wire them to the new turn signal, then run a wire from your third brake light to the existing brake light bulbs

**edit** in my above pic all 3 wires are already running to the back, left right and brake, all you have to do is follow the diagram

 

[Noir04]

Originally posted by firstgen86l@May 22 2004, 05:16 PM
use your existing wires running to the back that run your brake/signal, cut those off of the existing brake lights, and wire them to the new turn signal, then run a wire from your third brake light to the existing brake light bulbs

**edit** in my above pic all 3 wires are already running to the back, left right and brake, all you have to do is follow the diagram

dahts da plan

I'm going exactly with your idea from your diagram. including mointing another socket inside the headlamps, for a parking lamp, that lead will come off of the turn signal. Since those are dual element. One for Turn, one for parking. European regulations don't allow amber parking lamps, only white. I'll also split the turn signals to the back, same as the diagram more or less. On it's way to the back they have also to wire up to a side marker just in front of door. I've got these LED side markers, should look pretty cool.

As far as the rear brake lamps, I'm going with the split off the third break light. Thanks for great idea again, firstgen86l. You da man!

Like I said, only change is I have to run a rear red fog light. But that's no big, it's on an independent circuit anyhow.

the final adjustment is to shift the headlight direction slightly left, since I'm driving on the wrong side of the road over here.

 

[qwertz9586]

So you can't have the normal rear lights lighting up for the parking lights either?

 

[Noir04]

Originally posted by Qwertz9586@May 23 2004, 07:42 PM
So you can't have the normal rear lights lighting up for the parking lights either?

Rear parking lights?

do you mean taillights? They are fine as red.

 

[qwertz9586]

I don't understand what you're doing with the tapping of the 3rd brake light.

 

[firstgen89sho]

ok, the reason that he is tapping the third brake light, is for power for the brake lights as the wires that were running there before are now being used as your left and right signals so he needs a wire run from the thrid brake light which is strictly used for brakes, not brake and signal

the wires that he is using for the signals come from the brake switch into the multifunction switch (turn signal switch) then get seggregated from there to your left and right sides...... so if you were to still use those wires for your brake lights, they would signal as well which is what they don't want, they want strictly brake

the only reason that I have the knowledge on this is due to the fact that I have jusr preformed this conversion on my SLO SHO which had the full red tail lights and I wanted the amber turnsignals, so I went hunting at work for the 86-87 Taurus/Sable EVTM (I work at a Ford Dealership) and this is what I found out, this is how it is done on a Gen 1, it is run off of the same wire as the third brake light, becasue it is direct power from the brake switch

***edit*** as for the rear parking lights, they stay the same with the brake light bulbs......

 

[madness_spirit]

here is how to do your lights all around, it should be an easy enough system to make and there is very little wire to run and you dont have to replace much at all Should abe able to do it all in a couple of hours at most and only spend a a few bucks. A 12 volt relay from radio shack costs around 5 bucks, a couple new amber bulbs cost a couple bucks. and a bunch of wire will only cost you a couple of bucks. The only real cost in this build is going to be front fog lights if you dont already have them.

 

[qwertz9586]

I'm still a bit confused at how the whole thing works. How do you get the blinker circuit off the regular lights and not have the orange turn signal not light up with the brake?

BTW, you could have just took a wiring harness off another G1 w/ orange turn signals and that would have worked.

 

[madness_spirit]

lol having trouble attaching the image anyways. Oh well I didnt notice the diagram that he already gave you, no prob anyways.

 

[firstgen89sho]

That's where I'm saying that you find the wire that leads from the brake switch up to the multifunction switch and chop it off...... so that it doesn't feed anymore into the multifunction switch and light up the amber signal lights when the brake is on

***edit**** as well if you look at the image that I posted, and read the text, it tells you to do that as well

****2nd edit***** DOH, and yes I did use the rear harness off of a G1 with amber lights, all I'm trying to do is show them how they go about doing it without using a haness off of a G1 or a G3

 

[qwertz9586]

Oh, I think I get it now. The MFS takes care of all the work.