LED's in Headlamps

jachady · Nov 15, 2013

So I decided to make my LED lights in the headlamps come on anytime the car is running a la Audi. I talked with my local Ford dealer and we found a open spot in the engine fuse block and then figured which wires to cut on the headlamps. I ran new wires, did the connections and plugged it into the fuse block. It works great and now the LEDs are on anytime the car is running. The rest of the lights function as normal. I'll get pics posted soon.

unplugged · Nov 15, 2013

jachady said:
I talked with my local Ford dealer and we found a open spot in the engine fuse block and then figured which wires to cut on the headlamps.

Very interesting. As well as photos, could you also explain what you did, from the fuse block to adding the wiring, to what wire you added to the fuse block that is hot only when the car is running?

jachady · Nov 16, 2013

Here's photos of the lights. I'll get pictures of the wiring and fuse block later.

Astrand1 · Nov 16, 2013

I like that. Looks clean. Might just have to do this mod my self.

jachady · Nov 16, 2013

I also modified the taillamps, check the taillamp thread.

Astrand1 · Nov 18, 2013

Yeah I looked at the tail lamp thread. Not sure I wanna do that but I tried the LED headlamp mod. I found the wires that power them. And also found a open PowerPoint in the fuse box. My only problem or issue is that when I power the LEDs in front it also powers the running lights in back as well. I would rather just have the fronts on. I guess I could just cut the wires so only power goes to the front but not sure I want to do that.

Astrand1 · Nov 19, 2013

I've gotta go back to the dealer in a few days to pick up a part and I'm gonna ask them about DRL. I'm wondering if they activate the daytime running lights would that be the LED strip? If so that would be problem solved!

jachady · Nov 19, 2013

Astrand1 said:
Yeah I looked at the tail lamp thread. Not sure I wanna do that but I tried the LED headlamp mod. I found the wires that power them. And also found a open PowerPoint in the fuse box. My only problem or issue is that when I power the LEDs in front it also powers the running lights in back as well. I would rather just have the fronts on. I guess I could just cut the wires so only power goes to the front but not sure I want to do that.

I tapped into the wires right where they go into each individual headlamp, that way I avoided powering the taillamps. Only my front LED strip is on at all times.

Astrand1 · Nov 19, 2013

So did you cut the wire or just tap into it? Cause I only tapped it and it sends power to the rear as well. I'm thinking I just cut it. I used the wire going into each LED on the headlamps.

jachady · Nov 19, 2013

I'll get a picture tonite, I can't remember how I did it.

jachady · Nov 20, 2013

Here's a shot of the fuse location I took the power from.

I tried to get a photo of the wiring at the headlamps but wasn't able to. I removed the headlamp housings to do the wiring and then covered everything in the factory corrugated black loom. I bet even a factory engineer wouldn't notice it looks so clean. But to answer the question, I cut the wiring. So the wire coming from the fuse block is directly wired solely to the front LED light strips (and the 3 amber LEDS).

Astrand1 · Nov 20, 2013

Ok. That's what I thought. I was thinking of using a relay so that I could keep the stock fiction of the lights as well as have them on while driving. If I don't kind the relay I'm looking for I may go the same route you did. In fact I used the same power location in the box that you did.

jmueller065 · Nov 20, 2013

Note that on Audi vehicles the "eyebrow" lights on one side turn off when the turn signal for that side is activated. I would speculate that they turn off for the turn signal to make the turn signals flashing more apparent to other drivers on the road (the "eyebrow" lite remains off until the turn signal is not activated (e.g. it stays off--it doesn't flash with the turn signal; just stays off)).

WattsUp · Nov 20, 2013

The photo seems to show the wire (I assume this big black one going horizontally) going directly into a fuse location? Is that correct?

So, you did not use a fuse when powering the eyebrows? You're just "hard-wired" to +12V?

Also, what's the big "lump" along the wire in the middle in the picture?

jachady · Nov 21, 2013

There is no fuse. I thought about using one, but thought that the LED's use so little power I'd never have an issue. The lump is a butt connector under shrink tubing. The last six inches of the wire is a Ford harness connector.

WattsUp · Nov 21, 2013

jachady said:
There is no fuse. I thought about using one, but thought that the LED's use so little power I'd never have an issue.

:shock: Gack. That's not what the fuse is for. Yes, a fuse should blow if the thing at the end of the connection somehow draws too much power than expected, but the fuse is also there to protect against a wiring malfunction, such as a short-circuit between where you've tapped the power and where it goes.

Should, in the future, the new wiring you've added somehow short-circuit (maybe it gets frayed over the years), or even the headlight unit malfunctions, without a fuse in place, you could severly damage your car (e.g, other wiring that runs next to the un-fused wiring might melt with it and cause additional short-circuits) or, worse, start a fire.

Keep in mind that such a scenario could also easily result from (even a relatively minor) accident that compromises the un-fused writing. Without a fuse in-place, an accident could start a electrical chain-reaction (as described above), making the end result of the accident much worse that it could have been.

A proper fuse will reduce or eliminate all these risks.

Astrand1 · Nov 21, 2013

jmueller065 said:
Note that on Audi vehicles the "eyebrow" lights on one side turn off when the turn signal for that side is activated. I would speculate that they turn off for the turn signal to make the turn signals flashing more apparent to other drivers on the road (the "eyebrow" lite remains off until the turn signal is not activated (e.g. it stays off--it doesn't flash with the turn signal; just stays off)).

I thought about that but I'm thinking it's not that big of a deal since at night the headlights don't turn off when you put on a turn signal.

WattsUp · Nov 21, 2013

Astrand1 said:
I thought about that but I'm thinking it's not that big of a deal since at night the headlights don't turn off when you put on a turn signal.

Also, the FFE eyebrows aren't all that bright, and are also located a bit away from the turn signals.

EVA · Nov 22, 2013

Excellent points WattsUp. Mostly for somebody that might try this, it wouldn't be too hard to put one of those in line fuses in there, especially where the butt connector happened.

Astrand1 · Nov 25, 2013

ok I just finished this mod and it came out great! So what I did is tap (key on) power in the fuse box under hood, with a inline fuse. I used 2 diodes. For anyone that does not know these allow power to flow in one direction only. So I cut the wire feeding power to the front LEDs, then butt connected power from fuse box and the oem wiring. The diode goes inline with the oem wiring so that when the key on power is applied it cant back feed into the oem wiring and turn on the rear tail lights. So now I have full function oem operation as well as LEDs lit with the key on. It looks really clean.

LED's in Headlamps

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