Changing UK headlights 15-17 models to get OEM tribars

[raptor17GT]

hello all. So i believe the 18> have the tribars wired up and working like our American friends have which is super cool but us poor <18 owners are a bit stuffed. I've seen various modifications mostly involving cutting open the OEM lights and sticking in some LED strips but none of these are anything like OEM reliable and many folks report issues (i'm sure many more with no issues report nothing). Soooo, what's the options for simple OEM tribar lights (single colour) that are on when the ignition is on, like the US models.

I know the headlights are handed so can't just buy US lights and fit them,
the wiring is different tool so that's another kick in the progress.
I presume UK >18 lights require bonnet / bumper / wings / lights in order to fit a <18 which is getting expensive when you include colour matching to rest of the car
Can US lights be bought and the innards swapped into the UK housing to get the tribars?

I'm just looking for the simple white tribars with OEM reliability (i know, FORD reliability lol) kinda like below - no fancy bluetooth apps to change colours or demon eyes, just boring plain old white front tri bar lights.. Is there such an option..

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[snake bite]

There are always options if money is no object . Honestly looking at Ford OEM reliability as your reason NOT to modify doesn't make sense to me given their stuff isn't reliable. I haven't actually heard of many issues with the modification. There are plenty of professional places that can do the mod for you at a price. Alternatively for not much money you can try it yourself (which is what I am going to do this holidays).

Regardless given your example of putting 2018 lights in and modifying panels etc (why would you do that....might as well buy an 2018 then) would be sooooo expensive and a head case, you could just modify the current lights and if anything happend buy a new set as I'm sure that's cheaper than your other option

Anyway horses for courses...good luck and happy 2022

 

[Supersolo]

I strongly suspect, if you disassembled both the earlier and later lights, there would be a way to migrate the necessary componentry from new to old.
However, also look into the connectors. I would hope the plug and socket are the same, but fewer wires in the pre-18 plug on the headlight wiring harness.
Or perhaps you re-direct the wiring from the pre-18 DRL into the headlight, etc.
Interested to see what if anything you do about it.
Oh and the Ford componentry will have been better tested and designed for durability, so should be reliable.

 

[raptor17GT]

Yeah with enough money anything is possible but my pockets aren't that deep haha. I could of course just buy US headlights and get a connector made up and put the headlight guards on them.
Found another thread about going rhd to lhd and these lights came up. Also talk about splitting the lights as usual but changing reflecters to keep uk pattern. More digging required methinks.

https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/threads/lhd-headlights.148657/

https://www.theretrofitsource.com/ford-mustang-bi-led-headlights-B-LF410?quantity=1

 

[Gregs24]

I strongly suspect, if you disassembled both the earlier and later lights, there would be a way to migrate the necessary componentry from new to old.
However, also look into the connectors. I would hope the plug and socket are the same, but fewer wires in the pre-18 plug on the headlight wiring harness.
Or perhaps you re-direct the wiring from the pre-18 DRL into the headlight, etc.
Interested to see what if anything you do about it.
Oh and the Ford componentry will have been better tested and designed for durability, so should be reliable.

2018 + cars have LED headlights. I think the chance of migrating the stuff over is less than nil

 

[raptor17GT]

I strongly suspect, if you disassembled both the earlier and later lights, there would be a way to migrate the necessary componentry from new to old.
However, also look into the connectors. I would hope the plug and socket are the same, but fewer wires in the pre-18 plug on the headlight wiring harness.
Or perhaps you re-direct the wiring from the pre-18 DRL into the headlight, etc.
Interested to see what if anything you do about it.
Oh and the Ford componentry will have been better tested and designed for durability, so should be reliable.

2018 + cars have LED headlights. I think the chance of migrating the stuff over is less than nil

yeah i think the idea is a dead end re 2018>2017 lights and the OEM 2017 US lights fitted with UK reflectors would need wiring adaptors made up. Since the US lights are not cheap it's an idea basically shot and buried as cost wise it's bonkers. might as well get a set of these ordered
https://www.motorsportandperformance.com/products/map-s550-visual-and-lighting
though the new Highway Code i'm sure basically makes it an offence to be holding your phone while driving.
Besides, i need to replace the drivers front indicator lens as it's cracked so might as well try get DRL / sequential indicators for that (pair obv). Damned annoying but hey ho such is life

 

[FMJ]

Not that hard to do, looks as good as Fords and reliable so far.

Replacing the complete front end instead is a massively expensive way

https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/th...rill-and-tri-bars-fitted.164517/#post-3352719

Could always do red rears too

https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/threads/red-tail-light-conversion.161290/page-2#post-3298698

 

[Eclipsar]

Why not just buy a set of diode dynamics boards and then you can have multicoloured along with sequential turn indicator

 

[raptor17GT]

i've read a lot of failures on here re the DD boards and having multicoloured lights controlled by a mobile phone while in the car doesn't appeal to me. Boring i know but the Ford units seem to work better. Checking the manual for the US models, they have handed lights so even getting past the wiring issues of OEM US/Canada lights - they'd be pointing wrong direction but i think lowering the (our) drivers side light would stop is blinding oncoming traffic. Obv our passenger side wouldn't have the uptick for the nearside pavement either so that's another issue.

 

[FMJ]

i've read a lot of failures on here re the DD boards and having multicoloured lights controlled by a mobile phone while in the car doesn't appeal to me.

They do just white ones… they are the ones I have and the indicator is an option. If you look at my post I think you will agree they look identical to Fords.

The boards could go wrong…. But if they do you buy another set for like £150. There are not that many posts about problems really… cheap eBay LED’s fail a lot but the DD ones are pretty high quality. If you are paranoid about failures then buy a second set of lights and mod them too so you have a second set ready to go. Also There is no garuntee that Ford LEDs won’t fail. You do realise they are probably made with Chinese LED’s too. The Ford ones will fail at some point.

US lights use different wiring looms which is another issue.

If you really want to do it then buy some US lights, cut both open, swap the internal parts you want (LED boards) and then play with the wiring until you get it all working. This will be expensive and there are several things that could go wrong. Your car is also off road while you do it unless you buy spare UK lights too.

It is completely possible for somebody with the right tools and skills. I could do this as per my post above about the rear lights, but I never saw the value in it and to make it worth doing for someone else I would want a lot of money and would make no guarantee that something may not go wrong. I don’t think you will find anyone who will say different.

 

[raptor17GT]

yeah thats the problem, anyone doing it cannot warranty their work since it's a hobby not a business and any business doing it will simply blame the faulty components they didn't supply and not their work. Thats the same with any modifications though cheap components are fraught with danger if they aren't easy to replace which the tribars are not.
For me to do it, wouldn't work lol. I break things not improve them so i know my limits. I guess it was a pipe dream and not worth paying someone to do it, consider idea canned. Cheers for the info / advice folks

 

[FMJ]

yeah thats the problem, anyone doing it cannot warranty their work since it's a hobby not a business and any business doing it will simply blame the faulty components they didn't supply and not their work. Thats the same with any modifications though cheap components are fraught with danger if they aren't easy to replace which the tribars are not.
For me to do it, wouldn't work lol. I break things not improve them so i know my limits. I guess it was a pipe dream and not worth paying someone to do it, consider idea canned. Cheers for the info / advice folks

Why not just get the DD ones then you have exactly what you want. If they fail after a few years you can just unplug them and you see are just back to normal… or they may last for as long as you have the car.

 

[raptor17GT]

Why not just get the DD ones then you have exactly what you want. If they fail after a few years you can just unplug them and you see are just back to normal… or they may last for as long as you have the car.

i might do, just humming and hawing about what to do.

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