LED projector upgrades

[Hawsa]

Learning a lot here today. Just found out that you can get low beam, drl, and drl as turn with zero extra harness. Just needs modification to the existing wiring. I will make a better write up once I have everything finalized. I won't call it a win until I have high beam functionality at least. Bending/glare free is a meh feature to me.

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[astrand1]

Well, let's get this party started.

Great info @dolsen, let me add some.
Attached are a bunch of PDF's I collected over the past year and created a few to help with installs and a harness I made.
I am NOT RESPOSIBLE for typo's and what you mess up, use at YOUR own risk.


I don't see why this feature can't just be turned on. I attached the ForScan sheet and highlighted the section but since I don't have them I can't verify.

@Jesse-Infotainment has also been a BIG help in this and I found out that the different years require different software for the HCM.

I'll do my best to help answer questions.

So is this one you built? Or bought? If you’re building them what would be the cost to buy one. And what all needs to pass thru the firewall? I see some connectors there near the top that look like they want to go into the bcm. And I’m assuming the grey connector also near the top needs to pass thru to plug into the HCM. ?

 

[JScaro]

@Hawsa
The HCM controls High Beams, Bending, Leveling and Glare Free. Trust me and ask anyone that has it @dolsen, @Snakebitten, you will want these features.

The main headlight plug is the same for the Led-R and LED-P, you could always hard wire it if you don't plan on going back. I started with a P&P harness than went hardwired.

Here is one side done

 

[dolsen]

I don’t see much point in upgrading to the led-p if you don’t get at least high beams and turning. Glare free is a free add on. Auto level isn’t all that important unless you tow or haul semi frequently

 

[Hawsa]

I don’t see much point in upgrading to the led-p if you don’t get at least high beams and turning. Glare free is a free add on. Auto level isn’t all that important unless you tow or haul semi frequently

One of the bigger reasons for me was the amber DRL if I'm being totally honest. A very aesthetically driven decision. I agree that high beams is a must, the rest I just don't know what I'm missing.

Trust me and ask anyone that has it

I believe it. Also I still intend to get through it all and have all of the functionality, but I'm happy that I can at least use it in the meantime. I do plan on hard-wiring rather than using an adapter harness. This project is already expensive and I know I could save myself a pretty penny with my own wiring.

 

[dolsen]

One of the bigger reasons for me was the amber DRL if I'm being totally honest. A very aesthetically driven decision. I agree that high beams is a must, the rest I just don't know what I'm missing.


I believe it. Also I still intend to get through it all and have all of the functionality, but I'm happy that I can at least use it in the meantime. I do plan on hard-wiring rather than using an adapter harness. This project is already expensive and I know I could save myself a pretty penny with my own wiring.

Just to be sure, do you know about the intricacies with the turn signals? I don’t remember all of the details, but I don’t believe the raptor lights have turn signals built in

 

[Hawsa]

Just to be sure, do you know about the intricacies with the turn signals? I don’t remember all of the details, but I don’t believe the raptor lights have turn signals built in

Not sure exactly what intricacies you are referring to? The raptor uses the drl as turn, but still takes a similar input - seems to me it has a built-in relay the way it has been functioning for me. I currently have a fully functioning left turn signal, though my right is behaving a bit differently unless the low beams are also on. Clearly I still have some tweaking to do, but so far so good.

 

[dolsen]

Not sure exactly what intricacies you are referring to? The raptor uses the drl as turn, but still takes a similar input - seems to me it has a built-in relay the way it has been functioning for me. I currently have a fully functioning left turn signal, though my right is behaving a bit differently unless the low beams are also on. Clearly I still have some tweaking to do, but so far so good.

Gotcha, I am not real well versed with the raptor headlamps, so maybe I’m confused but I thought there wasn’t a built in turn signal or DRL or something like that. I think @superfordman may have a better idea. Or maybe you’ve already got it covered.

 

[dolsen]

Edited first post to include:

Here are the parts I bought for my entire conversion WITH the auto level:

The ML3Z part numbers are all Ford part numbers that can be purchased from a Ford parts website. I never was able to find the LH Tremor headlamp part number, but they're easy enough to find on eBay without it. I purchased my Conversion harness and the interior harness (the one labeled HCM and harnesses) from Ryan Broderick, to the best of my knowledge he is not a member on here. Anyone can make their own, as there is nothing proprietary about any of it, but I would HIGHLY recommend purchasing a premade one if you are even the *slightest* bit unsure of yourself and your skillset.

I was only successful due to the help of @JHForman812 . He is incredibly talented with this stuff. (To be clear, I am NOT offering up his services, as that is not my place to do so, but I had little to no experience with electrical, I just know my way around cars and know how to work on them and with ALOT of his guidance I was able to get it done.) I spent dozens, if not over 100, hours reading and researching for the install of the headlamps and HCM and for the wiring and components required for the level sensors (I even purchased the incorrect set of parts once which were non-returnable). Everything from the "Front LH Height Sensor" down is required to make auto level work. I did not include the wiring I used, which is 22ga TXL wiring that I got from wire barn. You'll almost certainly want 6 different colors that are 25 ft long so they can be cut down to length.

I do not have part numbers for all of the various connectors on the harness for the headlamp conversion.

 

[dolsen]

Not sure exactly what intricacies you are referring to? The raptor uses the drl as turn, but still takes a similar input - seems to me it has a built-in relay the way it has been functioning for me. I currently have a fully functioning left turn signal, though my right is behaving a bit differently unless the low beams are also on. Clearly I still have some tweaking to do, but so far so good.

I just now watched your video, so I realize that my point about the turn signal was moot haha

 

[Hawsa]

Here we go! I'm locked in with the 'standard' function.

I imagine many of the forscan changes that I made would apply to both standard projectors and the raptor projectors alike, but because the raptor headlight uses DRL as turn signal, there may be some subtle differences. I compiled this document after pulling as-built data for my truck (302a with quad led) and from a raptor that I happened to have a VIN for. From there I compared everythign in the BCM and found the sections that had differences, then filtered out which apply to forward facing lighting circuits. There are still a few that I'm not sure of the function so I left them in the file. If you have insight on what those are, let me know! These are the forscan changes I made

Here is a video of everything working. Next up is integrating the HCM properly to get high beams and the other functions.

 

[Melly]

Hi guys, has anyone has issues with their HCM, i did the retrofit from reflector to projector LED headlights, i got 3 DTC's about incompatible software when using forscan, i bought a mongoose and paid for a 2 days license on fdrs, for some reason fdrs does not pick up the HCM. not sure why fdrs can see it. any ideas please.

 

[mnstang]

@Hawsa if you dont mind, what kind of $$$ are we looking at for the conversion?

 

[Hawsa]

I was able to snag

@Hawsa if you dont mind, what kind of $$$ are we looking at for the conversion?

I was able to snag some of the adaptive raptor lights on eBay for $1400. The hcm is $70 ish and a prebuilt harness is close to $600 if you can get one.
If you can find some 800a package raptor quad led ones they are plug and play and you can save some big money.

 

[astrand1]

I would also love to know more about running the wiring for the level sensors. As in was there any pre-existing wiring that you tapped into or did you have to fully run new wiring for the sensors? And then did the sensor wiring go straight into the cab to the HCM or bcm? Thanks!

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