Flux Geare Hoodbeam Install

[FrankThompson]

funny how your DRLs look yellow in that picture compared to the flux geare (which is a tad cooler). I've never looked at my DRLs and thought "Yellow" like they look in your picture.

*not saying it in a bad way, just making an observation. maybe it had to do with the time of day and the daylight fading

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[erixgix]

funny how your DRLs look yellow in that picture compared to the flux geare (which is a tad cooler). I've never looked at my DRLs and thought "Yellow" like they look in your picture.

*not saying it in a bad way, just making an observation. maybe it had to do with the time of day and the daylight fading

There are a good bit of artifacts in that picture, some color correction from the software side of the camera or the compression utility that’s pumping up the variance between the two. On my screen, I get a light green halo effect from the camera sensor flaring. The inverted reflection looks like some lens glare maybe?
one thing consistent across all the pics is the hood light shown as slightly color irrespective of DRL brightness
I was entertaining it, but then I recalled how folks around here start driving like dicks when they see prominent new vehicle DRLs approaching. I can only imagine what extra level of assclown like behavior that hood beam would draw out.

 

[JIMFOUNTAIN]

funny how your DRLs look yellow in that picture compared to the flux geare (which is a tad cooler). I've never looked at my DRLs and thought "Yellow" like they look in your picture.

*not saying it in a bad way, just making an observation. maybe it had to do with the time of day and the daylight fading

Seeing orange hues post sunset.... Xmas lights had even come one. Looking at the two photos... The second one even has my white truck shifted to orange. My truck is definitely NOT orange(ish)

The hoodbeam is definitely cooler. Trying to decide if too cool.

 

[JediNut]

Sorry for the delay, but I finally got the hoodbeam installed. I just went to AutoZone and picked up a couple of 22 guage wiretaps and connected right to the red and black wires from my Raptor lights which connect in to the marker lights with a very nice y-connector.

I must say... I like the results. I need to tweak the DRLs, I am hoping that brightening them up a bit will get them closer to the hoodbeam temperature.

Anyway, here is a quick video... the hoodbeam comes on with the welcome light and when I unlock the car.

BTW... my daughter's first reaction was... "Did your truck REALLY need more lights on the front?" :-D

 

[JIMFOUNTAIN]

BTW... my daughter's first reaction was... "Did your truck REALLY need more lights on the front?" :-D

Yea. I am worried about that reaction from my family as well....

I decided to take the Plan C route and ordered Raptor lights and the adapter. Arrives 12/23.

I like the look you created!

 

[rachunter]

What wires would you hook to if you do not have the Raptor lights?


Looks great.

 

[JIMFOUNTAIN]

What wires would you hook to if you do not have the Raptor lights?


Looks great.

Depends on your headlights. Halogen or Quad Led Headlights come with plug and play. The dynamic bendy LEDs require a tap but from the wiring diagrams and other comments from guys attempting and failing.... I have gone this way:

https://customautoworksstore.com/product/2021-502a-led-headlight-plug-play/

 

[JIMFOUNTAIN]

Weather improved enough to get the install done. Went with yellow raptors and plug n play. Per instructions for non plug n play you tap pin 9 EDIT blue wire grey stripe. I also used Forscan and set the drls to 24 (hex) so 36% brightness. Pretty close to the hood beam.

Picture shows some lens flare which hides the slight coolness of the hoodbeam. I actually like the raptor lights more than the hoodbeam. At some point I may pull the hoodbeam off the F150 and put it on my pontoon to illuminate the swim platform and boarding ladder.

 

[JIMFOUNTAIN]

What wires would you hook to if you do not have the Raptor lights?


Looks great.

Dang it. My lexdysia kicked in. Pin 9 BLUE WIRE GRAY STRIPE!! Edited above. Sorry.

Instructions were NOT CLEAR on whether this wire color/usage is the same for halogen or LED non bending.

 

[Snakebitten]

@JIMFOUNTAIN

So are you saying that you tapped into the plug&play harness of the Raptor lights to power the hoodbeam?
And if so, can you share exactly how you tapped?

That picture is as good looking as I've seen! Very nice.

(note: I'm selfishly asking because I already have the grill lights and plug&play harness installed. You may have just influenced me to...... Well, you know)

 

[JIMFOUNTAIN]

@JIMFOUNTAIN

So are you saying that you tapped into the plug&play harness of the Raptor lights to power the hoodbeam?
And if so, can you share exactly how you tapped?

That picture is as good looking as I've seen! Very nice.

(note: I'm selfishly asking because I already have the grill lights and plug&play harness installed. You may have just influenced me to...... Well, you know)

Hmmm. Technically I did not tap the harness itself. But close.. a couple of inches or so. The plug n play (PnP) harness powers the raptor lights. I tapped the raptor light wiring about 1 inch from its plug... unwrapping a few inches of black tape and peeling back the wire loom to expose more wire. Both the power (red) and ground (black). Then re-loomed and re-taped the raptor light wire and plugged it into the PnP harness.

So unplugging the raptor wire from the PnP harness kills both raptor and the hoodbeam lighting. But tapping into the PnP harness itself would be straight forward as there is enough wire length leading to the raptor plug to do so.... I just wanted a way to easily disable both. And getting the PnP harness off the headlight is hard. Getting to the raptor light plug can be done without removing the air box.

If you decide to... Well you know... be sure to look at some of the other purchase options earlier in this thread....

All readers.. If you do try other LED strips... post pictures here and give us you opinion on color match.... as I stated the hoodbeam is somewhat bluer/cooler than the Ford headlight LEDs.... but still looks good.

Have a happy New Year!

 

[Snakebitten]

Awesome reply. Thank you very much!

 

[rachunter]

I also used Forscan and set the drls to 24 (hex) so 36% brightness. Pretty close to the hood beam.

I am having problems finding the settings for different brightness for the DRL's. I have read that if you make the adjustment to :
726-42-01 change to x2x2-xxxx-xxxx it will change to full brightness.

I am new to Forscan and I cannot figure out how to set the DRL's to 36% brightness as mentioned above. I see they need set at "24 (hex)" but I am unsure how to do this.....any advice you help would be much appreciated.

Thank you .

 

[JIMFOUNTAIN]

I am having problems finding the settings for different brightness for the DRL's. I have read that if you make the adjustment to :
726-42-01 change to x2x2-xxxx-xxxx it will change to full brightness.

I am new to Forscan and I cannot figure out how to set the DRL's to 36% brightness as mentioned above. I see they need set at "24 (hex)" but I am unsure how to do this.....any advice you help would be much appreciated.

Thank you .

The spreadsheet has 2 lines to change to change brightness. 726-42-01 controls when the C clamp LEDs are on. Stock mine are 726-42-01 0303 0101. Switching to 0202 changes from fixed DRL position to DRL position.. whatever that means. I stayed with 0303 as I didn't want to change stock behavior.. just brightness.

Brightness is changed with:

BCM

726-38-01

xxxx

24XX

xx--

 

[FrankThompson]

Where are you all putting the flux geare? Are you attaching it to the hood or under the good above the grill? I have a bug deflector so am curious as I think mine might block it if you have to put it on the hood.

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