Is it possible to use export spec taillights in US TJs without having to run new wires?

psrivats

psrivats

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I've always liked having yellow rear turn signals in my vehicles. The export spec TJ looks to have them but the wiring harness connector that plugs in obviously looks different.

Had anyone successfully installed an export spec taillights without too much wiring surgery? Any potential issues running them in the US?


These are the lights I'm talking about.

77630
 
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Jerry Bransford said:
Is an amber tail or brake light legal for use here in the US?
Click to expand...

I think the amber part is the turn indicator only. Plenty of cars on the road (including my old Mazda Protege) with Amber rear turn lights. The brake lights always have to be red, be it here or Europe.
 
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If I recall correctly I think the bottom is only a reflector, it doesn't light up with the brakes. That was the only thing I wasn't a fan of.
 
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psrivats said:
I think the amber part is the turn indicator only. Plenty of cars on the road (including my old Mazda Protege) with Amber rear turn lights. The brake lights always have to be red, be it here or Europe.
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The way our Jeeps are wired the turn signal uses the brake light and its wiring. There's no separate wire going back to the tail lights that is just for the turn signal.
 
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I thought I saw Quadra tech sells no something like that our tj, use a four wire light setup , brake/turn are not separated, and back, marker lights
 
psrivats said:
I've always liked having yellow rear turn signals in my vehicles. The export spec TJ looks to have them but the wiring harness connector that plugs in obviously looks different.

Had anyone successfully installed an export spec taillights without too much wiring surgery? Any potential issues running them in the US?


These are the lights I'm talking about.

View attachment 77630
Click to expand...
I also had considered running these, just to be different. I don't necessarily like them any better, but as I said, they are different. Sometimes, that's all it takes for me... ;)
 
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psrivats said:
I've always liked having yellow rear turn signals in my vehicles. The export spec TJ looks to have them but the wiring harness connector that plugs in obviously looks different.

Had anyone successfully installed an export spec taillights without too much wiring surgery? Any potential issues running them in the US?


These are the lights I'm talking about.

View attachment 77630
Click to expand...
I don't think it will be that hard since that looks like the connector they use on the 97 tail lights and I'm not sure it isn't just a standard Weatherpack.

97- https://www.carparts.com/details/Je...WvbBc-yCwaMsjjKLsthoCWWoQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

98-06 https://www.quadratec.com/products/...k94AXWpPb2uWcPrxzoD4swEGmUDdi8_BoCT7MQAvD_BwE
 
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mrblaine said:
I don't think it will be that hard since that looks like the connector they use on the 97 tail lights and I'm not sure it isn't just a standard Weatherpack.

97- https://www.carparts.com/details/Je...WvbBc-yCwaMsjjKLsthoCWWoQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

98-06 https://www.quadratec.com/products/...k94AXWpPb2uWcPrxzoD4swEGmUDdi8_BoCT7MQAvD_BwE
Click to expand...

Thanks.

I just realized that these euro spec lights don't light the license plate like the regular US ones do (but that's easily fixed, with those LED light bolts that I've seen in other threads).
 
psrivats said:
Thanks.

I just realized that these euro spec lights don't light the license plate like the regular US ones do (but that's easily fixed, with those LED light bolts that I've seen in other threads).
Click to expand...
If you know of a light bolt that is actually worth a shit, I'd like to see it. I've messed with a bunch of them and they are practically worthless.
 
psrivats said:
Thanks.

I just realized that these euro spec lights don't light the license plate like the regular US ones do (but that's easily fixed, with those LED light bolts that I've seen in other threads).
Click to expand...
BTW, I have to apologize for overlooking the answer to your actual question which is no, I don't think you can do it without splitting the brake and turn signal out separate. Need to look at a diagram and see where they combine and split them there. I suspect without looking that it would be close to the multifunction switch since the brake switch has the brake light wire there along with a few others including brake sense for kicking off the cruise control and unlocking the torque converter. I'll ask Mike about it tomorrow and see if he knows where they combine.
 
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mrblaine said:
BTW, I have to apologize for overlooking the answer to your actual question which is no, I don't think you can do it without splitting the brake and turn signal out separate. Need to look at a diagram and see where they combine and split them there. I suspect without looking that it would be close to the multifunction switch since the brake switch has the brake light wire there along with a few others including brake sense for kicking off the cruise control and unlocking the torque converter. I'll ask Mike about it tomorrow and see if he knows where they combine.
Click to expand...

Personally I think the solution posted by twistedlv in #10 would work fine. No need to tear into anything further, all the wires are back at the taillights. For $23 and a few connectors you are ready to play, no need to tear into the wiring anywhere else.
 
mrblaine said:
BTW, I have to apologize for overlooking the answer to your actual question which is no, I don't think you can do it without splitting the brake and turn signal out separate. Need to look at a diagram and see where they combine and split them there. I suspect without looking that it would be close to the multifunction switch since the brake switch has the brake light wire there along with a few others including brake sense for kicking off the cruise control and unlocking the torque converter. I'll ask Mike about it tomorrow and see if he knows where they combine.
Click to expand...
I did this years ago when I built my pickup. IIRC I removed the brake connection to the multifunction switch and ran a separate wire from the brake end of the removed connection to the back of the truck for the brakes.

But it's more than just changing that wiring connection if you want to be completely legal - the export spec lights do not have side marker lenses in the housings (or license lights as has been noted earlier). Since I needed side markers to pass inspection and didn't want to add separate side markers to the truck, I used the US-spec housings, the export spec lenses and made some baffles inside so the side markers didn't illuminate the brake section.

SanibelCauseway3_zpsc4kclcx4.jpg
 
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jscherb said:
I did this years ago when I built my pickup. IIRC I removed the brake connection to the multifunction switch and ran a separate wire from the brake end of the removed connection to the back of the truck for the brakes.

But it's more than just changing that wiring connection if you want to be completely legal - the export spec lights do not have side marker lenses in the housings (or license lights as has been noted earlier). Since I needed side markers to pass inspection and didn't want to add separate side markers to the truck, I used the US-spec housings, the export spec lenses and made some baffles inside so the side markers didn't illuminate the brake section.

View attachment 140581
Click to expand...
I’ve been pouring over the wiring diagrams for my TJ from the FSM. I intend to pull the wire from the brake switch out of the multifunction switch. This should isolate turn signal function down the wires to the back of the Jeep. I plan to splice onto the CHMSL for power to brake bulbs. I’ll also tie in a license plate light.
I’ve been trying to look up the requirements for the side indicator/reflector and all of the USDOT type searches I keep coming up with are for commercial motor vehicles. Is the side reflector intended to flash with the turn signal or illuminate as a parking/brake light? I’ve taken my current domestic lens off, and I’m pretty sure I see where you’re talking about needing a baffle to block light from the top section. Would it be possible to get a pick of what you did?
Also, you’re truck looks awesome.
 
Nice. Its been proven time and time again that amber turn signals are easier to see - which has certainly been my observation as well. Yet even foreign cars are going to all red - dumb...
 
mofsharick said:
I’ve been pouring over the wiring diagrams for my TJ from the FSM. I intend to pull the wire from the brake switch out of the multifunction switch. This should isolate turn signal function down the wires to the back of the Jeep. I plan to splice onto the CHMSL for power to brake bulbs. I’ll also tie in a license plate light.
I’ve been trying to look up the requirements for the side indicator/reflector and all of the USDOT type searches I keep coming up with are for commercial motor vehicles. Is the side reflector intended to flash with the turn signal or illuminate as a parking/brake light? I’ve taken my current domestic lens off, and I’m pretty sure I see where you’re talking about needing a baffle to block light from the top section. Would it be possible to get a pick of what you did?
Also, you’re truck looks awesome.
Click to expand...
The lights I modified for the pickup are actually simpler than the ones I did some years earlier for my Scrambler because the pickup didn't need a license plate light (the pickup license plate is in the step bumper which I modified from a stock bumper). I checked to see if I have any photos of the inside of the tail light showing the new baffles and bulb sockets I did for the Scrambler but I guess I never took any, sorry about that.

ScramblerR34.jpg


I can tell you that it was a very fiddly job - there is just barely enough room in there to get all the necessary bulb sockets and baffles in place to illuminate the export lens properly. There needs to be 5 bulbs and sockets in the driver's side - brake/tail, turn signal, side marker, backup and license plate, plus a couple of extra baffles to isolate everything. The passenger side is slightly simpler, it doesn't need a license plate light and the baffle that isolates it.
 
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I'm trying to figure out the purpose of one of the wires on the wiring diagram for the tail lights (8W-51-5). I can not figure out the brown/red wire for the right tail light brake/signal is also connected to the vehicle harness at the left rear tail light. It comes down from the "E" triangle at the top of the page to splice S335, and then goes to both the right and left tail lights.

All I can surmise is for the purposes of connecting trailer wiring, and having all of the wires on the one side. Does anyone else have any thoughts?
 
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