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Rear bumper lights

16K views 24 replies 16 participants last post by  jbutler612 
#1 ·
I kindly asked for my dealer to wire the rear lights up and they wouldnt do it b/c it would void the warranty due to the fact that they would have to splice into something. They told me the wiring harness is only available on the "euro" model. What can be done here? Should I just leave them alone?
 
#4 ·
His harness didn't require splicing, but it did require the use of the factory harness for the trailer lights, which the 2008 does not have. Thats a lame excuse though about voiding warranty for splicing wires. Just get someone else to do it. Millions of posts on here about rear lights if you do a search, but mostly related to tapping into the trailer light harness.
 
#7 ·
Rear Fog Light Modification (by Untouchable)

European laws require all cars to have rear fog lights and since the Jeep SRT8 shares the same bumper for American and Export models, our Jeeps are equipped with these lights, however they won't illuminate unless you follow these directions to make them work as auxiliary running lights or turn/brake lights.

1. Buy a standard 4 pin trailer harness, available from most auto parts stores. Connect to 4 pin trailer plug located behind the rear bumper.
2. Crawl under cold car (hot tailpipes are not fun) and you will see the wires for the fog lights going into a harness. On peeling back the wires coming out of the fog lights you will see that one is black and the other is red/green.
3. Both fog lights are WIRED TOGETHER from the factory so if you want them to be auxiliary turn signal/brake lights you have to split the circuit. When you peel back the loom at the driver's side fog light you will see one large green/red wire splitting into two smaller red/green wires. These smaller wires then go to the respective fog lights. Both grounds are also right there (the two black wires).
4. Connect the YELLOW wire from the trailer harness to the wire going to the driver side light (simply trace it for a few inches) with a butt splice or a crimp-snap. After connecting it, cut it from the harness so that the larger red/green wire remains connected only to the other smaller wire going to the passenger side fog light.
5. Connect the GREEN wire from the trailer harness to the remaining red/green wire in a similar fashion. You have now isolated the circuits. (A common mistake is to not split the wires and then you will have both lights blinking when you hit either turn signal.
6. Now take the WHITE wire from the trailer harness and attach it to EITHER of the thin black ground wires that come from the fogs. they are right next to the red/green wire. You only need to connect one ground wire (not two).
You are done. This install keeps all loose wire to a minimun with no need for crazy lengths of wire running around the back of the jeep. Simply cut the remaining brown wire and tape it off. You have 3 wires running cleanly together to one point. Cover with loom and tape/zip tie off.
7. TO USE AS RUNNING LIGHTS, simply connect the BROWN wire to EITHER red/green wire and connect WHITE to either ground wire in a similar fashion. Loom up and zip tie. Done.
8. TO USE AS REVERSE LIGHTS, follow step 7 except you will need to connect either of the red/green wires to PIN 3 of the large rectangular connector harness.
 
#15 ·
Thanks for the step by step

Rear Fog Light Modification (by Untouchable)
Thanks gold for the step by. It works good. Let me ask you this, have you found a new dual filiment housing to replace the single so I can run all lights?? Thanks again!!!
European laws require all cars to have rear fog lights and since the Jeep SRT8 shares the same bumper for American and Export models, our Jeeps are equipped with these lights, however they won't illuminate unless you follow these directions to make them work as auxiliary running lights or turn/brake lights.

1. Buy a standard 4 pin trailer harness, available from most auto parts stores. Connect to 4 pin trailer plug located behind the rear bumper.
2. Crawl under cold car (hot tailpipes are not fun) and you will see the wires for the fog lights going into a harness. On peeling back the wires coming out of the fog lights you will see that one is black and the other is red/green.
3. Both fog lights are WIRED TOGETHER from the factory so if you want them to be auxiliary turn signal/brake lights you have to split the circuit. When you peel back the loom at the driver's side fog light you will see one large green/red wire splitting into two smaller red/green wires. These smaller wires then go to the respective fog lights. Both grounds are also right there (the two black wires).
4. Connect the YELLOW wire from the trailer harness to the wire going to the driver side light (simply trace it for a few inches) with a butt splice or a crimp-snap. After connecting it, cut it from the harness so that the larger red/green wire remains connected only to the other smaller wire going to the passenger side fog light.
5. Connect the GREEN wire from the trailer harness to the remaining red/green wire in a similar fashion. You have now isolated the circuits. (A common mistake is to not split the wires and then you will have both lights blinking when you hit either turn signal.
6. Now take the WHITE wire from the trailer harness and attach it to EITHER of the thin black ground wires that come from the fogs. they are right next to the red/green wire. You only need to connect one ground wire (not two).
You are done. This install keeps all loose wire to a minimun with no need for crazy lengths of wire running around the back of the jeep. Simply cut the remaining brown wire and tape it off. You have 3 wires running cleanly together to one point. Cover with loom and tape/zip tie off.
7. TO USE AS RUNNING LIGHTS, simply connect the BROWN wire to EITHER red/green wire and connect WHITE to either ground wire in a similar fashion. Loom up and zip tie. Done.
8. TO USE AS REVERSE LIGHTS, follow step 7 except you will need to connect either of the red/green wires to PIN 3 of the large rectangular connector harness.


Thanks golds, it work out good. Have you found a good fitting housing for a dual filiment bulb so I can run all the lights including the running lights??? Thanks again!!!!!
 
#8 ·
goldgym - BIG help, thanks!

Last question will the effect my hitch install when it comes time to getting the trailer lights working?

I guess im confused why I have to use a 4 pin trailer harness. Will this take care of my trailer lights?
 
#9 ·
what exactly do you need a harness for. couldn't you just splice the wires into what already exists on the factory plug in?
 
#12 ·
I simply spliced into the wires individually, so that I'd have brake and turn signals, no running lights however.
 
#14 ·
my jeep has wires hook up to it but it does not work
 
#18 ·
I understand that this is an old post, but I just wired mine exactly who it was described it I got nothing.....

Does this work on an 06?
 
#19 ·
Could you please reword your question?
 
#21 ·
***BUMP***

Still wondering if someone can help with this on an 06. When I went to the dealership, they will not hook up my trailer wiring harness. So, how can I wire the rear fogs to work on my 06?
 
#22 ·
Hit up Ken At Tail Light Solutions for a best harness... hes a vendor on here that shoulfd be able to help... (or I have a Japanese Wiring harness you tap into your existing harness that works. Plus it has red led bulbs... but doesnt operate as good as the TLS harness. PM me if interested can explain and let it go cheap)
 
#23 ·
I have an 06 that came with Ken's kit. Unfortunately because the fogs are single filament bulbs you can only set it up to be a brake/turn signal OR running lamp. For me that just wasn't good enough and seems how I was setting up everything to LEDs I ripped out the harness and made my own loom (going to want a multimeter to check continuity), but you can get all your signal from the trailer harness.

If you want to set it up like I did you can simply get a dual filament socket replacement kit and mod your existing. You need to trim the springs down a bit and splice some wires for the socket and you need to file off one of the guide tabs on your bulb so it will lock into the socket. Once all set up the low voltage will keep your running lights on at all times and the high voltage will send with your turns and brake.
 
#24 ·
Thanks for the information. Honestly, I wouldn't mind just having the brake and turn signals. That will get more attention when I am turning or stopping vise all 3 options. That is the way I have my lights on my Harley Streetglide and I think that gets more attention for me stopping and turning.

Can you either PM me or let me know how to wire it up that way? With the 06, the trailer wiring harness has to be turned on (flashed at the dealership) to work with the taillight solutions kit. My dealership isn't being intelligent and says that can't flash my Jeep because it didn't come that way. :confused:
 
#25 ·
Without tracing the line again I don't remember the pinout. But ultimately you run a ground line through the loom and from the ground pin and one from the L and R turn signal lines as well. If you choose the running/parking lamps then they both run paralleled off the single signal.

As for turning the outlet on I never heard of that. Do make sure the fuse just wasn't left out out from the factory, but if for some reason that is true, then a simple edit from the Starscan would be all it takes. Makes more sense the fuse was omitted though.
 
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