Headlight issues

[bazzybtec]

Hi

I have a 98 ZJ jeep grand Cherokee.

Have purchased new headlights as I have a fantastic mechanic that destroys my property. anyway the new ones I have purchased are from spec-d. after facing many issues with compatibility between the light fittings we use over here and the fittings they use in USA I have come up against a new issue, the lights will not mount to balls they are meant to connect to.

this looks like they have bodged this up some time in the past as the old light kept sliding back out of adjustment.

My question is this.

is it possible to mount these headlights in the car using a bracket or something? the lenses are aligned using screws in the back of the unit anyway.

The original wiring looks like it has been cut too.

this is the proper installation video that does not seem that simple.

You Tube

[Escapable]

OK .. you haven't given us the original link to these headlights .. so we ad-lib.

You JEEP is not built in the US of A!
(it is Euro built)

It does not feature those horrible US of A headlights (read candles).
And YES .. yours DID have good lights .. not the US of A ones.

So .. the wiring needed to be modified to make then work .. most possibly.

The actual headlights are different due to the different lens requirements for the US of A (shock here.. the rear lights differ also).

You blame your mech ?? .. did you ask it to install these things in your machine .. and then blame him?
NOTE: When you modify things to make them "work Better" .. don't blame others!

Final note: Your compliance plate states that your vehicle is NOT built in the US of A.

Oh ..and are these things legal anyway?

[bazzybtec]

Originally Posted by Escapable

OK .. you haven't given us the original link to these headlights .. so we ad-lib.

You JEEP is not built in the US of A!
(it is Euro built)

It does not feature those horrible US of A headlights (read candles).
And YES .. yours DID have good lights .. not the US of A ones.

So .. the wiring needed to be modified to make then work .. most possibly.

The actual headlights are different due to the different lens requirements for the US of A (shock here.. the rear lights differ also).

You blame your mech ?? .. did you ask it to install these things in your machine .. and then blame him?
NOTE: When you modify things to make them "work Better" .. don't blame others!

Final note: Your compliance plate states that your vehicle is NOT built in the US of A.

Oh ..and are these things legal anyway?

OK

1. I wont buy second hand parts only new.
2. the mechanic was payed to fix a no start condition. was clearly leaning on the factory headlight that I was more than happy with. broke the factory headlight and then didn't fix it. so yes I do blame the mechanic and I am correct in doing so.

he had no business touching the headlights.

3. the one that is on the passenger side is not original. clearly one of those cheap Chinese ones on ebay, and was broken when I purchased this car from the dealer, who also was a mechanic (I will add that he is responsible for the transmission fluid leak)

this is the one that has had the factory wiring loom cut off. I am trying to clean up the dodgy work of mechanics past.

4. factory ones are no longer available. I checked. I even tried after market

5. there are no wreckers around me that have these jeeps.

6. these headlights are completely converted to Australian standards. I had that done already. so they are legal.

these are not being installed just because they look good or because I want an "upgrade" rather that the parts I need are not readily available and I am not willing to buy used ones on the internet as they have no warranty and I can not visually inspect them. this I learned the hard way when I purchased the genuine fog lights to install, as a pair and got two passenger side ones.

Now those incorrect assumptions are cleared up. hopefully my question can be answered.

also looking at the compliance plate my jeep was indeed manufactured in north America. also when entering the Vin number into google it comes up as being a 1997 jeep grand Cherokee. sequential number 530853. country code 1 =USA

[Escapable]

No probs ..

Just to clarify ...
Can you check your assembly plate:
The assembly plate is located inside the lower LH door.

It should show the Code ARA among other items (colour, trim, etc, etc) - this will show the vehicle as made for the Australian Market.

You will also find among the VIN numbers something like:
1J4GZB8SXWYxxxxxx
The "Y" indicating that the vehicle was manufactured in Graz (Austria) .. EU ..

This lead to my comments regarding wiring for the headlights which are not the same as the American headlights as we had the H5 bulbs ..(from memory ..) and these are a different assembly to the USA machine.
The USA has regulations regarding snow glare, etc, etc .. and demands candles and different focus .. blah).

No offence was intended in my original post .. you just can't believe US made, after all, it is a JEEP!

Also look at the rear lights .. it has FOG lights in the assembly (or should have .. EURO standards ......

If you order parts for the US , they state "EU assembly" or LHD.

[bazzybtec]

Originally Posted by Escapable

No probs ..

Just to clarify ...
Can you check your assembly plate:
The assembly plate is located inside the lower LH door.

It should show the Code ARA among other items (colour, trim, etc, etc) - this will show the vehicle as made for the Australian Market.

You will also find among the VIN numbers something like:
1J4GZB8SXWYxxxxxx
The "Y" indicating that the vehicle was manufactured in Graz (Austria) .. EU ..

This lead to my comments regarding wiring for the headlights which are not the same as the American headlights as we had the H5 bulbs ..(from memory ..) and these are a different assembly to the USA machine.
The USA has regulations regarding snow glare, etc, etc .. and demands candles and different focus .. blah).

No offence was intended in my original post .. you just can't believe US made, after all, it is a JEEP!

Also look at the rear lights .. it has FOG lights in the assembly (or should have .. EURO standards ......

If you order parts for the US , they state "EU assembly" or LHD.

These ones are projector headlights and are set up for Australia (LHD) vehicles. the connector is sort of like this for the high and low beam (these are separate globes. H1 and H3 like in my fairlane. Connector is like this (...) center pin is slightly higher and is ground. the connector on my driver side light (factory) is like this still but the one that is on the passenger side looks like it has been removed for what ever reason and the has spade connectors crimped to the individual wires and where just pressed into the headlight, not sure why this is. the adjustment screw (I think this is where the problem with it fitting originates, has broken and will push back in and does not align to the slot on the headlights correctly.

My front indicator has two globes on the one side (as stupid as this is) it has a break light globe (duel filament) for the front of the indicator and a small spade globe (attached to the same/harness) going to the side of the indicator, one fits easy the other not so much but it will fit. the parker fits too.

The connection is the same as the factory wiring however the mount / ball it pushes into is busted apart.

This is why it is not fitting. the wiring has been hacked up by the person who replaced the light last for whatever reason. also I have noticed the light on the passenger side is beyond underwhelming I think if I lit a match in front of a reflector I would get more light out of it. as for the genuine one on the driver side it was great until it got destroyed.

best solution I had was buy a good pair to replace the lot.

driver side will be a lot easier because it doesn't seem as hacked up.

[Escapable]

Min had strange bulbs put in it previous. It had the spade connectors plugged into the factory socket .. I had high beam problems and this persisted even with the correct bulbs installed.
I did notice that the high beam would not function correctly until I corrected the wiring to BOTH headlights and had the correct bulbs installed .. beware the stange JEEP things .. you may find all is OK to correct bulbs but does strange things with something else. If all else fails consider a relay? .. comment from others welcome here.
Mine had also been the victim of an auto spark, and a bright one at that who had absolutely no understanding of modern vehicle electrics and replaced the alternator with a Ford one and modified that wiring too!

[bazzybtec]

Originally Posted by Escapable

Min had strange bulbs put in it previous. It had the spade connectors plugged into the factory socket .. I had high beam problems and this persisted even with the correct bulbs installed.
I did notice that the high beam would not function correctly until I corrected the wiring to BOTH headlights and had the correct bulbs installed .. beware the stange JEEP things .. you may find all is OK to correct bulbs but does strange things with something else. If all else fails consider a relay? .. comment from others welcome here.
Mine had also been the victim of an auto spark, and a bright one at that who had absolutely no understanding of modern vehicle electrics and replaced the alternator with a Ford one and modified that wiring too!

the other thing i have noticed with the wiring, is there is behind each headlight a 6 pin connector that appears to be unused. on each side. not sure what these are for but i remember reading they are for Self leveling headlights, used over seas, i have no way of confirming however.

My thinking is i will either remove the junk they have put on and replace it with a proper 3 pin waterproof connection from a camping store or something. not factory but still.

also on another note,

How does one remove the grill on these, i have tried unscrewing it the way i see on the internet but it wont come off. i need to get to the lines behind it so i can replace the clamps as they have a flat spot and are leaking.