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'18 JL Sport and Mopar LED upgrade

Jeepsterfreak

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I just saw that the LED headlights would start shipping in June.

As for the halo ring in the headlights, could you just wire this directly to the battery, and the rest of the headlight as normal? That way the halo always comes on when the Jeep is on without needing to reprogram anything (assuming the Sport can even be programmed for DRLs)
I guess we won’t know until either we see an installation manual from mopar or someone installs them in a Sport.
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dwc

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I guess we won’t know until either we see an installation manual from mopar or someone installs them in a Sport.
I just got my 2018 JLU Sport-S with halogen lighting and have been looking into a solution to get the DTR's working. I first went to the dealer and asked what I needed to do or order to get it setup - the mechanic informed me it was not an option for the JLU sport. So since they look to me to be the exact same lens and housing as the Rubicon with DTR's, I asked if I could just order those parts and do it myself and he said I would have to replace the entire lighting HARNESS and it would be extremely pricey. Basically refused to help me. So then I contacted Mopar cares, and asked to speak to an engineer... they refused, and said I had to go through the dealer, and called them and basically took their word that it's not possible and told me basically I was SOL. Really disappointed me as far as customer service goes. Kinda of a joke really... they act like it's a trade secret or something. So next I looked into the switchback LED offering that's out there but learned that you have to also splice in resistors or live with hyperblink and bulb is out error lights on your dash, and run your parking lights to use those and that's not really like having DTR's since the tail lights are on all the time along with them etc. Then I checked into the plug in black boxes from various manufacturer's for programming and resetting speedometers and making tire adjustments, and they told me if you did not come from the factory with the DRL functions listed in the U-connect program, these programming boxes WILL NOT turn on DRL functions in the JLU-Sport/S either. So then I looked at the Mopar head-lights soon to be available for the rediculous price of $800+ and was told by a seller that they will be available in July and yes they do have the LED Halos, they are factory LED headlights that look kinda cool like goat eyes, but he did not say how you would wire the Halos in on the switch over from the Halogen factory head lights, but it is a kit and it does says it includes a harness ADAPTOR, so I am hoping they will just work as in plug n play, but if not my Sport does have the 4 switch AUX panel so plan B if necessarry would be to wire in the Halos on one of those AUX switches. So that's where I am at with this at the moment, being a new somewhat disappointed JLU-Sport/S owner. I plan to do the headlight swap as soon as the lights are shipping, and will update when completed unless something else aftermarket comes out that is a superior option. I did see that they are planning a 4 fender set of high position fenders that will have the LED running lights in the front, but it's not shipping yet either - and may be a can of worms I don't want to open. I think it sucks that there is no quick and easy upgrade, and i have to jump through all these hoops just to have DTR's lol. More later.... gonna go get some dirt on it now!!
 

ThirtyOne

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So I have been talking to my dealer about upgrading my Sport S with the LED package.

Here is my question - Is it worth a few hundred dollars to upgrade the fog lights? Or just do the Headlights?
 

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So I have been talking to my dealer about upgrading my Sport S with the LED package.

Here is my question - Is it worth a few hundred dollars to upgrade the fog lights? Or just do the Headlights?
If the dealer is saying you can get the sport s with the led package things have changed since i got my sport s last month. I could not get the sport s with LED package. You can get LED tail lights with the safety package in the Sport S
 

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ThirtyOne

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If the dealer is saying you can get the sport s with the led package things have changed since i got my sport s last month. I could not get the sport s with LED package. You can get LED tail lights with the safety package in the Sport S
I already have my Sport S. I am having my dealer buy the parts and install them.
 

Grindhouseknives

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So I have been talking to my dealer about upgrading my Sport S with the LED package.

Here is my question - Is it worth a few hundred dollars to upgrade the fog lights? Or just do the Headlights?
I say yes. I have LED fog lights in my take off Rubi steel bumper and they are vastly superior to the Sport S fog lights. I’m still running the halogen headlights because I haven’t found in LED ones yet. I will be upgrading those next.
Let us know how the upgrade goes and what is involved as far as an adapter harness or programming for the DRL halos or if any of that is even needed.
 

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So I just installed the OEM LED headlights today during my lunch break. Took 40 mins all in including removing the grille. Super simple and super awesome BUT no Halos and not sure if high beams are functioning properly.

The halos I sorta understand as it may need programming but the high beams are strange. They work great for distance but I seem to not have any lower portion if that makes sense. And I'm not just talking about the fogs going off.

Very interested in hearing from anyone else who has done this on a sport. I'd also love to see working LEDs from the front and on a wall with reg/high beams.
 

pichenet

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I just got my 2018 JLU Sport-S with halogen lighting and have been looking into a solution to get the DTR's working. I first went to the dealer and asked what I needed to do or order to get it setup - the mechanic informed me it was not an option for the JLU sport. So since they look to me to be the exact same lens and housing as the Rubicon with DTR's, I asked if I could just order those parts and do it myself and he said I would have to replace the entire lighting HARNESS and it would be extremely pricey. Basically refused to help me. So then I contacted Mopar cares, and asked to speak to an engineer... they refused, and said I had to go through the dealer, and called them and basically took their word that it's not possible and told me basically I was SOL. Really disappointed me as far as customer service goes. Kinda of a joke really... they act like it's a trade secret or something. So next I looked into the switchback LED offering that's out there but learned that you have to also splice in resistors or live with hyperblink and bulb is out error lights on your dash, and run your parking lights to use those and that's not really like having DTR's since the tail lights are on all the time along with them etc. Then I checked into the plug in black boxes from various manufacturer's for programming and resetting speedometers and making tire adjustments, and they told me if you did not come from the factory with the DRL functions listed in the U-connect program, these programming boxes WILL NOT turn on DRL functions in the JLU-Sport/S either. So then I looked at the Mopar head-lights soon to be available for the rediculous price of $800+ and was told by a seller that they will be available in July and yes they do have the LED Halos, they are factory LED headlights that look kinda cool like goat eyes, but he did not say how you would wire the Halos in on the switch over from the Halogen factory head lights, but it is a kit and it does says it includes a harness ADAPTOR, so I am hoping they will just work as in plug n play, but if not my Sport does have the 4 switch AUX panel so plan B if necessarry would be to wire in the Halos on one of those AUX switches. So that's where I am at with this at the moment, being a new somewhat disappointed JLU-Sport/S owner. I plan to do the headlight swap as soon as the lights are shipping, and will update when completed unless something else aftermarket comes out that is a superior option. I did see that they are planning a 4 fender set of high position fenders that will have the LED running lights in the front, but it's not shipping yet either - and may be a can of worms I don't want to open. I think it sucks that there is no quick and easy upgrade, and i have to jump through all these hoops just to have DTR's lol. More later.... gonna go get some dirt on it now!!

Any news/updates?
 

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Sounds like yet another case where the kiddie engineers decided to add some neat little whiz-bang feature so that they could pad their resume and it causes all sort of unintended consequences.

Damn kids these days... I'm just glad they're not working for aerospace companies or we would have planes falling out of the sky on a daily basis...

Now, get off my lawn, dammit!
 

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pichenet

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As mentioned above, this is all OEM equipment, OEM lighting (tail lights, turn signals, etc.... but my sahara was OEM with standard lighting so the computer thinks it is still standard...so resisters will probably do the trick.
Where did you get the OEM fender LED? Dealer? Do you happen to have the part numbers?
 

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From what I've gathered, the tail light connector on the JLs is different than on the JK -- it has more pins. Supposedly some of the pins are for when it is sold with the LED lights and others are for when it is sold with *normal* lights. This is a poor design in my engineering opinion. All they needed to do was supply a normal 12V power that was sufficient for the *normal* lights and then if someone wants to put LED lights back there, it is the responsibility of the LED light supplier to handle the supplied 12V and put a current limiting resistor inline with the LED as might be appropriate.
 
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I already have my Sport S. I am having my dealer buy the parts and install them.
Are you doing the fenders as well? I noticed on my sport s I only have 3 wires going to the turn signal bulb, (white/green, white/brown, and black). It looks like there is a fourth (white/yellow) which powers the DRL. I would be interested to know if they get the DRL working with the LED fender.
 

pichenet

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Are you doing the fenders as well? I noticed on my sport s I only have 3 wires going to the turn signal bulb, (white/green, white/brown, and black). It looks like there is a fourth (white/yellow) which powers the DRL. I would be interested to know if they get the DRL working with the LED fender.
Interesting. I think the same applies to the LED headlights. I noticed that the take offs from the sport only have 3 connections (for a 3 wire harness). Although it's plug and play, the LEDs have 4 connections (for a 4 wire harness).

EDIT: so maybe I can send some constant power to the 4rth connector?
 
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ThirtyOne

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I say yes. I have LED fog lights in my take off Rubi steel bumper and they are vastly superior to the Sport S fog lights. I’m still running the halogen headlights because I haven’t found in LED ones yet. I will be upgrading those next.
Let us know how the upgrade goes and what is involved as far as an adapter harness or programming for the DRL halos or if any of that is even needed.
Are you doing the fenders as well? I noticed on my sport s I only have 3 wires going to the turn signal bulb, (white/green, white/brown, and black). It looks like there is a fourth (white/yellow) which powers the DRL. I would be interested to know if they get the DRL working with the LED fender.
My dealer was clueless about the fender lights. I am not doing them yet. Definitely doing headlights. Still on the fence on fog lights. Not doing tail lights.
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