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LED projector upgrades

dolsen

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TL;DR: just swapping headlamps from LED-R to LED-P will net you only low beams and hyper flash turn signals. In order to get "bending" and glare free you need headlamps and the HCM and all intermediate wiring. You do not need auto-level to get bending and glare free. To get auto level you also need LHS ride height sensors.

I wanted to write this out because there are a still a lot of people that do not know much about the upgrade to the projector LED head lamps. What I am writing is specific to LED reflector to LED projector upgrades. I have not upgraded from halogen, so it's possible most of this will apply, but maybe not all of it. For this post, I'll refer to the LED reflectors as LED-R and the LED Projectors as LED-P. I have answered many of the same questions this post answers time and time again. I'm certainly not upset about it because I didn't know anything about it at one time either, but I prefer to share my knowledge and hopefully make it easier for others to also do this conversion, and be more comfortable doing so.

The projector headlamp upgrade is a worthwhile but time consuming task that requires quite a bit of wiring and FORScan updates. The LED-R headlamps have three connectors that go into them and the LED-P have one connector, so you will need what is referred to as a conversion harness.

Simply installing the LED-P and the conversion harness will give you low beams only. NO high beams and hyper-flashing turn signals.

To get what I consider 90% functionality requires an HCM and all associated wiring from headlamps to HCM. This requires additional wiring from the headlamps to the BCM, headlamps to HCM, and the BCM through the ATCM to the HCM. The wiring from the headlamps to BCM is to activate the turn signal outage feedback to prevent hyper flash. It uses a different BCM pin than the LED-R's do so it requires different wiring. The headlamps to HCM allows the horizontal motors to move (aka bending) in the headlamps and activation/deactivation of the LED's in the light to enable glare free. The BCM through ATCM ties into the HS-CAN for communication with IPMA and SCCM for input to the HCM for headlamp function and the BCM powers the HCM.

I order to get 100% functionality, you would also need, at a minimum, the LHS front and rear ride height sensors. These also wire into the HCM and allow the headlamps to auto level.

If you have scales and/or CCD, the auto level will need to be wired up a bit different. I am not entirely sure how it works but it looks like the VDM communicates with the HCM over the HS-CAN.

I'll add more to this if I think of more or I can also answer questions. I just know this is a popular mod and I think there needs to be more info out there about it

EDIT: Here are the parts I bought for my entire conversion WITH the auto level:

Ford F-150 LED projector upgrades 1680434543842


The ML3Z part numbers are all Ford part numbers that can be purchased from a Ford parts website. I never was able to find the LH Tremor headlamp part number, but they're easy enough to find on eBay without it. I purchased my Conversion harness and the interior harness (the one labeled HCM and harnesses) from Ryan Broderick, to the best of my knowledge he is not a member on here. Anyone can make their own, as there is nothing proprietary about any of it, but I would HIGHLY recommend purchasing a premade one if you are even the *slightest* bit unsure of yourself and your skillset.

I was only successful due to the help of @JHForman812 . He is incredibly talented with this stuff. (To be clear, I am NOT offering up his services, as that is not my place to do so, but I had little to no experience with electrical, I just know my way around cars and know how to work on them and with ALOT of his guidance I was able to get it done.) I spent dozens, if not over 100, hours reading and researching for the install of the headlamps and HCM and for the wiring and components required for the level sensors (I even purchased the incorrect set of parts once which were non-returnable). Everything from the "Front LH Height Sensor" down is required to make auto level work. I did not include the wiring I used, which is 22ga TXL wiring that I got from wire barn. You'll almost certainly want 6 different colors that are 25 ft long so they can be cut down to length.

I do not have part numbers for all of the various connectors on the harness for the headlamp conversion.
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Hawsa

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Great info! I'm finding there is basically nowhere with all of the info needed in one place. This is a great start and I would love to find more info and add it in.
For example - part numbers for missing items. I found the HCM is ---------- and was able to pick one up for about $140 on the eBay. (EDIT: after seeing the other edit that you can buy it from ford for way less, I'm scrubbing my part number so nobody gets lost)

At the time of buying this place had the cheapest reasonable ship times to me. Results may vary https://www.fordpartsdistributor.com/oem-parts/ford-control-module-ml3z13k198b

Other information I would love to see is more detail on the adapter harness itself. Seems like there are only a couple places you can buy them and they charge prices to match. Lead times seem to be crazy on them. I don't know if anyone has a video or photos of all of the connectors and how the wire is meant to be run between the lights and all of the modules? I would love to build my own to save some coin, but I would have to know the connector/pins used for everything first.

I actually have a set of OEM raptor projectors that should be here tomorrow that I would love to get working.
I have another set of the 800A raptor reflectors coming as a fallback, but I would prefer to get the projectors up to that 90% mark or even a 'functional' Hi/lo + DRL turn.

Maybe this would be a good thread to compile all of the shared knowledge as it's accquired?

Thanks David!
 
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dolsen

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I can certainly add more detail. I will say that I do not believe your HCM part number is a purchaseable Ford part number. That may be an engineering number, and ford parts doesn’t recognize that as a sellable item. I suppose that’s just one example of why more detail is needed
 

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Well, let's get this party started.

Great info @dolsen, let me add some.
Attached are a bunch of PDF's I collected over the past year and created a few to help with installs and a harness I made.
I am NOT RESPOSIBLE for typo's and what you mess up, use at YOUR own risk.

If you have scales and/or CCD, the auto level will need to be wired up a bit different. I am not entirely sure how it works but it looks like the VDM communicates with the HCM over the HS-CAN.
I don't see why this feature can't just be turned on. I attached the ForScan sheet and highlighted the section but since I don't have them I can't verify.

@Jesse-Infotainment has also been a BIG help in this and I found out that the different years require different software for the HCM.

I'll do my best to help answer questions.

Ford F-150 LED projector upgrades IMG_4772.JPG
 

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dolsen

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I don't see why this feature can't just be turned on. I attached the ForScan sheet and highlighted the section but since I don't have them I can't verify.
I think you’re correct, I just don’t know enough about CCD/scales and the VDM
 

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JScaro

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Other information I would love to see is more detail on the adapter harness itself. Seems like there are only a couple places you can buy them and they charge prices to match. Lead times seem to be crazy on them. I don't know if anyone has a video or photos of all of the connectors and how the wire is meant to be run between the lights and all of the modules? I would love to build my own to save some coin, but I would have to know the connector/pins used for everything first.
I might be able to shed some light on this, you really won't save money by doing it yourself. I spent A LOT of time trying to figure this out myself and did. Getting the right pins / tools is a family secret recipe that no one will share.
 

JScaro

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Anyone thinking about doing this, watch this video first.
Mechanical and Electrical skills required.

 
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dolsen

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I might be able to shed some light on this, you really won't save money by doing it yourself. I spent A LOT of time trying to figure this out myself and did. Getting the right pins / tools is a family secret recipe that no one will share.
Agreed, What you do save in money, you’ll lose 10x much in your personal time. I saved a little money upgrading my last truck but it cost me a ton of time in research and planning.
 

Hawsa

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I will say that I do not believe your HCM part number is a purchaseable Ford part number
That's very possible. I had a bugger of a time trying to find one to confirm through any of my typical purchasing channels. The only thing that I noticed changing between the images of HCMs posted from forum members or companies like precision retrofits is the final two letters - I posted AD, but it seems that there is a mix from AC, AD, and AE (just iterations from ford) I'm unsure of whether or not these are all year-cross compatible.
 

Hawsa

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Losing time over money is half the fun John!

@JScaro that photo you posted of the harness - is that one that you have access to right now, or is that pre-install and is now buried in your dash/firewall?
 

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JScaro

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Hawsa

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It's siting on my dinning room table right now.
Would you be willing to take pictures of all of the connector part numbers? I have a few of them gathered, but it would be best to have them all together and defined. They all look like molex/aptiv stuff to me so I don't know why the connectors and pins would be such a trade secret.

Good call on the HCM there. Seems that I did, by quite a lot actually. I'll probably RMA mine and pick up the new one.
 

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Amazing thread and some fellas with impressive tenacity.

I personally think that the LED-P headlights with Antiglare enabled are a world class headlight system. I'm still stunned that Ford made them available on an F-series truck.
What happened?
Ford never showed previously that headlights on their trucks were remotely that important? Lol

Anyways, after having said that, I'm still surprised that without experiencing them, someone would have the passion required to retrofit them.

Big respect from this old man. :)
 
 




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