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Rear amber tail lenses in factory tail lights


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So this morning I'm sitting around looking on here and a guy from Stockholm said he needs amber turn signal to pass inspection . I had this busted tail light and figured Id see what I could come up with . $20 bucks in materials and these are what I came up with . Pictures to come in a bit .So what do you guys think? Any improvements / downsides you can think of ?

 

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Nicely done.

 

Where did you buy the checkered plastic, what kind of plastic (acrylic?), and how did you bend it to fit?

 

Keep in mind that on the European versions the amber is for turn signals and hazard flashers. Our U.S. trucks are wired so that both bulbs operate as dual filamant brake & turn lights. I think the european arrangement is better, and it's what Jeep used on the Cherokee so I don't know why they went retro on the American MJs.

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Nicely done.

 

Where did you buy the checkered plastic, what kind of plastic (acrylic?), and how did you bend it

to fit?

 

 

 

Keep in mind that on the European versions the amber is for turn signals and hazard flashers. Our U.S. trucks are wired so that both bulbs operate as dual filamant brake & turn lights. I think the european arrangement is better, and it's what Jeep used on the Cherokee so I don't know why they went retro on the American MJs.

 

I knew that the wiring was going to be another hurdle to jump . And you are correct it is acrylic amber plastic . I paid $5 for a section 2 5/8 width by 4'length . The acrylic was easy to bend with a heat gun and no bubbles or imperfections surfaced . I backed the clear amber plastic with prizm ? plastic that is used for ceiling fixtures . Thanks Eagle .

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No. I was just trying to figure out a way to incorporate the amber lenses in the factory tail lights . I've already heard of people separating the turns and brake lights on this forum . Figured it would help with the 97+ conversion as those and even the older xjs have independent turns and brake lights .I'm hoping that there are some tail lights that have holes and cracks in them that can be repurposed for this .As I'm sure not too many people would want to cut up perfectly good tail lights . Thanks keyav8r

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I have wondered if xj tail light lenses could be removed and made to fit mj back part. Has anyone had them both side by side?

They are not even close to being the same size and shape. It would be far easier to do as the OP did here, start with flat acrylic and use a heat gun to bend it to shape.

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If I were in the situation of needing to have a separate amber signal light, I think I'd change out the reverse bulb with an amber bulb and rewire as necessary leaving a stock appearance. Then I'd add a stand alone reverse light under the bumper.

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If I were in the situation of needing to have a separate amber signal light, I think I'd change out the reverse bulb with an amber bulb and rewire as necessary leaving a stock appearance. Then I'd add a stand alone reverse light under the bumper.

I'm seriously considering doing exactly that. Either that, or installing four cheap amber fog lights and a separate switch and flasher to create my own hazard warning system. The problem with the MJ setup is that the brake lights override the hazard flasher. Since they share the same bulbs in the rear, if you step on the brake when the flashers are on, they stop flashing.

 

That, IMHO, is a stupid arrangement. It's especially stupid because they could easily have set up the Comanche the same way they did the Cherokee -- and, in fact they did -- for Europe, where it's required.

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Could a Cherokee taillight harness be grafted in? Or, would you have to rewire all the way to the front of the truck?

I haven't checked the respective wiring diagrams, but in the years when there was a Wagoneer model of the XJ, the Wagoneers had all-red taillights and functioned like the MJ. The only difference I could find was in the tailight harness at the back, from a connector somewhere over the left wheelwell to the tailights. So the trick would be to compare the wiring of the XJ Wagoneer to that of the MJ.

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  • 11 months later...

you could also use that to split the stock housing. from STT/STT/R to ST/T/R or ST/TT/R.

 

the only thing i don't know is how the hazard light would operate. being the turn overpowers the stop. but then the stop overpowers the hazard, if I'm not mistaken.

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curious on your trucks, ive never noticed this before but on front signals

 

-marker lights OFF front and side lights blinker simultaneous. 

-marker lights ON front and side lights blinker alternate.

 

ive read a bunch of different posts about rewiring to make sides a turn... mine seems to be already like that (factory). is this a renix mod rather than an HO mod?  

 

also ive never noticed a vehicle flash pattern change with/without marker input. do they all (MJ/XJ) do this? i know on my TJ the side ONLY works if markers are on and then its an alternating pattern.

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curious on your trucks, ive never noticed this before but on front signals

 

-marker lights OFF front and side lights blinker simultaneous. 

-marker lights ON front and side lights blinker alternate.

 

ive read a bunch of different posts about rewiring to make sides a turn... mine seems to be already like that (factory). is this a renix mod rather than an HO mod?  

 

also ive never noticed a vehicle flash pattern change with/without marker input. do they all (MJ/XJ) do this? i know on my TJ the side ONLY works if markers are on and then its an alternating pattern.

That feature began in 89 or 90. You can mod an earlier version easily.

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I suppose I have to dissent from the group.  I don't like the amber anywhere.  I had them on my XJ, I switched to clear corners in front and painted the rears with hobby (Testors) gloss clear red, so it was all clear or red.  Never had a problem with the CHP or local cops.  Don't have "inspections" here, but if it was an issue, I like neohic's solution.

 

My back-ups work fine but I also have a dedicated light on a switch in the rear for very dark or snowy situations.

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I suppose I have to dissent from the group.  I don't like the amber anywhere.  I had them on my XJ, I switched to clear corners in front and painted the rears with hobby (Testors) gloss clear red, so it was all clear or red.  Never had a problem with the CHP or local cops.  Don't have "inspections" here, but if it was an issue, I like neohic's solution.

 

My back-ups work fine but I also have a dedicated light on a switch in the rear for very dark or snowy situations.

I agree to a point. For XJ, I really like the Euro tails but the amber is minimal. I also like the waggy talis that are all red, minus the backup of course. 

What seems odd about this is that these trucks came FROM THE FACTORY with Fully red tail lights. As do a lot of other vehicles. I guess it is one thing to be picky about something that is aftermarket, but factory? That sounds like a load of fail. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

If I were in the situation of needing to have a separate amber signal light, I think I'd change out the reverse bulb with an amber bulb and rewire as necessary leaving a stock appearance. Then I'd add a stand alone reverse light under the bumper.

 

I hope to do exactly this (plus an additional LED marker/turn on the side) when I rewire my lights.  

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I suppose I have to dissent from the group. I don't like the amber anywhere. I had them on my XJ, I switched to clear corners in front and painted the rears with hobby (Testors) gloss clear red, so it was all clear or red. Never had a problem with the CHP or local cops. Don't have "inspections" here, but if it was an issue, I like neohic's solution.

 

My back-ups work fine but I also have a dedicated light on a switch in the rear for very dark or snowy situations.

I agree to a point. For XJ, I really like the Euro tails but the amber is minimal. I also like the waggy talis that are all red, minus the backup of course.

What seems odd about this is that these trucks came FROM THE FACTORY with Fully red tail lights. As do a lot of other vehicles. I guess it is one thing to be picky about something that is aftermarket, but factory? That sounds like a load of fail.

I get why they did "its the american standard" but just odd that XJ/ZJ would have amber but the MJ wouldn't. Why the switch for just that one model

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