Headlamp help

[Marauderleader]

I am looking to freshen up my lights on my '16, there are a million sellers of aftermarket assemblies, can anyone recommend a good choice of headlamp?

 

[peterk9]

What are you looking to do or replace with? Most HID upgrade kits are actually illegal for on-road use. You'd have to replace the entire headlight assembly for proper lighting. An LED upgrade may be easier but I don't know for sure.
There are several threads already on the topic. Use the 'Search' feature at the top right and look for Headlight upgrade and then select search in this forum.

Peter

 

[Marauderleader]

What are you looking to do or replace with? Most HID upgrade kits are actually illegal for on-road use. You'd have to replace the entire headlight assembly for proper lighting. An LED upgrade may be easier but I don't know for sure.
There are several threads already on the topic. Use the 'Search' feature at the top right and look for Headlight upgrade and then select search in this forum.

Peter

I’m not looking for an “upgrade”, I’m looking to replace the headlight assemblies themselves, just looking for a good aftermarket option.

 

[peterk9]

I’m not looking for an “upgrade”, I’m looking to replace the headlight assemblies themselves, just looking for a good aftermarket option.

I'm not aware of any member here just changing the existing ones for aftermarket ones just for the sake of change. Have found any that are different than the OEM? Link?

Peter

 

[Marauderleader]

I'm not aware of any member here just changing the existing ones for aftermarket ones just for the sake of change. Have found any that are different than the OEM? Link?

Peter

It's not the "sake" of change, len's are hazy and cracking, plenty of aftermarket lights out there, so obvioulsly someone is buying them, was looking for someone with some experience with they quality of any of the aftermarket stuff, new OEM, they are 2k my cost, so just looking for a cheaper alternative for my daily. Post count +1

 

[peterk9]

It's not the "sake" of change, len's are hazy and cracking, plenty of aftermarket lights out there, so obvioulsly someone is buying them, was looking for someone with some experience with they quality of any of the aftermarket stuff, new OEM, they are 2k my cost, so just looking for a cheaper alternative for my daily. Post count +1

Understood. That would have been good to know initially. There are several products on the market that will clean the haze on the exterior of the lenses. Your profile doesn't show a 2016 Explorer. Which trim is it? Does it have the Signature Lighting?
Have you checked Levittown Ford is a sire vendor and offers members a 50% discount on shipping and part costs are much lower than Ford Parts.
This was for a 2021 Limited, Headlamp Components for 2016 Ford Explorer | Levittown Ford Parts

Peter

 

[J_C]

It's not the "sake" of change, len's are hazy and cracking, plenty of aftermarket lights out there, so obvioulsly someone is buying them, was looking for someone with some experience with they quality of any of the aftermarket stuff, new OEM, they are 2k my cost, so just looking for a cheaper alternative for my daily. Post count +1

Are you the original owner, so that you know that nobody has put one of those headlight restoration kits to work on it already?

I ask because many of those kits include a top coating and that can crack and need removed, is a reason I never put a hard curing coating on top after I refinish headlights, just an automotive paint wax type,of polishing synthetic sealant after buffing out the haze with fine grit sandpaper (if needed) and polishing compound. There are many alternatives for that sealant, keywords may include synthetic, sealant, cleaner, polishing, and not necessary "wax". The beauty if it is, you can just reapply more every few months (or longer if not parked in direct sun on the headlight lenses) in a minute or two instead of having to refinish or remove a hard curing coating instead.

Cheaper replacement housing alternatives, I'd see what Rock Auto has, or check what is available at a junkyard to pull and if a bit hazy, try refinishing a pair before swapping onto the vehicle... but I'd still try refinishing what you have first, then decide if it's worth the bother to replace them.

 

[Marauderleader]

So, Background, I own a '16 PIU (hence posting in the PIU forum), a '18 XLT w/sport appearance, a '11 E250 shop van and a Raptor, I've been in the industry(auto) for 45 years, 17 in autobody/paint and mostly heavy collision, I now work for a gov't entity as a fleet manager, we have probably 180 16-19 PIU's and another 35 20+ PIU's. I am familiar with refinishing len's, I believe mine are past that, and, if I have to disassemble the front end, I only want to do it once, hence just buying new assemblies, Ford prices discounted is a little over 2K for a pair, I am looking for someone who can speak of the experience that they have had with an aftermarket assembly.

 

[peterk9]

So, Background, I own a '16 PIU (hence posting in the PIU forum), a '18 XLT w/sport appearance, a '11 E250 shop van and a Raptor, I've been in the industry(auto) for 45 years, 17 in autobody/paint and mostly heavy collision, I now work for a gov't entity as a fleet manager, we have probably 180 16-19 PIU's and another 35 20+ PIU's. I am familiar with refinishing len's, I believe mine are past that, and, if I have to disassemble the front end, I only want to do it once, hence just buying new assemblies, Ford prices discounted is a little over 2K for a pair, I am looking for someone who can speak of the experience that they have had with an aftermarket assembly.

Why not add the other vehicles to a Signature so members will be aware of what you have when posting?
Also, as mentioned before, although I could be mistaken, I don't believe anyone here has changed out their headlamps for similar after-market ones. Those that did, did so as an upgrade to HID or LED. Good luck.

Peter

 

[Steve8316]

Mine are also getting foggy, so I'm shopping around, and seriously considering these:
eBay listing

...I am looking for someone who can speak of the experience that they have had with an aftermarket assembly

Can you now speak to your experience with them? Which did you buy/install?

In researching the idea of civilian headlights on a PIU, I found that they're pinned VERY differently. Only the right headlight shares 1 pin between the civvy & 50 versions.

So I'm not sure if the import headlights are capable of either connection, or if I'll have to re-pin the connectors on my PIU.

 

[J_C]

Mine are also getting foggy,

Your vehicle but if there is water ingress, pull the bulb and blow some air in. Look for a seam leak and throw some RTV on it. If water is pooling, put in a drain hole.

If the outside has UV /oxidation damage, polish them out and coat them to slow that down. It takes a few minutes. Far less time and pollution and cost than ordering new housings, removing old, installing new, and aiming them.

Totally disregard my post if you are set on doing it. There's a strange phenomenon on the internet where some people think that if someone else suggests something, that they "have" to do it or else argue against it, which is not your burden. Choose the path of least burden.

 

[Steve8316]

...if there is water ingress...

There's not.

...If the outside has UV /oxidation damage, polish them...

There's not - it's fine cracking throughout the lens (crazing). I polished enough headlights as a pro to know that it's useless, and only wastes time, money, effort, pollution... So I don't think I "have" to polish just because I see others suggesting it. The least burden would be to buy new when I speculate that the price is at a low point so I have them when these DO start leaking or get so crazed that they're not aimable/focused. And I'm not afraid to snatch the bumper skin off - I've wanted to add fog/cornering lights since I got it. The issue of new Ford headlights is also moot - a new pair would cost more than half what I paid for the whole vehicle, including auction fee, tax, registration...

But back on-topic...
Do you have any input about why Ford put a connector on them with so many extra terminals, and only uses this group or that group? Or why the PIU uses the park filament of the turn bulb, and the Explorer doesn't? Or what happens if a civvy headlamp is plugged up to a PIU connector, or vice versa? What would a PIU headlight do if power & return were applied to its Explorer terminals?

 

[Marauderleader]

There's not.

There's not - it's fine cracking throughout the lens (crazing). I polished enough headlights as a pro to know that it's useless, and only wastes time, money, effort, pollution... So I don't think I "have" to polish just because I see others suggesting it. The least burden would be to buy new when I speculate that the price is at a low point so I have them when these DO start leaking or get so crazed that they're not aimable/focused. And I'm not afraid to snatch the bumper skin off - I've wanted to add fog/cornering lights since I got it. The issue of new Ford headlights is also moot - a new pair would cost more than half what I paid for the whole vehicle, including auction fee, tax, registration...

But back on-topic...
Do you have any input about why Ford put a connector on them with so many extra terminals, and only uses this group or that group? Or why the PIU uses the park filament of the turn bulb, and the Explorer doesn't? Or what happens if a civvy headlamp is plugged up to a PIU connector, or vice versa? What would a PIU headlight do if power & return were applied to its Explorer terminals?

View attachment 465890

Yours look like mine did, I found some used ones in decent condition, sanded and clear coated them

 

[Steve8316]

I found some used ones in decent condition...

Hmmm... I guess I'm on my own then. I'll post what I find after they arrive.

 

[Marauderleader]

Hmmm... I guess I'm on my own then. I'll post what I find after they arrive.

Sorry I don't have a better answer, being that I am in the fleet side of things, I made a couple of calls and sourced some from a wreck that was being used for parts, traded my old set for them after I sent them to my bodyshop I use for the cleanup. I did consider Amazon for a set because I could send them back if there were an issue, but I wanted to one and done it as I had to remove the front cover. Good luck, let us know what your search turns up.

 

[Steve8316]

Sorry I don't have a better answer...

An honest answer is all I was hoping for.

Turns out these aftermarket headlights sold for Explorers do NOT work with PIU factory wiring. They don't have the pins on the PIU side (the low numbers in each row).

They also have a big square hole in the bottom with screw holes around it, apparently for a ballast/driver/whatever that's NOT included. IDK yet if my PIU headlights have that component.

 

[Marauderleader]

An honest answer is all I was hoping for.

Turns out these aftermarket headlights sold for Explorers do NOT work with PIU factory wiring. They don't have the pins on the PIU side (the low numbers in each row).

View attachment 466064

They also have a big square hole in the bottom with screw holes around it, apparently for a ballast/driver/whatever that's NOT included. IDK yet if my PIU headlights have that component.

View attachment 466065

They do have the ballast on them, if you need more, I have a few spares, I also have a spare set of headlight assemblies, to me, the lens are roached, but you are welcome to them if you like. PM me a ship to if you want these.

 

[Steve8316]

Thanks. It'll be a while before I attempt to install these, if ever. I want to add the fog lights while the bumper skin is off, and I don't have those yet. For now, I'm just gonna play with applying 12V to the various terminals to see which lights are directly-powered, and which go through the ballast.

 

[Marauderleader]

Thanks. It'll be a while before I attempt to install these, if ever. I want to add the fog lights while the bumper skin is off, and I don't have those yet. For now, I'm just gonna play with applying 12V to the various terminals to see which lights are directly-powered, and which go through the ballast.

I also have some spare fog lamp assemblies, you are welcome to those as well.

 

[Steve8316]

OK I sent my email.