Question on ARB Turn Signal Wiring

mass-hole · **Posted:** Mon Jul 20, 2015 12:34 pm

I just got the new ARB on my '06 and since it seems like they have had a few iterations of these bumpers I could not find specifics from mine. So mine is the newer one that does not use the '05-'06 OEM fog lights. Instead it uses a light kit from ARB or a Toyota fog light. The Turn signals are LED ones that come with it, it does not use the OEM turns.

My Question:
How are the turn signals supposed to be wired in, there is no details on it in the manual it just says to connect to loom. Basically it came with the LED turn signals and a wiring loom that plugs into the back of those with a nice sealed connector. The other ends are just bare, pre-stripped wire. Are they supposed to be spliced into the factory wiring or is there supposed to be a connector that just plugs straight into the OEM signal harness?

It seems a bit half-assed honestly. The rectangular LED signals don't even fully fill the oval holes they sit in so there are some gaps.

Arkie · **Posted:** Mon Jul 20, 2015 12:47 pm

Sound like it's gonna be slice and splice.

Bob

mass-hole · **Posted:** Fri Jul 24, 2015 11:44 am

Ugh and now the darn LED lights they include dont have resistors so they flash really fast like the bulb is out.

KJ/toy · **Posted:** Fri Jul 24, 2015 2:34 pm

mass-hole wrote:

I just got the new ARB on my '06 and since it seems like they have had a few iterations of these bumpers I could not find specifics from mine. So mine is the newer one that does not use the '05-'06 OEM fog lights. Instead it uses a light kit from ARB or a Toyota fog light. The Turn signals are LED ones that come with it, it does not use the OEM turns.

My Question:
How are the turn signals supposed to be wired in, there is no details on it in the manual it just says to connect to loom. Basically it came with the LED turn signals and a wiring loom that plugs into the back of those with a nice sealed connector. The other ends are just bare, pre-stripped wire. Are they supposed to be spliced into the factory wiring or is there supposed to be a connector that just plugs straight into the OEM signal harness?

It seems a bit half-assed honestly. The rectangular LED signals don't even fully fill the oval holes they sit in so there are some gaps.

How did the wiring turn out????

mass-hole · **Posted:** Fri Jul 24, 2015 4:51 pm

KJ/toy wrote:

mass-hole wrote:

I just got the new ARB on my '06 and since it seems like they have had a few iterations of these bumpers I could not find specifics from mine. So mine is the newer one that does not use the '05-'06 OEM fog lights. Instead it uses a light kit from ARB or a Toyota fog light. The Turn signals are LED ones that come with it, it does not use the OEM turns.

My Question:
How are the turn signals supposed to be wired in, there is no details on it in the manual it just says to connect to loom. Basically it came with the LED turn signals and a wiring loom that plugs into the back of those with a nice sealed connector. The other ends are just bare, pre-stripped wire. Are they supposed to be spliced into the factory wiring or is there supposed to be a connector that just plugs straight into the OEM signal harness?

It seems a bit half-assed honestly. The rectangular LED signals don't even fully fill the oval holes they sit in so there are some gaps.

How did the wiring turn out????

Oh it was completely half assed. They give you some of those quick connectors that you squeeze with pliers and cut into the existing wire. I would really like to make a new harness to extend from the OE connector in the fender to the light but I have no idea where to find a new connector. I also dont know where to find the pins that are in the connectors so I can attach them to some new wire.

That and the fact that those LED's dont have a resistor built in to fake the flasher into thinking its a regular light makes it very annoying to wire this thing properly.

The other thing that ticks me off is if you read the manual on how to mount fog lights, they have you cut the H10 harness off the factory loom in the grill and just splice in some extra wire length with some generic connectors and reattach it at the other end. Come on, You can get a pair of 12" H10 extensions on Amazon for $6. When you are paying $1400+ shipped for this bumper you think they could make it feel a little more well thought out. The bumper itself is great, but it seems like a lot of this stuff was an afterthought.

John3:17 · **Posted:** Fri Jul 24, 2015 5:13 pm

Just use your wire stripper or a razor knife to make a slit in the covering of each wire to be used from the factory harness. Then you can pull the covering apart just a little on each wire. Wrap your new wire and solder in place then insulate appropriately. No need to cut off the connectors this way.

mass-hole · **Posted:** Fri Jul 24, 2015 6:05 pm

John3:17 wrote:

Just use your wire stripper or a razor knife to make a slit in the covering of each wire to be used from the factory harness. Then you can pull the covering apart just a little on each wire. Wrap your new wire and solder in place then insulate appropriately. No need to cut off the connectors this way.

I am actually going a slightly different direction though. I bought these: http://www.theretrofitsource.com/complete-headlight-fog-light-housings/morimoto-xb-led-fog-lights-type-t.html#.VbK19PlVhBc

They are LED Fogs that are meant to fit in most late model Toyotas/Lexus. ARB says that Toyota fog lights are a direct drop in to the ARB bumper and they even provide the necessary brackets. These use an H11 plug so I bought H10 extenders and a female H11 connector that I am going to swap onto the end so its entirely plug and play with nice weatherized connectors.

I was just complaining because I didnt like how they said to do it.

mass-hole · **Posted:** Mon Jul 27, 2015 7:36 pm

Update: I sent ARB an email about the blinkers and asked what they suggest to fix the fast blink issue explaining that I cannot swap out the flasher on the Liberty. Their suggestion was to send the older style incandescent bulb turn signals that used to come with the bumper, so I guess they dont really know what to do with the LED's.

flash7210 · **Posted:** Mon Jul 27, 2015 8:43 pm

LED turn signals need load resistors to work properly.
http://www.amazon.com/CUTEQUEEN-TRADING-Resistors-License-Cancellor/dp/B00GQ2TC14/ref=sr_1_2?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1438044080&sr=1-2&keywords=led+load+resistor

PALiftedKK · **Posted:** Mon Jul 27, 2015 9:02 pm

be careful with the resistors! look online for American made resistors if we make em... the last thing you'd want is a ticket for not turning on your turn signal when you did.

id recommend hooking up a regular incandescent bulb in series with the line. that way the light is the load and if it does burn out you still have your turn signal. just hide the bulb or aluminum foil tape them over.

tommudd · **Posted:** Tue Jul 28, 2015 9:48 am

I've been running resisters for over 5 years now with no issues at all
Why in the world would you go old style and wire in a incandescent light bulb when there are very simple ways to do it right?

John3:17 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 28, 2015 10:40 am

tommudd wrote:

I've been running resisters for over 5 years now with no issues at all
Why in the world would you go old style and wire in a incandescent light bulb when there are very simple ways to do it right?

X2^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

TwoBobsKJ · **Joined:** Fri May 11, 2012 8:03 pm **Posts:** 463

ARB changed the design for the '02 to '04 bumper to use the LED turn/parking lights and I gotta say I was pretty frustrated with the whole deal.

Their online instruction manual still shows the old style bumper that used the factory turn/parking light and the OEM fogs. But they have no instructions on how to wire the factory harness - which has 5 wires - to the new LED light they supply which has three wires. Now obviously the black is ground, but the other two...? And I'm not Einstein when it comes to electrical but as far as I can tell there is no way to wire the LEDs so the amber turn signal stays lit when the parking/headlights are turned on AND function as a turn signal. Called ARB tech support and they had no idea ("Um, I think you just go black-to-black and green-to-green...") except there is no "green" on the factory harness.

The kicker? I attempted to install my factory fogs and they don't fit. So ordered up a pair of ARB's to get the bloody thing finished.

Love the bumper - hate the lighting :banghead:

Bob

KJ/toy · **Posted:** Wed Jul 29, 2015 9:10 pm

So Bob, how did the colors on the wiring go? I'm in the beginning stages of installation myself. :juggle:

y2k_TA · **Joined:** Tue Sep 11, 2012 1:07 pm **Posts:** 85

I called arb to complain about the fogs not fitting and they shipped me arb fogs for free, plugged right in.

TwoBobsKJ · **Joined:** Fri May 11, 2012 8:03 pm **Posts:** 463

KJ/toy wrote:

So Bob, how did the colors on the wiring go? I'm in the beginning stages of installation myself. :juggle:

On the factory harness for the turn/parking light (at least on my '03 - I'm not sure if the wiring is the same on other years) there is a wire with a yellow stripe, an all black wire and a wire with a pink stripe. The left and right sides have different primary colors but the stripes are the same.

So the black (ground) goes to black on the LED light. The green wire from the LED goes to the pink striped wire from the OEM bundle for the turn/parking bulb (the amber bulb in the OEM fixture.) This OEM bulb has three leads from the primary harness. The ARB instructions call this the "indicator" wire.

The red wire from the LED goes to the yellow striped wire from the bundle that goes to the clearance light (the white bulb in the OEM fixture.) This OEM bulb has two leads from the primary harness. The ARB instructions call this the "parker" wire. There are two wires (ones with a pink stripe, one with a yellow stripe) that are not used.

I believe this is the way the LED fixture is supposed to be wired but I'm not totally satisfied. With it wired this way the white LED's turn on with the driving and headlights but the amber parking light does not light; the amber LED is only actuated with the turn signals.

If I've done this incorrectly I'd love to be schooled on the proper wiring layout. But as far as I can tell this is the only way to do it so the white LED functions as the driving light while the amber turn signal blinks but doesn't stay on with the driving lights. (And ARB tech support has no idea; I did call them back and tell them how I got it to work and the tech said he put my wiring scheme in their notes.)

Hope this helps you!

Bob

TwoBobsKJ · **Joined:** Fri May 11, 2012 8:03 pm **Posts:** 463

y2k_TA wrote:

I called arb to complain about the fogs not fitting and they shipped me arb fogs for free, plugged right in.

CRAP!

Guess I talked to the wrong person - I threw a fit on the phone and they knocked a few bucks off and free shipping. I'm thrilled with the fit and quality of the bumper itself but the electrical accessories... :evil:

Bob

John3:17 · **Posted:** Wed Jul 29, 2015 11:12 pm

TwoBobsKJ wrote:

KJ/toy wrote:

So Bob, how did the colors on the wiring go? I'm in the beginning stages of installation myself. :juggle:

On the factory harness for the turn/parking light (at least on my '03 - I'm not sure if the wiring is the same on other years) there is a wire with a yellow stripe, an all black wire and a wire with a pink stripe. The left and right sides have different primary colors but the stripes are the same.

So the black (ground) goes to black on the LED light. The green wire from the LED goes to the pink striped wire from the OEM bundle for the turn/parking bulb (the amber bulb in the OEM fixture.) This OEM bulb has three leads from the primary harness. The ARB instructions call this the "indicator" wire.

The red wire from the LED goes to the yellow striped wire from the bundle that goes to the clearance light (the white bulb in the OEM fixture.) This OEM bulb has two leads from the primary harness. The ARB instructions call this the "parker" wire. There are two wires (ones with a pink stripe, one with a yellow stripe) that are not used.

I believe this is the way the LED fixture is supposed to be wired but I'm not totally satisfied. With it wired this way the white LED's turn on with the driving and headlights but the amber parking light does not light; the amber LED is only actuated with the turn signals.

If I've done this incorrectly I'd love to be schooled on the proper wiring layout. But as far as I can tell this is the only way to do it so the white LED functions as the driving light while the amber turn signal blinks but doesn't stay on with the driving lights. (And ARB tech support has no idea; I did call them back and tell them how I got it to work and the tech said he put my wiring scheme in their notes.)

Hope this helps you!

Bob

The last led's I wired (not ARB) had a red a white and a black wire. The red was turn the black was parking lights and the white was ground. You might want to try this to see if it fixes your problem.

TwoBobsKJ · **Joined:** Fri May 11, 2012 8:03 pm **Posts:** 463

John3:17 wrote:

TwoBobsKJ wrote:

KJ/toy wrote:

So Bob, how did the colors on the wiring go? I'm in the beginning stages of installation myself. :juggle:

On the factory harness for the turn/parking light (at least on my '03 - I'm not sure if the wiring is the same on other years) there is a wire with a yellow stripe, an all black wire and a wire with a pink stripe. The left and right sides have different primary colors but the stripes are the same.

So the black (ground) goes to black on the LED light. The green wire from the LED goes to the pink striped wire from the OEM bundle for the turn/parking bulb (the amber bulb in the OEM fixture.) This OEM bulb has three leads from the primary harness. The ARB instructions call this the "indicator" wire.

The red wire from the LED goes to the yellow striped wire from the bundle that goes to the clearance light (the white bulb in the OEM fixture.) This OEM bulb has two leads from the primary harness. The ARB instructions call this the "parker" wire. There are two wires (ones with a pink stripe, one with a yellow stripe) that are not used.

I believe this is the way the LED fixture is supposed to be wired but I'm not totally satisfied. With it wired this way the white LED's turn on with the driving and headlights but the amber parking light does not light; the amber LED is only actuated with the turn signals.

If I've done this incorrectly I'd love to be schooled on the proper wiring layout. But as far as I can tell this is the only way to do it so the white LED functions as the driving light while the amber turn signal blinks but doesn't stay on with the driving lights. (And ARB tech support has no idea; I did call them back and tell them how I got it to work and the tech said he put my wiring scheme in their notes.)

Hope this helps you!

Bob

The last led's I wired (not ARB) had a red a white and a black wire. The red was turn the black was parking lights and the white was ground. You might want to try this to see if it fixes your problem.

Thanks John. Does your amber turn/running light come on with the driving lights and headlights? Or only when you activate the turn signals? That's what I'd like to fix.

Bob

John3:17 · **Posted:** Thu Jul 30, 2015 8:17 am

Thanks John. Does your amber turn/running light come on with the driving lights and headlights? Or only when you activate the turn signals? That's what I'd like to fix.

Bob[/quote]
They are on when you turn the lights on and flash brighter when you use the turn signal. You can either pull the light from the bumper and test it on your battery or just make yourself some long leads.

Question on ARB Turn Signal Wiring

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