mopar lightbar installation tips?

jerbacher · **Posted:** Sat Jan 05, 2008 2:50 am

good advice guys. i will take it to heart!

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Sat Jan 05, 2008 12:40 pm

Jeep Dawg wrote:

On a serious note

jerbacher

Make sure after you drill out your 7 holes or 8 , I forgot. Use a primer sprey paint or brush to cover the exposed sheet metal. If you don't it will rust up on you so fast.
Also, before you lay down the bottom base plate, I used alot of RVT sealant in the holes of all your nutzerts. This way when You bolt down you will squeez out sealant giving you a leak proof setting. This is alittle more work, BUT you won't get water in the bolt holes at all.

Excellent idea, I hate cancer and I hate leaks!

jerbacher · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2008 10:09 am

could someone take a look at these instructions?
http://colorado4wheel.com/manuals/Jeep/KJ/renegade_light_bar.pdf

If you take a look at steps #11 and #36, it appears that they have you putting a little LED in there. I have to assume this is the ON/OFF status light. BUT, i thought there was a light in the gauge cluster already? Whats the purpose of this little light? If theres already a light thats going to work in the cluster, I'm not installing that POS LED!! That will look like pooo!

WoodysKJ · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2008 10:54 am

I think that LED is for NON-Rene's. Renne's have the light in the cluster as part of the wiring harness. those who want this light bar and are not in a rene and have to wire it up from scratch are expected to use that little LED. Funny an iluminated swiitch would do the same thing and I would hope that a person could tell if they were on. Kind of the reason for having them, isn't it. I agree that the LED seams silly and would look like @#$%.

I would get an iluminated switch and use that.

jerbacher · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2008 10:56 am

I'm really surprised that they would use two different clusters just for that one light. I would think they would want to have less SKUs and just use the same cluster for both models. Oh well, I'll have to check out my cluster and see if its in there or not.

WoodysKJ · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2008 11:07 am

jerbacher wrote:

I'm really surprised that they would use two different clusters just for that one light. I would think they would want to have less SKUs and just use the same cluster for both models. Oh well, I'll have to check out my cluster and see if its in there or not.

Oh it is probrably there as part of the instrument cluster, or at least a space for it. I am not sure (so please chime in anybody who does) but the wiring harness located in the a-pilar is the key. IF you have it then you are prewired for the dash cluster light, just plug and play in the mud.

IF it isn't there then you will need to wire them just as any other aux lighting via a relay and hardwire to the battery thus being able to use an iluminated switch.

Like I said I could be mistaken. But i am sure i read that here somewhere. there is a difference between the Sport and Rene's in the wiring harness and the Alts. Pull the caps covering the torx screwin the Holly SH$T handle on the A-pilar, gently remove the a-pilar cover plastic and go from there. Should be a plug located down near the bottom of the a-pilar, close to the dash, IF it is prewired. If not then there are several different ways to wire these but all based upon a relay and hard wire to the battery. Take yout time, not a big deal, just a bit of a PITA to run wires.

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2008 11:08 am

if its not I would just forget about it due to you will or should know when they are on, will only have them on a night so you can see that they are on...etc etc etc. I wouldnt worry about it, if its in the dash fine if not .....I thought I had remembered one of the Aussie chaps installing one and theirs had the light in the dash, but thats been two / three years ago and my memory comes and goes these days. :roll:

jerbacher · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2008 11:10 am

WoodysKJ wrote:

jerbacher wrote:

I'm really surprised that they would use two different clusters just for that one light. I would think they would want to have less SKUs and just use the same cluster for both models. Oh well, I'll have to check out my cluster and see if its in there or not.

Oh it is probrably there as part of the instrument cluster, or at least a space for it. I am not sure (so please chime in anybody who does) but the wiring harness located in the a-pilar is the key. IF you have it then you are prewired for the dash cluster light, just plug and play in the mud.

IF it isn't there then you will need to wire them just as any other aux lighting via a relay and hardwire to the battery thus being able to use an iluminated switch.

Like I said I could be mistaken. But i am sure i read that here somewhere. there is a difference between the Sport and Rene's in the wiring harness and the Alts. Pull the caps covering the torx screwin the Holly SH$T handle on the A-pilar, gently remove the a-pilar cover plastic and go from there. Should be a plug located down near the bottom of the a-pilar, close to the dash, IF it is prewired. If not then there are several different ways to wire these but all based upon a relay and hard wire to the battery. Take yout time, not a big deal, just a bit of a PITA to run wires.

Yeah, I had the Holy poop handle off for installing my EVIC, but I cant remember if there was a harness in there or not...

Jeep4me99 · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2008 11:46 am

jerbacher wrote:

WoodysKJ wrote:

jerbacher wrote:

I'm really surprised that they would use two different clusters just for that one light. I would think they would want to have less SKUs and just use the same cluster for both models. Oh well, I'll have to check out my cluster and see if its in there or not.

Oh it is probrably there as part of the instrument cluster, or at least a space for it. I am not sure (so please chime in anybody who does) but the wiring harness located in the a-pilar is the key. IF you have it then you are prewired for the dash cluster light, just plug and play in the mud.

IF it isn't there then you will need to wire them just as any other aux lighting via a relay and hardwire to the battery thus being able to use an iluminated switch.

Like I said I could be mistaken. But i am sure i read that here somewhere. there is a difference between the Sport and Rene's in the wiring harness and the Alts. Pull the caps covering the torx screwin the Holly SH$T handle on the A-pilar, gently remove the a-pilar cover plastic and go from there. Should be a plug located down near the bottom of the a-pilar, close to the dash, IF it is prewired. If not then there are several different ways to wire these but all based upon a relay and hard wire to the battery. Take yout time, not a big deal, just a bit of a PITA to run wires.

Yeah, I had the Holy poop handle off for installing my EVIC, but I cant remember if there was a harness in there or not...

I think only the aussie kj's come with the connector so the cluster display will come on. For us you have to tap into the BCM i believe. I remember there was a write up on it somewhere, possibly on that "other" KJ board.

jerbacher · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2008 11:49 am

i thought i remembered someone wiring up some other aux lights to work with the light in the cluster. and i remember blake talking about doing that, but not sure if he did or not.

that "other" forum has more tech articles or "how to's" as they call it then this site does

EDIT
hey, i just found a couple threads over there
this one talks about how to get the light to work (confusing cause i dont know much about automotive electronics)
http://www.jeepkj.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33122

this is the one where that guy from Australia talks about finding the harness in the a-pillar
http://www.jeepkj.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28870&highlight=light+bar

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2008 1:23 pm

interesting articles, I am going to walk up the street this afternoon and talk to the old retired Jeep employee to see what he remembers about different wiring...hopefully before he makes too many trips over to the carry out :wink:

What year did they start offering the light bar by the way?

jerbacher · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2008 1:28 pm

tommudd wrote:

What year did they start offering the light bar by the way?

im pretty sure that the renegade with light bar was there from the beginning

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2008 1:37 pm

mmmm my 2002 Service Manual doesnt show the lights or even the indicator light on the dash ?? No mention of it, have to go out to the garage later and pull out the 2004 manual....long ways out to the garage ya know Jon!! :lol:

jerbacher · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2008 1:39 pm

tommudd wrote:

mmmm my 2002 Service Manual doesnt show the lights or even the indicator light on the dash ?? No mention of it, have to go out to the garage later and pull out the 2004 manual....long ways out to the garage ya know Jon!! :lol:

hey man, i understand. theres "outside" in between you and garage right now! and its not warm!

WoodysKJ · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2008 1:50 pm

The 2004 FSm shows the Rene Light Bar and all its parts. So at least it was an option in 04. Anybody got an 03 FSM?

EDIT: I just pulled up the 2002 parts list and it shows the Rene Light Bar and all the parts for the 2002 model. Fig. 8-1115

Sure it's not in the 2002 FSM? Try looking in section 008-1100 of the electrical section.

jerbacher · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2008 1:52 pm

i just took a look at the pdf i have of the parts list for 02 and it lists the light bar in there.

http://colorado4wheel.com/manuals/Jeep/KJ/02kj_PARTS_FICHE.pdf
pg. 136

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:01 pm

I was just looking in the regular Jeep Liberty Service manual, ( yes a real one from a Jeep dealership that went out of business) you know one of those books like real mechanics used to use before all this electronic stuff came out :roll:

jerbacher · **Posted:** Sun Jan 13, 2008 7:26 pm

All done! Everything went very smoothly and I'm really happy with it! Thanks everyone for the tips!

Jeep Dawg · **Posted:** Sun Jan 13, 2008 7:48 pm

Looks really nice man.

it was pretty easy after you drilled the 1st hole rite?
Just time worthy form start to finish.

the wiring was prety easy once you under stood the instructions.

tommudd · **Posted:** Sun Jan 13, 2008 7:56 pm

Looks great Jon, so did you have fun drilling those holes? :lol:

So all the wiring worked out for you with no problems?

Appears your weekend was more successful than mine was!

Oh now that Jeep really is yours! :wink:

Tom

mopar lightbar installation tips?

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