So, I successfully replaced the passenger side low-beam harness due to melting, but the driver side I seem to have pulled a little too hard in my frustration and now the main harness is damaged. By main harness I am referring to the the harness that houses all the wires, not simply the low beam.

Any suggestions on a quick or permanent work around? Maybe an aftermarket always on direct to battery or something of the like... Thanks in advance for you input.

If it was not clear from the post title:
2004 X-type AWD. Love this car, besides the light issue. Stick is great fun to drive.

 

Wow... Each headlight assembly is connected with a main wire harness plug that connects between high beam and low beam/turn signal. Now on the inside of the headlight from the wire harness breakout point it goes to all the lights on the inside.

Those are hard enough to disconnect from light assembly and you were working on the other side and pulled driver side too tight. If you can pull driver side plug out test them for voltage. you can wire directly but there is an issue with water and shorting out but i can help you if damage was that severe.

 

Hi XTC - No voltage I checked. Would enjoy a DIY work around if only temporary, in order to get the inspection sticker, and then I can bu myself time to rewire or find a perms solution.

BTW - The harness from JAG or OEM is $135, but really not needed since only 1 light is non-functional.

Thanks for tutorial!
_______________
JS
2004 X-Type 2.5; 5 spd manual

 

Each headlight has its own fuse under hood. make sure fuse did not blow while working on other light. one day while fixing one light i blew 4 fuses.

 

The wire are color coded and will be same color for both sides. i think only one wire connects low beam and its grounded once u clamp light down. just search for that wire splice into it and connect it to pre existing connector and if u have to splice into otherside temp and increase fuse because it can't handle load.

 

fuses are in good shape. replaced f4 & f5 just because.

 

XTC - wires coming in (6)are different colors and diameters than wires going and Yellow to the Low beam. I'll play a guessing game with it later to see which one works...unless you have access to wiring diagram and know in advance. Any suggestion on what to step the fuse upto?

Thanks, appreciate your input!

 

let me check, guessing can blow a lot of fuses.

 

1. Disconnect main plug from headlight assembly
2. Take a wire and plug it up to the - cable on battery that will reach pins
3. Take a wire and plug it up to the + cable on battery that will reach pins
4. The - wire will connect to pin 9
5. The + wire will connect to 6, 8 and 10. Test each one to see what lights up
6. Look numbering on plug and match it to numbering on pins

Wire colors from testing


This is what i mean by connect wires to battery.


Match these numbers on the plug to pins on the headlight assembly. See how the wires on plug are color coded. This should match on both sides.


This is the pins on the headlight assembly. By testing it this way you will not blow out any fuses because power coming directly from battery.



Now you can either trace that defective wire back to the break or replace it all together splicing it into plug connector or if it's just an emergence splice from opposite side headlamp wire by using testing method and run a new cable and use splice connectors to keep from being to messy.

 

Josh, do all the lights (low beams, high beams, turn signals, parking lights) now not work or are some still working with the damaged wiring?

If you're looking for just a simple workaround for the low beams (assuming you have non-HID bulbs currently) you could upgrade to HIDs and get a relay. The relay only attaches to one side of the stock wiring (you would attach it to your good passenger side) and to the battery. It then connects to both ballasts.

I would say that as long as everything else is working, you could probably do an HID conversion on your low beams for half the cost of that wiring harness