jpark

Even stranger is that the MKX uses the dimmable instrument lighting circuit to light the power window, lock, and Vista Roof switches, not an on-off power circuit. [shrug]

Ford has been known to change things mid-year. Ford's wiring diagrams for 2008 models show a blue wire on Pin 1 of the auto-dimming mirror, and it's the Accessory Delay feed. The wiring diagrams for 2007 models show a blue with orange stripe wire on Pin 1. My guess is that you have a very early-production 2008. Do your Vista Roof switch LEDs shut off when you shut off the engine? If so, it has the harness from a 2007 model. The 2008 harness would keep the LEDs on with the audio system and the power window and lock switches.

Again, I wish I had read this sooner, since I have all of Ford's wiring diagrams from 2004 right up to the Flex, and I could have saved you from having to test wiring. The wire you tapped into on your mirror was only for the 2007 models, and it's actually a blue with orange stripe wire, which goes to Pin 1 of the mirror connector (C911). That wire is powered by fuse F31, and it's +12V only in the start or run positions. That wire will work fine to light the LEDs in the Vista Roof connector. And I'm not sure why the grounds for the LEDs and controls inside the Vista Roof switch are separated, but they are. That's why Pin 1 can be tied directly to the other ground (Pin 14, in the opposite corner, also a black wire) on the same connector. Pin 2 is the +12V end. Pins 1 and 2 can't be swapped, since LEDs are polarity-sensitive. I wanted my Vista Roof switch LEDs to light at the same time as the power window and lock switches, which are lighted by the Accessory Delay feed, so that's why I ran the extra wire alongside the headliner harness to the A-pillar. I wouldn't have needed to do that on a 2008 or 2009 model. Ford changed that interior mirror connector on 2008 models by replacing that blue with orange stripe wire with the same blue wire that I tied into, but it now runs over to the mirror as well. Now that mirror circuit is tied to the the Accessory Delay feed, and not a Start/Run feed. If you have a 2008 or 2009 Edge/MKX with an auto-dimming mirror, it will continue to auto-dim as long as the Accessory Delay feed is still on. SO, if you try this mod on a 2008 or 2009 Edge, you can still use that blue wire on Pin 1 of the interior mirror connector, but it will continue to light the LEDs as long as the Accessory Delay circuit runs, and they'll behave just like the power window and lock switches.

I wish I had seen this sooner. I could have saved everyone a lot of trouble. There's a solid blue wire in the harness that runs up the driver-side A-pillar. That's the Accessory Delay feed, and it also powers the lighting for the power window and lock controls, so it's the most logical (and easiest) wire to tap into. It's also 100% consistent with Ford's factory wiring. I started my own Edge forum and put up a complete thread on how to change this. I've also changed all of the LEDs in my Edge's interior, cluster, and exterior keypad. The only thing left for me to change is the shift bezel lighting. Anyway, here's the thread for the Vista Roof switch, and I still have five pairs of extra pins remaining: http://www.edge-central.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=19 I'll add threads for the rest of the LED swaps, including the factory nav unit, on my Edge site. The cluster was the most complicated, and it involved three new circuit boards.

Something that thick (at least from the way it looked in the pictures) was folded in half in the box? I was waiting to see how other people liked this bumper saver versus Ford's accessory bumper save. I guess I'm glad I didn't buy the non-Ford one.

Fords don't use flashers anymore. Almost all exterior lamps are now controlled by solid-state devices in the Smart Junction Box. The clicking sound is produced by a relay in the instrument cluster, or, on some Fords, it's produced electronically by the chime unit.

If I had the time right now, I'd buy a pair of current Edge tail lamps, and a pair of 2007 Escape tail lamps, remove only the brake-lamp reflector portion of each Edge tail lamp, and replace it with the brake and turn reflectors and lenses from the Escape lamps. The Edge's tail lamps are already split into two "quadrants" in the brake lamp area. I'd also use high-side FETs and a logic circuit on each side to drive them, using only logic inputs from the high-mounted rear brake lamp, and from the front turn signals. The front turn signals would then require parallel resistors to stop the high flash rate (unless the SPDJB could be reprogrammed). IMHO, all cars should have amber rear signals and fender repeaters, and the Edge's current tail lamps have a few problems that bother me: 1) the fact that the entire lens area isn't red makes the lights far less visible from behind in bright sunlight (it washes out the red inside the clear reflectors) 2) those tiny red cups aren't very red (they project more of a red-orange color) 3) the industry's new habit of using #921 bulbs (21CP) for reverse lamps, rather than the former #3156 bulbs (32CP) or #3456 (40CP) bulbs, renders the reverse lamps more-or-less useless for illumination---they're more like reverse indicators now, especially since they're on the TOP of the lamp assemblies instead of on the bottom Just my .02, and I wish I could get the US and Canada to mandate amber rear signals (like the rest of the world).

Same here. I have a fully-loaded SEL +, and reverse sensing is listed on the sticker as an option.

I bought the chrome-insert versions from Sportwing. The paint match was perfect, and they look great.

Thanks. Again, I wasn't trying to be confrontational, and I appreciate the info!

Yes, and fairly easily.

Thanks. I hope you can see that simply plugging something into my car is more than a little risky when the part that controls your product costs over $800 to replace if it's damaged. When someone makes a claim that the parts are the same as those used by Lexus or Infiniti, they should be able to back up that claim, and they should know what they're selling.

I don't want to sound confrontational, but I always hear claims like this ("same as Lexus and Infiniti"), then I find that they're made in China, aren't anything like the claims, or are actually worth about $10. Also, I want to make it very clear that the Edge uses solid-state devices to drive the factory low-beams. I'm not as concerned with claims about your ballast's reliability as I am with your ballast's ability to operate without harming my Edge's driver circuits. The Edge's low-beams outputs are PWM 12V, which means PULSED, even on full (non-DRL) brightness. Damage to the low-beam drivers means that the entire Smart Junction Box would have to be replaced. If your claims are true, here's what I'd like to see, especially at this price point: 1) All electrical specifications, such as inrush current, operating current, and any inductive specifications. Just because something is labelled as "digital," it does not necessarily mean that it's still not an inductive rather than a resistive load to the low-beam drive circuits. 2) Detailed pictures of the lamps and ballasts. I want to see bar codes, all lettering and markings, and anything else that will allow me to research these things for myself rather than taking claims as facts. 3) Your position on damage to driver circuits, if caused by your ballasts. I went through claims like these with several vendors of blue-coated (non-HID) H11 bulbs three years ago when I was looking for SilverStar-type bulbs (since Sylvania still strangely refuses to manufacture H11 SilverStars). Several "Made In Japan" brands turned out to be absolute junk, and they were actually made in China or Korea. So I'd like some factual information, if possible. I'm sorry if I sound cynical, but for every decent vendor, there are 100 sleezy ones selling low-quality junk. Thanks.

I'd agree that they at least sound like they know what they're talking about.

Yup! (800) 270-7531, and ask for Ken. Their site is acting kinda funky today, too...

The problem is that the Edge's low-beam headlamp outputs are specifically designed for resistive loads (like halogen bulbs) and not inductive loads (like ballasts and relays). The low-beam outputs are actually computer-controlled PULSED outputs, not continuous +12V, and they're controlled by solid-state devices called high-side FETs, not relays or switches. Ford did this to optimize bulb life and to make DRLs easier and more efficient to implement. If you hook up relays to the Edge's low-beam outputs, you'd better protect them with shunt diodes, or the inductive load from a relay coil could destroy the FETs. Since the FETs are permanently mounted in the Smart Junction Box (which controls almost all of the Edge's electrical system), destroying those FETs means that your entire Smart Junction Box would need to be replaced. That's $$$, and I doubt Ford would do it under warranty if they knew it was because of an HID installation attempt. Even with shunt-protected relays, the pulsed outputs may result in relay chatter. I was going to try to find the part numbers for the MKZ's HID relays, which seem to include both shunt diodes and load resistors (to prevent burned-out headlamp warnings), since I was going to try an HID installation myself, but I'm having second thoughts now that I know how the low-beam outputs are controlled. Just an FYI. I just thought I'd warn you that the low-beam outputs are actually very sophisticated, not just switched-on 12V sources, and they aren't something to take lightly.

Nope, the part number is correct. Ken told me that it hasn't been updated on the site's database yet. Their February database update will include it. You can call them (I know, last-century-technology), and ask for Ken in parts. He can add it to your order. I'll take pictures of my install when I find the time (and warm enough weather) to do it.

Here's a diagram. This is even easier than I thought, since you don't need to remove the door panels. 1) Remove the plastic plug (4) inside the side of the door. 2) Loosen the Torx-head screw (3). 3) Carefully pull the bezel (1) away from the door. 4) Carefully angle the handle (2) away from the door, then slide the front of the handle out of the slot. To install, just reverse the procedure. I got those prices from Titus-Will Ford Parts. There are several other places to order Ford parts as well, such as Direct Parts Connection and World Parts Express. But Titus-Will has its own parts link to newer part numbers, though, and Ken is just about the most informed Ford parts guy around.

It turns out that the MKZ's low-beam output is NOT pulsed. Using the MKZ's relays on the Edge's low-beam output MAY cause the relays to buzz or chatter, but at least they won't fry anything.

Ken at Titus-Will just gave me the pricing for the one bezel, so here are his prices: 8A8Z-74218A14-AA (chrome bezel with key hole, 11.86 each, 1 needed) 8A8Z-74218B08-AA (chrome bezel without key hole, 7.93 each, 3 needed) 8A8Z-7422404-AA (chrome door handle, 27.18 each, 4 needed) 144.37 plus shipping.

2007 SEL + = 2008 Limited, practically identical It's my little secret. :D

Here are the part numbers for the chrome skull caps from the MKX. 7T4Z-17D742-C (right side) 7T4Z-17D743-C (left side)

I have pricing on everything except the driver-side bezel (the smaller part with the keyhole). I'll list them when I get all of the prices (which will probably be after I order them). I was also going to order a "Limited" emblem for mine, and the total was around $150 for all of those parts, for now. Nice Edge! Too bad this site doesn't have the user base of E-C!

Update: I looked at the wiring diagrams for the MKZ. The MKZ's SPDJB outputs control both the halogen low-beams (on non-HID models) and a set of relays (on HID-equipped models). If those MKZ outputs have the same specs as the outputs on the Edge's SPDJB, I'm going to buy those Ford factory relays and use them to switch the HID ballasts. I'm waiting for a reply from a Ford engineer to see if the outputs are the same. Just protectin' my SPDJB.

Since the DRL option is something any Ford dealer can turn on with a simple reprogram of the SJB, an accidental DRL signal could cause the SJB to have an accident. DOH!