[Bradkamin]

What did you use for the fog lights?

 

[106721]

Thank you for the info

Thank you Justin for the info. Great detail

 

[xr4tiboi]

How much whiter are the 6000k's over the factory 4300's I find the HID's are a little more yellow compared to my friends Lexus HID's?

Is it worth it to go to the 6000's?

 

[Pinky]

^^^What he said, and also has anyone had any success with LED foglight replacements instead of HID replacements?

 

[Gryffindor101]

^^^What he said, and also has anyone had any success with LED foglight replacements instead of HID replacements?

Please check out these existing threads on foglight LED upgrades. Post anymore questions you may have in one of the existing threads. There are probably more threads if you do a search.

http://www.fordescape.org/forum/electronics-audio-lighting/63354-fog-light-license-plate-upgrade.html

http://www.fordescape.org/forum/electronics-audio-lighting/39994-fog-light-replacement-w-led-diy-have-pro-do.html

http://www.fordescape.org/forum/electronics-audio-lighting/1105-foglight-bulb-replacement.html

 

[Foxbat]

Thank you, @socal_jayo, for the clear pictures of the inside of the HID assembly. I was able to use my iFixit kit with Torx #10 bit to reach into the recess and a little magnet inside my disposable nitrile glove to hold on to the screw after it came lose. I then used the suggestion of taping the screw onto the Torx bit so it wouldn't come loose. Like @redrumkilla, I did not remove the headlight assembly.

Back Story: I noticed that my one headlight flickered the other night driving home from work. When I got home, I saw that the passenger side low beam HID was out. Since I had an appointment in the morning near the dealership, I thought I would go in afterward and see what they thought. I'll cut to the chase: $1,300 to replace both, since the bumper has to come off, so you might as well replace both while you're at it. And, well, we don't have the parts, so you'll need to wait an extra day.

Back home, I check here and find this thread. (I also found many, many other threads about people upgrading their halogens to Xenon HID, not what I was looking for.) Unfortunately, I spent two hours trying to remove the bumper since that seemed to give better access to the third Torx #30 bit underneath the passenger-side headlight assembly due to the horns. When I got to the point of realizing the wheel well liner needed to come out, I was in over my head. I was able to put everything back together. I then looked at the innards of the HID access bay and figured as long as I'm very, very careful, I can remove the screws and pull out the HID bulb.

At this point I was more interested in getting the bulb out and not taking pictures. When I was able to extract the bulb, I found the bulb had exploded (photo 1)(yeah, I can see why I had no light!) The HID cup also showed signs of the bulb blowing out (photo 2). It remains to be seen if this extends to the rest of the enclosure.

Here's the new Philips D3S bulb (I went with the stock 4,300˚ K color temperature) mounted without being plugged in (photo 3).

I tried to plug the bulb in before mounting, but I was unable to maneuver the bulb into the housing with the plug connected. It was easier to do so after I got it in.

At this point after I buttoned everything up, I tried my headlights and the new bulb lit right up! Time for the Driver's side...
Putting a little light on the subject:

The OEM OSCRAM DS3 Ignitor and Bulb inside the HID bay:

The OSRAM OEM HID bulb out and the mounting bracket being removed:

What the HID bay looks like when the bulb doesn't explode:

And the after photo:

 

[fordes2013]

A nice post! it was a great help.

 

[wxviewer]

D3S Headlight replacement without bumper removal

I apologize now if I don't present this in the appropriate manner...

2013 Ford Escape Titanium
206k miles...Passenger side HID D3S headlight fizzing out.

I decided to go ahead and do my much needed D3S HID bulb replacement today as the passenger side headlight would only last about 5-10 minutes in the illuminated state, at which time I would power cycle the lights to get another round of 5-10 minutes...and so on, and so on...

So that being said, I went with the difficult "replace the bulb without pulling the front end off" option.

I used a T-10 torx screwdriver(from Harbor Freight), latex glove, a dental mirror, Magnet(the kind you fish screws, nuts, bolts outta areas ya can't reach, hand flashlight(Harbor Freight) needle nose pliers(I wish they were the long tipped ones but oh well) and electrical tape.

Now 1st off, i recommend a LOOSELY fitting T-10 torx screw driver and I will tell you why. But one thing I learned the hard way.....Disconnect the power connecter to the bulb first. I bent the crap out of the metal clip that snaps and locks the connector into the bottom of the bulb.

So why the loose fitting T-10? because once I back the screw out of the housing far enough to know its out, you when you feel the screw click back into the threads again, turning some more and it does it again, and again......
Well at this point, the screw remains in the mounting clip of the bulb. Which is perfect. I then use the extension magnet to grab the screw out of the bulb mount.

The dental mirror is awesome for find the screw that is closest to the outer side of the bulb.
Again, same procedure for that screw as well.

With that, the bulb is out and you swap the bulb bracket from old to new and carefully reinsert the new bulb.

Now this is where the electrical tape comes into play. 1 inch piece of tape, poke a whole in the middle of it and run the torx screw thru the tape so that the sticky side of the tape is facing the head of the screw. then place the screw on the screwdriver and wrap the tape on the screw driver.
The screw is now securely attached to the screw driver.
I had absolutely NO PROBLEM using this method to run the screw thru the bracket and into the mounting threaded hole.
Once tight, I just pull the screw driver off of the screw, and if the tape sticks to the screw hear, I just reach in and pull it off.

Then plug the power back into the bottom of the bulb, run a quick test and we're good.

The ONLY problem I had was with the power connecter. When they say PRY, they mean PRY!
I know I may have a problem down the road with the connector possibly sliding off the bulb (or not) but I will cross that bridge if and when it happens.

For some reason, this post will not allow me to attach pictures.

I hope this helps someone out there. Total time to work thru it was about 30 minutes. When I do the other side I am sure it will go even quicker.

Granted I am taking a chance with the part on removing the T-10 screw from the headlight but I gave it a shot and made it work.

Thank you all for your prior input, this is an amazing Forum! I couldnt get half the things done without you guys! (and gals)

Bob

 

[Jmont42]

Disclaimer: I am not an expert on your car. I am providing this "how-to" solely as a contributing member on this board and cannot guarantee your results nor do I accept any responsibility for improperly following my procedures or resulting in broken parts. The outlining steps herein are based only on my personal experience in the matter. Perform this procedure at your own risk.

Now, contrary to popular belief, the factory D3S HID bulbs DO NOT twist out clockwise or counterclockwise. Let's just put that to rest right now. Instead, the bulbs are attached to a bracket and two (2) T10 torx/star key screws hold them on to the headlight assembly.

Here are the required/recommended tools:

In order to provide the best "how-to" possible, I removed the headlight assemblies to get a better look.

Here are the locations of the screws that need to be removed in order to take the headlight assembly off:

Engine bay; Top view, Passenger side:

Engine bay, Top view, Passenger side, close-up front:

The lower T30 headlight screws are a PITA to access and remove. You have to jack up the vehicle, remove the wheels, remove the wheel well liner, and maneuver the 1/4" drive ratchet with the bit holder and T30 bit into very tight quarters. There's maybe 4" between the head of the screw and the fender. Once I 'broke the screw loose' with the ratchet and T30 bit, I used a dime (10 cent piece) to undo it the rest of the way (yes, there's a slot in the screw head, too)... took about 20 minutes to remove the passenger side (horns take up space), and 10 minutes on the driver side:

Exercise care when removing the headlight assembly. Unplug the main wiring harness and the amber side marker. Pay special attention to the plastic brackets/flaps and areas near the grille and bumper. There is also a groove on the bottom front of the headlight assembly that the bumper fastens into. Gently and patiently wiggling it away from its fastening points will save you frustration and broken parts.

Once the headlight assembly is removed, this is what it looks like when viewing into the low-beam housing (in the picture below, I have already removed one of the T10 screws):

Remove the two T10 torx screws and unplug the HID light harness/plug (I used a small telescopic magnet to ensure I didn't drop the screws into the housing. and I used a small flat head screwdriver to 'pry' the plug off of the light) :

Here is a side-by-side comparison of the factory D3S light assembly (left) and the aftermarket one I'm installing (right). Note the bracket on the factory assembly that needs to be transferred to the new one. The bracket slides off in one direction making it easy to transfer. Installing the bracket on the new one is simply performed by orientating it in the same direction/location as it was on the original light, and lining up a notch in the bracket:

Next, re-install everything in reverse order (don't forget to plug the wiring harness back into the headlight assembly) and test operation before finalizing - you don't want to get everything reassembled and off the jacks before realizing your install didn't succeed

Here are the after shots:

Daytime, taken in the garage:

Night shot; low-beams only:

Night shot; low-beams and fogs:

I'll conclude that it may be possible to perform this procedure without removing the headlight assemblies - at least, now that we all know what's involved - but it had to be done in this case for that determination. In the future, I don't think I'd risk dropping one of those little T10 screws or fussing with the D3S harness/plug - especially since you can't see what you're doing without the headlight assembly removed.

-Cheers!

As others have accomplished, I was able to do it without removing the headlight assembly. Key points. I used a 4 inch mirror that I bought at the dollar store so that I could look into the opening without being a contortionist. Next and most important I bought a set of torx magnetic screwdrivers at Harbor Freight for $7.99 While my better half shined a light into the opening, I looked at the screws in the mirror and was able to get the Torx in and remove both screws without incident. I cannot imagine doing it without a magnetic tip. At this point, it would be easiest to disconnect the harness so that the whole assembly could come straight out. However, because it was not clear to me how to release the harness, I wiggled it back and forth and pulled up on the harness and was able to get the whole thing out into the open which enabled me to see two important things. The metal casing around the male insertion on the harness can be unsnapped and opened up allowing me to see that there is a small square hole in the headlamp that if you push in on with a jewelers screwdriver the harness comes right off. I ordered the OEM Osram brand light on Amazon for $55. I'll take some pictures and attach them when I put the new lamp in. Hope that helps someone and shame on Ford for turning a simple maintenance task into such a project!!!

 

[Trennolds93]

Disclaimer: I am not an expert on your car. I am providing this "how-to" solely as a contributing member on this board and cannot guarantee your results nor do I accept any responsibility for improperly following my procedures or resulting in broken parts. The outlining steps herein are based only on my personal experience in the matter. Perform this procedure at your own risk.

Now, contrary to popular belief, the factory D3S HID bulbs DO NOT twist out clockwise or counterclockwise. Let's just put that to rest right now. Instead, the bulbs are attached to a bracket and two (2) T10 torx/star key screws hold them on to the headlight assembly.

Here are the required/recommended tools:

In order to provide the best "how-to" possible, I removed the headlight assemblies to get a better look.

Here are the locations of the screws that need to be removed in order to take the headlight assembly off:

Engine bay; Top view, Passenger side:

Engine bay, Top view, Passenger side, close-up front:

The lower T30 headlight screws are a PITA to access and remove. You have to jack up the vehicle, remove the wheels, remove the wheel well liner, and maneuver the 1/4" drive ratchet with the bit holder and T30 bit into very tight quarters. There's maybe 4" between the head of the screw and the fender. Once I 'broke the screw loose' with the ratchet and T30 bit, I used a dime (10 cent piece) to undo it the rest of the way (yes, there's a slot in the screw head, too)... took about 20 minutes to remove the passenger side (horns take up space), and 10 minutes on the driver side:

Exercise care when removing the headlight assembly. Unplug the main wiring harness and the amber side marker. Pay special attention to the plastic brackets/flaps and areas near the grille and bumper. There is also a groove on the bottom front of the headlight assembly that the bumper fastens into. Gently and patiently wiggling it away from its fastening points will save you frustration and broken parts.

Once the headlight assembly is removed, this is what it looks like when viewing into the low-beam housing (in the picture below, I have already removed one of the T10 screws):

Remove the two T10 torx screws and unplug the HID light harness/plug (I used a small telescopic magnet to ensure I didn't drop the screws into the housing. and I used a small flat head screwdriver to 'pry' the plug off of the light) :

Here is a side-by-side comparison of the factory D3S light assembly (left) and the aftermarket one I'm installing (right). Note the bracket on the factory assembly that needs to be transferred to the new one. The bracket slides off in one direction making it easy to transfer. Installing the bracket on the new one is simply performed by orientating it in the same direction/location as it was on the original light, and lining up a notch in the bracket:

Next, re-install everything in reverse order (don't forget to plug the wiring harness back into the headlight assembly) and test operation before finalizing - you don't want to get everything reassembled and off the jacks before realizing your install didn't succeed

Here are the after shots:

Daytime, taken in the garage:

Night shot; low-beams only:

Night shot; low-beams and fogs:

I'll conclude that it may be possible to perform this procedure without removing the headlight assemblies - at least, now that we all know what's involved - but it had to be done in this case for that determination. In the future, I don't think I'd risk dropping one of those little T10 screws or fussing with the D3S harness/plug - especially since you can't see what you're doing without the headlight assembly removed.

-Cheers!

I'm new here and was just wondering why I can't see the attached pictures

 

[Jmont42]

I'm new here and was just wondering why I can't see the attached pictures

I don't know why the photos on the original post are not visible, maybe they time out after a few years? That post is from 2013. The photos that Foxbat posted are very helpful. They are on page 2 of this thread. If you read all of the posts including my own, I'm confident that you can do the job without removing the whole assembly. The magnetic torx screwdriver makes it very doable...good luck

 

[grg80]

Has anyone had success changing out the HID bulbs on '17+ models? I've been considering changing mine out because they just seem a bit dim to me, so I went out to have a look at mine and get an idea of the challenge involved and was surprised to see that they appear to be a completely different animal than what's been previously shown in this thread. From what I can tell, there seems to be a horseshoe clip that goes around the top of the bulb with two tabs on the side that once removed would allow the bulb to be pulled out. I've attached a picture for reference. Any thoughts or suggestions? On the bright side, it appears to be a much easier process that the '13-'16's.

 

[Gryffindor101]

I'm new here and was just wondering why I can't see the attached pictures

These pictures where most likely hosted on a picture hosting site. I think it was photo bucket. They used to have a free plan that some members posted from. The free plan ended, which caused the pictures to be unavailable. It is up to each member to move their pictures to either this forum or another hosting site.

 

[notchjonsn]

What happens when you drop a screw in the engine bay putting it back together, where can you get a replacement screw?