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Installing LPA HID Tower Lights


MalibuTime

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Finally installing the HIDs from the group buy. A few helpful hints if you haven't tackled this yet, and a question on adjusting.

First - a few things I found that might be helpful-

The 2008s are wired with all of the wiring for the ligths down the drivers side tower leg, and the speakers down the observers side. There are 4 wire sets, one set each for the tower leg right, tower top (underside) right, tower top left, tower leg left. Each location has two light mounting locations connected to a single wire (hence 4 sets)

The little plastic things that cap the wires and hold the knots on have to come out to mount the lights. I wasn't sure about these until I popped one out and found it is cup shaped, so you cannot pass the backing bar throught it.

When you mount the lights, you slide the backing " bar" into the hole first and then need to thread the ligtht post into it - this is a major hassle, the bar is loose so you have to secure it through the little hole to be able to start threading. Affter spending a lot of time doing it the first time with the suggested u-shaped wire, I found what amounts to some very large tweezers (medical instrument - can't think of the name, but it is like a very fine needle nose plier) and was able to grab them and start threading. FWIT - I saw a similar tool at Frys today. Needle nose pliers are too large to get into the hole along with the mounting post. Being able to grab the backing bar in a secure fashion helped considerably.

On the '08s the fuse block has a large positive and negative terminal, which is a handy place to pull power from. Also, on the wire bundle coming from the right side switch panel are two small wires, which I have been told are the two wires for front and rear tower lights when you activate those on the switch panel, in order to control the power to the ligths from the LCD.

Question - I have a quesiton on adjusting - the backing bar cannot be grabbed once the post of the light is screwed in most of the way, and doesn't seem inclined to stay in one position, even when pulling out to apply force to hold it in place against the tower. So the problem that I am having is getting the lights lined up correcly when everything gets tight. It is hit or miss if they tightend where I want, and they get tight relatively quick. It feels like if I try to force them around something is going to bend or break.

I will call LPA Monday, but if you have any experienece with this what have you done?

As a side note, there are no bushings supplied. They were crossed off of the parts list on the instruction sheet.

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Sounds almost like a thin jam nut would work. All you would have to is JB weld the backing bar into place, screw in the light and then tighten the Jam nut when in position. I know when we put in Woody's it was a hit or miss.

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Sounds almost like a thin jam nut would work. All you would have to is JB weld the backing bar into place, screw in the light and then tighten the Jam nut when in position. I know when we put in Woody's it was a hit or miss.

Thanks for the suggestion. Called Jeremiah today and basically said doing so many that they get a feel for it- just keep adjusting and re-tightening) At this point, I will just try the keep adjusting until it is right method since I don't want to cut the wires. I tend to solder everything, so I skipped the crimp-fits. That is a good idea thougth. Maybe if I get motivated No.gif I''ll re-do them.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just an update - Install finished, last bit adjusting the lights. I have not gone and installed a locking nut as D-Goose suggested (would have to go back and snip/reconnect wires), but if it becomes too much of a PITA to get them adjusted just right I may do that.

A couple of items to add:

The two wires that come out of the loom for wiring the relay to the Malibu LCD switch are white, and white w/black stripe.

They are ground switched - that is instead of running a +12v switched source to your relay to trip the relay, you run 12v to the relay and grounding that circuit (via the LCD switch) completes the circuit, tripping your load circuit (I am sure this is old hat for you guys that do installs a bunch) but I didn't know the Malibu wires were ground switched. I have never done that, so I also threw a 1 amp fuse (I will probably see if I can go to .25 or 1/2 amp on that) on the feed for that since I didn't like the idea of feeding 12v to my LCD without some fused protection.

Programming the LCD was very simple (per instructions posted somewhere around here). There is a front, rear, both and off setting, so you have to toggle through them all, even if you just have lights one direction.

Finally installing the HIDs from the group buy. A few helpful hints if you haven't tackled this yet, and a question on adjusting.

First - a few things I found that might be helpful-

The 2008s are wired with all of the wiring for the ligths down the drivers side tower leg, and the speakers down the observers side. There are 4 wire sets, one set each for the tower leg right, tower top (underside) right, tower top left, tower leg left. Each location has two light mounting locations connected to a single wire (hence 4 sets)

The little plastic things that cap the wires and hold the knots on have to come out to mount the lights. I wasn't sure about these until I popped one out and found it is cup shaped, so you cannot pass the backing bar throught it.

When you mount the lights, you slide the backing " bar" into the hole first and then need to thread the ligtht post into it - this is a major hassle, the bar is loose so you have to secure it through the little hole to be able to start threading. Affter spending a lot of time doing it the first time with the suggested u-shaped wire, I found what amounts to some very large tweezers (medical instrument - can't think of the name, but it is like a very fine needle nose plier) and was able to grab them and start threading. FWIT - I saw a similar tool at Frys today. Needle nose pliers are too large to get into the hole along with the mounting post. Being able to grab the backing bar in a secure fashion helped considerably.

On the '08s the fuse block has a large positive and negative terminal, which is a handy place to pull power from. Also, on the wire bundle coming from the right side switch panel are two small wires, which I have been told are the two wires for front and rear tower lights when you activate those on the switch panel, in order to control the power to the ligths from the LCD.

Question - I have a quesiton on adjusting - the backing bar cannot be grabbed once the post of the light is screwed in most of the way, and doesn't seem inclined to stay in one position, even when pulling out to apply force to hold it in place against the tower. So the problem that I am having is getting the lights lined up correcly when everything gets tight. It is hit or miss if they tightend where I want, and they get tight relatively quick. It feels like if I try to force them around something is going to bend or break.

I will call LPA Monday, but if you have any experienece with this what have you done?

As a side note, there are no bushings supplied. They were crossed off of the parts list on the instruction sheet.

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