Great video, I was on the verge of splicing in the new connector because mine were old, cracked, loose. I would not have thought to pry out the new wires and go with the existing factory wires. This is much better, and the only better way would be to replace the entire harness back to the source. As easy as splicing/wire nuts/scotch lock/tape might be, it's another connection that can fail, so this method is definitely superior. Thumbs up! Thank you!
Great video, and thank you! From what I read the factory connectors were only intended for one-time use. I purchased a new connector like yours and intend to splice with soldered butt connectors to avoid using any part of the old.
Excellent video! Very clear and easy to follow. I have a Ford Focus, but the socket looks similar enough. What makes me mad is that I replaced the headlight assembly only 1 yr ago after a fender bender, yet the socket is burned out already! Thanks for posting!
Shari T thank you for the comment! Glad you found it helpful. You may have a bigger issue if your plug is burning out. Only time I have ever encountered something like that was on a tail light with the wrong bulbs installed which caused excessive heat.
@@unboltedmedia Thanks for the insight and *bonus* info! I was able to successfully put the socket on, but I couldn't 'cheat' and pull the wires from the old burned out socket. Thanks to this video I got the know how and confidence to do it. I have a new basic bulb; correct model... I'm now legal...whew!
Thank you for this video. I got a new set of headlights for my 2016 ram and the original h11 headlight socket wouldn’t work so I had to buy the h13 headlight socket. Thank you
I replaced factory with LED. Lasted over a year. Now it's cutting out. If I wiggle my harness the light turns on. Does that mean the wire is loose from the metal connector pin?
Perfect just what I needed my truck same problem need to replace the clip only so it can lock with my bulb thanks for the video will go this route I was thinking of slicing wires but after looking at video going this way you said I can use a paper clip to push them wires out connectors is it easy with paper clip?
Do you know if this is true for all connector/plug types? I have an H11 connector on a 2008 Subaru Impreza that melted. I like this method! It would be much easier and provide a more reliable fix than splicing. Great video! Thanks!
Yes I found this helpful I’m trying to fix mine right now but on a Dodge Ram was thinking I had to take all the wiring out but it’s so much wire to follow, so I’m gonna try this instead
I broke the red clips off of my headlamps and ended up buying the same replacements from Amazon then searched how to replace them and am thrilled to find your video! I will definitely be trying this first before splicing them! Thank you! ps. have they help up to the test of time?
@@unboltedmedia I did the swap yesterday and they work great! SO much easier than spicing! I did have a little trouble getting the OEM harness off but once I got that sucker off it was smooth sailing! Thanks again!!
They are the factory JK LED headlights that came as an option on 2017 and 2018 JK Wranglers. Mine were a used set and if I remember correctly they were around $300 on eBay.
My jks pigtail is completely cut at this point and I have a new pigtail that I need to solder on. Do you happen to know the order and color pattern for low and high?
I’m not exactly sure about the wires. I would suggest using a test light. Turn on low beams and see which wire lights up the test light. Then same for high beam. The third wire will be the ground. You can Google “h13 wiring diagram” and it will show you which wire is for what in the connector side. The middle will be ground and the low and high beam will be on the sides but the orientation will depend on how you’re looking at the connector. Best to find a diagram on the internet to be sure. Lots of them out there.
I wonder can I try and aftermarket part like Standard Brand for my 2012 RAM 1500 (the connector is black with the red back sliding click) and can i removed the wire(s) and red tab to fit like on this video?
You can remove the wires and they should fit another connector that’s made for your headlight but you wouldn’t be able to reuse the red tab. The locking tab is part of the plug. You can get mopar replacement plugs that will have the red tab but they cost a lot more than the aftermarket ones.
Jeep jk pins left to right in orientation with connector placed upright and face on: High beam, ground and lowbeam?? Can't find a diagram on line for mine.
Bill Griffin if I’m understanding the orientation of the connector correctly, then yes that’s correct. The JK uses H13 headlight bulbs. You can google a wiring diagram for H13 bulbs if in doubt. There is a lot of them online. Hope this helps.
Thanks for sharing this. I bought a Dorman H13 connector. On the new connector the black wire isn't in the center like it is on the original one. Is it ok to to plug the black wire into the center on the Dorman? Does it matter? I'm assuming it is ok to just plug the wires into the new one following the same pattern as the original and putting the negative in the middle. Thank you
At the end of the video, we can see him walk away from his headlight straight to driver side to turn them on in one continuous take. Meaning he in fact did not disconnect the battery.
I considered doing this as well. I installed new headlights on my F150 and when the connector clips, it loses connection. Theres an odd sweet spot but it wont hold in that position. Im going to try this.
@@unboltedmedia Just ordered a putco h13 connector off Amazon for $17. Mid week I was looking at a motorcraft one and it was $60! Figured just look for the connector, not the brand.
I can’t exactly remember what wire was for what. I would just match up the wires from the old plug to the new one (cut the middle wire and splice it to the middle wire on the new plug, etc...). As long as you don’t mix up the orientation of the plugs you’ll be fine.
It was probably me. Haha. I use a lot of dielectric grease on connections. Spray it with an electrical contact cleaner or brake cleaner. The grease will come off.
See my comment above. You're wrong in the first place, both methods require about the same amount of time and manipulation. Having done both, this method is simpler and much more direct with the wiring and eliminates adding another connection point which could fail and become a problem all by itself. To truly splice correctly, you need to solder. That is WAY more time consuming.
@@mccdrew7012 Ulgy bulky butt crimp connecter adding two exposed to weather bare points in each wire not to mention those crimps are current stealers. Verses continuous original wire with weather seal. Good luck with that. I'd hate to buy a used car from you. there is only two ways to do something, the right way and the wrong way.
@@gwkdad Sounds like you haven’t been under the hood much. You obviously have never replaced a wiring harness. And it is cute that you think open ended but connectors are the only connectors that would be used. You sir, are a moron. ;)
From a single Mama trying to do repairs on her own, THANK YOU!! 🙏🏼 I was not confident in splicing wires and this has just saved me so much anxiety!
Great video, I was on the verge of splicing in the new connector because mine were old, cracked, loose. I would not have thought to pry out the new wires and go with the existing factory wires. This is much better, and the only better way would be to replace the entire harness back to the source. As easy as splicing/wire nuts/scotch lock/tape might be, it's another connection that can fail, so this method is definitely superior. Thumbs up! Thank you!
Literally exactly the video I needed. Knew there had to be a way around cutting the old connector off. Thanks man!
Thank you, you kept the steps short and simple unlike other video’s.
Siiick! Who new‽ really hope this is all I have to do on my 2012 JKU! THANK YOU!!!
If only, we didn’t have to take off the grill!
Awesome!!! Thanks for the video and links. My headlight is now fixed on my Jeep!
Great video, and thank you! From what I read the factory connectors were only intended for one-time use. I purchased a new connector like yours and intend to splice with soldered butt connectors to avoid using any part of the old.
Thank you for posting this...just broke the lock clip on my Ram.
BrewDude72 same 😩
I have a Dodge Ram 1500. Where do you order the connectors at. My headlight wire is loose at the connection. Thanks
@@jerrycerda89 rock auto sir
@@MrHat816 thanks
I think you just saved me a lot of work. Thanks.
great video. just changed mine using this as a guide. SOOOO much better than splicing.
Thanks for showing, my Jeep wrangler has exactly the same broken problem ❤❤❤
Great video. Once I realized how to unlatch the pins all was great! Thanks!!
Excellent video! Very clear and easy to follow. I have a Ford Focus, but the socket looks similar enough. What makes me mad is that I replaced the headlight assembly only 1 yr ago after a fender bender, yet the socket is burned out already! Thanks for posting!
Shari T thank you for the comment! Glad you found it helpful. You may have a bigger issue if your plug is burning out. Only time I have ever encountered something like that was on a tail light with the wrong bulbs installed which caused excessive heat.
@@unboltedmedia Thanks for the insight and *bonus* info! I was able to successfully put the socket on, but I couldn't 'cheat' and pull the wires from the old burned out socket. Thanks to this video I got the know how and confidence to do it. I have a new basic bulb; correct model... I'm now legal...whew!
Shari T thanks for the update, happy to hear you got everything worked out.
Thank you! Got the right tool and followed your instructions. Worked excellent. Thanks again
Thank you for this video. I got a new set of headlights for my 2016 ram and the original h11 headlight socket wouldn’t work so I had to buy the h13 headlight socket. Thank you
This was a very informative and helpful video
Thanks for this! What tools did you use ?
Just came across your video and I am definitely trying this. Thank you so much for this. You have saved me a ton of time and energy :)
Thank you for the comment! I’m glad the video was helpful. 😀
Well played, sir!
That's going to be a lot easier.
I replaced factory with LED. Lasted over a year. Now it's cutting out. If I wiggle my harness the light turns on. Does that mean the wire is loose from the metal connector pin?
Worked for me. I'm upset my dealership never wanted to fix this because they said they were aftermarket headlights?
Perfect just what I needed my truck same problem need to replace the clip only so it can lock with my bulb thanks for the video will go this route I was thinking of slicing wires but after looking at video going this way you said I can use a paper clip to push them wires out connectors is it easy with paper clip?
Lupillo 's thank you for the comment! Yeah, paper clip will work.
Would a broken connector keep a bulb from being installed? Old bulb snaps in no problem, new bulb stops about 3/4 and does not snap into place
Do you know if this is true for all connector/plug types? I have an H11 connector on a 2008 Subaru Impreza that melted. I like this method! It would be much easier and provide a more reliable fix than splicing. Great video! Thanks!
Yes I found this helpful I’m trying to fix mine right now but on a Dodge Ram was thinking I had to take all the wiring out but it’s so much wire to follow, so I’m gonna try this instead
Been 2 years, but did it work? Lol. 2006 Durango here
Does this work for the turn signal as well? I broke mine yesterday changing headlights
You will just need the proper bulb socket for your turn signal. I believe it’s a 3157 for the JK front turn signals. Hope this helps!
I broke the red clips off of my headlamps and ended up buying the same replacements from Amazon then searched how to replace them and am thrilled to find your video! I will definitely be trying this first before splicing them! Thank you! ps. have they help up to the test of time?
Thank you! Glad you found the video helpful. They are still working great. I haven’t had any issues.
@@unboltedmedia I did the swap yesterday and they work great! SO much easier than spicing! I did have a little trouble getting the OEM harness off but once I got that sucker off it was smooth sailing! Thanks again!!
Thank you for this tutorial! I was able to do this to my 2012 Liberty. 😃
Thanks, but I want to know how much the JL headlights were? Did you source yours from a salvage yard?
They are the factory JK LED headlights that came as an option on 2017 and 2018 JK Wranglers. Mine were a used set and if I remember correctly they were around $300 on eBay.
What is that tool you use to remove the red cover?
My jks pigtail is completely cut at this point and I have a new pigtail that I need to solder on. Do you happen to know the order and color pattern for low and high?
I’m not exactly sure about the wires. I would suggest using a test light. Turn on low beams and see which wire lights up the test light. Then same for high beam. The third wire will be the ground. You can Google “h13 wiring diagram” and it will show you which wire is for what in the connector side. The middle will be ground and the low and high beam will be on the sides but the orientation will depend on how you’re looking at the connector. Best to find a diagram on the internet to be sure. Lots of them out there.
I wonder can I try and aftermarket part like Standard Brand for my 2012 RAM 1500 (the connector is black with the red back sliding click) and can i removed the wire(s) and red tab to fit like on this video?
You can remove the wires and they should fit another connector that’s made for your headlight but you wouldn’t be able to reuse the red tab. The locking tab is part of the plug. You can get mopar replacement plugs that will have the red tab but they cost a lot more than the aftermarket ones.
Jeep jk pins left to right in orientation with connector placed upright and face on: High beam, ground and lowbeam?? Can't find a diagram on line for mine.
Bill Griffin if I’m understanding the orientation of the connector correctly, then yes that’s correct. The JK uses H13 headlight bulbs. You can google a wiring diagram for H13 bulbs if in doubt. There is a lot of them online. Hope this helps.
Thanks for sharing this. I bought a Dorman H13 connector. On the new connector the black wire isn't in the center like it is on the original one. Is it ok to to plug the black wire into the center on the Dorman? Does it matter? I'm assuming it is ok to just plug the wires into the new one following the same pattern as the original and putting the negative in the middle. Thank you
Did you disconnect the battery before doing that?
At the end of the video, we can see him walk away from his headlight straight to driver side to turn them on in one continuous take. Meaning he in fact did not disconnect the battery.
I considered doing this as well. I installed new headlights on my F150 and when the connector clips, it loses connection. Theres an odd sweet spot but it wont hold in that position. Im going to try this.
I had a very similar issue a long time ago. I had to wiggle the wires to get the light to come on. It turned out to be a cracked connector.
@@unboltedmedia Just ordered a putco h13 connector off Amazon for $17. Mid week I was looking at a motorcraft one and it was $60! Figured just look for the connector, not the brand.
I guess that would be a matter of opinion and skillset lol this seems way easier to me!
GREAT VIDEO. Greetings from peru !
Amazing how this worked! Thanks for this video!
Could u send me the link to that part? just broke mine and need replacement . i cant find it anywhere
Arctiic www.amazon.ca/Putco-239008HD-Automotive-Lighting-H13-9008/dp/B001MA5AWK
That’s the part I used.
Soooooo, these connectors can pop off on all makes and model vehicles🤔????
Yup. They may differ in size and shape but all electrical connectors are made the same way.
@@unboltedmedia ok then.
Awesome tutorial!!! Thank you sir...
Thank you! This was very helpful!!
Do you have link to the adaptor? I can’t find the one you have used.
amzn.to/3snExp3
If we don’t remove the wires and splice them what color goes to what.
I can’t exactly remember what wire was for what. I would just match up the wires from the old plug to the new one (cut the middle wire and splice it to the middle wire on the new plug, etc...). As long as you don’t mix up the orientation of the plugs you’ll be fine.
Awesome…thanks for the video
Thanks for the video, Just fixed mine using this method.
Did you have to unplug the car battery?
If you feel safer unplugging the battery you definitely should. It’s not something I bother with when working on something like a light circuit.
@@unboltedmedia Not too worried at all, just double checking. Thank you for the video and reply.
Thankyou. Great video. I did the same errt
Good video, but you linked the connector that good into the connector your advertising.
Honestly splicing is easier and faster, but nice tutorial
Quite helpful. Thank you!
OMG!
THANK YOU!!!
Link to the part please
Wonderful!!! Thank you!!!
I'm going to work on this tomorrow as today I hit a pothole and my lights went out.
do you have a link?
amzn.to/3snExp3
good job!
The socket for my brake light is cracked.
Very good
My connectors won’t push in straight 😑
Can someone please just unplug the light bulb from the connector and plug it back it. I can't figure out what the hell is on my headlights
@Tupac Shakur You can clean the lens or bulb with Isopropanol to clean it.
I wish I could do this some asshole filled the socket with dielectric grease and it looks like peanut butter
It was probably me. Haha. I use a lot of dielectric grease on connections. Spray it with an electrical contact cleaner or brake cleaner. The grease will come off.
Great video, but this is WAY more work than just splicing the new plug in
See my comment above. You're wrong in the first place, both methods require about the same amount of time and manipulation. Having done both, this method is simpler and much more direct with the wiring and eliminates adding another connection point which could fail and become a problem all by itself. To truly splice correctly, you need to solder. That is WAY more time consuming.
@@eriKrypto no, I’m correct. Splicing in a new plug takes under 5 minutes easily and requires just pliers and splicers.
@@mccdrew7012 Ulgy bulky butt crimp connecter adding two exposed to weather bare points in each wire not to mention those crimps are current stealers. Verses continuous original wire with weather seal. Good luck with that. I'd hate to buy a used car from you. there is only two ways to do something, the right way and the wrong way.
@@gwkdad Sounds like you haven’t been under the hood much. You obviously have never replaced a wiring harness. And it is cute that you think open ended but connectors are the only connectors that would be used. You sir, are a moron. ;)