Halogen headlight upgrade and issue with 8.4 Uconnect built in navigation system

[Bearsworld]

Good morning everyone,
So I live in upstate NY near Ft.Drum.
I just traded in my 18 Challenger R/T ( loved the car but it’s not practical in this part of the country and next one will be a ScatPack ).
I settled on a 19 Bighorn that except for crappy headlights ( Factory halogen ) and built in Navigation does not work I love the truck.
I would like any advice on updating the headlights to LED or HID and possibly any advice on Navigation issue ( it says I am in New Hampshire ).
I don’t know if I should purchase aftermarket LED head light assemblies or put LED or HID in factory Halogen, headlight assemblies.
I have already adjusted the headlights but they just do not put out enough light in rainy/snowy/foggy conditions.
I need to adjust the Fog Lights yet to improve the area they cover ( currently about 5’ in front of the truck which they should be covering 20-30’ or more in front of the truck.
Just some clarification I live in the area that received 72.3 inches of snow in 24 hours just prior to Thanksgiving last year.

 

[Scram1500]

I changed out the halogens for Morimoto LED projectors, but that was simply for looks. The halogens put out plenty of light for me but the housings were just too ugly to live with after a while. The light output from the Morimoto is better, but the color temperature is more blue, to which my eyes took some adjusting. Also the low beam cutoff line, which I'm used to, is un-nerving to some.

For the foglights I replaced those with Hella yellow bulbs and that really helped in the fog.

I can't comment on the location, I have the non-navigation 8.4 and use Android Auto with Waze.

 

[Bearsworld]

Thank you Scram1500,
I am approaching the big 60 so my night vision isn’t what it once was and I truly do need better lighting in the truck.
Even with dash lights dimmed all the way down during rain/misty conditions it is almost impossible for me to see lane stripes right now so I am looking to make a change in either headlight bulbs ( LED ) or aftermarket headlight assemblies built for use with LED headlights.
I did install a set of Xenon brand HID’s in my Challenger that also came with Hodgen projector beam headlights versus the factory HID and even with those in it the headlights still sucked and I was NOT impressed with Xenon’s customer service or quality of product ( the wiring hardware literally fell apart )

 

[Eciampa]

I have an early ‘19 big horn that I got in 8/18. Unfortunately the first early production run didn’t equip the big horns with some standard things that they do now .
I replace the halogen bulbs with Amazon Beamtech led replacement ones. I opted to go the cheaper route rather than the whole led housing setup. They are definitely an upgrade over the halogen. Brighter and whiter with a great light pattern. I replaced the high, low and fog lights with them. Definitely worth it for the price.
As far as the 8.4 Uconnect with nav. I had the same issue. It would show I was 2 states over and driving in the woods and across a lake. They tried doing “updates” and after a few trips to the dealer they replaced the whole 8.4 uconnect system. Luckily it was covered under the warranty. I have also been dealing with the screen randomly shutting off and flashing on and off randomly. Unfortunately I still have issues with the screen turning on and off. They did another “update” and said to give that some time.

 

[cskindt]

I was on the fence about how to improve my halogen lighting to improve visibility.
While I do like the various LED assembly options, the high cost of them wasn't worth it to me, whether OEM or aftermarket. And I don't like the fact that the LEDs are not replaceable when they fail. You're left to replace the entire assembly.

After replacing all of my halogen bulbs, I am very satisfied. I chose a more expensive option, compared to the many cheap alternatives, for my low beams and all interior lights with Diode Dynamics and more moderately priced LEDs from Lasfit for the remaining locations. My rationale is the Diode Dynamics seem to be highly regarded in reviews and are trouble-free so I should have good reliability for the lights I depend on most, low beams particularly. The other lights weren't as critical, so I could save some money there.

• Low beam, Diode Dynamics- very good, just ensure the bulb is aligned at the 0300/0900 position and you take the time to adjust the housing angle so you don't blind oncoming traffic, especially the left one.
• High beam, Lasfit - very good, light color is the same as the DD low beams.
• Turn signal, Diode Dynamics - very good, but the way truck is wired, you can't use the white LEDs as DRLs and the amber LEDs' duty cycle isn't 100%. So their full switchback effect is limited to night use when the white circuit is enabled.
• Fog, Diode Dynamics - These are the switchbacks where you change them to white or yellow by cycling the OEM fog light switch. They work well and are pretty cool, except the RAM's cornering light feature will mess with the color synchronization if you don't keep your fogs on all the time by disabling fog light drop out in AlfaOBD.
• Side marker, Diode dynamics - these lights are really insignificant and I'm not impressed with the LED performance. The incandescent bulb or an LED that focuses its light to the side is better suited for the bulb placement in the housing. The DD LEDs mostly focus their light out the top and there are only little slots in their plastic base.

I did use AlfaOBD to change all of the corresponding bulbs to LED. You will get bulb-out errors if you don't.

After I changed the turn signals, I did see a couple of bulb-out errors only on the right side for a day or so after installation. It's accompanied with the hyper-flash. If I left the turn signal on, it seem to fix itself and flash normally. Even with LED enabled, it seemed that the truck had to learn the difference. I haven't had any errors since then.

I have not had any issues with my electrical system at all (other than the few turn signal bulb-out).

I was only flashed a few times while I was adjusting my low beams. Now, I get no flashers and I have a very good beam pattern.

The fog lights are very impressive too, especially for the factory housings. They have a very good beam pattern that lets you see well to the side of the road and compliment the low beams very well. I had to adjust these much higher than they came stock. The cut off is pretty crisp and keeps the light down low and wide.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the upgrade and have no regrets. Remember to clock all the bulbs properly and accessing the side markers and low beams is easiest by going up through the wheel well after removing 3 or 4 liner screws.

 

[Grimgreg]

I like the dark halogen housings on my BC, I swapped all Lasfit into high, low and fog. Cost was about $90. Great light output, and cheap to replace if needed.

 

[6of36]

I won't buy anything that doesn't have LED headlights anymore. Up until my 20, I would just buy upgrade bulbs, and replace them. Since my 20, I made sure they were on the vehicle factory. I'm mid 60s and the difference is huge. When I went in for service a couple months ago, they gave me a Ram for a loaner. It had halogens. It was terrible. LED headlights would be my first mod.

 

[Bearsworld]

I was on the fence about how to improve my halogen lighting to improve visibility.
While I do like the various LED assembly options, the high cost of them wasn't worth it to me, whether OEM or aftermarket. And I don't like the fact that the LEDs are not replaceable when they fail. You're left to replace the entire assembly.

After replacing all of my halogen bulbs, I am very satisfied. I chose a more expensive option, compared to the many cheap alternatives, for my low beams and all interior lights with Diode Dynamics and more moderately priced LEDs from Lasfit for the remaining locations. My rationale is the Diode Dynamics seem to be highly regarded in reviews and are trouble-free so I should have good reliability for the lights I depend on most, low beams particularly. The other lights weren't as critical, so I could save some money there.

• Low beam, Diode Dynamics- very good, just ensure the bulb is aligned at the 0300/0900 position and you take the time to adjust the housing angle so you don't blind oncoming traffic, especially the left one.
• High beam, Lasfit - very good, light color is the same as the DD low beams.
• Turn signal, Diode Dynamics - very good, but the way truck is wired, you can't use the white LEDs as DRLs and the amber LEDs' duty cycle isn't 100%. So their full switchback effect is limited to night use when the white circuit is enabled.
• Fog, Diode Dynamics - These are the switchbacks where you change them to white or yellow by cycling the OEM fog light switch. They work well and are pretty cool, except the RAM's cornering light feature will mess with the color synchronization if you don't keep your fogs on all the time by disabling fog light drop out in AlfaOBD.
• Side marker, Diode dynamics - these lights are really insignificant and I'm not impressed with the LED performance. The incandescent bulb or an LED that focuses its light to the side is better suited for the bulb placement in the housing. The DD LEDs mostly focus their light out the top and there are only little slots in their plastic base.

I did use AlfaOBD to change all of the corresponding bulbs to LED. You will get bulb-out errors if you don't.

After I changed the turn signals, I did see a couple of bulb-out errors only on the right side for a day or so after installation. It's accompanied with the hyper-flash. If I left the turn signal on, it seem to fix itself and flash normally. Even with LED enabled, it seemed that the truck had to learn the difference. I haven't had any errors since then.

I have not had any issues with my electrical system at all (other than the few turn signal bulb-out).

I was only flashed a few times while I was adjusting my low beams. Now, I get no flashers and I have a very good beam pattern.

The fog lights are very impressive too, especially for the factory housings. They have a very good beam pattern that lets you see well to the side of the road and compliment the low beams very well. I had to adjust these much higher than they came stock. The cut off is pretty crisp and keeps the light down low and wide.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the upgrade and have no regrets. Remember to clock all the bulbs properly and accessing the side markers and low beams is easiest by going up through the wheel well after removing 3 or 4 liner screws.

Thank you cskindt,
I will look in my area and online for your recommendations. I appreciate your in depth reply and even taking the time to advise about clocking the bulb ( I do not know if I would have even thought about that during install to be honest but Everyone should take your advice on that and adjust theirs. LED lights are not 360° illumination like halogen or HID bulbs )
You are the 2nd person in this thread so far that has mentioned “ AlfaOBD..”
Is that a software program or scanner that allows changes to be made in our newer trucks?
I have never heard of that term before.
I will google it to try and find out more information on it but would appreciate an explanation and direction on where and how to use it.

2 more Questions and if necessary I can post question in a new thread concerning rear differentials and another in exhaust.
My truck has 3.92 open gear set in the rear axle.
I tried Hard to find a truck that had the mechanical posi/limited slip rear axle and they are Hard to find. I did not want one with the electronic locking rear Diff.
Has anyone installed a mechanical posi unit in a 2019 + RAM and what company/product would you recommend?
I have done a little research on this but am not ready to commit to the modification yet.

Has anyone made a exhaust modification Catback for now and I do not have nor will I spend $1,500+ for a Borla or other high end system.
My 2010 RAM 1500 had factory exhaust manifolds replaced TWICE under warranty and the things still leaked.
Having just traded my 18 Challenger R/T 6spd with performance suspension package, active exhaust package, shaker package and more for this this truck, it IS fast, but quiet..lol

Thanks again to all that have taken the time to read my thread and respond to my questions.

 

[cskindt]

Thank you cskindt,
I will look in my area and online for your recommendations. I appreciate your in depth reply and even taking the time to advise about clocking the bulb ( I do not know if I would have even thought about that during install to be honest but Everyone should take your advice on that and adjust theirs. LED lights are not 360° illumination like halogen or HID bulbs )
You are the 2nd person in this thread so far that has mentioned “ AlfaOBD..”
Is that a software program or scanner that allows changes to be made in our newer trucks?
I have never heard of that term before.
I will google it to try and find out more information on it but would appreciate an explanation and direction on where and how to use it.

2 more Questions and if necessary I can post question in a new thread concerning rear differentials and another in exhaust.
My truck has 3.92 open gear set in the rear axle.
I tried Hard to find a truck that had the mechanical posi/limited slip rear axle and they are Hard to find. I did not want one with the electronic locking rear Diff.
Has anyone installed a mechanical posi unit in a 2019 + RAM and what company/product would you recommend?
I have done a little research on this but am not ready to commit to the modification yet.

Has anyone made a exhaust modification Catback for now and I do not have nor will I spend $1,500+ for a Borla or other high end system.
My 2010 RAM 1500 had factory exhaust manifolds replaced TWICE under warranty and the things still leaked.
Having just traded my 18 Challenger R/T 6spd with performance suspension package, active exhaust package, shaker package and more for this this truck, it IS fast, but quiet..lol

Thanks again to all that have taken the time to read my thread and respond to my questions.

You're welcome, I'm happy to help.

AlfaOBD is an application that let's you change many configurations that already exist in your truck's various controllers (and many other FCA vehicles), most are in the body control module (BCM), but there are others too. Of course, this depends on the hardware and other electronic control modules already being installed. Just about all factory features can be added by installing the missing hardware/electronics and then using Alfa to make it all work.

Alfa only runs on Android and Windows. There is another similar application that apple devices can use. I think it's JScan, but I'm not sure. I'm not an apple user.

You'll also need a security gateway bypass cable. This let's you write changes to the controller. Without it, you can only read values off your truck's control network.

The last device you need is an OBD adapter.

The cable and adapter linked are what I use. No problems for me, but many use cheaper alternatives to the MX+. I don't have experience with them.

Here are two random videos talking about Alfa and how to use it.

I can't offer any intelligent comments on your other two questions.
My advice is two create two separate threads on each if you can't find answers by searching the forum's existing content.
You'll get more exposure than having them buried in a headlight thread.

 

[6of36]

Thank you cskindt,
I will look in my area and online for your recommendations. I appreciate your in depth reply and even taking the time to advise about clocking the bulb ( I do not know if I would have even thought about that during install to be honest but Everyone should take your advice on that and adjust theirs. LED lights are not 360° illumination like halogen or HID bulbs )
You are the 2nd person in this thread so far that has mentioned “ AlfaOBD..”
Is that a software program or scanner that allows changes to be made in our newer trucks?
I have never heard of that term before.
I will google it to try and find out more information on it but would appreciate an explanation and direction on where and how to use it.

2 more Questions and if necessary I can post question in a new thread concerning rear differentials and another in exhaust.
My truck has 3.92 open gear set in the rear axle.
I tried Hard to find a truck that had the mechanical posi/limited slip rear axle and they are Hard to find. I did not want one with the electronic locking rear Diff.
Has anyone installed a mechanical posi unit in a 2019 + RAM and what company/product would you recommend?
I have done a little research on this but am not ready to commit to the modification yet.

Has anyone made a exhaust modification Catback for now and I do not have nor will I spend $1,500+ for a Borla or other high end system.
My 2010 RAM 1500 had factory exhaust manifolds replaced TWICE under warranty and the things still leaked.
Having just traded my 18 Challenger R/T 6spd with performance suspension package, active exhaust package, shaker package and more for this this truck, it IS fast, but quiet..lol

Thanks again to all that have taken the time to read my thread and respond to my questions.

Jscan is free but doesn't do as much as alphaobd. Both require the bypass. Also some obd2 adapters limit how much can be done, Check out the various equipment to see how much you want to change, to decide which you want. I ran across a post somewhere here, by somebody wanting to know if a gen4 front dif would fit gen5, because something he wanted to do, he was not able to do on his gen5, I don't remember if it was adding LS or changing gear ratio. Just search dif. I think it is one of the forums sponsors was where I saw it, but I did see a catback system for $599.

 

[Bearsworld]

So upon reading everyone’s comments in order to install led headlight bulbs I will have to reprogram the truck so that I do not get a bulb out notification or flickering bulbs?
Has anyone tried the Sylvania brand H11 led bulbs and will I still have this issue?
I can get them from the parts store I work at with a fairly large employee discount.

 

[cskindt]

So upon reading everyone’s comments in order to install led headlight bulbs I will have to reprogram the truck so that I do not get a bulb out notification or flickering bulbs?
Has anyone tried the Sylvania brand H11 led bulbs and will I still have this issue?
I can get them from the parts store I work at with a fairly large employee discount.

Bulb-out errors may be likely without any resistor modules that simulate the electrical demand characteristics of a halogen lamp.
I don't have any experience with Sylvania lights. You can try them - they'll light up. Just expect errors without changing to LED in the BCM.

 

[kapinallinen2]

Can`t help with lights, have factory LED`s.

Your navigation is not working because the radio is defective.
Last time I checked, a refurbished one was about $400.00 with core and a new radio was about $1300.00 without core, plus labor.
We are better off with WAZE or Google maps for navigation IMO.

 

[Grimgreg]

So upon reading everyone’s comments in order to install led headlight bulbs I will have to reprogram the truck so that I do not get a bulb out notification or flickering bulbs?
Has anyone tried the Sylvania brand H11 led bulbs and will I still have this issue?
I can get them from the parts store I work at with a fairly large employee discount.

No reprogramming or error msgs with the Lasfits after almost a year.

 

[Meodom]

I was on the fence about how to improve my halogen lighting to improve visibility.
While I do like the various LED assembly options, the high cost of them wasn't worth it to me, whether OEM or aftermarket. And I don't like the fact that the LEDs are not replaceable when they fail. You're left to replace the entire assembly.

After replacing all of my halogen bulbs, I am very satisfied. I chose a more expensive option, compared to the many cheap alternatives, for my low beams and all interior lights with Diode Dynamics and more moderately priced LEDs from Lasfit for the remaining locations. My rationale is the Diode Dynamics seem to be highly regarded in reviews and are trouble-free so I should have good reliability for the lights I depend on most, low beams particularly. The other lights weren't as critical, so I could save some money there.

• Low beam, Diode Dynamics- very good, just ensure the bulb is aligned at the 0300/0900 position and you take the time to adjust the housing angle so you don't blind oncoming traffic, especially the left one.
• High beam, Lasfit - very good, light color is the same as the DD low beams.
• Turn signal, Diode Dynamics - very good, but the way truck is wired, you can't use the white LEDs as DRLs and the amber LEDs' duty cycle isn't 100%. So their full switchback effect is limited to night use when the white circuit is enabled.
• Fog, Diode Dynamics - These are the switchbacks where you change them to white or yellow by cycling the OEM fog light switch. They work well and are pretty cool, except the RAM's cornering light feature will mess with the color synchronization if you don't keep your fogs on all the time by disabling fog light drop out in AlfaOBD.
• Side marker, Diode dynamics - these lights are really insignificant and I'm not impressed with the LED performance. The incandescent bulb or an LED that focuses its light to the side is better suited for the bulb placement in the housing. The DD LEDs mostly focus their light out the top and there are only little slots in their plastic base.

I did use AlfaOBD to change all of the corresponding bulbs to LED. You will get bulb-out errors if you don't.

After I changed the turn signals, I did see a couple of bulb-out errors only on the right side for a day or so after installation. It's accompanied with the hyper-flash. If I left the turn signal on, it seem to fix itself and flash normally. Even with LED enabled, it seemed that the truck had to learn the difference. I haven't had any errors since then.

I have not had any issues with my electrical system at all (other than the few turn signal bulb-out).

I was only flashed a few times while I was adjusting my low beams. Now, I get no flashers and I have a very good beam pattern.

The fog lights are very impressive too, especially for the factory housings. They have a very good beam pattern that lets you see well to the side of the road and compliment the low beams very well. I had to adjust these much higher than they came stock. The cut off is pretty crisp and keeps the light down low and wide.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the upgrade and have no regrets. Remember to clock all the bulbs properly and accessing the side markers and low beams is easiest by going up through the wheel well after removing 3 or 4 liner screws.

Hey Chris,

Did you replace rear turn bulbs as well? I saw on Diode Dynamics site there's an option for additional resistors for those particular bulbs. Wondering if those are needed if settings are change via Alpha? Speaking of Alpha, there's an option to change each bulb type to LED or is it more of a "global change" to enable LED on all lights? Strongly considering biting the bullet and using DD for all of the lights.

Thx!

 

[cskindt]

Hey Chris,

Did you replace rear turn bulbs as well? I saw on Diode Dynamics site there's an option for additional resistors for those particular bulbs. Wondering if those are needed if settings are change via Alpha? Speaking of Alpha, there's an option to change each bulb type to LED or is it more of a "global change" to enable LED on all lights? Strongly considering biting the bullet and using DD for all of the lights.

Thx!

@Meodom
I didn't replace the rear bulbs, I replaced the whole assembly when I added the blind-spot monitoring system (BSM).
I bought the specific LED assemblies off Ebay that have the provision for the BSM module. They worked great. I did change the settings in the BCM for all the lights to LED.

I wouldn't buy any resistor module unless it is a last resort. They shouldn't be necessary if you change the converted light's configuration to LED.
There is no global LED change, specific lights must be selected.

I used DD low beams, turn signals (switch backs) and all interior lights.
I used lasift for fogs, highs and front side markers. I tried the DD side maker lights first, but they weren't too bright in this position. The housing uses light output from the side of bulb and the DD lights only have a little slot on the side. The lasfit bulb allows more light out the side so they work better here.

DD is certainly more expensive and seems to have very good reviews so I went with them for the critical low beams and the other bulbs weren't that much more so I just got them too.
I used lasfit because they have decent reviews and many seem to like them and they are much cheaper. I used them is less critical applications.

I had no desire to try any other bulb because of their poor reviews and I just wanted to swap them all at and forget about them. The cost was tolerable and the result is well worth the cost. I did briefly entertain the idea of upgrading the front light housings to a full LED system, but the costs, especially OEM, were still too much.

I only had the bulbs installed for about a month or so and have no problems. They all work great and the low/high beam output is fantastic. I adjusted my beams down a little and I am never flashed.

 

[Meodom]

@Meodom
I didn't replace the rear bulbs, I replaced the whole assembly when I added the blind-spot monitoring system (BSM).
I bought the specific LED assemblies off Ebay that have the provision for the BSM module. They worked great. I did change the settings in the BCM for all the lights to LED.

I wouldn't buy any resistor module unless it is a last resort. They shouldn't be necessary if you change the converted light's configuration to LED.
There is no global LED change, specific lights must be selected.

I used DD low beams, turn signals (switch backs) and all interior lights.
I used lasift for fogs, highs and front side markers. I tried the DD side maker lights first, but they weren't too bright in this position. The housing uses light output from the side of bulb and the DD lights only have a little slot on the side. The lasfit bulb allows more light out the side so they work better here.

DD is certainly more expensive and seems to have very good reviews so I went with them for the critical low beams and the other bulbs weren't that much more so I just got them too.
I used lasfit because they have decent reviews and many seem to like them and they are much cheaper. I used them is less critical applications.

I had no desire to try any other bulb because of their poor reviews and I just wanted to swap them all at and forget about them. The cost was tolerable and the result is well worth the cost. I did briefly entertain the idea of upgrading the front light housings to a full LED system, but the costs, especially OEM, were still too much.

I only had the bulbs installed for about a month or so and have no problems. They all work great and the low/high beam output is fantastic. I adjusted my beams down a little and I am never flashed.

Just to make sure I understand correctly as long as I change to LED settings via alpha no resistors are needed on any of the bulbs?

 

[6of36]

Just to make sure I understand correctly as long as I change to LED settings via alpha no resistors are needed on any of the bulbs?

It seems to me, I've seen problems with some brands.

 

[cskindt]

Just to make sure I understand correctly as long as I change to LED settings via alpha no resistors are needed on any of the bulbs?

No resistors were required or used with any bulbs I used.
I set all my bulbs to LED in the BCM using AlfaOBD.

I haven't had any bulb errors except for the first day or two with DD switchback front turn signals. Even with LED set, only the right side hyper flashed a few times, then just worked. It's been about 6 weeks now. All is good.

 

[Meodom]

No resistors were required or used with any bulbs I used.
I set all my bulbs to LED in the BCM using AlfaOBD.

I haven't had any bulb errors except for the first day or two with DD switchback front turn signals. Even with LED set, only the right side hyper flashed a few times, then just worked. It's been about 6 weeks now. All is good.

Thanks.....gonna give 'em a try.