So I've been gone a while, have been meaning to post on the .org. So anyway I took it upon myself to make use of some semi-blue 9007 bulbs laying around left by one of my dads customers. The result is great, not to much work involved and inexpensive to do. You'll need to have some butt connectors, some crimpers, electrical tape, file, possibly new sockets if they are melted, and of course the bulbs . I did all of this on my 97' SE, but it should be the same on all 4th gens.

(WARNING: Please for the love that is holy DO NOT get aftermarket sockets, they have **** poor connection to the bulbs themselves and create the illusion you did something wrong when they don't work. Got pulled over because the socket didn't work . If you need new sockets, go to a junkyard and get Ford Sockets, they last MUCH longer.)

Basically all you need to do is to take the wire for the low beam and the ground on the socket and switch them. If you flip the socket upside down (the tab that keeps the light fastened is facing the ground) the wiring is as follows: High, Low, Ground. That's all. The wiring for each headlight is as follows:

Driver's headlight (Wiring during the switch):
Yellow: High-Beam
Green: Low-Beam
Black: Ground



Passenger's headlight (Wiring before the switch):
Green: High-Beam
Blue: Low-Beam
Black: Ground



When you crimp everything together you'll have a noticeable difference in lighting, the extra 10 watts to 55 definitely helps. Before you put the lights in you have to file the two nubs at the bottom of the housing where the light goes before you put it in. Then cover the crimped areas in electrical tape to prevent any corrosion. Here are some pictures comparing my old 9004s (Passenger Side) To one of the 9007s (Driver Side)

Low Beam:


High Beam:




Enjoy the new headlights and the new 9007 lights firin its lazors at you, lol.

 

I prefer using upgraded plug and play harness to switch around wires so there's no splicing but good write up none the less.

 

OR,
and,
Cutting and crimping is a meltdown waiting to happen. You will introduce resistance, which will cause heat and start melting insulation. Corrosion could also insue and cause the wire to sever, and possibly short to ground.

 

I agree with this 100%. I would never use a crimp connection when it will be exposed to weather (unless I didn't like the person ). Solder the wires and use shrink tubing.

 

The connecter clips go on top. Trim the two lower (5 and 8 o'clock) nubs in the housing off. Both 9004 and 9007 have a nub at 12 o'clock, and this is what you will need to locate the bulb in the housing.

 

Solder would be second best (and my favorite wire splice technique), but leaves the possibility of the wire breaking off at the solder joint. Its SO easy to swap the wires, and totally reversible.

 

Ah, thanks for that dude and the mini tutorial about switching wires as well. I agree that simply changing the wires within the socket would be a better solution. I didn't really know of that at the time, but it really wouldn't have mattered as my stock sockets were completely melted. I had no choice but to chop off the old wiring, but I could have tried more on soldering. Just not much room to work with. Either way, thanks for providing an alternative

 

This is true, but the shrink tubing is stiff and adds strength to the connection by keeping flexing away from the solder area. I have seen bad solder connections caused by people using a soldering iron that is too hot, thereby crystalizing the wire. For the size wires used in this thread, a 10 watt soldering iron is fine, a 15 watt is ok. When you are using too hot of an iron, the plastic insulation on the wire starts melting before you can apply the solder. Those Weller 240 watt soldering guns that I have seen some mechanics use are for battery cables and regrooving tires.

 

Great post. I would like to add that adhesive lined shrink wrap tubing is preferred in an environment that may contain water. Additional strain relief is added through the adhesive to insulation bond, and it is more rigid as well.