Swithching headlights from a Baja Turbo to a Baja Sport!

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SoobyToo58
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Swithching headlights from a Baja Turbo to a Baja Sport!

Post by SoobyToo58 »

I am installing new headlights made for a Baja Turbo onto my Baja Sport. The plug-in connectors on the headlights and on the wiring harnesses are different between the 2 models so switching between the two types of headlights is NOT a simple swap. I can easily make two jumpers using parts from a junkyard.

The headlights for the Turbo have two separate lamps (bulbs) and two separate reflector sections (a large upper section and a smaller lower section). I am assuming one is for the high beam and one is for the low beam but that may not be true!
Baja Turbo headlight fixture
Baja Turbo headlight fixture
Baja Turbo headlight.jpg (132.68 KiB) Viewed 8449 times
The headlights for the Sport have one lamp (bulb) and one reflector section.
Baja Sport headlight fixture
Baja Sport headlight fixture
Baja Sport headlight.JPG (38.98 KiB) Viewed 8449 times
For anyone who owns a Baja Turbo I would like to know which section of the headlight is the low beam section and which is the high beam section. There is also the possibility that both sections are lit in the high beam, and the low beam as well with each lamp always on but switching between bright and dim. In other words, in one mode, when one lamp is dim the other is bright and in the other mode, the opposite is true!
Can someone check their vehicle and tell me specifically exactly what the lighting configuration is for both the High beam and the Low beam on the Turbo head lights? You probably will have to look closely to be sure which bulb is lit in each mode.
I've been looking around in parking lots and such and noticed the same headlights on some earlier 2000s Subaru Legacy models but I haven't run into any owners to ask them to actually turn on their headlights for me so I can see how they're set up!
I went to a Subaru dealer and believe it or not they couldn't answer my question even though I got the Service manager to look at specific wiring diagrams in their database. None of the mechanics knew either.
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Guacamole
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Re: Swithching headlights from a Baja Turbo to a Baja Sport!

Post by Guacamole »

Welcome to the forum!
The bottom light is the high beam. I don't own a turbo, but I've done quite a bit of research on this. Like you said, this is going to be a pain. I'm not even 100% sure the different lights are compatible, but I'll look forward to seeing how you do this mod.

Here's the wiring diagram for both headlight housings (the turbo is the "4-light model")
http://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Subaru/Ba ... System.pdf

Here's the headlight guide from the 06 owner's manual (works for all years), see page 11-63 & 11-64
http://www.scoobytruck.com/pdf/2006_baj ... manual.pdf
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anarchy1024
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Re: Swithching headlights from a Baja Turbo to a Baja Sport!

Post by anarchy1024 »

To add,

When the headlights are off, the daytime running lights are in use, and those just the main low-beam headlights at a lower voltage (unless you disable the DRLs).

The high beams only turn on when the low beams are on, and that includes when flashing. The low beams don't turn off when the high beams are high beams are in use.

The Gen3 Outback/Legacy uses the same headlights, and are physically interchangeable. They shouldn't be too hard electrically, either, with a bit of splicing. As far as I know, the logic is identical between the Turbo and Sport; one uses separate bulbs, while the other just uses a dual-filament bulb.
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Re: Swithching headlights from a Baja Turbo to a Baja Sport!

Post by anarchy1024 »

This wiring diagram might be a bit easier to see the differences between the two... And my statement about the logic being identical might not be accurate after all, seeing as there's an additional relay in the four-beam headlight system that (according to this diagram) isn't present in the two-beam version.
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w.rohr
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Re: Swithching headlights from a Baja Turbo to a Baja Sport!

Post by w.rohr »

A subaru mechanic told me that the relay makes the headlights run at a lower voltage for the DRL. So you could probably just do without it.
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anarchy1024
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Re: Swithching headlights from a Baja Turbo to a Baja Sport!

Post by anarchy1024 »

w.rohr wrote: Mon Sep 18, 2017 9:10 pm A subaru mechanic told me that the relay makes the headlights run at a lower voltage for the DRL. So you could probably just do without it.
Any idea how the two-beam headlights have the DRLs implemented?
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Re: Swithching headlights from a Baja Turbo to a Baja Sport!

Post by Guacamole »

anarchy1024 wrote: Tue Sep 19, 2017 8:36 am Any idea how the two-beam headlights have the DRLs implemented?
The low beams are slightly dimmed.
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Re: Swithching headlights from a Baja Turbo to a Baja Sport!

Post by anarchy1024 »

Guacamole wrote: Tue Sep 19, 2017 10:45 am The low beams are slightly dimmed.
As in, if the relay that enables the dimming of the low beams is only present in the four-beam version, what is the two-beam version doing?
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Re: Swithching headlights from a Baja Turbo to a Baja Sport!

Post by Guacamole »

anarchy1024 wrote: Tue Sep 19, 2017 5:27 pm As in, if the relay that enables the dimming of the low beams is only present in the four-beam version, what is the two-beam version doing?
On my 06 Sport the DRLs are just dimmed low beams. The more I look at the wiring diagrams the more my head hurts, I honestly can't figure out the reason for the relay. My best guess is that it's for the DRL wiring harness since the 2-beam lights lack that.
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SoobyToo58
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Re: Swithching headlights from a Baja Turbo to a Baja Sport!

Post by SoobyToo58 »

Guacamole wrote: Sun Sep 17, 2017 9:20 am Welcome to the forum!
The bottom light is the high beam. I don't own a turbo, but I've done quite a bit of research on this. Like you said, this is going to be a pain. I'm not even 100% sure the different lights are compatible, but I'll look forward to seeing how you do this mod.

Here's the wiring diagram for both headlight housings (the turbo is the "4-light model")
http://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Subaru/Ba ... System.pdf

Here's the headlight guide from the 06 owner's manual (works for all years), see page 11-63 & 11-64
http://www.scoobytruck.com/pdf/2006_baj ... manual.pdf
I apologize for not acknowledging your response sooner but Thank You for your time and attention AND the links for the manual and schematics.
As it turns out I ran across a Subaru owner (I forgot if it was a Legacy or an Outback) in a parking lot with the same headlights I'm looking to install and asked him to turn them on and show me the low and high beams which he was nice enough to do. The low beams show just the top section lit while the high beams show both sections lit with the top section possibly dimming a little when switched to high beam but I wasn't exactly sure whether the top section was actually dimming because it was bright daylight and hard to tell.
I know only the bare minimum when it comes to electrical stuff so the electrical schematics are very hard for me to decipher.
Thanks again!
SoobyToo58
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Re: Swithching headlights from a Baja Turbo to a Baja Sport!

Post by SoobyToo58 »

anarchy1024 wrote: Mon Sep 18, 2017 5:37 pm To add,

When the headlights are off, the daytime running lights are in use, and those just the main low-beam headlights at a lower voltage (unless you disable the DRLs).

The high beams only turn on when the low beams are on, and that includes when flashing. The low beams don't turn off when the high beams are high beams are in use.

The Gen3 Outback/Legacy uses the same headlights, and are physically interchangeable. They shouldn't be too hard electrically, either, with a bit of splicing. As far as I know, the logic is identical between the Turbo and Sport; one uses separate bulbs, while the other just uses a dual-filament bulb.

Hi!
Thanks for adding to the discussion here. I'm the guy who started it.
Please see my response to the 1st response by Guacamole.
I'm not well versed at all in electric circuitry and such and dealing with problems like this. I know only the most basic stuff about electric stuff. I have a little feel for very simple electrical schematics but the ones that Guacamole made available get me lost for the most part.
After seeing the new headlights actually working that is the only addition to my understanding that I've gained since starting this thread and seeing your two posts with the additional schematic.
Now I see that Guacamole added the comment that the low beams are slightly dimmed when the high beams are switched on which confirms what I saw when I had someone show me their headlights..
Does DRL mean Daytime Running Lights?

This is the question that I have for you and anyone else who can give me a definitive answer... as opposed to a "maybe" or a "possibly" answer.
Can't I just make three little jumper connections between the wiring harness in the car and the NEW head light(s) and try every combination between the two until I get the top section lit for the low beam and both sections lit for the high beam?
If I find the correct combination but end up with the top section NOT dimming in the high beam mode, would that be a problem in any way for the car circuitry or the head light? Could any part of the circuitry get fried or could it drastically reduce the life of the low beam lamp (bulb) or overheat the headlight fixture and cause a problem that way?
Regarding the DRLs, I never even gave them any thought in all this and don't know what should be lit and when, regarding the amber turn signal light and the other amber bulb in the fixture. Now I'm really mixed up and confused. Should the DRLs come on automatically when the car is running and which lamps in the fixture are the DRLs??
If someone has the patience to explain all this in very simple language and in a very simple step by step way about the DRLs that would help with my knowing exactly what the correct result should be as far as what lights (high beams, low beams, parking lights and directionals) are lit and when.

I feel like I'm digging myself in deeper and deeper here and possibly making you guys not want to bother.
THANK YOU ALL!
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Re: Swithching headlights from a Baja Turbo to a Baja Sport!

Post by Guacamole »

I'm sorry, I should've done a simple board search before I went nuts with the diagrams & technical details. :lol: I hadn't thought this mod had been done before, but I remembered from 2 years ago reading this post:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2056&p=12342
Sorry for wasting time.

(& yes DRL = Daytime Running Lights, & they come on when the engine comes on unless they're disconnected)
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