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Upgrade to LED Lighting in a Ford Maverick

By
James Wu
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Upgrade to LED Lighting in a Ford Maverick


LED Illumination: A Switch to LED Illumination

Modern trucks are equipped with LED lighting. What if you own an older model or even just a base model truck? The vehicle manufacturers only started to use LED lights in the past few years, so there are still a lot of trucks on the road that have the older halogen lights. New LED lights improve visibility, not only for the driver but also for others, especially during the night. The upgraded lighting makes the truck appear more expensive. In my case, with my XL base-model ’23 Ford Maverick, other than the headlights and tag lights, all other bulbs were halogen. 

I’m sure you’re thinking the same thing I am: “Why would a manufacturer do half and half? Surely, the cost for the bulbs during the build process isn’t that much different.” Fortunately, companies like Diode Dynamics offer a full LED upgrade for pretty much every vehicle on the road, so I reached out to place an order for this little truck. This LED upgrade makes the truck look more expensive and provides better visibility.

The LED bulbs can be swapped out just like regular bulbs, but the light output is much higher. I replaced the bulbs that were used as turn signals in the front running light with LED switchbacks. The running light will be a bright, white LED, which looks great and provides more illumination for dark evenings. However, when the signal is activated the bulbs will turn orange. A resistor is required to reduce the flashing caused by LED turn signals. Diode Dynamics supplied them as well, so we had a complete installation.

It was necessary to replace the orange bumper lenses on the front with something classier. Klearz Manufacturing offered a clear lens that would fit the Maverick. Klearz gives you a number of choices for color and tint. My truck is white so I went with a white housing and clear lens, which blends into the bumper once the lights are off.

Watch the video to see how the halogen bulbs are transformed into the ultra-modern LED bulbs. I upgraded the bulbs on the taillights to make the truck safer for those who are following.

01. Diode Dynamics has all the parts needed to upgrade these dull, halogen lights, including the resistors required to stop the hyper flash. Klearz’s bumper lenses complete the look. Installed the same as factory lenses.
02. You can see that even the bumper lens lights look better than the stock bulbs.
03. The addition of a red led bulb to the taillights will make them brighter and more visible than they were before.
04. I started by removing the third brake lamp. Upgrades will be made to two cargo lights, a brake lamp and two cargo lights that were originally equipped with halogen lamps. After removing the Phillips screws, you can remove the cover.
05. You can see how dim the halogen factory bulb is on the right compared to new LED on left.
06. These LED bulbs provide a lot more light when you need it. The amount of light produced makes it easier to load the bed.

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07. The front end will look much more upscale and brighter with the white running light instead of the orange stock light. The white lights also turn orange when the signal is activated, and instantly return to their original color.

08. The ugly orange factory bumper lenses were not for me. The clear lenses clip on the same as the OEM ones. I upgraded the bulbs to LEDs, which are brighter and now match my headlight color.

SOURCES

  • Diode Dynamics
    314-205-3033
    www.diodedynamics.com
    @diodedynamics
  • Klearz
    www.klearz.com
    @klearzmanufacturing

The post Upgrade to LED Lighting in a Ford Maverick first appeared on Street Trucks.





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