Tail light Conversion

Is it possible to pick up European Code tail lights for an 04 Town and
Country and install them in a North American vehicle with just some minor
changes to the wires and bulb holders? I'm headed for Italy and would pick
up a pair if this is possible. Remember, by 04 the North American version
has just one bulb plus backup bulb. Thanks.

Richard.

The taillamp clusters themselves will fit. The single-bulb
tail/stop/turn setup in your 2004 means you will need to do some
rewiring. It's not all that difficult to do if the 2004 wiring setup is
the same one Chrysler's been using for years on their vehicles with
single-bulb tail/stop/turn setups: You need to cut the wire that runs
from the brake lamp switch to the turn signal switch. The existing
brake lamp wires then become your turn signal wires, and you run a new
wire from the brake lamp switch side of the cut wire to the rear of the
vehicle, to power the brake lamps. Make it a nice 14ga wire and you can
hook up both the factory brake and factory rear-fog lamps in the
European-code taillamps to act as brake lamps (spend another couple
minutes and add a diode or two and you can have a rear fog *and* quad
brake lamps).

While you're over there, why not get the good headlamps, too?

"Daniel J. Stern" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> The taillamp clusters themselves will fit. The single-bulb
> tail/stop/turn setup in your 2004 means you will need to do some
> rewiring. It's not all that difficult to do if the 2004 wiring setup is
> the same one Chrysler's been using for years on their vehicles with
> single-bulb tail/stop/turn setups: You need to cut the wire that runs
> from the brake lamp switch to the turn signal switch. The existing
> brake lamp wires then become your turn signal wires, and you run a new
> wire from the brake lamp switch side of the cut wire to the rear of the
> vehicle, to power the brake lamps. Make it a nice 14ga wire and you can
> hook up both the factory brake and factory rear-fog lamps in the
> European-code taillamps to act as brake lamps (spend another couple
> minutes and add a diode or two and you can have a rear fog *and* quad
> brake lamps).
>
> While you're over there, why not get the good headlamps, too?

If I get these (if a dealer in Rome has them in stock, or if I find them
at a local Roman junk yard, ha,) I will wire in one of the rear fog lights
while I'm at it. Would all you nice newsgroup people please start up a fund
to help me pay for all those nice parts?

Richard.

"Richard" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Daniel J. Stern" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> > The taillamp clusters themselves will fit. The single-bulb
> > tail/stop/turn setup in your 2004 means you will need to do some
> > rewiring. It's not all that difficult to do if the 2004 wiring setup is
> > the same one Chrysler's been using for years on their vehicles with
> > single-bulb tail/stop/turn setups: You need to cut the wire that runs
> > from the brake lamp switch to the turn signal switch. The existing
> > brake lamp wires then become your turn signal wires, and you run a new
> > wire from the brake lamp switch side of the cut wire to the rear of the
> > vehicle, to power the brake lamps. Make it a nice 14ga wire and you can
> > hook up both the factory brake and factory rear-fog lamps in the
> > European-code taillamps to act as brake lamps (spend another couple
> > minutes and add a diode or two and you can have a rear fog *and* quad
> > brake lamps).
> >
> > While you're over there, why not get the good headlamps, too?
>
> If I get these (if a dealer in Rome has them in stock, or if I find
them
> at a local Roman junk yard, ha,) I will wire in one of the rear fog lights
> while I'm at it. Would all you nice newsgroup people please start up a
fund
> to help me pay for all those nice parts?
>

Why not just sell it and buy one over there?

Ted

Ted Mittelstaedt wrote:

> Why not just sell it and buy one over there?

Perhaps it's because he's only *visiting* over there, I donno, on a
vacation or somesuch, and wishes better lighting on his minivan when he
returns home.

"Daniel J. Stern" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Ted Mittelstaedt wrote:
>
>> Why not just sell it and buy one over there?
>
> Perhaps it's because he's only *visiting* over there, I donno, on a
> vacation or somesuch, and wishes better lighting on his minivan when he
> returns home.

Exactly right. I just wish Mr. Stern was more successful at getting the
government in Canada to mandate better lighting.

Richard.

"Richard" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Daniel J. Stern" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>> Ted Mittelstaedt wrote:
>>
>>> Why not just sell it and buy one over there?
>>
>> Perhaps it's because he's only *visiting* over there, I donno, on a
>> vacation or somesuch, and wishes better lighting on his minivan when he
>> returns home.
>
> Exactly right. I just wish Mr. Stern was more successful at getting the
> government in Canada to mandate better lighting.
>
> Richard.
>

FMVSS should demand this:

All lighting on a vehicle should be on at ALL times... when driving that is.

I see far too many people in the rain, during the day, no lights on...
(other than DRL). what's up with that??

I use my rear fogs in adverse conditions... that's why my bumper has no
damage (Volvo)

M.R.S. wrote:
> "Richard" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > "Daniel J. Stern" > wrote in message
> > oups.com...
> >> Ted Mittelstaedt wrote:
> >>
> >>> Why not just sell it and buy one over there?
> >>
> >> Perhaps it's because he's only *visiting* over there, I donno, on a
> >> vacation or somesuch, and wishes better lighting on his minivan when he
> >> returns home.
> >
> > Exactly right. I just wish Mr. Stern was more successful at getting the
> > government in Canada to mandate better lighting.
> >
> > Richard.
> >
>
> FMVSS should demand this:
>
> All lighting on a vehicle should be on at ALL times... when driving that is.
>
> I see far too many people in the rain, during the day, no lights on...
> (other than DRL). what's up with that??
>
> I use my rear fogs in adverse conditions... that's why my bumper has no
> damage (Volvo)

These rear fogs sound like a great idea. Are they like tail lights only
brighter?

Are they required in all European Countries, or only Germany?

-Kirk Matheson

Rear fogs are allowed in North America and several import vehicles have them
here. I understand that just one bright red rear segment pm the left rear is
best but both sides lit is permitted here and many if not most imports with
rear fogs sport that arrangement.

Richard.

Richard wrote:

> I just wish Mr. Stern was more successful at getting the
> government in Canada to mandate better lighting.

The government in Canada doesn't need convincing. They (or "he", more
accurately, i.e. the Canadian regulator in charge of motor vehicle
lighting and reflective devices) is fully aware that red rear turn
signals are dumb. He knows there should be less glare from low beams
and DRLs. He knows side turn signal repeaters should be on every car.
He knows the value of a rear fog lamp. He knows there ought to be
stringent standards for front fog lamps' performance, mounting and
installation. The problem is with the Americans! Remember, the North
American Auto Pact of 1965 effectively locked Canada into line with US
vehicle regulations. What differences exist are generally minor, and
it's kept that way by the US auto industry and the US DOT (specifically
NHTSA).

Canada was looking at accepting all ECE standards, as well as whole ECE
vehicles. The idea passed all safety analyses (of course it would, for
the road-safest nations in the world all require or permit ECE
standards), but the automakers and US DOT hollered bloody murder about
it. The automakers said "When we build a car for the German market,
that's where we want it to stay. We don't want it showing up in Canada.
If you do this, you'll be taking away our control over what vehicles
enter the Canadian market, and that will undermine our marketing
strategy." US DOT said "If you allow ECE, we'll be the only country in
the world doing something different." So, the idea was quashed, because
the US didn't want Canada to do it.

But, when Canada last brought up the idea of mandating amber rear turn
signals, the US auto industry threatened to take Canada to free-trade
court over it. Because of the way the "free trade" agreements of the
last four decades are written, Canada would lose.

So, there you have it. Sign "free trade" agreements with one hand to
eliminate tarrifs and monetary trade barriers, then write
different-from-the-rest-of-the-world-but-not-better technical standards
to hide trade barriers in with the right hand. There is no such a thing
as "free trade", folks.