TheWizard

You're trying to apply AC circuit thinking to a DC circuit. Everything in a car is DC except the internals of the alternator. In a DC circuit like in a car, PWM rapidly switches between full voltage and zero voltage output producing an average voltage that is less than the system voltage by a percentage directly related to the duty cycle of the PWM. This is used to reduce the brightness of halogen headlights when they are used as DRLs because the bulb filament doesn't respond to the rapidly changing individual pulses, it just "sees" the overall average voltage. LEDs and digital HID ballasts are fast enough to actually react to the individual pulses but that's not the issue here because you installed a relay in between. The coil of the relay is, in essence, a resistor just like the filament of a bulb. It is not fast enough to respond to the individual pulses of the PWM but it does respond to the average voltage. If that average voltage is too low to energize the coil enough to overcome the spring tension on the relay switch terminals then the relay will not trip and you will get no output. You can go ahead and measure the output of your capacitor if you want but the real telling measurement is the relay output. For all you know, the relay itself may be bad. You can't assume that just because you have input power to the relay that it is outputting power to the ballast.

Agreed... I had automatic wipers on a former BMW and they were exactly what automatic wipers should be - set them once and forget them. They would turn on when needed, adjust speed based on rainfall rate, and almost never wipe when they weren't needed (actually I don't remember a dry wipe ever). Edge automatic wipers are a beta version compared to BMW. They work (mostly) and once you get them started and adjusted in the rain they adapt pretty well but they require a lot of fiddling with the control - almost as much as ordinary wipers.

Not exactly. Relays are analog devices and PWM switches voltage much faster than the relay coil could react so the relay is really only "seeing" the reduced average voltage (in the same way as filaments in an incandescent bulb). That average voltage can be too low to energize the coil and trip the relay. Most relays will operate down to about nine volts but a 60% duty cycle on the PWM brings the average voltage down to around eight volts. It's easy enough to test... just use a voltmeter or test light to check for power output from the relay terminal opposite the power input (30 or 87 depending on how the relay is connected). As for the running lights, I really don't have an answer. I suspect that somewhere current is back-feeding through a common ground but it would take some troubleshooting with a meter to confirm.

If you converted a Canadian halogen headlight configuration to HID without having the DRLs switched to the running lights by the dealer then you are going to have problems. That's because the factory configuration runs the halogen headlights at reduced voltage using pulse width modulation (PWM). That's fine for normal incandescent bulbs but PWM will not usually trip the relay to power the HID ballasts. Actually, you're lucky you installed the relay kit because connecting PWM power directly to HID ballasts can destroy them in short order.

Yes, a D3S capsule is an industry standard part number so you can use whichever one you find. They range from about $85 per pair to over $300 per pair depending on brand name. This is one of those cases where it's not a good idea to go with the cheap ones - they generally have problems with longevity and color stability. He's talking about replacing factory HID capsules not doing a conversion from halogen. Dan sells conversion kits.

I recognize that part number ("3157_60_SMT_WA") as one that is used by autolumination.com. I've bought from them numerous times. Their product is good (generally better than eBay or local auto parts stores) but not top of the line. You can find their line of switchbacks here: http://www.autolumination.com/switchback.html. The part number refers to a 3157 tower style, white-amber (Type 1) switchback bulb with 60 "Surface Mount Technology" LEDs. They're listed in the third section down the page along with 92-LED and 120-LED versions. The two CREE bulbs above them are extremely bright but won't look as good in the Edge housings because they only use the white LEDs on the tip in parking/running light mode. That will make it look like a pinpoint light that doesn't fill the lamp reflector well (watch the animation to see what I mean). The SMT tower bulbs use white and amber LEDs on the end and all around the outside to better simulate the light dispersion of an incandescent bulb.

I'd have to actually check but I believe the TPMS sensor is valve stem mounted on these so I think they're still there. I bought new sensors for the new wheels I installed so they didn't get transferred. I'll have a look when I get home.

They're the 70.6mm center bore. What size does the Edge use? If it's smaller, there are hub-centric ring adapters available.

I have a set of 18x8 Mustang wheels that are somewhat similar and have been sitting in the boxes in my garage for over a year now. They're like new but my wife wants them out of the garage so I'm selling them for $50 each plus actual shipping (or we might arrange to meet somewhere since you're in Georgia).

Ford products (especially Mustangs) seem to have very poor factory aim of their headlights. Getting them properly aimed can make a huge difference in how effective your lighting appears. Most often they are aimed too low which reduces the distance you can see but having them aimed too high is just as bad because the light is misdirected above where you're looking, not to mention how much it annoys other drivers.

That's interesting. Is it possible you got a vehicle that was from the Canadian market? Or perhaps the previous owner had the DRL option turned on after purchase? Because DRLs were not even an option on a '13 Edge in the US except for fleet vehicles. Could it have been a fleet vehicle?

That is correct. The engine speed will be somewhat higher until the torque converter locks up because there is a slight amount of slippage involved. The torque converter is a fluid coupling that is designed to allow slippage until it locks - that's what allows you to remain in gear when you're stopped and what smooths the transition between gears. But at highway speeds it will have locked within a few seconds of reaching speed. The formula and ratios posted above assume no slippage... either a manual transmission with the clutch fully engaged or an automatic transmission after the torque converter has locked.

In our dealership (many years ago) it was a Volkswagon Beetle thermostat (air cooled engine) or a drive shaft balancer. BTW OP, unless your Edge came from Canada, it doesn't have DRLs to be disabled.

Factory HIDs (ALL factory HIDs) are in the 4100K - 4300K range of color temperature which is considered the most effective color for overall light output. It is a "warm" white (including a little yellow) but it provides more effective light than the higher color temperatures. This is because the higher temps start tending toward the blue end of the spectrum and the human eye is not good at handling blue light - it gets interpreted as glare. 5000K is consider pure white while 6000K is "ice" or "diamond" white with blue tones. By the time you get above 8000K (light blue), you might as well stick with halogen for all the effective light you'll get. So 5000K may seem like it's "brighter" but it actually doesn't help you see any better. If you want the most effective lighting, stick with the factory color temp. If you're concerned more about appearance then go ahead and get whiter capsules but don't fool yourself into thinking it's better lighting.

Agreed... I'm still waiting for someone (anyone) to provide a reasonable explanation of the paranoia surrounding resistor installation.

That is not at all what I said. I thought I was quite clear... "For any given transmission gear with any given differential ratio and tire size, the engine speed will always be the same for a specified speed regardless of other conditions." If you are driving in such a way that it requires downshifting then of course the engine RPM will increase. This is an effect of the different gear ratio and can be calculated in exactly the same way using the new ratio. The external driving conditions have no direct correlation to engine RPM - only the gear ratios do. In other words, an X mph head wind does not correlate to a Y% change in engine speed. Only the downshifting of the transmission to a different gear affects the RPM (regardless of whether you manually shifted or the vehicle did it for you). Basically, you asked for engine RPM at speed in 6th gear (the gear that would be in use at 70 and 80 mph). That's a value that can be calculated with certainty and does not require trial and observation by other members. Nor will it ever be different for any drivers as long as they are using the same gear ratios.

Here is the formula to calculate RPM: RPM = speed in MPH * overall gear ratio * 336 / tire diameter in inches (overall gear ratio is calculated by multiplying differential ratio by transmission ratio for the selected gear) 2015 Edge Specifications Transmission gear ratios 1st - 4.58 2nd - 2.96 3rd - 1.91 4th - 1.45 5th - 1.0 6th - 0.75 Differential (axle) ratios Ecoboost I4 without start/stop - 3.36 Ecoboost I4 with start/stop - 3.21 3.5L V6 FWD - 3.16 3.5L V6 AWD - 3.39 Sport FWD - 2.77 Sport AWD - 3.16 Tires SE/SEL - P245/60HR18 - 29.57" diameter Titanium - P245/55HR19 - 29.61" diameter Sport - P245/50WR20 - 29.65" diameter Example Edge SEL FWD 3.5L V6... 70 mph 3.16 axle ratio 0.75 6th gear ratio 29.57 tire diameter => 70 * 3.16 * 0.75 * 336 / 29.57 = ~1885 RPM

The conditions (uphill or downhill, elevation, wind speed or direction, vehicle load, driver's mother's maiden name, etc.) make no difference in engine RPM to speed. For any given transmission gear, with any given differential ratio and tire size, the engine speed will always be the same for a specified speed regardless of other conditions. That is unless you have something seriously wrong with your transmission and it's slipping. If you have the transmission gear ratios, the differential ratio and the tire sizes, you can plug the numbers into a spreadsheet to calculate RPM to speed. I may have those ratios someplace. I'll see if I can't dig them up and post them for you.

Actually, much of the sales profits of "foreign" companies does stay in the US. The companies are usually set up as subsidiaries that maintain their own accounting and profit/loss statements. It is true that Japanese and other foreign manufacturers pay dividends to their shareholders who mostly live in their home countries just as the majority of shareholders of American companies live in the US. But aside from dividends and stock valuation, most of the profits earned here are reinvested in the companies here. The impact of auto manufacturing being done here goes way beyond just the company's profits. They create thousands of jobs for Americans and they also buy products from local companies generating even more money into our economy and more jobs. The home country of the brand name is not nearly the big factor in choosing to support our economy as it was even as recently as ten or fifteen years ago. "Buy American" (in the auto industry) is becoming increasingly difficult to define.

You're kidding, right? The 2015 Murano is built in Mississippi not Japan. And even the Edge is only 65% domestic content. Globalization is the standard in the industry these days. The Toyota Camry just passed the Ford F-150 at the top of the "American Made" list this year. In fact, the new F-150 fell completely out of the list of vehicles with at least 75% domestic content. That list now has only seven vehicles including the Camry and the Honda Odyssey along with several General Motors products. So two vehicles from Japanese companies have more domestic content than ANY Ford product currently made. It's time to give up 70-year-old prejudices.

Oh yes, and if you go over 6000K you will also need a bunch of decals for performance products that you don't actually have installed so that you will fit in with the ricer crowd that will have similar headlights.

First question is... Why? You just want to change color? 6000K is not brighter than 5000K, just more blue in color. And that blue is mostly glare because the human eye doesn't process blue light well. 5000K is the closest to pure white. Factory HIDs are around 4200K (just slightly yellow) because it is the most effective color for both visibility and illumination. But if you really want to change color of the factory HIDs, you don't need a kit just a pair of D3S capsules (bulbs) in the desired color.

You can't use those electronic "LED flashers" because the Edge doesn't have a standard flasher that can be replaced as in older cars. The turn signal function is computerized in the Edge.

You need standard base for any Ford vehicle. CK base is used mostly in Toyotas and has the ground pins assigned in different positions. If you install a CK base bulb in a standard socket you will cause a dead short that, if you're lucky, will only blow a fuse. As far as being able to use them without resistors, that's mostly a matter of luck. Some vehicles are not as sensitive to the reduced current draw of LED bulbs and some LEDs bulb draw somewhat more current than others. If you happen to have a less-sensitive vehicle and you happen to get bulbs that draw more current then you might not need resistors. But the vast majority of people will need resistors for load balancing. It's not a big deal and I really don't understand why people are so reluctant to use them. They cost very little and are extremely easy to install. And don't try to justify it by claiming not to affect warranty... merely installing LED bulbs in place of the factory incandescent bulbs already affects the warranty on your lights, signals and related parts. If you have a problem with your signals later, the dealer can easily refuse warranty coverage because of the LEDs. Using resistors is the right way to avoid possible problems down the road.

Each resistor has two connections. One side gets connected to the "hot" (power) wire of the turn signal socket and the other side goes to the ground wire. This puts the resistor electrically in parallel with the turn signal "filament" (circuit) of the LED bulb. On the left side the T/S power wire is blue/green and the ground is black/green. On the right side the T/S power wire is yellow/purple and the ground is black/grey. The third wire (yellow/blue) at the socket is for the parking/running lights and is not connected to the resistor in any way. It is not needed because the parking/running lights do not flash.