Cross-Post: '08 Ford Edge SE -- Questions about mods?

[elricfate]

I wasn't sure this was getting much exposure in the 2008 forum so I figured I'd paste it here and see what shakes out.

 

I want to do some mods to a 2008 Ford Edge SE model, but it was the base model so I know there's some stuff missing. Adding fog lights, I know, I'll also have to add the wiring harness, that's a no brainer.

 

But other stuff vexes me like adding "switchback" LEDs, how do I know that my Edge can even utilize them? I keep seeing them used in 2011 and newer Edges but haven't found a post where someone added them to a 2008 SE. I'd also like to add some things that mine didn't come with like puddle lights. There are cutouts that are filled in on the mirrors for puddle lights, but in order to add them does anyone have any suggestions what I should do?

 

I guess I just want some of the nicer functionality that the SEL models have in my SE since I'm inheriting it from my wife to replace my aging Impala. All the mods listed below that are (lacking) are ones I can't find a lot of information on for my year and model type. Can anyone shine some light?

 

Mods I want to perform:

 

Plasti-Dip rims (found tons of resources) (good to go)

Plasti-Dip Grille (found tons of resources) (good to go)

Add Switchback turnal signal lights (lacking)

Replace all bulbed lights with LED replacements (lacking)

Retrofit HIDs for high and low (this seems like a no-brainer given the resources on this forum) (good to go)

Add a cargo rack (easy peasy since I have roof rails already) (good to go)

Add side LED Lightbars to cargo rack (good to go)

Add reverse LED lightbar for backing up (good to go)

Add lighting for the center console and glovebox (good to go)

Wire an inverter in the rear of the vehicle (I can handle doing this since I did the same in the Impala already) (good to go)

Add fog lights (which are completely different than the ones I keep seeing on the forums since they're horizontal and not that vertical slit). (lacking)

Add a bull bar grille guard and LED lightbar to the front for extra light when I'm the only one on the road in the deep dark (good to go)

Add nerf bars (good to go)

Add a rear bumper bull bar (good to go)

Add a hitch (good to go)

Add heated seats using retrofit kits (good to go)

Add heater power mirrors (lacking but I think it's straight forward?)

 

 

There's some other things I'm going to do but they're largely make/model agnostic such as adding a dash cam that is direct-wired into the dimming mirror, etc. These are just the mods that I'm unsure of and can't find a lot of data on to help me get started going in the right direction.

Edited December 22, 2014 by elricfate

[PaulSchott]

The fog light Chrome bezel's are available on eBay, You might try a Junk Yard search. At least you can probably get them with the connector attached.

[elricfate]

The fog light Chrome bezel's are available on eBay, You might try a Junk Yard search. At least you can probably get them with the connector attached.

 

I've never installed fog lights before and I'm worried that I'll crack something while I'm down there, so this helps. If I get the connectors are they mostly plug and play?

[enigma-2]

Mods I want to perform:

 

Add lighting for the center console and glovebox (good to go)

What did you find for a glovebox light? (Thinking of doing the same on my 09).

[elricfate]

What did you find for a glovebox light? (Thinking of doing the same on my 09).

 

Gonna do the same thing this guy did, http://www.fordflex.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=9443

[elricfate]

This thread also has the same basic premise.

 

http://www.fordedgeforum.com/topic/3166-diy-center-console-glove-box-led-lighting-mod/

[enigma-2]

Would seem you intend to put a fair amount of $$$ in your 08. Have you considered selling your 08 in a private sale (should get $8-10k) and buying a later model with all the bells and whistles already on it?

 

For example, a nice 2010 Ford Edge SEL with 3.5L V6, automatic transmission, AWD (All wheel drive), power windows and locks, key less entry, power mirrors, cruise control, tilt steering, stereo AM/FM CD, rear defrost, power heated seats, alloy wheels, ABS, air conditioning, panoramic roof & leather interior is on buy-it-now for <$12K on Ebay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-Edge-SEL-AWD-PANORAMIC-ROOF-LEATHER-2010-ford-edge-sel-awd-panoramic-roof-very-nice-vehicle-/281533306573?forcerrptr=true&hash=item418cb156cd&item=281533306573&pt=US_Cars_Trucks#ht_1856wt_1145

 

This particular one is in Canada, just grabbed it as an example. But might be a better choice than trying to piece an 08 up to 10 standards. (After all, you would still have an 08, just with more aftermarket on it. And a later year would get you to a later version of Sync, etc.)

 

Just thinking outloud...

[elricfate]

Would seem you intend to put a fair amount of $$$ in your 08. Have you considered selling your 08 in a private sale (should get $8-10k) and buying a later model with all the bells and whistles already on it?

 

For example, a nice 2010 Ford Edge SEL with 3.5L V6, automatic transmission, AWD (All wheel drive), power windows and locks, key less entry, power mirrors, cruise control, tilt steering, stereo AM/FM CD, rear defrost, power heated seats, alloy wheels, ABS, air conditioning, panoramic roof & leather interior is on buy-it-now for <$12K on Ebay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-Edge-SEL-AWD-PANORAMIC-ROOF-LEATHER-2010-ford-edge-sel-awd-panoramic-roof-very-nice-vehicle-/281533306573?forcerrptr=true&hash=item418cb156cd&item=281533306573&pt=US_Cars_Trucks#ht_1856wt_1145

 

This particular one is in Canada, just grabbed it as an example. But might be a better choice than trying to piece an 08 up to 10 standards. (After all, you would still have an 08, just with more aftermarket on it. And a later year would get you to a later version of Sync, etc.)

 

Just thinking outloud...

 

 

No, you're fine thinking out loud.

 

I'd considered it, but to be honest, it still only has about 56k miles on it, it runs like a top, and I kinda like customizing things to my liking. In my Impala I had an electrical issue with the radio not always stepping itself down after the car turned off so I added a fused 12v switch to the radio fuse line so I could turn it on and off at will. I could've replaced it with an aftermarket stereo, but to be honest, I found it a whole lot of fun adding the switch. I also hard-wired a dash cam and 5v USB power supply into the auto dimming 12v line into the mirror, because it was there even though I don't have an auto-dimming mirror.

 

Most of the stuff up there will be done over time. The only really big expenditures are going to be the bull bar, new head lights, cargo rack and initial cost of the LEDs if I do them all at once. The rest is just a couple hundred bucks in total, and my time.

 

I just like to do this kind of thing, customize something from base to something I love.

[elricfate]

Added a couple new ones that I thought of to the list.

[elricfate]

Looks like I'll have my Impala at least another year, so any mods I do the wife will have to live with. In that vein, I might only do some lighting stuff first and just do a couple mods to the Impala to kill the time.

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

Well, don't forget to post the pics of the mods to the Impala here as well

[elricfate]

Fair enough. I've already done two mods to the Impala, one out of necessity, the other out of security.

 

Once upon a time ago my 2004 Chevy Impala OEM car radio was causing electrical issues where it wouldn't "turn off" completely and would continue to drain the battery. I pulled the fuse, and lived with that for two years, before I finally devised a solution.

 

I made a fused switch line that junctions into the fuse box that looks a lot like this one (I didn't take a picture of my line that I made).

 

 

I grabbed one of the LED switches from amazon and hooked it up. When all was said and done, with the blades inserted into the fuse box, I now have complete manual control over the radio. The radio doesn't loose stations or any of the ecu settings because that's all solid state, but the clock resets to midnight every time I turn it off.

 

 

[elricfate]

The other mod I added was to give myself a dash cam. I keep seeing stupid human tricks on the road and decided that wasn't for me, so a little protection goes a long way.

 

I picked up:

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F2GMUPU/ as my camera

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CGY9VPI as my memory card (because this camera had a couple issues with Class 10 cards being faster than it was possible at processing)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007Y7MPQ4 as my power supply for the camera, which I wired into the +12v lines into my mirror for auto-dimming, and then hid the cabling/bump in my headliner.

 

I have it mounted right behind my mirror and you can barely see it. It takes 1080p HD video and logs GPS coordinates.

 

 

[elricfate]

Welp, spent a productive week or two now.

 

Mods to the Edge:

 

1x Daytime Brightlites 2008 direct plug and play replacement (Shadow Black) tail lights installed (http://drivebright.com/home/shop/ford-edge-led-tail-light-set-lh-rh-complete-replacement-tail-light-assembly/)

2x Daytime Brightlites 55w Cree 921 LED reverse lamps installed (no link)

2x Daytime Brightlites high power cree license plate 194 LEDs installed (no link)

1x JDM Astar extremely bright 578 bulb in the cargo area lamp installed (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NTOJU28/)

3x Cutequeen 16 smd 578 bulbs in the rear dome light installed (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B2YE4B4/)

2x JDM Astar extremely bright 194 in map lights installed (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JIEX722/)

 

Mods to the Impala:

 

2x JDM Astar 800 lumen 3157 xenon white front turn signals installed (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G2TV7OG/)

2x JDM Astar 800 lumen 3157 brilliant red rear turn signals installed (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HJEUUKU/)

4x load resistors t-tapped into both front and rear turn signals installed (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L4V9ECY/)

2x JDM Astar super bright 194 LED xenon white rear marker lamps installed (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OH0S5Y2/)

2x JDM Astar super bright 921 reverse lamps installed (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FTDJ9FA/)

1x JDM Astar extremely bright 578 bulb in the dome lamp installed (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NTOJU28/)

2x JDM Astar super bright 194 LED xenon white map lights installed (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OH0S5Y2/)

2x JDM Astar super bright 194 LED xenon white footwell lights installed (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OH0S5Y2/)

1x JDM Astar extremely bright 194 in trunk installed (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JIEX722/)

 

 

To be honest, all the color temperatures are just about right on and if they're not perfect, they're not enough that my eyes can tell the difference. The only thing I have left on both vehicles are head lights, really, and front turn signals on the Edge, but I'm holding off on that until I get it as my daily driver.

[elricfate]

Ya know, I forgot all about this.

 

I bought an F-150 instead and am modding the heck out of it. :-)

 

My wife is keeping the Edge, she's gotten used to it.

 

Thanks guys!