Last Updated on January 10, 2020
I recently modded the 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee front turn signals to be on with the side signals like DRLs. I accomplished this by using male bulb pigtails plugged into the factory wire harness and wired them to new female bulb pigtails that would plug into the light housings. Doing this I was able to convert the front bulbs to 1157 style from 1156 style, stole the extra required wire from the blue/red wire on the side signals (also by using male bulb pigtails that plugged into the factory harness that was wired to a new female bulb housing – no harness was cut at and this mod can be easily undone.)
I also replaced the stock flasher with a Novita ep27 LED flasher, I tried a Luyed brand ep27 and it didn’t work when Jeep was running.
Once that was all done put in some Amber-Off style LED Switchbacks. No hyper flash, everything works, and I didn’t ruin my factory wiring harness. ?
**NOTE:: Check your current front lower blinker sockets before ordering, especially if you have a 1997 Grand Cherokee. My ZJ is 1997 and it must be an early production example becuase it still has the 93-96 lower front blinker style bulbs that are 1156 bayonets instead of the 3157 blade style bulbs that 97-98 should have.
Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ Turn Signal to DRL Mod Parts List:
Pigtails and Sockets:
93-98 Grand Cherokees
Male Pigtail for Side sockets:
https://amzn.to/2KS58q4 – T10 Male Pigtail (93-98)
Female Pigtail for Side sockets
https://amzn.to/2NH1SM2 – T10 Female Socket Pigtail (93-98)
93-96 Grand Cherokees
Male Pigtails for Front sockets:
https://amzn.to/2KZDmaJ – 1156 Male Pigtail (93-96)
Female Pigtail for Front sockets:
https://amzn.to/2maPwPO – 1157 Female Socket Pigtail
97-98 Grand Cherokees
Male Pigtails for Front sockets:
https://amzn.to/2ueSw1W – 3157 Male Pigtail (97-98, should be 3156 but they don’t sell those so use these and ignore blue wire)
Female Pigtail for Front sockets:
https://amzn.to/2ur3wsy – 3157 Female Socket Pigtail (97-98)
LED Flasher and Bulbs
NOTE: You could Skip all of the below parts if not converting to LED and are only wanting to mod the front signal to be on as a Parking/Running light with a regular incandescent dual-filament bulb.
LED Flasher Relay:
https://amzn.to/2L9BWHv – Novita EP27 (Luyed EP27 did NOT work)
93-96 Grand Cherokees
LED Switchbacks for Front signal:
https://amzn.to/2uey8OI – Your choice of any 1157 style switchbacks, but I suggest a pair with good reviews and make sure they are the Amber-Off type that are White when signal is off and Amber blinking when signal is on. The other type Amber-White will alternate Amber and White when signal is on or even just keep White solid while Amber blinks – and either way they are terrible.
97-98 Grand Cherokees
LED Switchbacks for Front signal:
https://amzn.to/2ucDaes – Get 3157 style switchbacks if you have the 97-98 blade style bulbs, obviously.
Optional Parts
OPTIONAL LED Non-Switchbacks for Front signal:
https://amzn.to/2udYpwq – Regular dual-filament 1157 style Amber bulbs would work as well if you don’t prefer Switchbacks and want the “Stock” Look. (Again, get 3157 style if you are sticking with that socket style)
OPTIONAL Amber LED for Lower Side signal:
https://amzn.to/2ue1rki – Regular T10 Amber LEDs, could get any you prefer.
SUPER OPTIONAL LED for Corner light:
May as well upgrade that while you have it out.
For Amber, just use the same bulbs used for the Lower Side signal above.
For White, any of these would do – https://amzn.to/2KYHesz
Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ Turn Signal to DRL Mod Instructions:
- Disconnect negative battery terminal to not shock yourself or blow fuses/relays while working.
- Plug your Male pigtail connectors into the stock bulb sockets on the harness. When doing the T10 side signal, make sure the red wire on the male pigtail is on the side of the stock harness with Blue/Red wire.
- Wire the Male pigtails to the Female pigtails and steal the blue/red wire from the Side Signal and use it for the extra third wire needed for the new Front Signal Socket.
- Using the exact parts I linked to, this is the exact process:
- 1156 Male pigtail Red wire to the 1157 Female Socket Pigtail White Wire.
- 1156 Male pigtail Black wire to ONE of the 1157 Female Socket Black wires.
- T10 Male pigtail Black wire to T10 Female Socket Black wire.
- T10 Male pigtail Red wire to T10 Female Socket Red wire AND the SECOND black wire of the 1157 Female Socket.
- Insert all of your bulbs for testing. With Jeep turned off, key forward to the On position, make sure to test Left/Right signals and hazards with lights off, again with parking lights on, and again with headlights on. Then start the jeep and repeat the same tests.
(Same basic process would be used with the 3156/3157 blade style sockets on most 97-98 ZJs as well, except the extra blue wire on the Male 3157 pigtail that plugs into the Front Signal Harness would be ignored.)
Instruction Note 1: I suggest using your stock flasher for testing, it will work but just hyperflash – however, if you screwed up wiring you might fry it and I’d rather fry the stock flasher than the new LED flasher just purchased. The choice is yours.
Instruction Note 2: If using LED switchbacks and they are working in reverse (amber lights are used for parking lights and white is used for signals) – switch the TWO black wires on the 1157 Female Socket in steps B and D. Same goes if you’re not using switchbacks but your parking lights seem brighter than your signals flashing – the parking lights should be dim and the signals bright.
Instruction Note 3: If your T10 LED Side signal only comes on for parking lights but doesn’t blink for signal, or it blinks for signal but doesn’t come on for parking light – take the bulb out and rotate it 180 degrees and it should work correctly. LED lights are single polarity and only work one way, unlike incandescent bulbs, and they act wonky if reversely plugged in.
John started JSnowCreations as a place to post random tech guides and product reviews. However, while shopping for his daughter’s first “big girl” bed in 2019 he learned about the hidden dangers of fiberglass in mattresses. Since then, John has made it his mission to expose as much hidden fiberglass in mattresses as possible. His ultimate goal is federal regulations that ban fiberglass from being used in mattresses, or at least a law that require it to be listed in the material tags.
As I progress into this mess, I realize that the VIC not working may, or may not, have an effect on the whole situation. The VIC in my 94 hasn’t worked in 6 or 7 years. I’m also going to try a Novita EP39 flasher relay, and see if that helps.
Thank you for the reply. I’m well past the return option, lol. But I will get a new flasher relay regardless. It clicks constantly, as if the signals are on constantly. Currently, I don’t have the switchback bulbs in… only standard Zevo LED replacement bulbs. And I also noticed this… once, when I had gotten frustrated with everything and put it all back to stock (stock flasher and stock incandescent bulbs), the flasher relay would hyperflash as if a bulb was out. But it was the entire system, not just one side. Signals or hazards, it would hyperflash in stock setup. Is there another relay or power control module that is in the circuit? I didn’t see anything in the wiring diagrams in my repair manual (Chilton’s). I’m just wondering why it would hyperflash with stock flasher and bulbs, with all of them fully operational.
And yes, everything would work (except for switchback operation) with the switchback bulbs in on the stock flasher relay. It would hyperflash, as it should.
I think this rig just doesn’t like me tinkering with it, lol.
I’m just at a total loss. I’ve tried this countless times. I can get the LED switchbacks to come on for parking (at which point the side signal/ parking light doesn’t work), but I have had no luck with them working for the front signal. Only the side signals will flash. And when I have the parking lights on (only top side markers and LED switchbacks on front will be on), the signal lights on the instrument cluster with both be lit (dim). Have no idea what else to do. Have tried multiple times of switching black wires from front socket, and reversing the LEDs on the 194 side signals.
Hey Ben,
The first time I tried to wire mine up it seemed to act similar to yours, especially with the dim green signal lights on instrument cluster… Everything would work fine when Jeep was running, but with it off and just on Accessory it was a mess. Replacing the Luyed LED Flasher with the Novita LED flasher fixed the issue. But I see you already have a Novita flasher, so that’s not the issue… However – my flasher does not click repeatedly like yours does. Does the relay click continuously even if you don’t have any bulbs plugged in?? If you unplug all the bulbs and flasher stops clicking then I’d say you have some wires hooked up incorrectly. If the led flasher continuously clicks for no reason even with all the front blinker bulbs unplugged then I think you got a defective flasher! If that’s the case, I’d buy a new one and return the old one in the new box since it’s probably past it’s return window. ?
If you had the white wire from front bottom blinker/switchback harness going to wrong place it would probably blow a fuse or flasher (I did that) so I don’t think the white wire is your issue.. and switching both black wires just changes the problem… so this is why I asked about your LED flasher. Have you tried testing with normal non-led flasher? It should still work but will just have hyper-flash, so if it works fine with stock flasher relay I’d just buy a new LED flasher.
Also, sorry for the delay in my replies – I took a break from my sites for the holidays to spend time with the family. My bad.
-John Snow
I have a 94 Grand Cherokee, and I’ve been trying to get this right for almost a year. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, but I can’t get the front signals to switch back. They’re either full amber or full white, depending on which way it’s plugged into the socket. I’ve tried 2 separate sets of switchback bulbs to no avail. Don’t know what is wrong, because I have everything wired up exactly like the image you provided.
On a side note… I’m also using the same flasher unit that you suggested. Is it normal to constantly click while the engine is running? It clicks slow with just the ignition on, but when the engine is running it constantly clicks as if the signals are constantly on.