08 JKU Colored Halo Headlights and Brake Noise Trouble

Toby

New Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2022
Messages
3
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Hi there,



I’ve recently acquired an 08 JKU and am running into some issues as I’m a new jeep owner. This is my first post on the forum and I am very new to the community so please let me know if I need to add more information or am breaking any rules.



The two issues I’ve ran into are as follows:



1. Halo on headlights appear red when low-beam headlights are engaged, but appear white when locking/unlocking vehicle and using high beams



2. Brakes sometimes produce a metal rubbing together sound when braking suddenly or after extended use



I will now go into further details and troubleshooting I’ve attempted with these two issues.



1. I noticed this the first time I turned on the headlights. They weren’t very bright and produced a red hue instead of the normal white. However, it turns white whenever I lock/unlock the car. I think the Jeep is wired to have the lowbeams produce red halo light, but defaults to white when locking/unlocking. I’m wondering if the previous owner installed RBG halo lights because he also had an aftermarket lightbar and ditch lights. To further investigate I opened the hood and took a look at the fuse box (see photo attached). It appears that it hasn’t been touched and all the after market lighting is being plugged directly into the battery. I’ve tried to figure out what type of brand the aftermarket halo headlights are but to no avail, all I see is a DOT- SAEE logo which after some research I’ve understood as the approval for road use. I suppose I could dismantle the headlight and look further as to how its wired, but I’d like to avoid that if possible. To conclude I believe the aftermarket headlight can be 1 of 2 options. It is either an RBG halo light which I may be able to alter using Bluetooth and the corresponding app once I find the brand name, or the headlight is not RBG and only red and I must unplug the lowbeam attachment for the red light wire in order to use white again. I’ve attached photos below based off the different settings and the color of light they produce. LO = low beam HI =high beam LOCK=when headlights are turned off and I lock/unlock jeep.
Note: I’ve also looked through the Jeep for any extra remote or switch that may trigger the different colored headlights. The only 2 switches are under the steering wheel and they activate the lightbar/ditch lights.



2. After I picked the Jeep up, I noticed the brake light warning was on the dash, after taking it to my local mechanic I was told that the wheel sensor on the front right tire was out therefore ABS wasn’t able to function and why I had the warning light. So I ordered the part and had the mechanic install it on the wheel and voilà the warning light disappeared! However, shortly after driving a few miles back home I started to notice a subtle metal grinding sound whenever I would suddenly brake from a high speed or after consistently braking after driving for 20-30 minutes. So I took my Jeep back into the mechanic and had him try it out. He told me that this is the sound that the ABS makes when it engages. I guees it makes sense which is why I was only hearing it after we fixed the sensor for the ABS to properly engage. However, part of me thinks there is still something off because the sound is pretty present and even starts to happen when subtly touching the brake after its already hot from use. I’ve come to the conclusion that I think its safe to drive, it just is something thats irratating because I would never hear that sound on a newer vehicle. The most important is that, A. The brake stays completely responsive even when the sound is made, B. The car does not move to one side or the other when engaging the brake. And C. I dont loose any traction when engaging the brake. These I’ve found are all positive signs that the brakes are completely functional. I’ve also attached a photo of all 4 wheel rotors and brake pads, all of which still seem to have a lot of life and no damage (except the front right (FR) which has some currusion of the wheel barring due to living right by the ocean, I will replace this soon).



I understand this is a lot of information to digest so please let me know if I need to add further clarification on either of these issues. I appreciate any help/advice you guys can give.



Thanks so much

-Toby

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Each of your described issues would be quickly diagnosed and almost immediately fixable if you had a JScan app with an OBD dongle. The headlights settings would be visible and programmable to your preferences and you'd be able to see what was going on with the ABS and wheel speed sensor.
But for now I'll guess the headlights were programmed by the previous owner, the wheel speed sensor isn't OEM, which is giving your TCM a bunch of grief and the ABS is acting up.
There is nothing okay about a metal grinding sound coming from the wheel/brake area.... ever. Of the relatively minor issues you're having, this one needs to be diagnosed and fixed ASAP.
 
Each of your described issues would be quickly diagnosed and almost immediately fixable if you had a JScan app with an OBD dongle. The headlights settings would be visible and programmable to your preferences and you'd be able to see what was going on with the ABS and wheel speed sensor.
But for now I'll guess the headlights were programmed by the previous owner, the wheel speed sensor isn't OEM, which is giving your TCM a bunch of grief and the ABS is acting up.
There is nothing okay about a metal grinding sound coming from the wheel/brake area.... ever. Of the relatively minor issues you're having, this one needs to be diagnosed and fixed ASAP.
Thanks for the reply and this info is extremely helpful, I’ll download the app and order an OBD dongle, is there any that you recommend? I know the app says to get an ELM327 but is there a standout brand or company for that certain model that will pair well with my Jeep?

As for the break sensor, I ordered it off Genuine MoPar Parts and they claimed it was OEM however I don’t trust the mechanic so he may have installed it improperly. Regardless thanks for the diagnosis and I’ll avoid driving until I can get a better understanding of the brake issue hopefully with the dongle and app.
 
Thanks for the reply and this info is extremely helpful, I’ll download the app and order an OBD dongle, is there any that you recommend? I know the app says to get an ELM327 but is there a standout brand or company for that certain model that will pair well with my Jeep?

As for the break sensor, I ordered it off Genuine MoPar Parts and they claimed it was OEM however I don’t trust the mechanic so he may have installed it improperly. Regardless thanks for the diagnosis and I’ll avoid driving until I can get a better understanding of the brake issue hopefully with the dongle and app.

On their website is a list of recommended adapters for JScan, by model.

You've got a JKU btw not a TJU.
 
The brakes it doesn't look like the pads are worn down to the metal as I don't see scratches or grooves on the rotors. But they could be down to the wear pieces that are on the pads.

Don't worry you did good for a 1st timer, at least you gave us pictures and plenty of info.
 
I think RGB lights either come with a remote or you download an app, if there isn't a remote in the glove or center console, you may be able to figure out the brand by pulling one of the lights and hoping.
California must be less strict on colors, as red in the front doesn't fly in Wisconsin. Would be a super quick pull over and fix that or else. I'm guessing there are a number of other states like that.
 
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