Tow mirror harness question

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Apr 18, 2011 | 10:07 PM

Scoob5555

Thread Starter

Mountain Pass

Joined: Oct 2009

Posts: 214

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From: East Tenn

Tow mirror harness question

So I bought some newer tow mirrors for my 2001 Ex and had to get the wire harnesses to adapt the round and square plugs on the truck to match the new rectangular plug:

1c3z14a411ba left
1c3z14a411aa right

The question is this: the white round connectors on both sides only have 3 wires instead of 4, so my turn signals do not work with these harnesses. Is this a known issue? I've never seen it mentioned and cannot imagine why the harnesses would only include three wires.

Do I just need to jump those connections to make the signals work? I was thinking about running a wire for the running lights anyway, but I'm disappointed that the harnesses did not solve the problem as they should have.

Apr 18, 2011 | 10:45 PM

william_04_x

Lead Driver

Joined: Nov 2007

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Your truck was never wired for marker lights and turn signals. The adapters make it easy to plug in the new mirrors and retain the power movement functions. Don't jump any connections in the round plug.

The square plug has the additional wires available for the lighting in the mirrors. I'm pretty sure the brown wire behind your headlight switch will get you the marker lights lit up. You'll have to use a test light to find the turn signals in the column. Then a couple of wires need to be run into each door and tied to the appropriate wires on the new mirrors for the lighting. It's not difficult, but will take a little time.

I'm sure someone will chime in with the exact colors of wires for the lighting.

Apr 19, 2011 | 07:56 AM

Scoob5555

Thread Starter

Mountain Pass

Joined: Oct 2009

Posts: 214

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From: East Tenn

No no, my truck has all three; power, signals, and defrost on the paddles and I bought tow mirrors with the same + running lights if I so desire (and I do now). So the truck connectors have 4 wires into the round white plug and two additional wires for the defrost in a separate square plug. The wiring harnesses only have 3 wires in the round white plug instead of the 4 wires - so now I do not have turn signals, but I have power and defrost. So the wiring harness is the only problem here - and I'm trying to understand why they only have the 3 wires instead of all four.

Apr 19, 2011 | 09:12 AM

TXSailor

Senior User

Joined: Apr 2010

Posts: 347

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From: Texas

Scoob5555 - William is correct about needing to "run" a wire but as you point out, it is a very. very short run. I have a 2002 that I put "07 mirrors on and my truck was already wired for Turns signals but not Running lights. IN my case it was the gry rectangular plug so it was a plug and Play operation once I ran the Brown running light wire. You can pick up those form the headlight switch (pin 12 or Pin 6 - they are both brown).

You just need to get from the "old" running and turn signal wires from the "old" plug to the new mirrow wires for the turns.

I have color codes if you need them. Just PM me.

BTW - I also have a set of the "adapter" wiring harnesses that you bought but don't need them. I did notice that Ford left out one wire. Cheap Baztuzds.

Apr 19, 2011 | 09:28 AM

Scoob5555

Thread Starter

Mountain Pass

Joined: Oct 2009

Posts: 214

Likes: 7

From: East Tenn

Thanks TXSailor. I know I have to run the wires for the running lights separately - that's not the issue. The issue is with those harnesses that only include the 3 wires instead of 4. I never read anyone saying that their turn signals didn't work after buying and installing those harnesses, but clearly there is a missing wire and for mine this missing wire is the wire for the functioning of the turn signals. I find it very odd that these harnesses don't include everything necessary for the turn signals to work and I would like others who have done this upgrade (and needed the harnesses) to chime in on their experiences.

My plan currently is to run a short jumper from the 4th wire on the truck to the empty connector on the rectangular mirror connector to see if that fixes it. If not, maybe the mirrors are defective? Just looking for solutions for the turn signal problem.

Thanks.

Apr 19, 2011 | 10:01 AM

ocboat

Senior User

Joined: Jun 2005

Posts: 242

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From: Oregon

That is odd. I thought that if you had signals in the mirrors then you automatically had the rectangle plug like my '02 had. I wasn't aware that the '01 came with the signals.

Apr 19, 2011 | 10:34 AM

Scoob5555

Thread Starter

Mountain Pass

Joined: Oct 2009

Posts: 214

Likes: 7

From: East Tenn

Yep, they apparently changed the plugs around the first week of February 2002. Prior years had the other connector(s) and with the right options package(s), you could have manual mirrors, power mirrors, mirrors with power and signals, or mirrors with power, signals, and defrost. Mine had the whole shebang, with the two separate connectors to accommodate all of the options.