Parking light actuation
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 884
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From: Shreveport, LA
Well, I know it's pretty easy to pull the dash panel off, so that may be my best bet to gain access to the switches. I may be able to use a wire from the dimmer switch for the dome light right? The dome light wire will be light brown?
So I'm quick connecting an extra length of wire(s), with a spade connector, to the original wire to connect to the relay? Sorry for all the noob questions and thanks again.
So I'm quick connecting an extra length of wire(s), with a spade connector, to the original wire to connect to the relay? Sorry for all the noob questions and thanks again.
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I'm not sure about the dome light wire but last I checked for uses negative currents from the dome light switch to turn on the dome lights so there probably isn't a wire at the switch you can use to activate it. Plus the dome light switches have no current unless they are in the defeat or override positions meaning they won't do anything when you simply open a door.
No. Just take one wire long enough to goto the wire you will hook it into and and back to the relay, then put a quick connect on it and tie the other end into the wire you are tapping into. That simple.
And don't cut any of the vehicles wires. Just scrape a little insulation of the wire so that you can see about and inch of copper then separate the wire from the insulation, make a hook with the stripped wire you are tapping into it, wrap the hook around the trucks wire making sure its secure and the tape it with ELECTRICAL TAPE. I've used other tape before and bad things happened.
No. Just take one wire long enough to goto the wire you will hook it into and and back to the relay, then put a quick connect on it and tie the other end into the wire you are tapping into. That simple.
And don't cut any of the vehicles wires. Just scrape a little insulation of the wire so that you can see about and inch of copper then separate the wire from the insulation, make a hook with the stripped wire you are tapping into it, wrap the hook around the trucks wire making sure its secure and the tape it with ELECTRICAL TAPE. I've used other tape before and bad things happened.
Elder User
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This is how you should do it.
Although you don't have to take all the insulation around it, just separate the wire from the insulation.
and then wrap it with electrical tape.
This keeps it clean and tough to last as long as the truck does.
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IMPORTANT!!
Yes, you can "tap" into one of those circuits to also activate the parking lamps. Using a relay and a diode will prevent back-feeding the source circuit when the auxiliary circuit is powered up under its normal circumstances. For example, you want the parking lamps to come on with the cabin lights, but you clearly don't want the cabin lights to come on whenever the parking or head lights are turned on which is what would happen if you simply spliced into the source circuit.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 884
Likes: 5
From: Shreveport, LA
Here's the thing; I know very little about wiring, thus all of the noob questions. So I definitely don't see how I would solder/wire in a diode, much less where it would go. Thanks for warning me. 
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Elder User
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The relay acts as the diode for the parking lamps by only operating the parking lights if the domes are on. Plus the dome light wire and parking wire don't ever actually connect with each other.
Forgive me if I missing something but this all should work just fine. Even if the parking lights were gonna backfeed they would only run back into the positive headlamp switch feed coming from the fuse box.
Forgive me if I missing something but this all should work just fine. Even if the parking lights were gonna backfeed they would only run back into the positive headlamp switch feed coming from the fuse box.
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I just thought of something you might want to think about while installing this.
When installing the switch wire from your dome lights you should pick one light the passenger map lamps or outside puddle lamps because you may want to be able to sit in your truck with the drivers map lamp on and not have you parking lamps stuck on at the same time.
Just a thought.
When installing the switch wire from your dome lights you should pick one light the passenger map lamps or outside puddle lamps because you may want to be able to sit in your truck with the drivers map lamp on and not have you parking lamps stuck on at the same time.
Just a thought.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2014
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From: Shreveport, LA
That brings up another couple of questions for me: if I tap into the map light, I wouldn't think it would work because it won't come on when the door is opened.
2nd, If I used the over head dome light for the trigger and was sitting in the truck and wanted to keep the parking lights off, then turned on the dome light, the parking lights would come on too right? Man, this is confusing for me.
2nd, If I used the over head dome light for the trigger and was sitting in the truck and wanted to keep the parking lights off, then turned on the dome light, the parking lights would come on too right? Man, this is confusing for me.
Elder User
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Yes they would but doesn't the bed light come on when the doors are open? If so you could intercept that wire that wire behind the glove box at the glove box and use it as your trigger wire. And I don't own a truck but I would think the interior lights can run separate from the bed light, correct?
It's not really that hard we're just making it sound worse than it really is. And look at it this way, you're gaining new skills to help you out down the road when the ole' girl starts to have a few problems you might wanna fix.
It's not really that hard we're just making it sound worse than it really is. And look at it this way, you're gaining new skills to help you out down the road when the ole' girl starts to have a few problems you might wanna fix.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2014
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Likes: 5
From: Shreveport, LA
The bed light comes on when the doors open just like the dome light. How would the light behind the glove box be any different than the map light? In other words, it won't come on unless the glove box is opened. Unless you mean just to use it as a positive.
So, I know I need 4 connections. One from a constant 12V, one a ground. Then one powering the parking lights, the last one I'm calling the trigger wire. The one that triggers the parking lights to come on. So, in my mind, I would think it would have to come from a source that comes on when the door is opened, so the parking lights come on when the door is opened. I just can't figure out how to do without it back-feeding like the other poster said. I know little about relay's and even less about diodes.
BUT, I am all about learning new things. So I don't want to give up and really appreciate you working through this with me.
So, I know I need 4 connections. One from a constant 12V, one a ground. Then one powering the parking lights, the last one I'm calling the trigger wire. The one that triggers the parking lights to come on. So, in my mind, I would think it would have to come from a source that comes on when the door is opened, so the parking lights come on when the door is opened. I just can't figure out how to do without it back-feeding like the other poster said. I know little about relay's and even less about diodes.
BUT, I am all about learning new things. So I don't want to give up and really appreciate you working through this with me.
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What is the diode necessary for?
Here is a typical relay diagram"
http://s1055.photobucket.com/user/da...tml?sort=3&o=0
In the diagram, Pin 87 would go to the power lead for the lights that you want to come on.
Pin 85 would go to ground.
Pin 30 would go to an "always hot" fused source (Battery via fuse)
Pin 86 would go to the wire that you want to "trigger" the relay. (i.e. interior light power)
If you want to be able to disable the circuit (go back to "normal"), you could add an off/on toggle switch in series with pin 86.
If you get a "standard" type automotive 12V relay and look at the bottom where the pins are located, you should see these pin numbers on a 4 pin relay. If you use a 5 pin relay, just disregard the 5th pin.
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or wherever your body control module is) just so you don't have to do a potentially sloppy wiring job with your trigger wire.