'81 f-150, electrical grimlins....
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,769
Likes: 29
From: Northeast Nebraska
'81 f-150, electrical grimlins....
hi guys, recently the wiring out of the pigtail on my headlight switch all fried and since then, i've had the dash out, patching the wires. furthermore, i found the cause of the problem, one of my marker lights i put on my flatbed had a wire that shorted against the flatbed, and thus wreaking havoc throughout the entire circuit.
anyway, i've got a haynes manual, and i've been studying up on the wiring diagram, but the problem i have is i can't figure out which wire goes to which pin on the headlight switch.
the diagram in the haynes gives the wire color and destination, but not where it goes on the switch. 
if someone could maybe point me in the right direction, it would be very helpful. <!-- / message --><!-- BEGIN TEMPLATE: ad_showthread_firstpost_sig --><!-- END TEMPLATE: ad_showthread_firstpost_sig --><!-- sig -->
anyway, i've got a haynes manual, and i've been studying up on the wiring diagram, but the problem i have is i can't figure out which wire goes to which pin on the headlight switch.
the diagram in the haynes gives the wire color and destination, but not where it goes on the switch. if someone could maybe point me in the right direction, it would be very helpful. <!-- / message --><!-- BEGIN TEMPLATE: ad_showthread_firstpost_sig --><!-- END TEMPLATE: ad_showthread_firstpost_sig --><!-- sig -->
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,769
Likes: 29
From: Northeast Nebraska
sorry u had to respond to the same thread twice, Dave. i posted up in both forums to get a little more exposure. but ur pretty much right, it's looking like i'm just gonna have to keep after it and figure it out the old fashioned way. i might try talking to a dealer monday sometime and see if anyone in there possibly has a more accurate diagram than the hayne's offers.
i've got it to the point now where everything is working as it seemingly should, but the danged dash board lights. it could also be that maybe i re-wired something wrong too, so i'd probably better triple check that too.
Thanks, again!
i've got it to the point now where everything is working as it seemingly should, but the danged dash board lights. it could also be that maybe i re-wired something wrong too, so i'd probably better triple check that too.
Thanks, again!
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From: Virginia
The dash lights get their power from the tan/white wire that powers the marker lights.
The power comes from the marker light fuse, through the tan/white, and into the switch.
Inside the switch the power goes through the marker light contacts, and then it branches inside the switch. One branch to goes on out the terminal with the brown wire and feeds the marker lights, and internally in the switch the other branch goes over and feeds the rheostat in the switch that functions as the dimmer.
After it goes through the dimmer, it goes to a terminal on the switch, and the dash light power then goes back to the fuse box and gets it's own fuse. It then goes out to the dash lights.
The power comes from the marker light fuse, through the tan/white, and into the switch.
Inside the switch the power goes through the marker light contacts, and then it branches inside the switch. One branch to goes on out the terminal with the brown wire and feeds the marker lights, and internally in the switch the other branch goes over and feeds the rheostat in the switch that functions as the dimmer.
After it goes through the dimmer, it goes to a terminal on the switch, and the dash light power then goes back to the fuse box and gets it's own fuse. It then goes out to the dash lights.
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Joined: Oct 2005
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From: brooks a.b.
you may want to install relays for the headlights. we run into this about twice a year and often the problem is someone put newer headlights in the truck and they draw more power than the factory one's
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,769
Likes: 29
From: Northeast Nebraska
ya i bought a kit from lmc thinking it was an aftermarket replacement for the factory wiring, but as it turned out, it was just the relay kit. haven't installed it yet, but probably will after i get the problems i have figured out first.
