Thanks Pop for the advice and for having thought this one up. I like to drive around with my fog lights and cab lights running during the day. As any of you who do this I'm sure know, the overhead console dims and becomes very hard to read. On bright sunny days you actually have to turn your lights off in order see it. I didn't like the idea of just cutting the headlight sense wire and having it not be able to dim at night. I really hate to have the interior lights very bright at night so SpringerPops version of this Mod was the way to go for me.

Here are some pics of what I did along with the link to the original write-up Pop did.
2000 Ford F350 4x4 - Electrical Mods

Here is the headlight sense wire already cut and some wire soldered and shrink wrapped in place. The first time I eyeballed wrong and the wire closest to the console was just a tad too short. No worries though, I just added a few inches to it and soldered and shrink wrapped it as well. It will be out of sight so I didn't care too much.


This is the switch that I got from an electronics supply warehouse. It's an on-on three pole switch, but all you do is hook it in series and eliminate on of the outside poles and it works as an on-off.




Here is my location for the switch to be mounted. I chose to put it inside the sunglass holder on mine so that it was not out in the open. I used a small uni-bit and made 2 holes then hogged them out to an appropriate size to make room for the travel of the slide.


I decided to use JB weld rather than use screws because I was worried about them protruding into the compartment and being sharp. I mounted the switch from the backside so that it didn't protrude into the compartment too far either. It sticks in maybe 1/4 of an inch (10 or so millimeters).






Dimmed before putting the cover back on.


Not dimmed

 

Nice job Jason! Very impressed with your electrical skills.

 

Thanks Jim, I just wish my wire length eyeballing skills were as good as my work with the solder. My neighbor kept saying to use crimp connectors. I said " No way. Give me your soldering gun".

I know this isn't a real sexy mod, but it made me happy driving back from Philthadelphia last night.

 

Soldering is the best way to go. I small pencil type iron would have been best. I have 1 electric one and 2 or 3 of the butane type ones and they work great.

 

Great job, Jason.

 

Good job Jason. I had a cop stop me and told me I can't drive around with my running lights on without the head lights on. . We also have to have our head light on if our windshield wipers are on.

 

Nice work, Jason! As Jim said, soldering is always the better way to go.

You'll find that this was a worthwhile project, and I use this switch in mine frequently, now some two years or so later.

I wish the sense wire for the radio was as easy to get to......... :-((

Someday...........

Pop

 

May I ask a dumb question?
wy didn't you just use a potentiometer?
I would think a variable resisitor would allow you to adjust to any varying full brightness to dim vs just a switch.
I def think the pics and write-up are Great!
thanks for a good mod and follow thru install!!!

 

A potentiometer wouldn't do any good, as the overhead just senses the parking lights being on or off.

Yes or no.

Bright or dim.

No "in-between".

Pop

 

Nice job and writeup Jason and Pop, reps sent.

 

gotcha
I wasn't thinking