Relaying headlights/running lights, small problem

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Re: Relaying headlights/running lights, small problem

Postby matthewh » Mon Mar 09, 2015 8:26 pm

I was going by the wiring diagrams Ellis has sticky'd at the top of the elec forum. I thought they were scans of the FSM, but looks like there from something else,
'93 W350 5spd Getrag, 4.10 gears, 83k miles and counting, Mods: LPPP AKA Ma Dually
'54 Dodge M37 6.2/700R4/205, 5.89 gears, WC rear axle
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Re: Relaying headlights/running lights, small problem

Postby swank » Tue Mar 10, 2015 8:49 pm

Pete and Matt, you are both helping me out huge. Thank you very much. I will report back when it's working.

Also, as far as those wiring diagrams that are stickied, is it just me or are they pretty low res? I have a heck of a time trying to make any sense of them because I can't see ANYTHING...
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Re: Relaying headlights/running lights, small problem

Postby PToombs » Wed Mar 11, 2015 5:34 pm

swank wrote: I have a heck of a time trying to make any sense of them because I can't see ANYTHING...


Wanna borrow my bi-focals young feller? They are the progressive ones so your buddies don't know what they are! :lol:

I just went and looked, they are kinda fuzzy.

FYI, they are Mitchell reproductions, not actual FSM diagrams. ;)
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Re: Relaying headlights/running lights, small problem

Postby swank » Wed Mar 11, 2015 6:09 pm

PToombs wrote:Wanna borrow my bi-focals young feller?


I've got my own set, actually there ol'timer…

On a side note, I haven't had a chance to get under the truck yet, but I did notice right at dusk that when my turn signals are on (with marker lights OFF), the dash gauges flash…did I mention I love electrical???
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Re: Relaying headlights/running lights, small problem

Postby PToombs » Thu Mar 12, 2015 4:28 pm

LOL!
I don't want to sound like a smart aleck, but maybe you should have just replaced the light switch with a stocker. ;)
And I did kinda remember that you and electrical get along as well as scotchlocks and wire. :mrgreen:
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Re: Relaying headlights/running lights, small problem

Postby swank » Thu Mar 12, 2015 6:35 pm

My motto = if'n ya can't fix it with a hammer, it's an electrical problem...
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Re: Relaying headlights/running lights, small problem

Postby swank » Mon Mar 16, 2015 5:04 pm

Hey Pete, so I did some digging and looking at the wiring diagrams. Not to much avail…

There are still only two wires hooked up to the harness. I tried hooking up the gray wire (what I read as being ground) from the connector near the rear bumper. This just caused weird things to happen.

I chased all the wires in the flatbed, they are all fine.

NOW…some things I've noticed since everything is getting a little more attention:

(NOTE, this will be important later: the center 2" round light by the license plate and the two orange 2" markers near the front of the bed (I think they would normally be on the front of the dually fender??) are single LED lights bought locally, the other 4 2" round lights are 7 LED from epay. The lower taillights are multi LED jeep style (square with a lens on the side) type things, and the upper taillights are Grote oval ones)

When the right (or left for that matter) blinker is on, the appropriate turn arrow on the dash flashes, ALSO the dash lights flash with it (and by dash lights, I mean gauges etc). ALSO, the left (or right if the left blinker is on, I.E., the opposite arrow than which way you're turning) arrow on the dash will faintly flash, ALSO the single LED 2" marker lights flash (all of them), AND FINALLY…the upper Grotes faintly flash.

SO, this makes me think that the previously mentioned theory that there is some back flow or whatever you'd call it is correct. Would you agree? If so, I don't even understand what would cause this or how to trouble shoot. I assume at this point that it's likely under the dash, and also NOT likely to have anything to do with the light switches that I put in (I am about 36.7% sure that the way those are wired is correct).

Thoughts? And thanks...
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Re: Relaying headlights/running lights, small problem

Postby PToombs » Mon Mar 16, 2015 5:13 pm

OK, the gray wire is only on the stock tail light harness, not the main truck harness. After a quick look at the manual, the short harness that goes to the license plate lights has a gray wire also, and it's a ground, it changes to black at the plug for the plate lights and black at the plug to the main harness. The black/ yellow is the power to them.
You only have 2 wires going to the lights at each side of the truck, right? All the markers have 2 wires? Where did you ground them?
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Re: Relaying headlights/running lights, small problem

Postby swank » Tue Mar 17, 2015 3:33 pm

Hey Pete.

Yes, only two wires on each side of the truck, for each of the 2" lights (one going to common taillight power and onc attached to the bed). 3 wires for each of the taillights (tail/stop/ground, each grounded to the bed very close to its respective mounting position).

I'll post a pic when I get a chance of the connectors showing the wire colors.
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Re: Relaying headlights/running lights, small problem

Postby PToombs » Tue Mar 17, 2015 5:39 pm

Dave, take a set of jumper cables, and put 1 clamp on the bed, make sure it has a good bite, and put the other right on the battery negative terminal and try the lights. If you have a bad ground that should cure it.
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Re: Relaying headlights/running lights, small problem

Postby swank » Tue Mar 17, 2015 7:20 pm

I will try that soon as I'm done here. Thought I'd give you something to shake your head at until then though:

https://youtu.be/vokRn2OaAVM

https://youtu.be/ULu54O-1C3c

https://youtu.be/BoxArfxmvpY
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Re: Relaying headlights/running lights, small problem

Postby swank » Tue Mar 17, 2015 7:26 pm

Also, here is what I did before taking those videos:

Image

Image

And grounding from the battery directly to the bed did not change anything. :cry:
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Re: Relaying headlights/running lights, small problem

Postby matthewh » Tue Mar 17, 2015 7:55 pm

So i reread the thread, watched the videos. If the wiring was that bad out back, what's it look like up front? What's the possibility the issue is the front marker/running lights now that you have basically rewired the rear?
'93 W350 5spd Getrag, 4.10 gears, 83k miles and counting, Mods: LPPP AKA Ma Dually
'54 Dodge M37 6.2/700R4/205, 5.89 gears, WC rear axle
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Re: Relaying headlights/running lights, small problem

Postby swank » Tue Mar 17, 2015 9:07 pm

Hi Matt. The front (underhood) was totally stock (at least for lights). All I did up there was add relays for the headlights. I will take pics and post those up tomorrow or something. At this point I'm leaning heavily towards something under the dash, or under the hood somewhere (likely dash though). The mirror control thing keeps blowing a fuse, so I going to start there.
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Re: Relaying headlights/running lights, small problem

Postby PToombs » Wed Mar 18, 2015 5:51 pm

Wow. That's weird. The 1st video to me is strange because it's only the center marker and not the other 2 that blink. Over all I still think there is a bad ground, but crossed wires is a possibility. I'm not impressed with the ground the 3 markers are hooked to, it looks rusty. Matt may be right too, it could be under the hood. Unplug the headlight relays and see if that changes anything.
Maybe start eliminating lights to see if it changes, turn on the signal and unplug them 1 at a time, then the upper taillights. If it changes, start adding lights back in, skipping the one that changed it.
I think you need to get back to basics and start unplugging the things you added then go forward again 1 thing at a time.

I wish I was closer, If I could be there I could probably figure it out pretty quick. The internet is great but doing this type of thing is hard, :lol:
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