Help With Factory Foglight Wiring?

[B.G. Smith]

I have 99 slt and it has the pigtails under front bumper too but the Power distribution center is not wired for the fog light relay. I bought the kit from dealer which included the wiring, relay and new headlight switch for $143. 00 I believe. Pretty easy installation except removing the bumper. bg

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White 99 3500, QC, 3:55, auto. most options except leather, Line-X bed liner, fiberglass running boards Rancho 9000s, bug shield and window vents, black vented 5th wheel tailgate, 100 gal. aux. fuel tank.

 

[Cooker]

I have a question regarding my '96,SLT,auto that was not factory equipped with fog lights.

It was my understanding that the SLT model trucks had the wiring in place for the fog lights even though the lights were not installed from the factory (or available on an auto in '96). I was able to find the pigtails for the lights up under the bumper, but I cannot find the pigtail for the lightswitch harness in the dash.

Should the truck have a pigtail in the dash for the switch? I looked behind the radio and was unable to locate one. Help please.

Thanks again,
Ryan

 

[MikeR]

I bet the wires from the pigtails only go up to the underhood fuse box,and end there. It's been a few years since I've seen a 96-97 fog lite kit,but I think the kit comes with a harness that would go from the dash out to the underhood fuse box and meet the other wires at the relay.
If it were me,I'd order a factory fog lite switch (and little panel that it mounts to)and make up my own rest of the wiring harness.

-Mike

 

[Cooker]

Thanks guys,

This is the kind of info I'm looking for. I picked up the the DC Fog Light switch at a salvage yard for $10. From the PDC forward the truck is wired, and from looking into this so far the wires go into the cab. adiabatic your post confirmed this, thanks. My PDC already has the relay's and fuse for the fog lights so I'm assuming that all I need to do is tap into the connector down by the pedals.

OPTION 2: I'll just use the factory switch with my own wiring and relay. Can anyone tell me what the wires on the back of the switch are supposed to be used for (what color to what)? I imagine power, ground, trigger to relay, but what about the other two.

Sorry I'm so thrifty (that's a nice word for cheap) but I just couldn't see spending +$100 for some wiring when a little ingenuity could take solve the problem.

Thanks, Ryan

 

[illflem]

Ryan,I'm cheap also. I looked at using the factory wiring then decided it was faster to just run my own wires. My non-Dodge foglights came with a relay. If you wire per the Dodge system the foglites won't come on with the high beams or by themselves,I didn't want that. I bought a new switch from the dealer($17),on my '95 it installs right next to the OD off switch and is the same size/shape. On the switch you've got it right, power,trigger,ground. The other two go to the ground and dimmer circuit. I connected all of these off the wiring on the back of the OD off switch,the wires only needed to be 3" long,except the wire to the relay. This is not really the correct way to do it because the fuse to the OD off is on a different circuit than any other lighting,but as long as you know what you did it's no problem,if you lose your OD off you need to check foglamp wiring to relay as well(did that make sense?)This no big deal as you are only running the relay anyways.
I like the Dodge switch,it has the same dim blue lighting and the orange pilot light as the od off. Can't remember the color code,but I figured mine out with an ohm meter and 12 v battery on the bench before installing. One other thing I did was move the od switch to the right and put the foglight switch in it's position just to be closer because I figured I'd use the lights more than the od off.

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95' 25004X4,AT,Driftwood,Banks Stinger,Warn fender flairs and running boards(work truck)
95 3500,5 speed 3:54,BD E-brake,Driftwood,Banks&Psycotty,34,000 GCVW apple and tractor hauler(works harder truck)

 

[ltamarra]

Cooker. I still have the OEM fog light instruction manual (Mopar) since our truck did not come with this option which I purchased and had installed after the truck sale. If desired, send me an email and I can scan and mail it to you fyi.

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96 2500 SLT ext. cab, 4x4 w auto,4:10, LWB, BD exhaust brake w Torqloc, Rhino lining, Combo gauge & transmission temp gauge on A pillar, MagHytec transmission pan, PrimeLoc, & Optima Red Tops.
Tow Holiday Rambler TT Model 31CFS.

 

[ltamarra]

Cooker & all members.
Took the liberty to scan Mopar Fog Light Installation Instructions (kit #82202416) for Ram pickup 1500, 2500 & 3500. My truck is a 96 so don't realy know if this applies to 98's +. Just send me your email address if you need the docs. It's 8 pages.

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96 2500 SLT ext. cab, 4x4 w auto,4:10, LWB, BD exhaust brake w Torqloc, Rhino lining, Combo gauge & transmission temp gauge on A pillar, MagHytec transmission pan, PrimeLoc, & Optima Red Tops.
Tow Holiday Rambler TT Model 31CFS.

 

[adiabatic]

I went through this on my 97, I had to make a brass pin (DC won't sell them) to insert in the huge connector down by the clutch pedal to drive the relay. There is a place for the the relay in the PDC. So you buy the lights, the relay, and the front-end harness from DC. Add your own switch or use DC's.
I remember it was a PITA.
Or just buy DC's kit with all wiring.
N7DAL

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1997 4x4 CC 5spd, CPL1553 pump, Horton fan, Sport headlamps, Optima RedTops, 98 shift levers and console, RS5000 shocks, Yaesu VHF radio, and BCT7 scanner in the overhead console... N7DAL.

 

[Cooker]

Well of all places I found a schematic for the fog lights in a Haynes service manual. I guess the $12. 99 was worth it now.

It looks like my cheap/broke A$$ will have the nicer,IMO, factory switch without the expense of the factory harness.

Here is the info in case anyone ever comes across this in a search:

The switch @Dealer $37. 00, salvage yard $10. It might make things a little nicer/easier if you get the pigtail to the switch too. The 2 Black/Orange (PIN 2 and 3) go to ground, Brown/White is used to fire the relay (PIN 1), Orange (PIN 5) is illumination, and Blue (PIN 6) is the orange indicator light on the switch.

I hope this info comes in handy for somebody someday.

Thanks to everyone for the responses,
Ryan

 

[Cooker]

illflem,
As I reread your post you stated that you connected "all" of the wires to the harness for the O/D. Obviously not the wire to the relay, but the blue (PIN 6) indicator wire too. If I am looking at the schematic correctly it doesn't look like the orange indicator light will light up properly if wired that way?

 

[illflem]

Ryan,it's been 5 years since I've done this,hard to remember exactly without looking. Do remember only running one long wire to the relay though. I most likely tapped the indicator wire into this trigger wire.

 

[vc]

So do I understand that there are 2 pigtails under the front bumper for the lights? I've only found one-guess I'll have to look some more.

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'97 Ram,automatic,3. 54 limited-slip, 4x4,smoothie,BD fuel plate,Prime-Loc.

 

[K_Arts]

Ok guys. . kinda changin the subject.

What did you guys actually mount your foglights to? I just received mine today and I was looking around inside of my bumper. . and the only place I can see to mount them is to the cooler that resides behind the opening (which I really don't want to do). I need help guys!!!

Thanks

Kev

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2k 2500 4x4 SB, Auto SLT, Camper Package, Tow Package, 3. 54 Dif, Ameraguard Bed Liner, Amsoil BMK 15 Dual Bypass and HDD 5w30

 

[illflem]

Kev,I used projector type lamps and mounted each of mine to a piece of flat steel about 1½"wide X 12" long. One end held the lamp the other was connected to two existing bolt holes towards the center of the front frame radiator support. I made one hole in the flat steel elongated so as to be adjustable. This will differ depending on what type of lamps you use. I like the projector style because they have a lenses over an inch thick,I've seen too many low hanging fog lamps cracked,these would be hard to break. I just had to holesaw a 1½" opening in the air dam for them to peak out of.
On my '95,yours may be similar,if you look on the back of the airdam you will see a oval outline that marks where the factory type foglamps would of gone. This outline makes a good reference for where the lamps go and if you use a different type you can measure from the outline to center any type of lamp you choose.

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95' 25004X4,AT,Driftwood,Banks Stinger,Warn fender flairs and running boards(work truck)
95 3500,5 speed 3:54,BD E-brake,Driftwood,Banks&Psycotty,34,000 GCVW apple and tractor hauler(works harder truck)

 

[K_Arts]

Illflem, Thanks for the info. . but I believe that mine is different. As far as my foglights, I got the CATZ MSC series. Though my problem is this. Where my foglights go, the holes are already cut out, but the inside of my bumper is all open space back to the cooler. So am I going to have to make my own custom mount?

Thanks

Kev




[This message has been edited by K_Arts (edited 01-25-2001). ]

 

[Fatboy]

K Arts,

Let me know how that works out for you. I was thinking about that same light because someone said it was a good fit for those factory holes where the factory lights would have been. Sounds like you have an older on like mine.

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97 2500 Reg Cab, 4X4, AT, SLT-loaded, 3. 54 bedliner, Red/Driftwood

 

[Fatboy]

K Arts,

Let me know how that works out for you. I was thinking about that same light because someone said it was a good fit for those factory holes where the factory lights would have been. Sounds like you have an older one like mine.

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97 2500 Reg Cab, 4X4, AT, SLT-loaded, 3. 54 bedliner, Red/Driftwood

 

[K_Arts]

Fatboy, I can tell you this just by playing with the lights. First off they are constructed very well, I am not only pleased with this companies product, but with their customer service also. The sales manager Cherie is very easy and fun to work with.

As far as the lights themselves. They seem just a tad bit bigger then the precut fog light hole that I have in my bumper. I looks like I will have to make some minor modifications to get them to mount. First of, I wish that the factory hole was about a 1/2" bigger then what it is so that the lights would fit perfect. Second, I sure do wish that I had some piece of metal close to mount these suckers to. Guess I will figure that out tomorrow morning when I try to get them working.

Kev

 

[GTX]

K_Arts,
With the factory fog light kit you get new gray plastic bumper inserts. The holes for the lights are a little bit bigger. The factory lights mount just above the holes in the plastic, there is 2 square holes the bumper. With it cold around here be careful with the clips that hold the plastic to the bumper, they are not glued on to good. Squeeze the clips from inside the bumper instead of prying them off.

 

[JGK]

K_Arts, Fatboy,

I put mine in over the Christmas holiday.

You're right, you have to build a bracket. There should be 2 rectangular holes in the bumper above where the lights go and hidden by the black trim piece that accept carriage bolts. These are what the factory lights use. You need to build sort of an L-shaped bracket with holes that match up and then bends and extends back about 3-1/2 to 4 inches. On mine, it also had to tip down a bit then flatten out horizontally to get down to where the MSC's bracket mates up. At that point I cut some slotted holes at 90 degree angles to the holes in the MSC's bracket for small carriage bolts. This allows you to move the lights forward and back and swivel them a bit left and right.

It isn't much of a trick to build the bracket but a stout piece of, say, 16 gauge sheet steel is needed. Maybe 14 gauge be better. You don't want it flimsy.

BTW, the MSC's use an allen head screw to mount it's bracket to the light housing. Replace these with a hex head screw. Otherwise it is nearly impossible to get an allen head wrench in to tighten the screw on the side of the light closest to the bumper bracket. Even the ball-head allen wrenches aren't much help. I found out the hard way.

E-mail me if you want more details on the bracket or other install questions. I had pictures of my whole process, including the brackets but I cannot find that roll of film for the life of me!

JGK