2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission keeping headlight switch from burning?

[tgbol]

Most of the heat is caused when the panel lights are dimmed low.

The resister is the heat producer

 

[pfmoale]

y-knot,

thank you for providing a source for the hot dimmer switch problem. I just ordered the wiring harness from Summit Racing in Reno, NV. should be here soon. Will be very interesting to see if there is a difference of less heat.



Peter

 

[RJ2]

Do a search on adding sportlights

 

[RDBuck]

Is the headlight switch the same up to the 02 models? We had this problem on the 1st gens and Chrysler sold us a new switch with plastic coupler and 11 new wires to solder together. It would still melt unless you took the headlights off the switch directly and put them on a relay. In one case I know of the switch actually started a fire.

 

[y-knot]

The real winner will be you. The amount of light the headlights put out with the power drawing straight from the battery is wonderful, you can see the difference.

 

[plangone]

I melted a few switches on my 2500 before I fixed it by installing the recall kit from the dealer. I also now keep the panel lights on full brightness. I can start to smell the switch when I turn them down low. I concur with others about adding relays when running additional lights, but you should be ok without if you are close to stock.

 

[RJ2]

It is so easy to insert relays between your lows and brights ,why would you want to run full power through the switch.

You would put a relay on if adding driving or fog lights. If you

put 12 ga wire after the relay the brightness of the headlights

increases over 30 % -40% according to Sterns lighting site. I know adding the relays and switching to sportlights was the best mod I ever did.

 

[Matt42]

Summit Website

Originally posted by y-knot

Good gref... ... you guys make this way harder then it has to be...



The wiring harness I referred you to, is a complete harness. You do not need to be a electrical engineer to figure this out. The harness plugs in to the OLD headlight plugs, then plug the new ones into the headlights. Connect two wires to the battery and you are done, how much easier can it get? Someone has figured out how to shed load from the switch, and do it the easy way.

Does Summit have a website with this part on it? Also, is it a "complete" harness for just the lights, or for the whole truck?



TIA, Matt

 

[Neibe]

I ran my gauges into the fusebox into the insturment fuse I got 142,000 on my 97 with the original headlight switch.

 

[JPS]

Summit wiring harness

Ordered Summit wiring harness SUM 890030. This is to be used on a 1995 CTD. No instructions with harness. Can anyone help? TIA jps

 

[RDBuck]

I just installed this same harness-SUM890030- on my 02 so I'm assuming the same setup for your 95. Mine had no instructions either but this is what I did- when you stretch out the new harness you will have two connectors on one end and one connector on the end of the long length of wire. Under the passenger side battery you will find both the hdlite bulb connector and the connector from the switch. Unplug both and plug in your new connectors. On this same end you will find a black ground wire that is just long enough to ground on the body panel next to the radiator. Drill a hole for a sheet metal screw and ground this wire-nothing will work without grounding the relay. Also on this side there are two black fusible-link wires(plugged into two red wires) with large ends to go on the positive cablebolt of pass. battery. I wire-tied the relays to the air conditioner tube that runs nearby. String the long wire across the front of the radiator following the 'old' headlite harness to the other (drivers) headlite. Do the same thing there-pull off your 'old' headlite plug and put on the new. You also have to ground this side as you did the other. One note of caution-I broke the tabs off both sides of the new headlite plugs, they are not quite as strong as the stock. Also I plugged the two stock ends on the pass. side together and left the drivers side loose. Everything seems to work just fine.

 

[JPS]

Thanks

Thanks for the reply RD. Have not had time to work on wiring, not sure how to handle the relays. jps

 

[rweis]

Has the SUM 890030 harness ACTUALLY worked to help keep the heat off of the headlight switch?



Sounds like it should, BUT????????????????????????????



Would someone who ACTUALLY installed it comment please.



Bob Weis

 

[RDBuck]

The heat generated by the dimmer is still there but 110 watts of juice for the headlights is not. There is a noticeable increase in brightness of the lights and there is a long-term benefit to the switch in that you can replace the 9004,55 watt bulbs with some 100/80 watt or any other increased wattage without damaging the switch.

 

[Bart]

I also had this problem. Instead of paying $100. 00 for a retro kit I marked the position of all the wires on the switch. I then cut the wires past the annealed (burnt) part. After that I put on individual soldierless connectors. I put it all back together without cutting any holes or anything else. That was 2+ years ago, and todate I haven't had one problem

 

[rweis]

Bringing this back up to the top.



For anyone who has actually installed the SUM890030.



Did puting the headlights on the SUM890030 actually allow the headlight switch to generate less heat?



Can you dim your panel lights to whatever level you want without the headlight switch getting hot?



Bob Weis

 

[y-knot]

Bob,

The Summit Racing harness is great, it's actually made by APC. The trucks lights switch is completly bypassed of the headlights load, only the marker lights and interior dome lights remain. The harness is very well constructed, and the wire size is much larger then the stock factory harness. Best part is the lights are much brighter, I can actually see now. For the small price of 35 bucks, it's a no-brainer.

 

[rweis]

OK,



Now if you change the marker lights out for LED's, that should unload another bunch of amperage, which SHOULD allow the poorly designed headlight switch to be able to dim a half dozen panel lights without overheating.



Right?,



Bob Weis



PS: Ordered the SUM890030 today, thanks.

 

[Matt42]

Part Number? Source?

Originally posted by y-knot

Bob,

The Summit Racing harness is great, it's actually made by APC. The trucks lights switch is completly bypassed of the headlights load, only the marker lights and interior dome lights remain. The harness is very well constructed, and the wire size is much larger then the stock factory harness. Best part is the lights are much brighter, I can actually see now. For the small price of 35 bucks, it's a no-brainer.

Does anybody know the part number of the Summit harness? I can't seem to find it at their website.

 

[WMonroe]

The part number was posted a few posts up.

SUM890030

Will