2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission low beams stay on with high beams ... free upgrade

[2broke2smoke]

read how to do this on DTR forums, just thought i'd run it by you guys to see if there could be any potential problem ...

post stated that this had been done to a '02-01-96 for a while with no problems



remove panel under column

on the steering column bundle locate a light green and violet with white stripe wire ... . use a wire tap connector ... take pocket knife and cut out the dead end of the connector to "saddle" both wires together ...

viola lows stay on when high beams are lit ...

there are two light greens ... take a piercing tester and find out which light green turns the light on and off with the switch ... mine was the darker of the two



i've been running this for a week now and it is great, would like to hear any negative comments ... if there is the potential for a problem i'll just remove the connector



quoting the author of the original post; "this mod simply shorts across the low beam disconnect contacts of the multifunction switch. This will make the low beam filaments light as long as the light switch is turned on"

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

Yes, the factory wiring to the headlights is not meant to carry that much current on it. The brite box or relay's that some people use put the high beams on a seperate circuit powered by the relay so that the stock wiring isn't carrying too much current. One thing I've noticed when doing anything electrical on my truck is that D/C puts the bare minimum sized wire necessary to carry the expected load. IMO it's usually too small but I always like a little extra insurance. In their defense however every lb they keep out of the truck with smaller wires is another lb of payload.

 

[yogibear]

I did this to my 00 and ran it for over 150K mi. with no problems. A TDR member, Arcticat, told me about it. It worked great, wish I knew which wires worked on my 03, I would do it again.



Larry

 

[barbwire]

headlite switch

You might want to do a search on the headlite switch. I know that they are prone to overheating and going out. Mine went into meltdown at about 50000 mi, on the 99.

but man I'll bet that makes for some nice driving at nite, eh!

 

[barbwire]

name

OH Yeah, "tobroke", I'll bet that Steve St. Laurent could help with your name change

 

[Thomas]

"... free upgrade"



It won't be free if the headlight switch gets fried or your lights fail at the wrong time. As Steve points out, the wiring is minimal at best and many times inadequate. The Brite Box® for your model year 2001 Sport provides a path to ground for the low beam filaments when the high beams are lit and doesn't increase the load on the headlight switch contacts. The only relay installed in the headlight circuitry of a 2001 Ram is on the Sport models; D/C, well aware of the limits of the headlight switch, uses a relay to switch the 9004 (inboard) high beam filaments. That tells me that two 65 watt filaments is about the safe limit of the headlight contacts.



Good luck.

 

[2broke2smoke]

great idea barbwire

read the user name now ... Steve took care of it in about 2 minutes ... I'm really impressed ... now if i could just figure out the headlite thing ... it does light up the night nicely

 

[daveshoe]

I was on a website that was about lighting upgrades and they recommended running everything--even stock systems--through relays. Think of a relay as your starter solenoid. Your ignition key with its small wires powers up a switch that turns on the big cables running to the starter. That's how the little wires stay cool.

I apologize for this simple explanation,but some of us [me] are more mechanically challenged than others.

 

[tntway]

as far as my wiring is concerned..... when i did the sport conversion... . i followed Herb Craig's (may he rest in peace)recommendation and did ALL the wiring with 10 and 12 ga wire.

got alot more light out of the bulbs instead of bunsen burners.



i too wired so that all four filaments are lit on lo AND hi beam

 

[RJ2]

TNTWAY I did the sportlights and I now want to try hooking all four on high beam . Have you got a diagram? I take it that it does not get to hot with all 4 on. thanks RJ

 

[jamnram]

I just drove over 600 miles with my headlights on. I have the brite box installed. Half the miles were at night with the high/low beams on. I noticed the panel the headlight switch is in was so hot you couldn't hold a finger on for more then 5 or 6 sec. with just the low beams or the high/low beams on. I never paid attention to the panel before. Is this normal even with out the brite box? Is it something caused by the brite box? I was worried that something was going to catch on fire.

 

[RJ2]

[It helps to run the headlights through there own relays and upgrade the wires to 12 -10 Ga. QUOTE]Originally posted by jamnram

I just drove over 600 miles with my headlights on. I have the brite box installed. Half the miles were at night with the high/low beams on. I noticed the panel the headlight switch is in was so hot you couldn't hold a finger on for more then 5 or 6 sec. with just the low beams or the high/low beams on. I never paid attention to the panel before. Is this normal even with out the brite box? Is it something caused by the brite box? I was worried that something was going to catch on fire. [/QUOTE]

 

[drrhoades]

How do you do the sport light conversion?



Doug

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

jamnram - yes, the headlight switch does get real hot. That's what I was talking about when I said they make the electrical system stuff JUST barely strong enough. Did you have the dash lights dimmed? One thing I've noticed is that when you dim the dash light the dimmer part of headlight switches tend to get REAL hot. If you turn the lights up full blast it stays cooler.

 

[jamnram]

Steve,



Understand the bare minimum part, ouch... I did have the dash lights dimmed, I don't like them bright when driving at night. I figured dimming would help. Guess I won't dim them and see if that helps.



Thanks, for the comments.

 

[RJ2]

Originally posted by drhoades

How do you do the sport light conversion?



Headlight warehouse has the sportlights real cheap . Do a search on sportlights , you have to drill out some sheetmetal and they fit right in. Power up two relays and trigger the low and high beam with the stock wire going in the driver side light. Come out of the relays with 12 ga wire and according to those in the know it boost the lights near 1 volt ,which relates to about 35-40 % brighter,and you will find that to be the case. I use to turn my lights on and off to see if they were on.

the original