questions on sport headlight conversion

[swhalen]

Hi All:
I am certainly electrically challenged, so I am asking some basic questions regarding the sport headlight conversion with the Daniel Stern "plug and play" harness. I don't want to get myself in so deep that I cannot back out.

First, I managed to back off the front bumper enough to squeeze the driver's headlight out of it's slot. I popped the old lamp from the blue connector and put it back in loosely while I continued working, until I was ready to install the new harness. I popped the lamp again and noticed on the flat blade extending from the blue connector there was a small "pin" sticking perpindicular to the flat blade. I thought this might have been flat against the blade and I had inadvertently bent it out when first reinstalling the old lamp. I then bent it so it lays flush against the flat blade (see picture, lower part of flat blade). What is this thing (see picture), and am I correct in bending it again to lay against the flat blade or should I bend it out again when I plug this into the Stern harness.

Second, in the bundle of wires running along the bottom of the bumper to the driver's headlamp there is a wire the exits the bundle and goes to a connector on the frame. It then runs to the front axle. What is this, and will it still have power when I complete the conversion?

Thanks for any help before I destroy something and cause myself more headaches. I have been afraid to drive this old girl at night due to my aging eyes and have wanted to do this conversion for a long time.

 

[Joe Mc]

From the pictures provided (very helpful BTW) it appears the tab sticking out of the blue connector is one from the original head lamp = it seems to have a small wire soldered to the tab itself. Look on the backside of the blue plug to make sure the wire for that slot hasn't pulled in, this should help determine my thoughts. If indeed it is a remnant of the old bulb you should be able to grab the blade with a par of pliers (or vice grips) and wiggle/convince it out. Not for certain, but the other connector on the frame appears to be the harness connection to the fog lights (if so equipped). Using the "hand over hand" method follow the wire to wherever it leads away from the plug to harness connection and that'll give best idea of what it's for. Hope this helps and remember, try to have fun and when things get frustrating best bet is to step away for 5-10 minutes...

 

[BarryG]

I agree with Joe that blade is not supposed to be there. It one has done as Joe suggested and come from the lamp or has pulled out of the blue connector. Either way it shouldn't be there.
As far as other wires losing power etc with the conversion it should not effect anything except where the headlight is getting its power, any other wires on that circuit should be unaffected and cant think of any that would be on the same circuit. And if it/they are just in the bundle of wires(harness) should have no effect either. The wire that goes down to the axle could be fog lights but I thought it was up underneath the lower rad support and not that far back but without following it to a termination point tough to say. Only wires I recall on the front axle were for the cad system and I think they only were for the 4x4 light on the dash and are terminated in the cad unit itself iirc.

 

[swhalen]

Both BarryG and Joe Mc were correct with respect to the identity of the tab.....it was a remnant of an old bulb. However, it was not a remnant of the bulb that I pulled. My initial thought before my post was that the tab was a remnant. However, on examination, the old bulb looked no different than the new bulb(s) that I purchased for the conversion with respect to the three male tabs. So, it is a mystery where the old tab came from and a further mystery how the bulb I removed got power up until I started the conversion. I do note that the bulb pulled from the socket very easily when disassembling the system on the side that was the culprit (drivers), and it was a difficult removal on the passenger's side.

The identity of the wire leading to the axle is still a mystery. My thought was also that it goes to the 4x4 light. The truck has no fogs. I installed the Daniel Stern harness last night, tested to see if the headlamps functioned correctly and buttoned the truck up, but have not started it to determine if the 4x4 light works yet. I do note that power still runs to the old passenger's side bulb socket, so it the mystery wire is tied into the passenger's headlamp, the wire should still be powered. Thanks to Barry and Joe for the replies.

 

[BarryG]

It may still be for the fog lights as iirc the fog wires are there whether the truck comes with fogs or not. To add fogs you need the harness from the last plug to the lights and a different headlight switch that has the fog function in it fairly plug and play to add them at least on an 01.

Depending on year of truck and I do not know which years were which except for on my 01, on it the headlights were negative switched so there is power to them all the time just no ground to light them up until you move the selector on the headlight switch.

 

[BigPapa]

My ‘95 was wired for fog lights but didn’t come with them.

 

[Road Dog]

The tab sticking out is part of the connector. If you pull on the wire behind it the tab will pull back into the connector housing. During manufacturing (of the wire harness) the wire is pushed through the back, the tab is crimped on, and then pulled back into the housing. The little bump is supposed to retain the tab in the housing.

Some types of connectors are repairable and there's a tool to pop the tab or pin or whatever so it can be replaced.