2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Riddle me this plug???

[Mundgyver]

Good afternoon to the forum



While doing some lighting upgrades for my aviation landing lights to the front of the truck today, I have stumbled accross a homless connector



Location is left front side, behind the battery box about half way up, attached to the fender-well brace\sheetmetal support for the fender. 7 black wires in an 8 wire plug. Plug color is bright white.



Would anybody know what the heck this is. Found it by removing the battery box to access the left headlight for the auxillary light work I'm doing.



Thanks for taken time to read this. -Mundgyver-

 

[thepitts]

Plug

Do you have the factory driving lights? If not it could be the plug for that. I also have the landing lights on my truck.

 

[Mundgyver]

Got every option that was available with the truck. Came with the factory fog lights installed. This plug was tucked up out of the way. Unless you remove the battery box, you would never know its there. The other thing thats got my curiosity up is in the bottom of the batter box there is some sort of sensor. Two wires to it. It's not a switch that I can tell. Just a flat piece of plastic that has a metal washer between it and the box. Pushes in from the top. Ah well, don't you love a mystery???

 

[fest3er]

Originally posted by Mundgyver
... The other thing thats got my curiosity up is in the bottom of the batter box there is some sort of sensor. Two wires to it. It's not a switch that I can tell. Just a flat piece of plastic that has a metal washer between it and the box. Pushes in from the top. Ah well, don't you love a mystery???

That may well be the battery temp sensor. The PCM monitors this sensor; when the temp is low, the PCM will allow extra current to flow into the battery to heat it up faster. (A warm battery works much better than a frozen one. )

Alsmot sounds like DC forgot to install a harness... .

Fest3er

 

[Mundgyver]

Ah the sensor for heat makes sense and it is hooked up to a harness. But the plug is a mystery. Thats what I like about this forum. One question already answered and one to go. Thanks for the info.

 

[JPhillips]

Harness

I have an idea about your plug and harness that you are speaking of. I do some work at my shop for a local dealer. I took in a job the other day on a '02 1500 Ram that involved installing a factory cruise control on this truck. Dodge supplied the Mopar cruise unit and I did the installation. The factory wiring harness had all the plugs and wires neccessary for the install. The wires for the steering wheel were even in the right places even though they came with the kit. I had to remove the battery tray to mount the cruise unit and the plug was there waiting on me. They (DC) really took into consideration the add-on needs for the consumer here. By the way, does your truck have cruise? If not, the plug may be for something of the sort. Hope this helps. Chris

 

[Mundgyver]

Yep, GOT CRUISE Like I said earlier, I have all the options offered. The truck lacks for nothing. Did you use this plug in your cruise control hook up on that 1500? I don't know, but it is curious.

 

[JPhillips]

Harness

I did use the plug that was under the battery tray for the cruise. That is what is was there for on this truck inparticular. But, it is a new body style and I'm sure the wiring is different between the two trucks. I wish I could think of something other than that to help you out. Chris

 

[Mundgyver]

I don't know what it for. Justs sits on the side of the tray behind it out of site. Wonder if is for a 3500 lighting package or snow plow package or something.

 

[thepitts]

???

Could it be for cruise control on a gas motor? doesn't ours work trough the ECM and PCM, just thinking out loud

 

[Mundgyver]

Success !! I found it !! On page 8W-90-20 in the 2001 Service Manual Supplement for BR/RE Ram Truck 1500 - 3500



Shows it as Joint Connector No. 4 Now the question is, why would they have a Joint connector out on the end of the harness Would not a joint be in the middle somewhere

 

[RADdodge]

It ties the grounds together in a connector. Pin 1 is the actual chassis ground connection. Good job on finding it. The schematic in the 2000 Service Manual shows the connector as a ground buss. (Pg 8W-15-3).

 

[Sageair]

Mundgyver. Please tell me more about your landing light modification. Are you changing your fog lights to driving lights and wiring them to come on with your high beams?

 

[Mundgyver]

The truck came with all the bells and whistles. The fog lights were included. The fogs are nice because the will work with the low beams. I wanted something additional that would work with the hi-beams with out having to worry about a seperat switch and such.



I have a WARN front receiver hitch mounted up under the front bumper for pulling and sliding a winch into. On the ends of the hitch out at the mounts I used a piece of 1 x 3/8 x 6 inch steel flat bolted in the verticle to the end of each side of the hitch. With these sticking out a couple of inches I then attached my light mounts. The particular lights I'm using are a set of sealed beams with 100,000 candle ower. Part no is H-7604 from Wagner Sealed Beam Off Road Lighting. They are a 12 vdc version of an aircraft landing light for comercial aviation. They have a huge quartz halegon bulb sealed in side. Average life is 100 + hours of use compared to 15 hours for a regular sealed beam. They are avalaible through NAPA auto parts.



Wiring consist of two seperat power wires with 15 amp fuses each comming directly from the battery to 2 relays, one for each light. I put the 12 vdc to two places on the relay. 1 is the supply side for the light and the other is the supply side for the solenoid. The light is wired in opposite of the supply side for power out to it. The last wire is a common ground wire between both relays wich I run form the ground side of the solenoid up to the left head light and I tap (solder) into the orange and red wire. This orange and red is the control ground from the column. Dodge used grounds to control function just like in military aviation.



The reason I chose to mount the lights where I did is I'm not interested in drilling holes in the bumper. Later on when I get my heavey duty one, I will move them up. For now they work very well for out on the road. 99% of my driving is to and from work 25 miles each way and long cross country interstate trips of 2,500 + miles every couple of months.



I've used this same type set up for the last 25 years and have never had any problems with it.



Hope this helps. Some day I plan on buying a digital camera so I can post pics of my truck. Enjoy. -Wally-

 

[Blakers]

I too have run the landing lights for years, though not yet on my Ram. They are great and cheap compared to anything else out there. Not sure any aftermarket lights come close to their performance.



I've always used the sealed beam ones though and their longevity is not necessarily great. Wally - do you know the NAPA part numbers for the quarts units? What diameter are you runing? I have run both the small (about 3. 5") and the big flat (about 5. 5") ones. The small ones are nice in that they fit in those rubber tractor light housings that reduce vibration shocks and don't corrode.



Mounting them low causes blind spots while going over hills on the road. I've noticed that in the past, though I've usually always shut off my headlights to save power. This was on old low-alternatored vehicles. Could make brackets to come out in front of grill and above bumper without drilling bumper.



Blake

 

[dresslered]

Another Plug?

Anybody know what the unused plug is that sits on top of the lift pump? I noticed it when I did my pump exchange but have not yet had a chance to look for it in the service manual. I also found an unconnected ground tab (black wire coming out of the harness) just wrapped around the harness below the ABS???

 

[Ladders]

Might be...

Dresslered, it might be the one we use for the Cummins QuickCheckII. On the 2k an^ its near the filter/lift pump, on the 99's and lower its up by the inj pump. It has 3 connections and is plugged with a "dummy" to prevent buildup.



SOTSU!!

\\BF//

 

[dresslered]

Thanks Ben. Just curious.