Westerm snow plow

[BWilson]

Well, you guys are the smartest bunch of people I know so here goes. I bought a Western plow of of a poor power stroker friend, got it all connected, and only my high beams work. I looked in the manual for the wiring diagrams to see if it was different for different makes but the Western book shows the same truck harness for all of em. However, it does also say in the troubleshooting section to confirm that you have the right harness for the make/model of truck. Are they different or not? And if they are, can I make this one work?????



It seems like I have power on the wrong lead for low beams, but when I switch the wires, all of lights are pretty dim, hi's and low's.

 

[fkovalski]

Check for proper ground. Run a separate one if needed. (seriously!) good luck -frank

 

[Papa Joe]

Yup. Check the ground first. Lotsa amps for headlights.

 

[Blakers]

I was just about to make a new post and then I found you already made my post. I HAVE EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM. I spent all evening trying to trace it down. Even installed a new relay just in case, but everything works as it did -- high beams work fine, but no low beams. .



I did switch around some of the leads, using my voltmeter as a search tool and got it to perform just as yours does, ie, when I switch to low beam, the plow AND truck lights come on dimly. Checking with a voltmeter gives about 6 volts on that circuit.



One question I have that might have a bearing on this situation - on a 95 Ram, are the headlights activated by the switch providing power or by the switch providing ground?



For those not familiar with the system used by Western... the plow lights are activated and the truck lights are deactivated by two relays - one for high beam and one for low beam. The relays are activated by the parking light circuit on the plow - when you plug the wire lead into the plow, the relays are activated.



If I figure this out before you do, I will let you know. Or someone else may figure this out first. First thing I'll try is the ground.



Blake



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[BWilson]

The way mine is hooked up, and I think the way the diagram shows, is that the power to each beam (high or low) is what trips the relay. Not that parking light circuit. However, that may be the answer. I will try it out tomorrow and let you know.

 

[Blakers]

BWilson,



Is yours set up so the plow lights are activated by connecting the plow wiring to the truck? Do your relays click when you put the connector together with the lights turned on?



Blake

 

[BWilson]

Yeah. When I plug the harness in is when the relays click over (if they are energized). The wire that flips the relay is the power to the individual beam (hi or low).

 

[Blakers]

Are you sure your's is different than mine as described in the description I posted above? Mine is actuated by the parking light circuit being energized.



Blake

 

[Royk]

The relays are energized by the brown wire from the parking light circuit. In the schematic, 12v is gotten at the parking light wire, passes through the coil of each relay and grounded (to complete the circuit) through the Black/Orange wire at the plow pump (after passing through the lights/control connector).



Unfortunately, I'm all to familiar with this wiring diagram after having to figure out how to modify my '95 plow to my '02 truck (you know, the switched ground thing).



-Roy

 

[me4osu]

Just to let you guys know

It will only reach a bone-chilling 60 deg. here.

 

[Blakers]

Re: Just to let you guys know

Originally posted by me4osu

It will only reach a bone-chilling 60 deg. here.

You have my sympathy me4osu. No frost to kill your killer bees, fire ants and all your other hot climate varmits.



And you don't get the experience of driving in a beautiful winter wonderland with over a foot of nice white snow on the road. It is a great feeling - expecially when there are no tracks on the road whatsoever and you're the only one out there.



Blake

 

[me4osu]

Did that in Colorado a couple weeks ago.

You're right, it is neat. I was glad to get back home though. That crap they put on the roads sure makes a mess, but I'd rather have a dirty rig than slide off into a canyon.



I can stand the ants and bees. I just wish it would freeze real good so that the Black Widows in my barn would die. I kill about two or three a day, and have told the kids to stay out. I need to spray some Demon WP this week end to try to get rid of them.

 

[BWilson]

You're right. The parking light circuit trips the relays. And mine trip as soon as I plug the harness in; however, it seems to me that the low beam hot wire and ground are reversed per the western diagram. I bought this plow off of a guy with a Ford, and he thought that becasue the headlamp connectors were the same that it would work. But then I read in the Western trouble shooting guide it always says, "confirm that the correct harness is in the vehicle". But it only shows one diagram for the harness.



Blakers, did you figure it out or just plow with your brights on all night like me?



Did you try the ground? I'm going to try adding a ground wire today and see if it works.

 

[Royk]

Here is a work-around you might want to try:



Open up the headlights and cut the low beam wire and splice it to the brown parking light wire. Then you will have low beams as soon as you turn your parking lights on (DRLs!). When you hit your high beams though, you'll be extra bright because your low beams will still be on as well.



-Roy

 

[Blakers]

Thanks Royk, I did your work-a-round and spliced the low beams into the parking lights. It works well that way. I hunted and hunted for the problem and can't find it. Perhaps the previous owner wired things up wrong on the truck. Worst part is most of the wiring is under the battery tray.



Maybe in the future I'll figure it out. The way the system works, it is really hard to troubleshoot, because you can't take the connector to the plow apart or the relays put the power back to the truck lights. Maybe they have a dummy plug just for troubleshooting for the dealers.



The system Western uses is technology overkill. They used to just use a double pole toggle switch like everyone else - up for plow lights - down for truck lights. Very simple.



Anyway, I think it work ok for now.



Blake