Override for Fog Lights to stay on with High beams
From : dr jim sadler
Q: i live in a rural area and i want to modify the wiring on my 03 ram to trip all the lights on at once. id prefer to throw a single toggle switch on the dash or somewhere nearby to do this. i find myself driving for extended periods of time holding back the high beam stick to keep all lights on to accomplish that but alas my hand gets tired... anyone do a mod like this or can you offer me advice thanks dr. js .
Replies:
From : tbone
instead of abusing the trucks electrical system why dont you just put a good set of driving lights on it. -- if at first you dont succeed youre not cut out for skydiving i live in a rural area and i want to modify the wiring on my 03 ram to trip all the lights on at once. id prefer to throw a single toggle switch on the dash or somewhere nearby to do this. i find myself driving for extended periods of time holding back the high beam stick to keep all lights on to accomplish that but alas my hand gets tired... anyone do a mod like this or can you offer me advice thanks dr. js .
From : home
on mon 01 dec 2003 155936 -0500 dr. jim sadler nospam@idontknow.org wrote i live in a rural area and i want to modify the wiring on my 03 ram to trip all the lights on at once. id prefer to throw a single toggle switch on the dash or somewhere nearby to do this. i find myself driving for extended periods of time holding back the high beam stick to keep all lights on to accomplish that but alas my hand gets tired... anyone do a mod like this or can you offer me advice thanks dr. js give this site a look. not sure if they cover 03 rams but maybe it can give you a few ideas. .
From : tom lawrence
anyone do a mod like this or can you offer me advice unfortunately its not that simple to do this anymore... on the older trucks the br line - 94-01/02 you simply jumpered two terminals of the fog lamp relay and that was that. on the 3rd gens the headlamp switch doesnt really control anything... the switch just presents varying resistances to the instrument cluster controller. the icc then in turn communicates to the fcm front control module which supplies power to the fog lamp relay which in turn supplies power to the fog lights themselves. in other words the fog lights are now computer-controlled so theres no easy way to override the system to allow the fog lights to be on with the high beams. dont you just love progress .
From : s miller
genos garage www.genosgarage.com carries a plug-in module that performs this function. dr. jim sadler wrote i live in a rural area and i want to modify the wiring on my 03 ram to trip all the lights on at once. id prefer to throw a single toggle switch on the dash or somewhere nearby to do this. i find myself driving for extended periods of time holding back the high beam stick to keep all lights on to accomplish that but alas my hand gets tired... anyone do a mod like this or can you offer me advice thanks dr. js .
From : tom lawrence
genos garage www.genosgarage.com carries a plug-in module that performs this function. i didnt see it listed anywhere i knew at one point they were advertising a britebox for the 03s actually two of them - one needed for each light but that was for a combined low/high beam not recommended btw. i never saw anything for the fog lights. .
From : doug in phx
tom lawrence says on the 3rd gens the headlamp switch doesnt really control anything... the switch just presents varying resistances to the instrument cluster controller. the icc then in turn communicates to the fcm front control module which supplies power to the fog lamp relay which in turn supplies power to the fog lights themselves. in other words the fog lights are now computer-controlled so theres no easy way to override the system to allow the fog lights to be on with the high beams. i have a 2002 dakota non-sport. i that a 3rd generation or is it the br line that you wrote about in other words can mine be jumped to have the fog lites on with the brites doug in phx .
From : tom lawrence
i have a 2002 dakota non-sport. i that a 3rd generation or is it the br line that you wrote about in other words can mine be jumped to have the fog lites on with the brites you can just jumper terminal 30 to terminal 87a on your fog lamp relay remove relay replace with jumper. the purpose of this relay is to cut power to the fog light circuit which normally flows from terminal 30 to terminal 87a when the high beams are on. the high beam circuit energizes the coil of the relay breaking the connection between those terminals. by jumpering them together you make it impossible for that circuit to be broken therefore the fog lights can always be turned on with the dashboard switch. i was referencing the rams when talking about 2nd gen br and 3rd gen dr. on a high level the current dakotas from 97 up to present 04 are in line design-wise with the 2nd gen rams. 05 will see the dakotas enter the digital age as the rams did in 02/03 and the durango did for 04. .
From : james1549
actually the fog lights are not what you want to mess with. the driving fog lights dont do much to make you see better. what you are experiencing when holding the switch back is the low and high beams on at the same time. a simple bosch relay and maybe a diode can make that work easy. james .
From : james1549
i really dont see the advantage of fog lights and high beams on at the same time. there is no way you can tell the difference when driving. james .
From : redneck tookover hellredneck tookover hell
our 99 ram is a 1500... 4 trips with the trailer so far and no switch problems... one trip was 5 hours each way all with lights on... are we just lucky maybe but the 1500s didnt seem to have as severe a problem. maybe because 1500s and 2500s dont typically have the cab clearance lights or fender lights or 3 tailgate lights as the 3500 duallys all do youve got 2 front clearance lights tail/brake lights and a license plate light on that trailer. thats less lights than a dually does alone now i dont know how much towing you do at night with the lights on id err on the side of caution and have a relay installed or an overlay wiring harness as denny did being an old guy you are probably one of the first ones into the parking lot at wal mart bg ill start watching reality tv shows when i can vote people off the planet. .
From : dr jim sadler
ok james id appreciate advice on how to do that so that i can put a spst toggle switch on the dash somewhere to flip for max lights thanks! on 03 dec 2003 030157 gmt james1549@aol.com james1549 wrote actually the fog lights are not what you want to mess with. the driving fog lights dont do much to make you see better. what you are experiencing when holding the switch back is the low and high beams on at the same time. a simple bosch relay and maybe a diode can make that work easy. james .
From : clare snyder on ca
on wed 03 dec 2003 210456 -0500 dr. jim sadler nospam@idontknow.org wrote ok james id appreciate advice on how to do that so that i can put a spst toggle switch on the dash somewhere to flip for max lights thanks! one possible - and probable- problem. the wiring is set up to barely supply adequate power to the high beams alone. running both high and low beam lamps together will likely overload the wiring. designed to run 2x60=120 watts. running 2x55 + 2x60=230 watts using the quad lamp kit from kc hilites i believe solves this problem by adding extra power handling wires and relays. on 03 dec 2003 030157 gmt james1549@aol.com james1549 wrote actually the fog lights are not what you want to mess with. the driving fog lights dont do much to make you see better. what you are experiencing when holding the switch back is the low and high beams on at the same time. a simple bosch relay and maybe a diode can make that work easy. james .
From : daguy
on wed 03 dec 2003 210456 -0500 dr. jim sadler nospam@idontknow.org wrote ok james id appreciate advice on how to do that so that i can put a spst toggle switch on the dash somewhere to flip for max lights thanks! so dr. jim you would not happen to be a phil hendrie fan would you on 03 dec 2003 030157 gmt james1549@aol.com james1549 wrote actually the fog lights are not what you want to mess with. the driving fog lights dont do much to make you see better. what you are experiencing when holding the switch back is the low and high beams on at the same time. a simple bosch relay and maybe a diode can make that work easy. james .
From : dr jim sadler
my brother bud dickman mentioned that his show was special... on thu 04 dec 2003 043840 gmt daguy daguy@hereitis.net wrote on wed 03 dec 2003 210456 -0500 dr. jim sadler nospam@idontknow.org wrote ok james id appreciate advice on how to do that so that i can put a spst toggle switch on the dash somewhere to flip for max lights thanks! so dr. jim you would not happen to be a phil hendrie fan would you on 03 dec 2003 030157 gmt james1549@aol.com james1549 wrote actually the fog lights are not what you want to mess with. the driving fog lights dont do much to make you see better. what you are experiencing when holding the switch back is the low and high beams on at the same time. a simple bosch relay and maybe a diode can make that work easy. james .
From : redneck tookover hell
i really dont see the advantage of fog lights and high beams on at the same time. there is no way you can tell the difference when driving. james what it does james is makes them look good driving their truck in their red dress they figure if they drive around with their fog lights on all the time theyll get noticed. kind of like wearing a baseball cap backwards. regular folks think youre a moron but your hommies think you are kewl ill start watching reality tv shows when i can vote people off the planet. .
From : daguy
on thu 04 dec 2003 001303 -0500 dr. jim sadler nospam@idontknow.org wrote my brother bud dickman mentioned that his show was special... cool have him say hi to david g hall. on thu 04 dec 2003 043840 gmt daguy daguy@hereitis.net wrote on wed 03 dec 2003 210456 -0500 dr. jim sadler nospam@idontknow.org wrote ok james id appreciate advice on how to do that so that i can put a spst toggle switch on the dash somewhere to flip for max lights thanks! so dr. jim you would not happen to be a phil hendrie fan would you on 03 dec 2003 030157 gmt james1549@aol.com james1549 wrote actually the fog lights are not what you want to mess with. the driving fog lights dont do much to make you see better. what you are experiencing when holding the switch back is the low and high beams on at the same time. a simple bosch relay and maybe a diode can make that work easy. james .