Finally - headlights rewired
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Veteran
Joined: Oct 2017
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From: central Iowa
Finally - headlights rewired
So, after the Dakota got smacked by a couple deer (photo attached) I didn't really do anything with it except to make sure it had legal number of lights and mounted reasonably. I parked it for all of 2021 basically and did nothing to it. I had planned on maybe getting some replacement metal for it and I had found some good fenders but I passed on them before the accident and now regret that.
So winter 2021 rolls around and suddenly I'm relying on this thing again even with the damage just because I don't want to get other vehicles all brine spray and salty, which means the maintenance needs to be brought up to date and the vehicle prepped to use, so it got an oil change (5w30 synth) and everything was cleaned out and checked and readied for use.
Way back from my storage space / shop (60 miles) I started smelling the problem and didn't do anything about it. Second trip like that the smell was worse and I stopped (in the dark) after I got to town but before I was home. I couldn't shut off the lights, the switch was stuck but I didn't have any headlights anymore, only parking, so I had to emergency dismantle the dash and discon the switch to look at it and see what was wrong. The switch was completely smoked for HL function, the switch was all fried where the HL pin was and there was no salvaging it. So I snuck home the 6 miles from the grocery with only the parking lights....made it too without a problem.
So fast forward to today and I have built a new headlight harness that runs directly off battery power controlled by a replaced HL switch but by using relays. And since the factory 'distribution box' under the hood had to vacancies in it I decided it was easiest to work the new harness into that box versus buy some new waterproof relay holder for use under the hood. I populated the two relay spots by depinning a Ram 1500 distribution box that had 3 relays in it, taking as many wires as I could and using them to wire up the new harness. Got enough to do it all, then ran some new wire across the front and now I have headlights again and no stink from something melting down.
I had planned to have the H4 sealed beam install done by now but after the deer accident the rad support on the passenger side was sufficiently crumpled that made it impossible. I'm now trying to decide whether I want to try and move this truck ahead with repair or try and find a clean carcass from down south that I can do something with instead. The 3.9L is ok and runs fine, but the body is getting pretty bad rust wise since it's been the primary winter beater. I'm sure it'll get parked again this spring and the decision on what to do deferred again...we'll see though...
Steve
So winter 2021 rolls around and suddenly I'm relying on this thing again even with the damage just because I don't want to get other vehicles all brine spray and salty, which means the maintenance needs to be brought up to date and the vehicle prepped to use, so it got an oil change (5w30 synth) and everything was cleaned out and checked and readied for use.
Way back from my storage space / shop (60 miles) I started smelling the problem and didn't do anything about it. Second trip like that the smell was worse and I stopped (in the dark) after I got to town but before I was home. I couldn't shut off the lights, the switch was stuck but I didn't have any headlights anymore, only parking, so I had to emergency dismantle the dash and discon the switch to look at it and see what was wrong. The switch was completely smoked for HL function, the switch was all fried where the HL pin was and there was no salvaging it. So I snuck home the 6 miles from the grocery with only the parking lights....made it too without a problem.
So fast forward to today and I have built a new headlight harness that runs directly off battery power controlled by a replaced HL switch but by using relays. And since the factory 'distribution box' under the hood had to vacancies in it I decided it was easiest to work the new harness into that box versus buy some new waterproof relay holder for use under the hood. I populated the two relay spots by depinning a Ram 1500 distribution box that had 3 relays in it, taking as many wires as I could and using them to wire up the new harness. Got enough to do it all, then ran some new wire across the front and now I have headlights again and no stink from something melting down.
I had planned to have the H4 sealed beam install done by now but after the deer accident the rad support on the passenger side was sufficiently crumpled that made it impossible. I'm now trying to decide whether I want to try and move this truck ahead with repair or try and find a clean carcass from down south that I can do something with instead. The 3.9L is ok and runs fine, but the body is getting pretty bad rust wise since it's been the primary winter beater. I'm sure it'll get parked again this spring and the decision on what to do deferred again...we'll see though...
Steve
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Joined: Nov 2015
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From: North Carolina
Originally Posted by glenlloyd;[url=tel:3536005
3536005[/url]]So, after the Dakota got smacked by a couple deer (photo attached) I didn't really do anything with it except to make sure it had legal number of lights and mounted reasonably. I parked it for all of 2021 basically and did nothing to it. I had planned on maybe getting some replacement metal for it and I had found some good fenders but I passed on them before the accident and now regret that.
So winter 2021 rolls around and suddenly I'm relying on this thing again even with the damage just because I don't want to get other vehicles all brine spray and salty, which means the maintenance needs to be brought up to date and the vehicle prepped to use, so it got an oil change (5w30 synth) and everything was cleaned out and checked and readied for use.
Way back from my storage space / shop (60 miles) I started smelling the problem and didn't do anything about it. Second trip like that the smell was worse and I stopped (in the dark) after I got to town but before I was home. I couldn't shut off the lights, the switch was stuck but I didn't have any headlights anymore, only parking, so I had to emergency dismantle the dash and discon the switch to look at it and see what was wrong. The switch was completely smoked for HL function, the switch was all fried where the HL pin was and there was no salvaging it. So I snuck home the 6 miles from the grocery with only the parking lights....made it too without a problem.
So fast forward to today and I have built a new headlight harness that runs directly off battery power controlled by a replaced HL switch but by using relays. And since the factory 'distribution box' under the hood had to vacancies in it I decided it was easiest to work the new harness into that box versus buy some new waterproof relay holder for use under the hood. I populated the two relay spots by depinning a Ram 1500 distribution box that had 3 relays in it, taking as many wires as I could and using them to wire up the new harness. Got enough to do it all, then ran some new wire across the front and now I have headlights again and no stink from something melting down.
I had planned to have the H4 sealed beam install done by now but after the deer accident the rad support on the passenger side was sufficiently crumpled that made it impossible. I'm now trying to decide whether I want to try and move this truck ahead with repair or try and find a clean carcass from down south that I can do something with instead. The 3.9L is ok and runs fine, but the body is getting pretty bad rust wise since it's been the primary winter beater. I'm sure it'll get parked again this spring and the decision on what to do deferred again...we'll see though...
Steve
So winter 2021 rolls around and suddenly I'm relying on this thing again even with the damage just because I don't want to get other vehicles all brine spray and salty, which means the maintenance needs to be brought up to date and the vehicle prepped to use, so it got an oil change (5w30 synth) and everything was cleaned out and checked and readied for use.
Way back from my storage space / shop (60 miles) I started smelling the problem and didn't do anything about it. Second trip like that the smell was worse and I stopped (in the dark) after I got to town but before I was home. I couldn't shut off the lights, the switch was stuck but I didn't have any headlights anymore, only parking, so I had to emergency dismantle the dash and discon the switch to look at it and see what was wrong. The switch was completely smoked for HL function, the switch was all fried where the HL pin was and there was no salvaging it. So I snuck home the 6 miles from the grocery with only the parking lights....made it too without a problem.
So fast forward to today and I have built a new headlight harness that runs directly off battery power controlled by a replaced HL switch but by using relays. And since the factory 'distribution box' under the hood had to vacancies in it I decided it was easiest to work the new harness into that box versus buy some new waterproof relay holder for use under the hood. I populated the two relay spots by depinning a Ram 1500 distribution box that had 3 relays in it, taking as many wires as I could and using them to wire up the new harness. Got enough to do it all, then ran some new wire across the front and now I have headlights again and no stink from something melting down.
I had planned to have the H4 sealed beam install done by now but after the deer accident the rad support on the passenger side was sufficiently crumpled that made it impossible. I'm now trying to decide whether I want to try and move this truck ahead with repair or try and find a clean carcass from down south that I can do something with instead. The 3.9L is ok and runs fine, but the body is getting pretty bad rust wise since it's been the primary winter beater. I'm sure it'll get parked again this spring and the decision on what to do deferred again...we'll see though...
Steve
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Joined: Oct 2017
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From: central Iowa
Actually it's quite clean, integrating it into the original distribution box.
The benefit is that you no longer have power to the HL's running through the switch, the switch only controls whether power goes from the battery directly to the HL's, a much more desirable situation than the original.
A lot less frankenstein than you think. Dan Stern has sold custom headlight harnesses that accomplish the same thing for years.
And side benefit...they're brighter...
Steve
The benefit is that you no longer have power to the HL's running through the switch, the switch only controls whether power goes from the battery directly to the HL's, a much more desirable situation than the original.
A lot less frankenstein than you think. Dan Stern has sold custom headlight harnesses that accomplish the same thing for years.
And side benefit...they're brighter...
Steve
All Star
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 941
Likes: 22
From: Connecticut
That's awesome! I think the next project for mine is to get better lighting. I had aux lights on it for a while which were fine, but I want a better low beam too.
The lights are so bad I think I could just drive with the highs on the whole time and no one would know the difference.
Slick solution.
The lights are so bad I think I could just drive with the highs on the whole time and no one would know the difference.
Slick solution.
Professional
Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 157
Likes: 21
From: Orangevale, Ca
Great job. I was too lazy to make my own harness, At the recommendation of our sorely missed RalphP, I put in an aftermarket Putco harness with relays and in line fuses. Then I switched to Auxbeam LEDs. Made a huge difference. I understand the LEDs are not legal here in CA., but it is very rarely enforced.
Thread Starter
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Veteran
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 389
Likes: 19
From: central Iowa
Great job. I was too lazy to make my own harness, At the recommendation of our sorely missed RalphP, I put in an aftermarket Putco harness with relays and in line fuses. Then I switched to Auxbeam LEDs. Made a huge difference. I understand the LEDs are not legal here in CA., but it is very rarely enforced.
RalphP (miss that guy) was a big advocate of the separate wiring harness powered through relays. I did it out of necessity as my switches were obviously getting beaten up.
Glad that it's done, now if I can find some new sheet metal that's not outrageous I'll replace the damaged stuff. But being in the mid-west good sheet metal does not show up very often...
Steve