Headlight switch warning!!
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Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 486
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From: Northern Kentucky
Headlight switch warning!!
hello guys,
so basically im starting this to let everyone know of something, my Cab light DIY (in my sig) does have a mistake i just discovered.. after i wrecked my truck, and smashed out my parking light, some snow worked its way into the housing, and caused a fuse to blow due to shorting, i tried to replace the fuse, and everytime i would go to turn on the switch it would continuously blow the fuse (15A parking light).... well after a friend of mine did some old thread searching for me, i discovered that some advice i had gotten and passed on in my DIY is not good advice...
apparently the factory headlight switch is about at its maximum working ability, and if you tap ANYTHING into your parking lamp wire (fog lights, CAB lights, etc.) you will be giving the switch more than it can handle... it lasted for a few months, but due to the short out, i believe it gave it the maximum stress.. which causes the fuse to continuously blow, leading you to NO gauge lights, parking lamps, tail lights, or whatever you tapped into it. so basically if you tap anything into the factory headlight switch VIA the black and yellow wire (see my DIY in sig) you will eventually over load your factory switch and lose all those lights....
i disconnected my cabs, and everything works phenominal... i believe i read that they make an aftermarket switch that can handle more power... (not sure though) otherwise it looks like itll have to be run to a toggle switch... ill look more into it. but i figured i would give you guys a fair warning about it, to save you the grief ive dealt with these past few days
so basically im starting this to let everyone know of something, my Cab light DIY (in my sig) does have a mistake i just discovered.. after i wrecked my truck, and smashed out my parking light, some snow worked its way into the housing, and caused a fuse to blow due to shorting, i tried to replace the fuse, and everytime i would go to turn on the switch it would continuously blow the fuse (15A parking light).... well after a friend of mine did some old thread searching for me, i discovered that some advice i had gotten and passed on in my DIY is not good advice...
apparently the factory headlight switch is about at its maximum working ability, and if you tap ANYTHING into your parking lamp wire (fog lights, CAB lights, etc.) you will be giving the switch more than it can handle... it lasted for a few months, but due to the short out, i believe it gave it the maximum stress.. which causes the fuse to continuously blow, leading you to NO gauge lights, parking lamps, tail lights, or whatever you tapped into it. so basically if you tap anything into the factory headlight switch VIA the black and yellow wire (see my DIY in sig) you will eventually over load your factory switch and lose all those lights....
i disconnected my cabs, and everything works phenominal... i believe i read that they make an aftermarket switch that can handle more power... (not sure though) otherwise it looks like itll have to be run to a toggle switch... ill look more into it. but i figured i would give you guys a fair warning about it, to save you the grief ive dealt with these past few days
Professional
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 207
Likes: 1
From: South Texas
+100 on the relay! Why do you think our trucks have a bank of them? They are cheap insurance against the type of damage you mentioned. A 12 volt 30a relay is $6.99 at Radio Shack. Also, use the heaviest guage wire you can for the application.
Site Moderator
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,374
Likes: 28
From: Sioux Falls, SD
That wiring diagram will not work if the on/off switch is the stock headlamp switch. Trust me, I tried it that way. The relays must be grounded to the ground wire going to the on/off switch.
Last edited by jasonw; Feb 18, 2010 at 03:21 PM.
