True, but in this case it is dumping that current through the headlight switch (which are notorious for melting).

I prefer wiring switched positive as added safety measure (not having extra hot wires running all over the chassis. Probably a little paranoid, but that's my preference.

Cartman

 

Actually, it's much safer to switch the - (neg) than switching the + (pos). Somewhere on this forum, I had gone and listed out the CKT in it's entirety but, at current, I can not recall it. Part of that CKT is a + side going to R1 in the PDC. It's live at all times but, it's in the engine bay- not inside the cab. It's stops there and does not come into the dash via firewall. This prevents live voltage in the dash / cockpit where, there is potential to ground out (DEAD SHORT) to chassis. They tried to keep the live feeds in the PDC as much as possible and, in order to obtain the + feed into the cab to the switch, the ground path must be completed in order to complete the CKT.

I will have to go through the schematics again or dig up that post where I listed out all those CKTs from start to finish along with functionality in order to refresh my memory on the function of R1 and R2 respective to what part of the CKTs it's feeding along with the dimmer switch. I believe it was the dimmer switch at the headlight switch that was kept live along with a main feed to the ON/OFF for the headlamps but, it's been a couple of months since I've reviewed all that so, I may be mistaken. I'll check on that later this weekend.

Here's the link for that post showing what's on the fog lamp CKT. https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen...l-gurus-2.html

After reviewing that, everything at the switch level ties to chassis ground to complete the CKTs and, the only +(POS) feed coming into that switch is for the illumination (low current) lamps that reside in the FOG LAMP switch.

So, anyplace where one can derive power to drive two headlamps (just add up the total watts / current vs. fused CKT) will suffice along with switching ground to chassis will work. The only time there will be an issue is when the current draw exceeds the rating of either the fuse, a switch, a relay, AWG, or, a component that is already working to MAX current capacity. This is when wires begin to melt etc.
CM

 

How about connecting them like I did.
Just ignore the after market fog lights and look at the factory fog lights in the third picture down.
They run off a relay and the factory switch just powers the relay.
https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen...igh-beams.html

 

GOT'R DONE !!!!

Cartman,

That's exactly what I had already bought to use. I tapped the B/Y ground inside the PDC from the 85 (I found two b/y's on the back side of the relay socket, can't remember which terminal the other one was on.) This was uncharted territory for me, but according to you guys it seemed reasonably simple so I disconnected both battery connections and started easing my way into it. Reminds me of the first time I went into the circuit panel at the house. Or actually the first time I saw the panel come off when my brother helped me replace a bad breaker. Kind of scary, seeing all those wires the first time!!

Sheriff420
I saw you thread when I started researching this but yours was for the high beam project. Not quite exactly what I was looking for but I picked up some good schematic info there. Thanks. When you indicate to "terminate" the two wire in the top left, how do you mean to do that?
PS- Is 420 you badge#? Know how I guessed?

I feel like I am at the Oscar awards, so many thanks to all!

 

Good to hear.

Glad I could help you out. I remember the first time I started digging around in there... it was a little intimidating, but I just went slow and didn't force anything. It worked out pretty well.

Cartman

 

The fog light diagram was just added because I put extra fog lights in with my factory fog lights and I figured that anyone looking to do the fog light mod might be interested in adding extra lights as well.
By terminate I mean to just clip the wire, fold it over and put a butt connector on it then coat it in liquid electric tape then zip tie it to something so it can't find a ground anywhere.
The good thing about how I set up my fog lights is that the power for the lights comes straight from the battery and doesn't have any connection to the PDC. The factory switch activates the relay and that's it.

The 420 is not a badge #, I'm not a sheriff. I used to wear a sheriff hat all the time in high school and a lot of people called me sheriff, then came the user name sheriff. The numbers are from something I used to like to do in high school.