Question for you electronic tech people

So i have my strobes all hooked up, (head lamp, tail lamps, and cargo lamps) and we got the great Idea to use the cargo lamp switch to operate the strobes being that I no longer have cargo lamps, which works great but there is one small problem.

with them hooked to the cargo lamp switch, if I use the key fob to unlock my truck it will turn the strobes on too. Is there a way to shut the cargo lamp off and not come on with the Illuminated entry feature. just be a standard on off switch.

 

Since that feature is controlled by the PCM, I would just rewire the original switch, this way, you won't be introducing any problems into how the automatic and semi-automatic systems work. Unplug the OEM wires going to it and insulate them so you aren't surprised by a short, then make yourself a fuse point somewhere (not hard to do with some of the add-a-circuit fuse kits) - this will be the +12 volt supply to the switch and then to the strobe light relay (I'm suggesting a relay here instead of powering your strobes directly through the switch for a number of reasons - the main one being that it will be a lot easier on your electrical system). You'd need to make yourself a good ground for the relay and then from the relay, you would need to add the circuit that would power the strobe lights. If you need a quick wiring diagram, I could sketch one for you pretty quick. Do you know how many amps the strobe lights need? This will dictate the wire size, relay size, fuse, and where you can connect it.

 

What he said ^^. Unless you want to go to the trouble of having a custom program installed (which I doubt can be done), the only way is to hard wire it. Remove the PCM from the equation altogether.

 

thanks i guess I will work sumthing out. The strobes were professionally installed and have there own switch the correct way, we just add the cargo lamp strobes and figured we could use the cargo lamp switch, it worked until I used the keyless entry to unlock the doors and the strobes came on too. I will dig a little more and work sumthing out.

 

Well if it was professionally done & correctly done (they aren't always the same although they should be), then the whole thing should be a "no brainer". You disconnect the wires from the cargo lamp switch and insulate the ends and then take the wires from the separate switch installed for the strobes and connect them to the cargo light switch. If you want both functions, you can just swap connections - lengthen the wires if they're too short.