'02 Dodge Ram wiring??

JTMcC

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I haven't ever triggered aux. lights off the headlights on this truck, but am trying to now.

The goal is to trigger my aux low beams off the existing lows. The headlights have 4 wires, 2 black, one white and one blue. All four wires show 12V all the time, lights on or off. So I'm thinking it's ground switched?

If so, anybody have a clue where to tap in to run run these aux lights only when the low beams are lit??

Thanks,
J
 

-Virgil-

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Probably ground switched and possibly even PWM. You report a strange wiring configuration. Are you sure you've found all the headlamp wires and only the headlamp wires (not turn signal, parking light, etc.)? Is this a '94-'02 style truck with the rectangular headlamp reflectors, or an '02+ style truck with the round headlamp reflectors?

It's not legal in many places (and not a good idea anywhere) to have auxiliary lamps that come on whenever the low beams are on and don't have their own switch.

Also, what kind of auxiliary low beams are you putting in? There haven't been many auxiliary low beam lamps offered over the years, and there are none presently on the market. Maybe you're putting in a set of actual low beams for auxiliary usage?
 

JTMcC

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'02 was the odd year, 1500 & 2500 were new body style but 3500 was old, so my 3500 is what most people consider the '94-'01 body style.

They have a switch, and if I don't figure this out soon they will be manually switched only. More accurately, I'm trying a set of Bosch Compact 100 clear fogs to help my feeble low beams. I did find a local parts house that sells Phillips Vision Plus 9004's so that should help the factory lamps a bit.

But the question remains, I have constant 12V power at every wire going into and out of the headlamps, so how do I hook up my relay to trigger off the low (or high) beam factory lamps. I'll try a couple things this morning and if they don't work just power the lights solely thru the switch.

Yes I'm sure I'm at the headlamp wiring, I can see the 4 wires coming off the back of the bulbs easily. Turn signal/park lamp harness is separate.
J
 

superjoe83

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the '94-01 trucks have notoriously bad head light switches that like to burn out and cause high resistance in the headlamp circuit, which could be part of your problem.
I made a relay harness for my '01, and just doing that made quite the difference, the factory harness is power switched, not ground switched, im not sure why you have 12v at all of the pins at the headlight? does this truck have DRL's?
 

-Virgil-

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Fog lamps don't really usefully supplement low beams, it only feels like they do. You're right, the headlamps you have are terrible. You'd be much better off swapping in a set of the "Sport" version of the headlamp for that truck. It uses two bulbs: an HB5 high/low beam plus an HB1 high beam. Harnesses and harness build-up packs are available to make them work right on trucks not originally equipped, while at the same time preserving the switches, which as superjoe83 mentions are notorious for burning to death in these trucks. You might throw an email to Dan Stern and ask about it.

(Note, be picky who and where you get your advice and parts from. Aftermarket headlamp units are junk, and it seems there are some vendors recommending/selling setups that don't operate these lamps correctly. The low beam filament of the HB1 bulb is supposed to go unused.)
 

JTMcC

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Fog lamps don't really usefully supplement low beams, it only feels like they do.


(Note, be picky who and where you get your advice and parts from.




The advise, that those lights are somewhat suitable to augment low beams, came from you, noting the hot spot other fogs don't have.
Plus I need additional up close light to both sides when manuvering in the dark on job sites. So if they don't add anything useful on lowbeam they will be aimed and certainly be used to (widely) light up the immediate area in tight places. Either way I can use them.

I've been aware of the Sport conversion for many years, but after pricing the complete set of components, you almost have enough to buy a set of JW Speakers. So not cost effective to my mind.

I recheaked again this morning, all 4 wires, on both LF lamps are continuously 12V. All headlites work as they should. So I'm not able to trigger the relay via the low beams without more work than I'm willing to do today. So a switch will have to do for now.

No, no daylight running lights.

J
 

-Virgil-

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The advise, that those lights are somewhat suitable to augment low beams, came from you, noting the hot spot other fogs don't have.

True enough, but that's a really tall task you're giving them; your headlamps are really bad.

I've been aware of the Sport conversion for many years, but after pricing the complete set of components, you almost have enough to buy a set of JW Speakers.

AFAIK, JW Speaker doesn't make headlamps to fit your truck.
 

JTMcC

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Anybody that makes a light that will go in a 5 3/4" or 7" bucket makes lights that will fit "my" truck : )

It'll be dark pretty soon, so I'll see what I get.

J
 

irsa76

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Hella do 5 3/4" round lights and the required mounting buckets which you can adapt to you truck. Not the most elegant solution but will yield the best results.
 

-Virgil-

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That's a good point about bucket-mounting. JW Speakers in buckets would be terrific.

The only Hella 5 3/4" round lamp unit worth seeking out is the H1 bi-focal low beam. The H1 high beam is OK, the H4 high/low is pathetic, and the regular parabolic H1 low beam is weak.
 

JTMcC

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That's a good point about bucket-mounting. JW Speakers in buckets would be terrific.

The only Hella 5 3/4" round lamp unit worth seeking out is the H1 bi-focal low beam. The H1 high beam is OK, the H4 high/low is pathetic, and the regular parabolic H1 low beam is weak.


Well I'm still deciding whether I'll keep this truck or sell it in the next year. If I keep it I'll go that JW Speaker route. The number of rocks that pepper the front of the truck are my only concern.
Maybe the bifocal lows and cibie highs, decisions, decisions as they say.

But I aimed the Bosch 100's and drove about 30 miles tonight and overall I'm very, very happy with them, they do what I wanted most, sling a lot of close up light at wide angles to the sides. That will save me a front tire per year while maneuvering sharply in darkness on congested construction sites littered with tire eating stuff. I just love that wide illumination. And, they will function as true fog lights on those times I need that.
They do help the poor low beams a bit but I'm thinking the Hella BiFocal is probably my ultimate solution there. But slow speed, off the highway, I'm pretty impressed with the wide band of coverage they give. And without blinding everybody working or driving in the area. If that wasn't a concern I'd of just mounted some cheap work/tractor lights aimed outward.
Happy, happy.

J
 

opposite locker

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Second the sport headlights. They really do turn the god-awful stock setup into "real" lights. New units are expensive, but keep an eye out and they can usually be found used for a fair price.
 

fangle

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I would love to find the sport lights for my 2002 Ram 2500, which is the older body style. Current dealer price is $250 per side. Best I have seen is $170 or so from some unknown www site. I have yet to find decent used parts, would love to find a source. I have considered buying the cheap eBay lights and then replacing just the headlight optics with OEM parts but I worry that the adjusters would be poorly made. Sources for the lights would be appreciated.
 

-Virgil-

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I don't understand what you mean by "replacing just the optics", but these headlamps are a bonded reflector/lens assembly. And yes, everything about the non-OEM headlamps is poorly made (optics, adjustors, lens material, bulb holders, everything). I find decent pricing at www.tascaparts.com for several makes of dealer-only parts, but there are others, too.
 

fangle

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Sorry, not explaining well is the risk when typing on a tiny phone keyboard where you limit your words. 8^)

Even using the site suggested I will be into a sport headlight swap at least $500 by the time I get the lights, wire, relays, etc. The headlight assembly is made of a frame/gasket, a headlight reflector and lens assembly, and a parking light lens and reflector assembly. My thought was to get the less expensive entire light and then swap out the headlight part for OEM parts. The headlight alone does not seem to hold the same value, so doing that would save around $200 based on my ebay hunting. I was afraid of just what you said, that the aftermarket frame itself would not be good.

Alternate solutions that don't involve selling a kidney are appreciated. When the weather warms I will try to get the factory headlight adjusters unstuck and make a relay harness. Bulbs are already updated based on info from this site.

Thanks.
 

Mr. Merk

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You'd be much better off swapping in a set of the "Sport" version of the headlamp for that truck. You might throw an email to Dan Stern and ask about it.

Done. My in-laws (also) have a '94 Ram 2500 that has very poor headlights. He works in the collision repair business so I'll leave the installation to him but I'll get the harness from Dan.
 

Msquare

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I had an 02 2500 with the standard, single bulb headlight system. It was horrible, my quad had better headlights! I upgraded to the Sport lights using a Daniel Stern sourced harness and don't bite my head off, Depo housings. They worked great! Just standard Sylvania bulbs and it was literally night and day.

Everyone says the Depo housings are horrible and I get that. I had a different experience, I used them in the Seattle area for over five years without a hitch, no leaks and no fogging
 

JTMcC

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As the original poster of this thread I can tell you what I ended up using (for now at least). I break at least one light per year via rocks/brush/animals/other stuff, so it's important to me to have readily available components.
D. Stern recommended a better option but it's much more expensive and seems to me much harder to find for replacement.
I have decent lights that are far from state of the art, cheap and easy to replace. Much better than the factory lighting.

Cibie H4's in 7" buckets & XtremeVision bulbs.
Two Hella 550's (because every NAPA store in every backwoods oil/gas town has them in stock, and that's where they get broke), I'm aware there are better lights to be had. Aimed wider than the highbeams for cattle & wildlife coming out of the ditches.
Two Bosch Compact 100 fogs for jobsite/yard use.

I'm in the dirt as much as I'm on paved roads.

On edit I'll add that these lights are wired completely independent of the factory light wiring with some good relays and switches, the factory headlights are just there, but not used anymore.
 
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Mr. Merk

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I upgraded to the Sport lights using a Daniel Stern sourced harness and don't bite my head off, Depo housings.

Everyone says the Depo housings are horrible and I get that.

I recently corresponded with Stern and he stated the DEPOs are the best option currently available.

This is the next project on our list of improving the safety of our parents' vehicles.
 

-Virgil-

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There is no head-biting to be done here; the Chrysler lamp units are almost certainly no longer available. Quality can really be all over the map with the aftermarket lights. I've seen some Depo lights that were of fairly good quality (as aftermarket lights go...) and some of the exact same Depo item that were obviously not acceptable. You can kind of insulate yourself, at least a little, against that kind of sloppy QC by buying from a reputable US company that at least tries to keep watch on the quality of the parts they outsource. In this case that would mean Dorman (Left, and Right).
 
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