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Need Electrical Help

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Old 08-29-2010
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Need Electrical Help

I'm usually pretty good with electrical work, but this has got me stumped! I bought a set of KC Slimlites, got them all installed, and the work great with the KC switch, but I would like to hook them up to a second OEM foglight switch I have installed in my radio bezel. I tried to hook them up using the wiring pigtail colors I got from R-F, but they will not turn on. I tried 3 different OEM switches, including the one that I know works, in case the ones that I got at the JY are bad, but still no lights. Again, they work fine with the KC switch
What am i doing wrong here? Any electrical wizards have any ideas or suggestions?
Thanks in advance
MikeR
 
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Old 08-29-2010
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Are you using a relay to activate the ligths or wired straight form the switch?
Dumb question but are you using the stock wiring....if so, are the lights (not brights) on when trying them out?
 
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Old 08-29-2010
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Using the KC wiring harness complete. Ran the load and feed wires from relay into cab. Tapped into high beams-KCs are driving lights-per the instructions. Like I said--everything works fine with the switch from the kit-even the LED on the switch--it's just not working with the Ford switch. Any thoughts?
Thanks
MikeR
 
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Old 08-30-2010
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Anybody? Bueller? Bueller?
 
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Old 08-30-2010
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The factory foglamp switch works by switching the ground side of the relay but most aftermarket switches control the hot side. To use the factory switch and have the fogs, illumination and ON indicator work, it is possible to either copy the factory schematic or use this version.

 
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Old 08-30-2010
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^ what he said...
 
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Old 08-30-2010
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Thanks Bob-
I just PM'd you right before I saw your post.
MikeR
 
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Old 08-30-2010
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Ok-
Here is how the KC wiring harness is hooked-up:
Term 87 & 87a-Power out to lights
Term 85-Chassis ground
Term 30-fused to battery pos post
Term 86-load into cab for switch
There is also a wire that is the trigger wire tapped into the high beams that alson runs into the cab for the "supply" for the KC switch, and then there is a ground for the switch in the cab only.
So, it looks like I need to cut the connector off of the KC harness and rearrange the wiring, tap into the wires going out to the lights and run that into the cab(87,87a), with a fuse(?), Run ground (85) into cab, hook high beam trigger into 86 and I should be set?
Basically swap term 85 & 86? Which wires go to what on the pictail for the OE switch?
Thanks
MikeR
 
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Old 08-30-2010
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Originally Posted by VH5150
Basically swap term 85 & 86?
No.

The 4 switch connections:
  • pin 3 LB/BK from relay coil to switch contacts
  • pin 4 BK chassis ground
  • pin 5 LB/RD Night illumination power (Some years have RD/BK color code instead)
  • pin 6 TN/OR Hot from lamp power wire for "ON" LED

At the relay:
  • Pin 30: Fused battery power source for the KCs
  • Pin 87: Switched power out to KC's and branch to the ON indicator
  • Pin 87A: Not used
  • Pin 85: to LB/BK of switch
  • Pin 86: positive trigger

The "positive trigger" could be one of several depending on how the lights will be allowed to operate when the switch is on:
  • Always allowed: battery positive
  • Only when the key is on: switched battery voltage from ignition switch
  • Only when low beams are on: low beam hot
  • Only when high beams are on: high beam hot
  • Whenever low beam, high beam or parking lamps are on: parking lamp hot
 
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Old 08-30-2010
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Thanks a million for your help, Bob. Since pin 87a is used in the original pigtail(for one of the 2 lights), can I still utilize that as the second "out" rather than splicing the 2 light leads together? If it will still work, I'd rather go that route. I'm going to try to reuse the KC pigtail/connector 'cause it keeps things neater. Thanks again.
MikeR
 
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Old 08-30-2010
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Originally Posted by VH5150
Since pin 87a is used in the original pigtail(for one of the 2 lights), can I still utilize that as the second "out" rather than splicing the 2 light leads together?
No. Pin 87A is "normally closed" to 30 but pin 87 is "normally open" to 30. So, when the relay connects 87 to 30, it also disconnects 87A from 30 and vice versa.
 
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Old 08-31-2010
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Thanks again, Bob. I'll give this a try this weekend. Looks like I'm losing the KC pigtail (or maybe seeing if I can remove and rearrange the connectors) and going with some weathertite female crimp-on connectors.
MikeR
 

Last edited by VH5150; 08-31-2010 at 05:31 PM. Reason: Addition
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Old 01-16-2011
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bump
 
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Old 01-22-2011
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So how did it work out ?

Waiting for the story and pics… ?
 
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