Sorry for the indescriptive title but Its hard to explain without going into detail:
I put some marker lights in my mudflaps today basically because I was bored and thought it would look cool. Turns out, it does! The only thing I dislike about it is they only come on when my markers/headlights are on and the wiring is funky on these new Rangers. There are 3 wires in my taillight: one black with a green stripe (pretty sure ground), grey (running lights as far as I can figure out), and purple (turn signals). I want it to light up with my brakes when I dont have my headlights on and I want them to light up with my running lights with headlights off. I know I cant do running lights and brake lights at the same time because its a single stage bulb (or whatever its called). But is it possible to make it light up with brakes with headlights off and light up with running lights? If not, how do I wire it into my brakes?

 

post a picture of them! im not a wire guru but it sounds like a really cool idea

 

you need 2 relays i think. wire one set to be powered with brake lights and one set to be powered with Park lights. the only thing i am unsure of is what will happen when you brake and your running lamps are on.

 

You could use a single pole double throw relay for that. When not energized the relay gives power to the lights via the brake and when energized it receives power from the park/running lamps.

Give me a few and I'll draw a mediocre diagram .

 

I knew there was something that could do it. Im not all up to date on electrical junk.

 

I'm about to fall asleep so I hope this is right. Someone should double check...lol

 

This graph looks good... now explain it lol. Im not much with graphs

 

Be a lot simpler and cheaper just to use diodes .
Take two 1N4004 diodes (rated at 1 amp-should be ok for a marker lamp) and twist the cathode ends together.Connect the twisted end to the lamp.
On the free ends of the diodes,connect one to the park lamp wire,connect the other diode to the brake.

 

You need a double filament Socket/Bulb or Brake/Running LIght LED Bulb.
Then the wiring is easier but if you have the directionals and the brakes on the same filament in the OEM Tail Lights then that's what you will get from the flap lights.

OR you can do this… double filament bulb.
One wire for the running lights, you can get it from the Tail Lights (wire color unknown).
One wire from the brake light sw under the dash near the brake pedal (usually); test out the sw for the sw’d or load side and run a wire from there to the brake portion of the flap lights, no directionals this way.

 

With no power going to the first relay (one on the left) 87a is connected to pin 30 allowing current to pass through. So when the brakes are applied current from the brake signal goes to pin 87a and out pin 30 to pin 86 of the other relay (right). This activates the relay (coil inside energizes, producing magnetic field, pulls switching element (thing with arrow) to pin 87. So now pin 87 is connected to pin 30, which allows current to pass through the relay, coming from the battery (through the fuse, squiggly line), out the relay and to your lights which are grounded.

For the parking lamps part or turn signals (I think yours are wired using just one wire). When the parking lamps are on, current flows to pin 86 of the first relay (left) and energizes the coil, causing pin 30 to be connected to pin 87. Now the park lamps act like the brake signal to the second relay.

This may be a better way, it really depends on the wattage of the bulbs he is using. I just like using relays because I don't want to have too much current flowing through stock wires. That and he will have around 1 volt less output at the markers than the rest of the lights due to the voltage drop of the diodes.

Dual filament bulbs would probably be a good idea like Scrambler said.