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Thread: Take my DRLs, please!! (or help me out)

  1. #1
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    Take my DRLs, please!! (or help me out)

    Ford, in all it's infinite wisdom decided not to provide the owner with a way to turn the Day Time Running Lights (DRLs) off, for any reason. If parked with the engine on (emergency brake on too), the lights are still on.
    Note to Ford: Other cars I've owned (including a Mercury Cougar) had this ability
    While those south of the border probably don't suffer from this problem, fellow Canuck owners will share my pain. This is extremely annoying, when you need the engine on, but don't feel like drawing attention to yourself - like at a drive-in movie, or quietly parked with company
    Luckily enough, Ford has kept it pretty simple, for years - probably because there is a Canadian-only requirement for DRLs. I'm halfway to where I want to be - I can fully enable, or disable them, by simply pulling one connection...
    Stick your head under the car, and look directly up, through the gap under the radiator. On the driver's side, you'll see this:
    Pull th plug out, and you're done:
    From this:
    To this, in 30 seconds:
    I think the parking lights fogs at dusk make the Marauder look a lot more "menacing" - a look that befits it!
    Now here's where I need some help... I'd really like to wire a toggle switch to the cockpit, so that I don't have to dig under the car and get dirty, every time I want to go stealth.
    Does anyone have any ideas, as to which wire is which? There's have a dozen wires going into the plug and I don't have access to schematics, to figure out which is which. I may be doing something bad, and not even know it
    <!-- #EndEditable -->
    2001 Silver SVT Lightning - 2011 Blue Flame F150 FX4 Supercrew Ecoboost

    SOLD 2003 Marauder (300A)

  2. #2
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    Put a meter on each wire in that harness plug. Find the ground, and splice a switch in between it. Run it (the new wires and switch) to an easily reachable place under the dash.

    The only trick is getting through the firewall....and it's only a trick if you have never tried it before.
    2017 Niro

  3. #3
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    I don't think a single wire will do it, each headlamp requires an individual hot wire and ground. You would need in my opinion a single pull double throw switch (SPDT)
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  4. #4
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    Red/Blk (1) - Lo Beam In
    Dk Blu/Org (2) - Bat Pwr
    Vio/Org (3) - Ign (Run)
    Blk (4) - Ground
    Lt Grn/Blk (5) - Hi Beam In
    (6)

    DRL harness codes..

    Does this match the description of your DRL module?

  5. #5
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    I suggest switching it through a relay. Just to keep the current through the device more consistent to as it was designed.

    Feel free to PM me if you need more detail.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by CRUZTAKER
    Put a meter on each wire in that harness plug. Find the ground, and splice a switch in between it. Run it (the new wires and switch) to an easily reachable place under the dash.

    The only trick is getting through the firewall....and it's only a trick if you have never tried it before.
    More of a trick is getting a 4 gauge wire through the firewall for the amp in the trunk

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shaft333
    Red/Blk (1) - Lo Beam In
    Dk Blu/Org (2) - Bat Pwr
    Vio/Org (3) - Ign (Run)
    Blk (4) - Ground
    Lt Grn/Blk (5) - Hi Beam In
    (6)

    DRL harness codes..

    Does this match the description of your DRL module?
    Wow - quick response! That sounds like it! The numbers match up, if you look at the plug, like this:

    -clip-
    1-2-3
    4-5-6


    Quote Originally Posted by Shaft333
    I suggest switching it through a relay. Just to keep the current through the device more consistent to as it was designed.

    Feel free to PM me if you need more detail.
    I'm not very electronically inclined... Can you guide me through what to do, to have a basic toggle switch working? I can figure out where to put the switch later, just looking for a little

    I know I searched for this before, and I think a few other Canadian members were trying to do this, at one point, or another. By posting here, maybe they can benefit, too...

    Thanks in advance
    2001 Silver SVT Lightning - 2011 Blue Flame F150 FX4 Supercrew Ecoboost

    SOLD 2003 Marauder (300A)

  8. #8
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    Shaft333 may be partly right, a relay might be needed. But it is possible these wires are running the DRL relay(s?) in which case an extra relay won't be needed.

    Just look at the guage of the wires. A relay is used to let a low current switch operate a high current circuit. So if they are 14 guage wires they are probably running the DRL relay(s?). If the ground wire is a thick 10 guage wire you'd better use a relay.

    Most relays have a schematic of their circuitry printed on them and are pretty simple. There's a "powered on" circuit, an "unpowered on" circuit and the control circuit.

    In this case cut and run the DRL ground wire through the relays' "unpowered on" terminals, then run a fused wire from battery+ to a control circuit terminal and then a ground wire for that circuit to your switch location. A short wire from the switch to the nearest ground (chassis, body) and you're all set. The switch brings the control circuit to ground and turns on the relay, which in this application breaks the circuit for the DRL ground. Same as unplugging it.

  9. #9
    Im just guessing here, I dont know much about MMs but on HD F150s there is a dedicated fuse for DRLs only, could you find the output wire and put a switch in it?
    Im probably way off base here but trying to help.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by David Morton
    Shaft333 may be partly right, a relay might be needed. But it is possible these wires are running the DRL relay(s?) in which case an extra relay won't be needed.

    Just look at the guage of the wires. A relay is used to let a low current switch operate a high current circuit. So if they are 14 guage wires they are probably running the DRL relay(s?). If the ground wire is a thick 10 guage wire you'd better use a relay.

    Most relays have a schematic of their circuitry printed on them and are pretty simple. There's a "powered on" circuit, an "unpowered on" circuit and the control circuit.

    In this case cut and run the DRL ground wire through the relays' "unpowered on" terminals, then run a fused wire from battery+ to a control circuit terminal and then a ground wire for that circuit to your switch location. A short wire from the switch to the nearest ground (chassis, body) and you're all set. The switch brings the control circuit to ground and turns on the relay, which in this application breaks the circuit for the DRL ground. Same as unplugging it.
    The ground wire and all the other wires, for that matter, are nowhere near that thick - 14ga, at most. So, are you saying that all I need, is to just run an inline switch to the ground?

    I'd like to do this as easy as possible, but don't like playing with electrical stuff - out of my element if it's not running to an amp, or speakers...



    TX Harley - I'm pretty sure there's more than just the DRL's on the fuse. I think the fogs are also there, to.
    2001 Silver SVT Lightning - 2011 Blue Flame F150 FX4 Supercrew Ecoboost

    SOLD 2003 Marauder (300A)

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by QWK SVT
    The ground wire and all the other wires, for that matter, are nowhere near that thick - 14ga, at most. So, are you saying that all I need, is to just run an inline switch to the ground?
    You'll probably be alright there. You can run two wires to your switch location and use it to toggle your ground, or you can find out which end is grounded and run the other wire alone to the switch and get another ground there with a shorter wire.

    On this set-up, default will be "no DRLs" and the switch will have "power through" for the DRL mode. On the one I described that uses a relay, default is DRL and the switch is powered only when DRLs are off.

  12. #12
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    My schematic shows nothing else on the fuse. It'a 20A located in the battery junction box - Fuse 11. Goes straight to the DRL (Bat Pwr).
    And the power distribution diagram only indicates that the DRL is connected to said fuse.

    Either way... switching this thing on and off would be a breeze.

    Is this connector already wired in the American market MM's? Is adding DRL only a matter of buying the module and plugging it in?

  13. #13
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    Lights

    Don't know about ele. stuff, but could'nt you swithch out a U.S. headlight switch with a CA. one -- I can turn my light off at will with the switch. Good luck with it.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by 04funmerc
    Don't know about ele. stuff, but could'nt you swithch out a U.S. headlight switch with a CA. one -- I can turn my light off at will with the switch. Good luck with it.
    The switches appear to be the same.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shaft333
    My schematic shows nothing else on the fuse. It'a 20A located in the battery junction box - Fuse 11. Goes straight to the DRL (Bat Pwr).
    And the power distribution diagram only indicates that the DRL is connected to said fuse.

    Either way... switching this thing on and off would be a breeze.

    Is this connector already wired in the American market MM's? Is adding DRL only a matter of buying the module and plugging it in?
    I think it's pretty well ready to go, but one of the supporting vendors can probably answer for sure...

    I assume that the Marauder is the same as an f150. there's both a relay block (hiding under the dash) and then this module. I know of US Lightnings that bought the parts for about $80, and were able to just plug them in, and go...

    Quote Originally Posted by 04funmerc
    Don't know about ele. stuff, but could'nt you swithch out a U.S. headlight switch with a CA. one -- I can turn my light off at will with the switch. Good luck with it.
    It's not the switch - US / Canadian switches are the exact same. It's this module that does all the work. All 'cause we have a silly law up here... Every car manufactured after 1991 MUST have DRLs - for "our" protection
    2001 Silver SVT Lightning - 2011 Blue Flame F150 FX4 Supercrew Ecoboost

    SOLD 2003 Marauder (300A)

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