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Technical => Electrical Tech => Topic started by: vinnietbird on June 09, 2007, 04:54:05 PM

Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: vinnietbird on June 09, 2007, 04:54:05 PM
I saw somewhere a while back where someone had gave the wiring info to hook up the front fender lights to the signal lights for an alternating signal light effect.I want to do this until I get the energy to install the harness and all to have the side lights work as Ford intended them to.
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: 88sportcoupe on June 09, 2007, 07:32:23 PM
I think this (http://"http://www.foxtbirdcougarforums.com/showthread.php?t=13524") is the thread you are looking for vinnie.
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: Thunder Chicken on June 09, 2007, 08:56:59 PM
One caveat: That trick ONLY works if you have "194" peanut bulb side markers. 87-88 Birds have large 1157 or 2057-style bulbs. The trick will not work with those.

Now, for how it works - this should explain why trying it with an 1157 will not work:

The alternating turn signal scheme relies on the 194 peanut bulb seeking its ground through the 1157 turn lamp element. Since the 1157 is so much smaller than the 1157 it lights up nearly full brightness. The 1157 element is carrying some current too, but not enough to light it up (the current in a series circuit is limited to what the lowest draw component will carry - in this case the 194 bulb, which is not enough to light up the 1157).

When you turn on a signal light the 1157 no longer has a path to ground - it essentially has two hot wires instead of a hot and ground. It goes out. When the turn signal bulb goes out the path to ground is restored so the light comes on. The process is repeated every time the bulb flashes, which provides the alternating effect.

The problem you'll run into trying this with 1157 side marker bulbs is that the side marker light will now allow enough current to light up both the turn signal and the side marker, but both will be at half brightness. When you turn the signal light on the lights will still alternate, but they will go from both being at half brightness to one being full brightness to both being half, and sic ad nauseum.
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: vinnietbird on June 10, 2007, 12:36:36 AM
I have the larger bulbs.Looks like I may be changing harnesses sooner than I had hoped.
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: 32VFoxBird on June 10, 2007, 01:22:18 AM
looking at my harness, there is a 2-wire plug that plugs into the dash harness. the wires are: purple w/yellow stripe, and brown w/ white stripe. purple goes to driv side light, and brown goes to pass side. both lights share a common ground.
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: ipsd on June 10, 2007, 01:25:58 AM
I think all of those side turn indicator lights take a 1156 bulb witch is a single element version of the 1157. So is there a way to and a resistor to one of the same sized bulbs to make the alternating flashing work with 2 of the same style bulbs?  Also would it look weird with the Side light flashing not the Corner light?  Or is there a way to work up all  3 of the lights and make them flash alteranting? Without getting into things that I can't make.
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: CougarSE on June 10, 2007, 02:30:43 AM
its simple to hook up cornering lamps.
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: jcassity on June 10, 2007, 02:41:43 AM
Quote from: CougarSE;153087
its simple to hook up cornering lamps.


ur so bad ass you could eat a rubics cube and shiznit it out solved::shakeass:
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: vinnietbird on June 10, 2007, 09:15:16 AM
Do I need to pull the dash to hook up the cornering lamps?Swapping the harness under the hood is fine,pulling the dash is what makes me want to wait.I've pulled the dash before,and the console,I just didn't want to get into that right now.
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: Thunder Chicken on June 10, 2007, 09:21:18 AM
Quote from: ipsd;153080
I think all of those side turn indicator lights take a 1156 bulb witch is a single element version of the 1157. So is there a way to and a resistor to one of the same sized bulbs to make the alternating flashing work with 2 of the same style bulbs?  Also would it look weird with the Side light flashing not the Corner light?  Or is there a way to work up all  3 of the lights and make them flash alternating? Without getting into things that I can't make.

The 83-86 models had a 194 bulb. The 87-88 models have an 1157. The 1156 is a "bright" bulb, used only for turn signal and backup light applications. It's too bright for park lights.

Wait... are you talking about the cornering lamps mounted in the front trim on the fender? Those would be 1156's and should not be flashed - they are there to help you see when cornering and are not meant to act as an indicator for other traffic. The light we're talking about (or, at least the light I think we're talking about) is the corner light, up next to the headlight.

Making the 1157 corner light (or even the 1156 cornering lamp) alternate should be no harder than using a relay to power up the bulb and making the relay ground through the turn signal bulb element, same as the 194 trick. Doing so would be more work than installing the proper harness though...
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: vinnietbird on June 10, 2007, 09:29:44 AM
I'm talking about the fender lights.I have the lights,harnesses,and have cut the holes in the fenders (Did a great job as well I must say),and now I need to know how to make them functional.I'm unsure of how to hook them up to make them work as they should.
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: ipsd on June 10, 2007, 10:27:33 AM
I kinda thought that you were talking about the lights that are in the fender. I would think that they just get there signal from the turn signal switch before it goes to the Flasher in the fuse box. Hopefully someone else that really knows will chime in.
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: 32VFoxBird on June 10, 2007, 10:53:11 AM
check to see if you have a grey 2 pin plug next to the headlight harness plug. its about 1" from the fusible links for the alternator.
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: vinnietbird on June 10, 2007, 11:42:48 AM
I don't see one.I have a small grey plug and a small black plug that look like a spade clip goes in them.They are not being used.My parts car has this 2 pr0ng plug,but,That's a lot of harness to replace ,which,I don't want to do.I was wondering if the orange turn signal bulbs (like the signals next to the headlight) would work in the cornering lights.Any ideas ?????
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: 32VFoxBird on June 10, 2007, 11:59:44 AM
the 2 spade clip connectors are for the horns. i couldnt see Ford making another harness just for those lights. it might be taped up under the wire loom. can you snap a pic of the harness currently installed under the battery tray?
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: vinnietbird on June 10, 2007, 12:03:39 PM
Those others are for horns?My horns are hooked up and working.Strange.I'll go check the harness and see if I can ghet a pic.
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: vinnietbird on June 10, 2007, 05:42:36 PM
O.K.,I DO have the plug there under the hood.I swapped the harness and two round relays under the dash,plugged everything in under the hood,and the cornering lights didn't work.I worked at it for quite some time,then,went back to stock,no cornering light.I did graft in a light socket to each of the signal lights and bolted up the corner lights,and then,plugged in the bulbs.Now they blink on the fender and the corner.That's fine with me.The lights do blink faster now.What can be done to slow them back down?I'm sure the signal relay on the fuse panel may need to be changed.Throw your ideas at me.
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: 32VFoxBird on June 10, 2007, 05:55:57 PM
if the plug was there, then why did you switch harness'?
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: vinnietbird on June 10, 2007, 06:00:57 PM
The harness that came with the car (light harness with the plugs) was built without cornering lights.The other harness was made for the cornering lights.I was installing the harness with the plugs made for the cornering light.I couldn't get it to work.I had the small harness that plugged in under the dash that had the two relays on it.I don't know where I went wrong hooking it all up.
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: Thunder Chicken on June 10, 2007, 08:50:23 PM
The cornering lamp system uses a relay for each side. You cannot tap into the turn signal switch before the flasher - the power goes from the fuse panel to the switch, then out to the lights (it has to do this - if it went to the switch first you'd need a seperate flasher for each side).
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: vinnietbird on June 10, 2007, 10:54:16 PM
With the plugs for the cornering lamps "Tapped" into the signal lights,it's working fine,just blinking faster.I tried to hook up the cornering lights as they should be,but to no avail.I may try again someday to hook them, up when I learn more about it.I kept everything just in case.
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: vinnietbird on June 10, 2007, 11:27:01 PM
By the way,I should've asked this before,but,other than the small harness and connected relays inside the car,and the cornering lamp harness under the hood,what else is needed?
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: Thunder Chicken on June 11, 2007, 09:38:09 AM
I've never really looked into it as I've never had fenders with the cutouts for them. If I get a chance I might try to look it up for you, but the next few days are looking very busy, so don't hold your breath ;) Claude might be able to "shiznit it out solved", as it were, for you :hick: To slow down the flashing install an electronic heavy duty "trailering" flasher such as a Tridon HD12
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: vinnietbird on June 11, 2007, 09:48:29 AM
I'll grab one of those flashers today,thanks.I cut the holes in my fenders Saturday.I drew the pattern with a Sharpie marker,drilled a hole at each corner of the hole,and cut it out with my Dremmel and a few cutoff wheels.Took about 5 minutes on each side.I finished it up by smoothing it all out with a sanding drum.Looks factory.Everything bolted together as it should.Now,if only the wiring would work.
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: ipsd on June 12, 2007, 05:19:31 PM
Hey Vinnie I found a  load of diagrams if you want to look at them. Maybe you could figure it out. Look here for the info
http://www.foxthundercats.com/tech/wiringdiagrams.htm
I know the ones I DL'ed the numbered ends match right up allowing me to tape them togeher and find out what goes to what. Hope this helps
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: CougarSE on June 12, 2007, 05:50:58 PM
Ok this ends here.  Here is your shiznitty rubiks cube.

Behind the radio there is a connector.  Its on all dash harnesses, all six or seven different styles.  There is a little section of harness that plugs into it about two feet long.  It has 2 turn signal flashers plugged into the other end.  They are three pr0ng flashers not the two pr0ng ones in the fuse block for the turn signals.  Plug that in and the correct headlight harness... have fun.

Next time hold your hands out.
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: vinnietbird on June 12, 2007, 09:13:31 PM
Do I hear a "tone"?Thanks for the info.
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: vinnietbird on June 12, 2007, 09:14:10 PM
I'll try again this weekend.
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: CougarSE on June 12, 2007, 11:18:18 PM
Oh not at you vinnie :)
Title: How to wire side indicator lights...
Post by: vinnietbird on June 13, 2007, 05:17:43 PM
Thanks for that follow up.I didn't know if I should be sad or not.LOL.I'll let you know how it turns out.