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Headlight wiring question

83K views 19 replies 9 participants last post by  Moparite 
#1 · (Edited)
Heres my problem? Maybe its right, but doesnt coincide with wiring diagrams

Wiring diagram reads:

Headlights Switched OFF:
wire 1. Red/Org - High Beam
wire 2. Vio/Wht - Low Beam
wire 3. Blk - Ground

Here is what I have:

Headlights Switched OFF:
1. Red/Org - High Beam - 12v
2. Vio/Wht - Low Beam - 12v
3. Drivers side - Violet 12v
Pass side - Purple 12v

Headlights Switched ON (LOW beam):
1. Red/Org - High Beam - no power
2. Vio/Wht - Low Beam - 12v
3. Drivers side - Violet 12v
Pass side - Purple 12v

Headlights Switched ON (HIGH beam):
1. Red/Org - High Beam - 12v
2. Vio/Wht - Low Beam - no power
3. Drivers side - Violet 12v
Pass side - Purple 12v

ALL my lights work as they should, but Im trying to wire in plow lights and the three wires shouldn't have power when switch is off, should they?
 
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#3 ·
im very newbie to wiring diagrams and i have very specific ones.... Prob im having is how is the "ground" wire have 12v always along with both high and low when switch is off and yet they are off ... seem like with all three wires powered with switch off that the lights would be on low and high but they are not...


any ideas as to why i have power through ground? how? where to start looking?
 
#5 ·
i dont have blk the "third" wire (one that should be blk is violoet-12v always on d.s. and purple-12v always on p.s. but to answer your question with system as i found it all six wires(three each) have power with switch off but the lights are NOT on. if i unplug the lights then only the "ground" (blk on dig. purple and violet on truck) has 12v the high and low become dead
 
#8 ·
I think I have this figured out. Either your truck isn't a '99 but rather a '00 or they used the '00 setup in a late '99 build configuration. The newer switch is esentially backward from the old style. The older style sent power through the switch to the headlights and then to the ground. The newer style sends a batteery feed to the lamps, from the lamps to the switch and then the switch controls the ground. This is why all 3 wires are hot with the switch off.

 
#9 ·
I just checked out truck..... title states 99, label under hood says 99 and sticker in cab says manuf. date of 3/99.... but what you are saying make sense if they changed it in 2000. Because i simply couldnt understand why all 3 wires on each light has power but lights are not illuminated and its not affecting them in any way as blowing a fuse, causing grounding issues, etc..

strange though.... guess now i need to just run a three way toggle for my plow lights if that even exist at advance auto or im running 2 more toggles 1 for low and 1 for high
 
#11 ·
i have a 99 ram with the 9004 bulb system. and im having a hell of
a time tryin to figure this out. I baught a set of lights that use the H1
bulb. well, the high beam is an H1 and the projector HID is a low beam.
I thought it was plug and play, not so much. now my highbeam indicator
will not go off even though i switch from high and low, and both high and
low beam bulbs remain on. how can i fix this issue?
I need help, im a bout to lose my mind-- up in here---- up in here!!!
 
#15 ·
"I have a similar problem with my dodge ram 2001 v6"....
For generally dim lights, one thing to check is the reflector surface in side the headlight. The aluminum "chrome" is very thin and wears or oxidizes away and the black starts to show through. Nothing to be done but buy new ones.
 
#18 ·
So tonight I replaced the headlight switch because when I would just touch the switch the passenger light would flicker. It still does it.
I also disconnected the fog lights . somebody replaced them with ones that have an extra box on each light. One of the wires is to rotted off, so I just wanted to take them out of the equation.
Still the lights act the same.
One other thing. When you switch from low to high, the right side acts correctly , both high and low lights go on when pulled, and switch when released. Left side just switches. Does not have both lights on when switch is pulled.
 
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