2003 - 2006 FTDRL and All-On-High

[WesTexAVY]

(COOL! MY THREAD GOT STICKIED!)   

Congrats on that 

[Gottfried364]

vertabatt- You are the man!!!  I just finished my install and could not wait to take it for a test drive.
Thanks for the great instructions, they were flawless.

[Txwayno]

I was just sharing this Mod with a Dodge boy.  He just looked at me and asked, why? 
PFFFT!  Some guys just don't get it.

[willsav]

Vertabatt-Thanks for the awesome instructions. I have been wanting to do this mod but was afraid to try it. Works like a charm. 

[Chucker]

Planning on doing all-4's this weekend, (if the rain ever stops, GOD LOVE NEW ENGLSND!!).  Was just wondering if this is the type of thing that voids a warranty of if the dealer would have heart failure if they saw it??


Love the site, can't stop checking

[vertabatt]

You should have no problems with waranty issues as long as GM doesn't know!   

if you go in for service and think they will be poking around your under hood fuse box you can just take the diodes out...  takes all of 2 mins to take em out and reinstalling them is real quick after you have done it before!

Again, this shouldn't cause any problems in your truck for any reason, you probably don't want your GM techs to see it because it may give them an excuse to say your work won't be covered under warranty.

Good luck with the install Chucker!

Planning on doing all-4's this weekend, (if the rain ever stops, GOD LOVE NEW ENGLSND!!).  Was just wondering if this is the type of thing that voids a warranty of if the dealer would have heart failure if they saw it??


Love the site, can't stop checking

[Chucker]

Sooooooo...

Did the all-fours yesterday.  Got the wife to read off the directions while I did the install.  A friend popped over while I was in the middle of the mod.  Both of them sat and made fun of me while I was finishing it up.  Sometimes people just don't understand.....

What are the odds of this mod blowing a fuse or something of the sort later on down the road??  Just curious as I appear to worry about everything...

Will have pick of "proof" later.

Thanx for the great instructions.

Chucker

[mdmfl]

FWIW,

I did the Mod (all 4 diodes) just as described except I routed the Diodes a little differently and didn't need to bother with the shrink tube.  I will attempt to attach a photo here for all to see.  The advantages in my mind are:

First, it's easier w/o shrink tube; (Although it takes a few extra minutes to make the bends in the leads - a small pair of needlenose pliers comes in handy)

Second, it takes up less room under the relays and in the sockets;

Third, this routing doesn't allow the diodes to touch each other in any meaningful way.  And while I'm certainly no electrician or electrical engineer, I don't think it matters if the anode side of the diodes (the lead AWAY from the diode's black band) touch anyway (at least for diodes 1-3).  Correct me if I'm wrong, but since a diode passes current in only one direction, the only possibility to get strange results would be to cross the Anode side of one diode with the Cathode side of another (the lead NEAR the black band).  Diodes 1-3 are all touching each other in the HI #85 terminal.  Besides, you want all of diodes 1, 2 and 3 energized at the same time (that is when HI beams are activated, current is passing to the LO, DRL, and Fog at the same time).  Crossing up diode 4 with the others may also create strange results.  In any event, the routing in the attached picture has been working for me without shrink tubing;

Fourth, you don't have to worry about figuing out which side of the diode is which after shrink tubing.

I still suggest going the shrink wrap route if you have qualms or don't care to bend the little diodes as I've done.  It would have helped to have a wife, girlfriend or anyone with smaller fingers to help with some of this minuscule work!

Oh, BTW, I also did the amber mod as so many people have done, however I bought the 3357 type bulb.  At the time of purchase, my rationale was that the Sylvania 3157 looked to be more yellow than the orange bulbs in the signal lamps while 3357 glass more closely resembled the signal bulbs - I wanted them to match.  What I came to find out is that the 3357s are 30 watt bulbs vs. the 24 watts of 3157s (there is a post in another thread on this topic).  The DRLs are now brighter (hence yellower) than the signal bulbs.  I'm still not sure I like the brighter bulb, but alas, I have not yet tried the 3157 replacement.

What I am still confused about is why the DRL bulbs would need two filaments?  Is only the big filament used?  Are they just so bright that I can't tell both are burning?  Is there ever a circumstance where either one or the other is used?  For now I conclude that it's just for ease of maintenance and/or interchangeability with the signal bulbs and that the smaller filament is just never lit.

Again, I'll attempt to attach a picture here.

Now that I have the ambers on my dark Metallic  '04  Z-71 WBH perhaps you can honk at me if you're in the Pompano Beach/Deerfield Beach area of Florida!  Feel free to say hi!  javascript:replaceText(' ', document.postmodify.message);
Wave

I am a newbie and have been intently studying these boards.  So much great info!  And thanks for these instructions Vertabatt - works like a charm!


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chevy

[mdmfl]

UPDATE to the previous post...

It just crossed my mind that without the shrink tube, it would be possible to have a diode lead accidentally touch another of the relay's terminals under the relay itself.  That scenario seems like it might be BAD.  Therefore, I'd continue to rely on the shrink tube method unless you are careful about the diode lead routing UNDER the relays themselves.  Hope no one fries their electrical system by this means!

Nonetheless, mine is fine to date....

[vertabatt]

Nice job mdmfl!  Yes, the shrink wrap does make a nicer finish and keeps away any unwanted contact.  I originally installed my diodes as you show; it worked fine until I hit a bump in the road and it moved my diodes a bit. I can't even decribe the wierd things my lights were doing LOL

Shouldn't fry anything, but its just easier to do 30 seconds of more work for a more permanent product that won't cause any headaches.

Oh yeah,  to the club!

UPDATE to the previous post...

It just crossed my mind that without the shrink tube, it would be possible to have a diode lead accidentally touch another of the relay's terminals under the relay itself.  That scenario seems like it might be BAD.  Therefore, I'd continue to rely on the shrink tube method unless you are careful about the diode lead routing UNDER the relays themselves.  Hope no one fries their electrical system by this means!

Nonetheless, mine is fine to date....

[Dune]

good job!

[mdmfl]

Thanks again Vertabatt and Dune  -  I'm glad to be a part of the club now!

Yeah, I agree that any contact with incorrect relay terminals probably won't actually do much damage.  Perhaps at most a blown diode, fuse or maybe relay.  But anyway, the instructions were phenomenal and I'm sure very helpful to many others besides me.

Well, I think I'm off to some of the other threads so I can keep on modding.  Likely next up is a new bowtie and billet grille.  I'm also going to consider a couple of the subtle Av decals some guys are selling on Ebay.  I may do the bed mounted cargo light switch.  Also considering the bed tent - it may come in handy if I have to live out of it when the house blows away during the next hurricane!

[rony_espana]

So I read this entire post, and seeing how I'm in Canada, we already have the FTDRL's.  I just want to do the all-on-high mod, so just to be sure all I have to do is install 1 diode?  Diode #2 and thats it?  Just seems to easy, maybe it is, but I want to make sure before doing all that hard work. 

[vertabatt]

So I read this entire post, and seeing how I'm in Canada, we already have the FTDRL's.  I just want to do the all-on-high mod, so just to be sure all I have to do is install 1 diode?  Diode #2 and thats it?  Just seems to easy, maybe it is, but I want to make sure before doing all that hard work. 

Yep, that's it! I didn't know canadians had FTDRLs out of the box! 

Good luck!

[DougD]

So I read this entire post, and seeing how I'm in Canada, we already have the FTDRL's. I just want to do the all-on-high mod, so just to be sure all I have to do is install 1 diode? Diode #2 and thats it? Just seems to easy, maybe it is, but I want to make sure before doing all that hard work.

Are you sure you have FTDRL?  Full-time in this case leaves the DRL on when the headlights are on, I thought the Canadian flavor still turned them off.

[rony_espana]

Currently my DRLs turn off when I turn on my headlights, but thats OK, I don't mind that.  But when I'm out of the city I want all the lights on so this mod would be nice. 

In Canada I think its illegal to not have FTDRLs on your car.  I know all of my cars have had it so far, something to do with lack of visibility in the snow I think....

[vertabatt]

Currently my DRLs turn off when I turn on my headlights, but thats OK, I don't mind that.  But when I'm out of the city I want all the lights on so this mod would be nice. 

In Canada I think its illegal to not have FTDRLs on your car.  I know all of my cars have had it so far, something to do with lack of visibility in the snow I think....

This is not FTDRL....  FTDRL will stay on at ALL times (headlights on or off).  This is what is meant by FTDRLs in this thread.  So I guess the canadian lights are indeed the same.

Just follow all the above directions to achieve FTDRLs and All-On-High.

[DougD]

Currently my DRLs turn off when I turn on my headlights, but thats OK, I don't mind that. But when I'm out of the city I want all the lights on so this mod would be nice.

You don't have FTDRLs then, when the lights come on and the DRLs go off, there isn't "full time" happening

Do the diode and you will have them.

[offspringkid96]

i would do this mod, but i dont think it would look too great with 4 different color lights shining    lol (purple-ish HID lows, hyperwhite highs, amber drl's, white fogs)

[JROCK]

I didn;t read all of this post i m to lazy but does this mean all lights are on at all times is that legal what if u want all lights on all the time only some of the time?

[vertabatt]

I didn;t read all of this post i m to lazy but does this mean all lights are on at all times is that legal what if u want all lights on all the time only some of the time?

This does NOT mean all lights at all times.  These instructions will give you: 
•DRLs on at all times (lights on or off)
•Low beams on as they normally function (by coming on in auto or manually)
•Low beams stay on when highs are engaged (normally lows disengage when highs are engaged)
•Fogs engage when highs are engaged (normally you cannot turn fogs on when highs are engaged)

All other lighting will perform as you have it now.

I posted this before as well:

You may not want all of these lighting mods so here is a key to get what you specifically want:

Fogs-On-Hi ONLY: install diode 1

All-4-On-Hi ONLY: install diode 2

FTDRLs ONLY: install diodes 3 and 4

You can do each of these individually to get a combination that you want!

Good luck!!!

Not sure about the legality of this mod, but no one will ever notice unless they are real sharp about the operation of the Av's headlights.  No one has ever been busted for this mod that I know of... and really, no one should bother you about it.

You really should just read the first page of this post to understand it. lazy-azz!   

[angshan]

just did mine! this is a very easy and cheap mod. thanks for the info!!!

[vertabatt]

just did mine! this is a very easy and cheap mod. thanks for the info!!!

No prob!  Looking great!!!

[cbuck]

  Hey vertabatt!

Many thanks!  Just did the FTDRLs and all 4 on hi, threw in amber DRL bulbs while I was at it.  Your directions made it easy!  Very cheap & way cool mod!

Props to all AV owners who share their experiences.  The mod bug has bitten me bad b/c of you!

[vertabatt]

Hey vertabatt!

Many thanks!  Just did the FTDRLs and all 4 on hi, threw in amber DRL bulbs while I was at it.  Your directions made it easy!  Very cheap & way cool mod!

Props to all AV owners who share their experiences.  The mod bug has bitten me bad b/c of you!

Awesome!  Keep on moddin!