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How to: 2007/2008 Full Time Daytime Running Lights (FT DRL)

AVCop-  Sent you my address in a pm.  Thanks so much.  I really apprectiate it.

Tango-  that's what I want:  a way to turn off all lights.  I will have my dad look into it.  He's the man for wiring and lights.
 
Just curious, and not sure about other A/V's cause I walked in and drove out with he one I test drove, but my A/V is the 07 LTZ with the "auto on" lights position on the switch.   Will this mod work if I leave the switch in the Auto position, or do I need to move it to the lights on position each time i get in the truck?  Also, it appears from the picture that the stripe on the diode is toward the small 15 amp fuse.   Is that correct?

Thanks,
Don
 
It should work w/your light switch in the "Auto" position. That's where I keep mine. And you are correct on the diode direction. Stripe goes towards your drl fuse.
 
thanks, i just finished it, works great in the garage, just waiting for it to get dark out now.   Now if I could only get the fogs to be on full time.   I was looking for a place to jump to while the paint was drying on my new bowtie (black), but coming up empty handed.   Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Don
 
Yeah there's a thread on that somewhere if you look for it. I've never done it, I turn mine on evey time I get in the truck anyway.
 
I found the thread before I made the other post, its incomplete, the person that did the mod used the wrong jump, which essentially is the same thing as the all on mod when the lights come on.   I posted in that thread to see if he ever went back to achieve what he set out to, but no response yet.

 
Just read the normal Full Time Fogs mod thread for 2003-6's by Vertabat. - it's the same (smaller) diode.? In this picture, it's the upper left wire - Red to Black wire.? Goes from the bottom left of the 3114 Relay to the top left of the 9831 relay.? Diode #5 in Vertabatts thread here.

 

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Good thing about the 2007/8s is that Lows are already on when the Highs come on (the "All-4-On-High" mod comes from the factory).? So by adding Diode #5 from Vertabatt's thread (notice that the headlight relay is located in a different spot on the fuse box, but it is oriented in the exact same direction), you get "All-6-On-High" (Full Time Fogs).? Then with the FT DRL mod, you actually get "All-10-On-High"!? (2xLows, 2xHighs, 2xFogs, 2xDRL, & 2xRunning).
 

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Mods/Admins - How about sticking this thread to the top too?
 
When it comes to this stuff I'm pretty decent, but looking at the above picture with the two jumps, and then looking at Verblatts picture with all 5 jumps.  As it relates to the fogs, when you compare the one with the two and the one with the 5, they are doing the same thing, there is only one relay on the 07 model for the head lights, hi/low, which is being utilized in the above picture so that when either the lows or highs are on the fogs come on, and in the older model there are two relays that need to be jumped to accomplish the same function.  So this doesn't seem to work on the 07.  I just tried it by adding a third jump, connecting to the lower left post of the hi/low relay and the only thing I got it to do was have the fog lights on when the car was off.

Am I doing something wrong?
 
donnycouchpotato said:
When it comes to this stuff I'm pretty decent, but looking at the above picture with the two jumps, and then looking at Verblatts picture with all 5 jumps.? As it relates to the fogs, when you compare the one with the two and the one with the 5, they are doing the same thing, there is only one relay on the 07 model for the head lights, hi/low, which is being utilized in the above picture so that when either the lows or highs are on the fogs come on, and in the older model there are two relays that need to be jumped to accomplish the same function.? So this doesn't seem to work on the 07.? I just tried it by adding a third jump, connecting to the lower left post of the hi/low relay and the only thing I got it to do was have the fog lights on when the car was off.

Am I doing something wrong?

Nope, just you don't need as many jumps on the 2007/8s as the 2002/6s did.  The 2007/8s already basically come with the "All-4-on-High" Mod from the factory.  Thus, whenever you turn on the high beams, the low beams are also on.  So you don't need Vertabatts Diode #2.

So, basically, what we are doing is using the low beam to power the fog lights.  His Diode #5.  But because on the 2007/8s the low beams also come on with the high beams, you get FT Fogs with both High and Low beam headlights.  That's why you don't need Vertabatts Diode #1.

Then, following my instructions above for FT DRL, you are powering the DRLs from your low beam switch.  That is, whenever you turn on your low beam (via the relay), you also turn on the DRLS.  Now, because the DRLs don't have a relay, you have to run more power to them because you're actually using that power to run the lights, not just switch the relay. That's why we use a bigger diode than Vertabatts Diodes # 3 & 4.

Let's talk about what a relay is.  A relay is just an electrically activated on/off switch.  Think like the light switch in your room being turned on via an electric switch.  By doing it this way, you don't need as much amperage to turn on the switch since all your doing is turning on the switch, not actually powering the light itself.  (Tech guys, don't kill me here - I'm just trying to lay it out in layman's terms.)  Anyways, you can use 0.1 Amps to turn on the relay that then powers the on/off switch that now sends 10.0 Amps to the lights.

So, you need only 1 small diode from the 3114 relay to turn on the 9831 relay to turn on your fog lights whenever your headlights are on (Vertabatts #5).  Then we need the larger diode to run power from the same 3114 relay power source directly into the DRLs since you are running those lights directly and not via a relay.

BTW, I have really got to hand it to Vertabatt!  He did a great job on his original write up.  I wouldn't have figured out the 2007s without his original instructions.  I just took his instructions and then saw where the 2007/8s had changed and applied it from there.  Took me less than an hour to do - and that included allot of experimenting to make sure I got it right.  (If you look in the pic, there's actually a little burn mark near that white chalk mark where I got it wrong.)
 
Just os I have a proper understanding of the two diode jumps for the 07.  At the end of the mod process, the results will be that my DRLs will be on all the time, day or night, and when it gets dark outside and the sensor realizes its time to turn on the lights, the rest of the lights will come on.  I believe I have that correct, as that is the result on my truck after doing the two diode mod.  If I have this wrong please let me know as I have done some thing wrong and getting the undesired results from the mod.

However,

Per your post Chavey... "So, you need only 1 small diode from the 3114 relay to turn on the 9831 relay to turn on your fog lights whenever your headlights are on (Vertabatts #5).  Then we need the larger diode to run power from the same 3114 relay power source directly into the DRLs since you are running those lights directly and not via a relay." 

I'd like the fogs to be on regardless of wherther the headlights are on or not, just like the FTDRL's.  And because of the dark tint on my windows, I'd like the dash lights to be on full time as well, which I think can be accomplished at the same time.  Since the dash lights come on when the fogs are on (at least they do when using the switch in the truck), this should kill 2 birds with the same stone, sorry animal lovers, just an expression.

I know I'm being a P.I.T.A. and a little thick headed  :E:, and I appologize.  I've tried several jumps on top of the two that are currently descibed above for the FTDRL's, and the best I was able to get was the fogs staying on all the time, even after the truick was turned off.  Which is fine if you don't mind swapping out your battery every other day  :D


 
donnycouchpotato said:
Just os I have a proper understanding of the two diode jumps for the 07.? At the end of the mod process, the results will be that my DRLs will be on all the time, day or night, and when it gets dark outside and the sensor realizes its time to turn on the lights, the rest of the lights will come on.? I believe I have that correct, as that is the result on my truck after doing the two diode mod.? If I have this wrong please let me know as I have done some thing wrong and getting the undesired results from the mod.

Yep, this is all correct.  DRLs will be on whenever the truck is on.  From the factory, the DRLs are on with engine power, then go off when the headlights come on.  The purpose of the larger diode is to turn them back on when the headlights come on - you're over-riding the computer that says "turn DRLs off".

As far as FT Fogs, I don't know that mod.  You can do what I did - use a tester/multimeter to find a circuit that's on whenever the engine turns on.  Then replace the smaller diode (Mine above or Vertabatt #5) to go from that line to the same space on the 9831 relay.  Depending upon the amperage, you may need a larger diode. 

BTW, the diode allows the electricity to flow only 1 direction.  That's why it's important to make sure the grey line is the right way, so that you don't get electicity to flow the other way.  You don't want whatever you are powering to come on whenever you turn on the fog light.  Think of it like a water check valve, but for electricity.

Oh, and NO APOLOGIES NEEDED!  This is what we are here for.  To throw ideas off each other.  When we GTG, we'll throw beer to each other!
 
now thats called alcohol abuse  :laugh:

I'll go and geta cheap multimeter and start sticking the probe where it doesnt belong and see what I get.  I'm guessing the fuse for the radio is the best starting place.

I'll keep you posted.
 
donnycouchpotato said:
now thats called alcohol abuse? :laugh:

I'll go and geta cheap multimeter and start sticking the probe where it doesnt belong and see what I get.? I'm guessing the fuse for the radio is the best starting place.

I'll keep you posted.

I said throw beer to each other, not on each other!? (Bee, if you're out there, I'll throw the beer on you!  >:D )

Check Harbor Freight - they've got a multimeter on sale right now for $3.99.? All you need is something to indicate the current, not to accurately measure it down to the 10th degree.
 
chAVey said:
I said throw beer to each other, not on each other!? (Bee, if you're out there, I'll throw the beer on you!? >:D )

Check Harbor Freight - they've got a multimeter on sale right now for $3.99.? All you need is something to indicate the current, not to accurately measure it down to the 10th degree.

Well ya damn well know I'm out here? :rolleyes:? :laugh:

Oh good looking foward to it? :rolleyes:
 
donnycouchpotato said:
I thought it was cold down here, your must be freezing your butt off.

Not sure , what a temp is but we did get 2 feet of snow in 3 hours? :E: :E: :E: . I will not leave the house from now till April, unless it's for a GTG in the South? :love: (y)
 
Chavey, got your post a little too late.  Was on the way to Lowes to get a multimeter, $15.  I think I figured it out.  But will need to wait till tomorrow when its light outside to make sure the fogs are on by themselves and not just because the sensor says to put them on via the all on mod.

I'll keep you posted.
 
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