Swapping connectors between front Turn indicators with side markers???

[jnbthomas]

I've had a number of occasions where other drivers were unable to determine that I was turning... Had one guy actually yell at me while pointing to the side Marker in the headlight assembly telling me my blinker wasn't on!!! I been looking at the design and really don't like the fact that from the side of the vehicle, you cannot see the turn signal.

So I started looking at ways to connect the front side marker to the turn signal indicator. While reviewing the schematics, I noticed that the connectors are identical between the side Marker and the front turn signal assembly.

It appears with very little effort, you could actually swap the two connectors. For example A17 (Front Turn Signal Light Assembly LH) can be swapped with A16 (Headlight Assembly LH, Side Marker)

I know that it will also shift the DRL to the side marker, but that may be ok...

Thoughts???

Has anyone else done it?

-JT

 

[thebwlife]

Good idea, but that side marker is tiny! If your going to do that I'd just hook them together. Or just added a small LED strip/light up there and piggy back it off.

 

[jnbthomas]

Good idea, but that side marker is tiny! If your going to do that I'd just hook them together. Or just added a small LED strip/light up there and piggy back it off.

You may be right... But I'm gonna give it a try over the weekend. Hard part is getting to the side marker connector

 

[eddiebx]

You might have a problem with the turn signals blinking too fast since the tiny wedge bulbs in the headlight are likely to be at a different resistance than the bigger turn signal bulb down in the bumper. I am not sure exactly how much resistance the turn signal circuit needs to see to think the light bulb is not burned out...only way to find out is to try

 

[jsketoe]

you could also drill and install LED's or LED bulbs for the markers and see if that helps resistance.

 

[eddiebx]

Sorry, I actually read it wrong, I didn't notice OP is now going to just try to run the parking light bulb in parallel with the turn signal bulb. I originally thought he is only going to swap the connectors. When wired in parallel, the resistance difference should be negligible and probably would not cause the fast blinkers.

I won't bore you guys with the calculations but a turn signal bulb alone is ~5.5 ohms, and a turn signal bulb + parking bulb in parallel should be ~4.5 ohms

 

[mapdash]

Isnt this exactly what the LED indicator in the side mirror is for?

 

[STLDAVE]

Isnt this exactly what the LED indicator in the side mirror is for?

Looking at the OPs avatar he seems to have a Trail Edition which doesn't have the LED in the mirror.

 

[jnbthomas]

Looking at the OPs avatar he seems to have a Trail Edition which doesn't have the LED in the mirror.

Yeap Trail...

So the side marker bulb is higher resistance ~24.75? Didn't think the difference would be so much. I'll give it a try. Also noticed that the connectors are slightly difference.

 

[Jono.ful]

ummm, no daytime running lights in the US? my signals are also my drl's

 

[AirspeedX]

Bringing back an old thread here but has anyone done this?

I'm tempted to try just swapping connectors so that the side markers in the headlight housing become turn signals.

 

[Jono.ful]

Sorry, I actually read it wrong, I didn't notice OP is now going to just try to run the parking light bulb in parallel with the turn signal bulb. I originally thought he is only going to swap the connectors. When wired in parallel, the resistance difference should be negligible and probably would not cause the fast blinkers.

I won't bore you guys with the calculations but a turn signal bulb alone is ~5.5 ohms, and a turn signal bulb + parking bulb in parallel should be ~4.5 ohms

should be a less than that. 1/R total= 1/R signal + 1/R parking light. your total will always be less than the resistance of the lowest value in the equation ie. if one bulb is 10 ohms and the other is 5 ohms, the total resistance of both in parallel will be 3.33 ohms

 

[c0astie31]

I did a mod on my 11 tundra with dtrl that would make the side marker blink. I plan in doing it on my runner soon. All I did was tap into the running light and run a wire over to the marker light, cut the wire that was ground and connected the wire to the wire going to the light. I capped off the cut ground wire and when u turn the directional on the light would blink.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Question... why not just modify the wiring in the side marker light to be linked with the turn signal?

 

[AirspeedX]

I'll likely tackle this today. There's a few ways to go about it, it seems. Should be simple all in all.

 

[AirspeedX]

So not so simple.

I cut off the side marker wires going to that bulb. I then connected the turn signal wires going to the side marker bulb. Everything works but there's one problem. The small wedge bulb for the side marker lights doesn't draw enough power to overcome the turn signal flasher = flashes fast.

So now, I need to figure out where the turn signal flasher is (and after a quick search, looks like this isn't possible). Or install some sort of in-line load resistor. The other option is to retrofit a larger halogen bulb in this socket somehow.

Edit - I should also mention that I am totally deleting the front stock turn signal housing. So the main turn signal bulb is eliminated from the system and not drawing any power. [Custom front bumper in the works - and I don't want a turn signal on it, unless I absolutely have to]

 

[Hellamatic]

Question... why not just modify the wiring in the side marker light to be linked with the turn signal?

You'd lose your DRLs on the 10-13s. Not a big deal, unless you need DRLs to be legal, like we do up here in Canada. If you used the signal cct, you wouldn't have markers at night, as the signals in the bumper function only as signals when the headlights are on.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Ah forgot some places still mandate DRL despite them showing to have no benefit...That'd be tricky...

 

[AirspeedX]

I'm not too worried about DRL's. Mine came imported from the US with a chinsy fog light drl kit installed. I ended up deleting this when I did the independent fog light mod. I just make sure to at least keep my parking lights on whenever I drive. Haven't had a problem but technically....


I may look into trying to get the stock halogen turn signal socket in the side marker housing. I'll post pics once it's all figured out.

 

[AirspeedX]

This morning I added another LED bulb in parallel with the wedge bulb. No luck - still not enough load, even though the guy behind the counter said that he uses wedge bulbs all the time as resistors.

Anyways, I wired in the stock turn signal bulb in parallel with the wedge bulb and it worked - knew that but had to do it anyway.

This brings things to a whole new level of redneck now. I am not about to start slashing my headlight housing to fit in the turn signal socket in the side marker. First of all, it's ghetto. Second of all, I think the bulb is too wide to sit in that part of the housing.

So, unless I can find a wedge 194 bulb that pulls 27 Watts, I'm going to scrap this idea and start recessing some halogen turn signals into the current bumper that I'm fabbing up.

Kind of feel defeated, but had to try.

Edit - one last try. Just ordered a set of inline resistors.
http://www.amazon.ca/Gold-Tone-Aluminum-Clad-Resistors/dp/B005I1TERQ

These in theory should work.