Hankpac

I am fixin to (as we say in Texas) wire up my off road lights. I have everything wired except power, and the on/off switch. Before I do something bad to my baby, can anyone suggest where I can poke into the firewall to take the on/off wire to the switch. Is there a convenient grommet already there?
the relay is mounted just aft of the passsenger battery, well grounded, and out of the way of everything. The wires from the lights are all routed nicely, and in wire looms. Everything is ready to go, so now I need to run the main power (last thing) and the switch. I can run the wire anywhere under the hood, plenty of loom and plenty of wire. Shortest run would be through the passenger side somewhere. Longest would be across the cowling along the back of the engine compartment and into the drover's side somewhere.
I really DONT want to take off the dash: that is beyond my skills, and the garage is too small to opent the doors with the rig poked in there (it's MY shop, but my WIFE'S garage).
anyway, I want to finish this tomorrow, and need some suggestions as to where to poke the wire through in to the cabin. The switch will reside someplace out of the way, and I am not going to hook them up to the high beams, since I can't run these on the highway anyway. Long runs are ok, since the relay is carrying the load, anyway.


I'll do driving lights later, when I feel up to it again. Plenty of space to mount them on the grille guard.

Thanks in advance, gentlemen.

XLR8R

Could you fill out your sig, please?

Hankpac

If you mean, what do I drive:
2006 QC, long bed.
Stock so far, except for accessories, and a chip in the mail.

Otherwise: my sig is my web site, a non-commercial historical site that covers the unit I served with in viet Nam.

XLR8R

Thankyou for your service!

Your signature is how we know the pertinent details about your truck, so it's easier to answer your questions... you know - garbage in, garbage out.

XLR8R

P.S. for instance, if your '06 has the G56, there should be a handy grommet/boot behind the brake pedal on the firewall that makes an excellent portal for auxiliary wiring.

Have you done the driving light upgrade mod, or the high/low beam mod?
You could wire everything at once...

Hankpac

First of all, I don't know what a G56 is. I am so new to Diesels, that I only have 1500 miles on this rig. I am trying to do the quickest items possible, since It is so cold here, and I have an inadequate garage for this work.
I got the steps and grille guard on, and the heater plug. I need a fancy chrome plug cover-goody, like on another thread, but can't find one on-line yet. Will keep looking.
I am not sure what the H/L mod or the DL upgrades are: the headlights are stock, but if it just involves changing bulbs, like I have read on other posts, then I can always go for bettter and more light.
I WAS just going to put a couple of more driving lights on the cross bar of the grille guard.
I will look for the grommet you spoke of, that placement would be quite convenient. I did this job on my old fford, and it was no big deal to punch a hole in the deck but this thing is so new, I want to be as careful as possible.
I have been doing an incredible amount of reading on this forum. Excellent site.
Thanks so much for your suggestions, sir.

slimpicken

There are a few grommets under the dash on the drivers side. Those are your best sets for running any wires into the truck through the engine compartment. The g56 is the manual tranny and the 48re is the automatic. Your signature can be updated by goin to user cp on the second bar from the top of the page. Tell us what year what tranny and any other mods you have on the truck. Check out ours for some of the things we'd like to know. And congrats on the new truck.
Nick

Hankpac

Thanks guys, still on a learning curve here.
I appreciate the definitions.
This is an Automatic.

Hankpac

I got the wires all run, and hooked into the relay under the hood, and found the grommet that the speedo wire goes through, and piggybacked through that.
Now where do I find a hot wire under the dash? In my ford there is a box of fuses under the dash, but I didn't see one at first glance today. I have a ground, and a line in from the relay, and a loos wire that goes to a hot line under the dash. Any idea where I can tie in?
Thanks guys.

XLR8R

Hot wire under the dash for?....

Hankpac

OK, Ive got the lights wired through to the relay. The ground is good. The battery wire runs to the biggest post on the relay, marked "Batt".
The 2d larger post says "Sol" and is where the light's positive wire runs to.
The ground is to a body ground, and tests good on the ohm meter.
The third post on the relay is for the switch.
The switch has 3 posts also, and marked "Ground" "Power" and "Acc"
The ground goes to a body ground, and is solid. The acc goes to the relay, and the "power" should go to a hot wire to send a small amount of current to the relay to throw the solonoid, right? In other applications I have just run this wire to the fuse box usually found under the dash on the driver's side (like in Fords) but in this Dodge, there is no obvious place to tie in.
What does anyone suggest as to where I can hook into a hot wire?
Thanks guys, I am closing in on this.

XLR8R

Easiest way for you is to draw switching voltage from either the cigaratte lighter hot wire or from the hot wire you ran to the power side of the relay - just feed it through the same grommet you mentioned earlier.

Hankpac

We are starting to get somewhere.
I had considered the lighter, as a power source. 1. Is it hot all the time, or only when the ignition is on? 2. How do I get to it? I looked for some time, and although it is only about 8 inches from where I have the switch, I can't even see the back of it while lying under the steering wheel (kind of cramped for a big guy like me). Seems like DC cleaned up under the dash, and bundles all the wires or tucked them where I can't see them. Also, the lighter is above a cowling, as far as I can tell.
BTW, I really appreciate how you have stuck with me on this project xlr8tr.
thanks. It's frustrating for me since I am not really a mechanic or electrician, and it's realy cold out in the garage.
Thanks.
Hank

XLR8R

Hank, if you want to finish the project in the next ten minutes, just run a wire from the power (hot) relay terminal through the firewall grommet to the "source" for your switch; the length doesn't matter since it's only carrying switching current.

Hankpac

By the clock it was just a hair over 10 minutes. this comes under the heading of "Why didn't I think of that?".
xlr8tr, thanks a lot for your help. some days I am a real idiot.
When the chip and commander get in, I am taking it to a pro to install. This has to go right the first time.