2005 Ram 1500 Daytime Light/Plow Light Issues

[Michael Spiess]

Hello!

I'll keep this as short as possible.

I've hooked up some SIMPLE (at least I thought simple) lights for my plow for plowing my OWN private driveway this winter in Canada. Since I'm in Canada, Daytime lights are mandatory and activated.

I spliced into both the right and left light at the following wires:

Passenger side:
White/Grey - running lights / high beam wire (SPLICED INTO THIS WIRE)
White/Brown - UNTOUCHED - for low beam

Driver side:
White/Green - running lights / high beam wire (SPLICED INTO THIS WIRE)
White/blue - UNTOUCHED - for low beam

The white/grey and white/green wires go to a 6 pole switch and work great when in the normal position. Ie: the daytime or low beam or high beam activated.

The switch is essentially two 3 pole switches but connected. each side is independent of each other. The center pole is common, so that's where my power is coming into the circuit. Then the top row is connected to the original cut wire for running the standard lighting while the bottom row I connected ONE side to my relay which powers my plow lights (I only use 1 side as it's just a small stream of power to activate my relay to power those lights directly from the battery).

BUT

When I flip the switch, the power should run to my relay and activate power to my Plow lights. But instead, the lights go out and one of the lights starts to blink????? Any idea what is going on? I'm extremely confused. I'm sure I wired it correctly....

Here is a quick paint image:

 

[Michael Spiess]

FYI an update. So I had a little too much to drink that night and started using the multimeter in the morning. I didn't include my relay diagram but in anycase this is what I found.

The relay when energized from my switch was clicking. This is usually a bad control wire, or ground wire or a bad relay. Checked the wires - all good. Swapped relay, same issue. Measured voltage on the command power IN wire (the purple line in my previous post) and it was solid 12v when disconnected and then when connected basically 0v and the relay clicking. The light on the front also barely registers light and turns off/on rapidly.

So my theory, the vehicle computer recognizes that the lights are disconnected and therefore shut down power. If anyone has any idea on this I'd love to know your thoughts.

My solution - just use a second switch for the relay. So I use my original switch to kill the daytime lights and use the second switch to power up my plow lights. What I'm planning on doing now that it's wired differently is to add in high / low option. Currently I have it set to high beam only. But it's a simple switch change and I can have high or low beams.

AGAIN i'll mention that this truck / plow is ONLY for use in my private driveway. I do not recommend this for anything going on the road.