Installing DRL strip with built in turn signal wire help

[ToxicFire]

Hey guys i have a 14 ram with the projector style headlights and im adding a DRL grill light that has built in turn signals. Can someone help with what wires i need to tap.
So theres the red black and yellow. It says tap into fuze box for the red wire or to drl positive wire then ground to ground then yellows to left and right turn signal wires.
Someone here has to know what color wires i need to tap for that or where to go haha.

Thanks in advance and pictures will come after install.

 

[corneileous]

Being that you have the projector style headlights, if you want those white DRLs on your new grille to work like real DRLs, just go to your headlight plugs and snip the wires from your headlight plugs on the truck side of the plugs that are for the dedicated DRLs and then run those red wires on your new grille to those. You’d still hook up the turn signal wires the same way you always would and if you have Alfa OBD, hook it up and set the DRLs to dedicated and being that it sounds like your white DRLs and turn signal lights are built in together, just turn off the DRL dropout with turn signal.

 

[ToxicFire]

Being that you have the projector style headlights, if you want those white DRLs on your new grille to work like real DRLs, just go to your headlight plugs and snip the wires from your headlight plugs on the truck side of the plugs that are for the dedicated DRLs and then run those red wires on your new grille to those. You’d still hook up the turn signal wires the same way you always would and if you have Alfa OBD, hook it up and set the DRLs to dedicated and being that it sounds like your white DRLs and turn signal lights are built in together, just turn off the DRL dropout with turn signal.

Thank you for this. Now is there a way to do this without removing the grill and headlights because i mounted light already haha.
I was hoping the harness comes out by radiator and i can just tap into the wires if you know the colors?

 

[corneileous]

Thank you for this. Now is there a way to do this without removing the grill and headlights because i mounted light already haha.
I was hoping the harness comes out by radiator and i can just tap into the wires if you know the colors?

Egh, you may be able to locate the wires that way. Never tried it. The wiring colors are in those two attached photos to my first post but I just figured it would be a whole lot easier and a whole lot less stressful to just pull the headlights and get it done.

But you do have Alfa OBD, right? Without it you won’t be able to activate your DRLs and run your new lights off the circuit without it but if you don’t have Alfa, another way to hook them up is to run your red DRL wires to a fuse tap in the fuse box to the ignition coil fuse. That way as soon as you start the motor, the lights will come on. They’ll also be on at night with your headlights, too….

 

[ToxicFire]

Egh, you may be able to locate the wires that way. Never tried it. The wiring colors are in those two attached photos to my first post but I just figured it would be a whole lot easier and a whole lot less stressful to just pull the headlights and get it done.

But you do have Alfa OBD, right? Without it you won’t be able to activate your DRLs and run your new lights off the circuit without it but if you don’t have Alfa, another way to hook them up is to run your red DRL wires to a fuse tap in the fuse box to the ignition coil fuse. That way as soon as you start the motor, the lights will come on. They’ll also be on at night with your headlights, too….

Lol i didnt notice the colors where in the photo my bad.
So i have DRL already as im in canada so they would be the amber lights if im not mistaken correct?
I also do have Alfa though. I should say its a led strip that goes over the grill.If i have to pull the lights out again i will.

Also looking at the plugs it goes 1 bottom 2 top then 3 top 4 bottom then 5 bottom 6 top correct?
Sorry electrical i like to triple check everything so i dont mess nothing up.

With my jeep i did a similar thing but was super easy tap into yellow and then green wires and done.

 

[crash68]

So i have DRL already as im in canada so they would be the amber lights if im not mistaken correct?

You would need to change the DRL location to Dedicated. Also enable the DRL drop out. That will have the DRL wires energized when the vehicle is in gear and then turn off when the turn signals are activated.

 

[corneileous]

Lol i didnt notice the colors where in the photo my bad.

It’s cool…lol.

So i have DRL already as im in canada so they would be the amber lights if im not mistaken correct?

From what I’ve been told, yes, even for the Canadian trucks, the premium projectors use the amber turn signal strips on the bottom of the headlights for the DRLs.

And even though your DRLs are probably activated via “Canada DRL”
As opposed to “Optional DRL” like most of us here in the states would use, you should still be able to use Alfa to re-designate what lights you want to be as your new DRLs but either way regardless, the “dedicated” DRLs are what you want anyways because that option goes to the wires that you’re going to cut that goes to your headlight plugs that you’re going to connect to your new grille lights.

I also do have Alfa though. I should say its a led strip that goes over the grill.If i have to pull the lights out again i will.

So how bright are those new lights? I ask because being that you’re required to have DRLs, them Mounties up there might have an issue if they’re not a certain brightness to be legal as DRLs.

Down here, no one cares that I’m aware of because they’re not required even though there are supposedly regulations to DRL lighting.

Also looking at the plugs it goes 1 bottom 2 top then 3 top 4 bottom then 5 bottom 6 top correct?
Sorry electrical i like to triple check everything so i dont mess nothing up.

With my jeep i did a similar thing but was super easy tap into yellow and then green wires and done.

Yes. The picture shows how the terminals are wired and the wires you want to cut from the headlight plugs are the white wire with yellow tracer stripe for the left headlight which is terminal #4 and the white wire with dark brown tracer which is also terminal #4 for the right headlight.

 

[corneileous]

You would need to change the DRL location to Dedicated. Also enable the DRL drop out. That will have the DRL wires energized when the vehicle is in gear and then turn off when the turn signals are activated.

I believe they should already be set to dedicated being that with how these factory headlights are wired, dedicated does the same thing as setting them to turn signal.

But until I know what lights he has that he’s hooking up, he may need to disable the DRL dropout of both his new DRL and signal lights are within the same housing like mine are. Mine are switchbacks so the DRL circuit within the lights themselves goes from one to the other…

But to my knowledge, the DRL dropout only has to do with turning the DRL’s off when the turn signals are activated??

New Sparksmith LED DRL’s

youtube.com

 

[JBRam601]

I installed grill lights with blinkers as well. It is super easy to get your headlight out and use a test light on the wires to find out which is which. You just remove the headlight bolts. And under the fender there is a a small cover, remove that reach inside and you will feel a tab that you can pull and the headlight pops out..then you can access the wire harness. Although this was a 2021 Ram I believe it would be similar on yours. Maybe not though

 

[ToxicFire]

It’s cool…lol.

From what I’ve been told, yes, even for the Canadian trucks, the premium projectors use the amber turn signal strips on the bottom of the headlights for the DRLs.

And even though your DRLs are probably activated via “Canada DRL”
As opposed to “Optional DRL” like most of us here in the states would use, you should still be able to use Alfa to re-designate what lights you want to be as your new DRLs but either way regardless, the “dedicated” DRLs are what you want anyways because that option goes to the wires that you’re going to cut that goes to your headlight plugs that you’re going to connect to your new grille lights.

So how bright are those new lights? I ask because being that you’re required to have DRLs, them Mounties up there might have an issue if they’re not a certain brightness to be legal as DRLs.

Down here, no one cares that I’m aware of because they’re not required even though there are supposedly regulations to DRL lighting.

Yes. The picture shows how the terminals are wired and the wires you want to cut from the headlight plugs are the white wire with yellow tracer stripe for the left headlight which is terminal #4 and the white wire with dark brown tracer which is also terminal #4 for the right headlight.

So im going to keep my DRL lights in tacked i think and then have the led light strip over grill that will be also drl. The rcmp here are strict and if they know drl are suppose to be the yellow turn signals ill get a ticket if thats not the case. We have VIU (Vehicle inspection unit ) vehicles out here driving the highways and in the city to look for infractions and unsafe vehicles so they would probably give me a ticket.

So i think im going to keep my drl as the yellow lights but want to tap into them to add this light strip.

So instead of cutting said wire i could just use taps into them correct?

So i would also still need to go and set drl as dedicated?Is there any other option i need to set for this?

Drl drop out ive done before so i know how to do that. I dont need to do a proxy align or anything after this do i?

 

[corneileous]

So im going to keep my DRL lights in tacked i think and then have the led light strip over grill that will be also drl. The rcmp here are strict and if they know drl are suppose to be the yellow turn signals ill get a ticket if thats not the case. We have VIU (Vehicle inspection unit ) vehicles out here driving the highways and in the city to look for infractions and unsafe vehicles so they would probably give me a ticket.

So i think im going to keep my drl as the yellow lights but want to tap into them to add this light strip.

So instead of cutting said wire i could just use taps into them correct?

So i would also still need to go and set drl as dedicated?Is there any other option i need to set for this?

Drl drop out ive done before so i know how to do that. I dont need to do a proxy align or anything after this do i?

I don’t know Canadian law regarding DRLs but I wouldn’t think color would matter as long as they are the required brightness for visibility so if it were me, I’d still snip the wires and run my own white DRLs because having amber and white together would look kinda goofy…lol. If anything, ask your local law enforcement.

But if you’re just gonna keep the DRL wires connected to your headlights, I wouldn’t use those wiretaps as those really are only for indoor use. Instead, depending on the size of wire you use, I’d still cut the wire and then use a blue or yellow heatshrink buttsplice connector and crimp it on the headlight plug-side of the wire you cut and twist together your new wire with the other end of the wire and then crimp the other end of the buttsplice connector on those wires and then take a butane torch or heat gun and heat the buttsplice connector so that it shrinks around the wires and activates the glue inside to waterproof the connection.

You’d leave the setting on dedicated and you’d still have to leave the DRL dropout enabled because of your front turn signals which would also make your new lights goofy if they are pretty far away from the turn signals.

 

[ToxicFire]

I don’t know Canadian law regarding DRLs but I wouldn’t think color would matter as long as they are the required brightness for visibility so if it were me, I’d still snip the wires and run my own white DRLs because having amber and white together would look kinda goofy…lol. If anything, ask your local law enforcement.

But if you’re just gonna keep the DRL wires connected to your headlights, I wouldn’t use those wiretaps as those really are only for indoor use. Instead, depending on the size of wire you use, I’d still cut the wire and then use a blue or yellow heatshrink buttsplice connector and crimp it on the headlight plug-side of the wire you cut and twist together your new wire with the other end of the wire and then crimp the other end of the buttsplice connector on those wires and then take a butane torch or heat gun and heat the buttsplice connector so that it shrinks around the wires and activates the glue inside to waterproof the connection.

You’d leave the setting on dedicated and you’d still have to leave the DRL dropout enabled because of your front turn signals which would also make your new lights goofy if they are pretty far away from the turn signals.

Ok makes sense thank you. After i do the DRL dopout do i need to do a proxy alignment ? I know on my jeep this had to be done

 

[corneileous]

Ok makes sense thank you. After i do the DRL dopout do i need to do a proxy alignment ? I know on my jeep this had to be done

I guess I don’t know what you mean by proxy alignment… I didn’t have to do anything like that on mine.

 

[ToxicFire]

I guess I don’t know what you mean by proxy alignment… I didn’t have to do anything like that on mine.

Oh so i own a jeep and did the drl dropout. However after you change anything in the bcm or of the like you have to do a proxy alignment on the alfa app..

When i did the drl drop out on my jeep and went to start the vehicle i had like 10 service messages and engine light abs ect. Then i found out its because i never did this proxy alignment on alfa to rewrite the new code file to the modual so after i did that everything was great.

Wasnt sure if thats the same with a ram or not lol.

 

[corneileous]

Oh so i own a jeep and did the drl dropout. However after you change anything in the bcm or of the like you have to do a proxy alignment on the alfa app..

When i did the drl drop out on my jeep and went to start the vehicle i had like 10 service messages and engine light abs ect. Then i found out its because i never did this proxy alignment on alfa to rewrite the new code file to the modual so after i did that everything was great.

Wasnt sure if thats the same with a ram or not lol.

Hmm, thats weird. I never had to do anything like that on my Ram after making any kind of change. The most I ever had to do after making a change was wait for like 24 hours for a change to take effect like when I programmed the DRL enable/disable checkbox in the settings of my Uconnect radio so that if I ever wanted to turn my DRL's off on the fly, all I had to do was go into my vehicle settings under lighting on the radio screen and disable or re-enable my DRLs so that I wouldn't have to reconnect my laptop to the truck. Some settings are just like that.

 

[ToxicFire]

Hmm, thats weird. I never had to do anything like that on my Ram after making any kind of change. The most I ever had to do after making a change was wait for like 24 hours for a change to take effect like when I programmed the DRL enable/disable checkbox in the settings of my Uconnect radio so that if I ever wanted to turn my DRL's off on the fly, all I had to do was go into my vehicle settings under lighting on the radio screen and disable or re-enable my DRLs so that I wouldn't have to reconnect my laptop to the truck. Some settings are just like that.

Oh thats interesting also haha i might have to do that setting after i get this light working.

So the Yellow wire from my led strip needs to go to left turn signal so i would connect that to pin #12 ?

 

[corneileous]

Oh thats interesting also haha i might have to do that setting after i get this light working.

You shouldn’t. That should be one of those settings that should take immediately or well, you may have to do a couple all the way on, all the way off cycles with the key.

So the Yellow wire from my led strip needs to go to left turn signal so i would connect that to pin #12 ?

Yeah, if the yellow wires on your new lights are for the turn signals, the left side yellow wire would splice inline to the white with green tracer wire that goes to terminal 12 on your left headlight plug and the right turn signal wire for the other side would splice inline to the white with beige tracer wire that also goes to terminal 12 on your right side headlight plug.