understanding blinker wiring
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 4,641
Likes: 392
From: cookeville, TN
understanding blinker wiring ok i know there are three wires purple brown and black (i think) but i am wanting to design a lamp housing using seperate leds for drls and blinkers and i need to know more about it.
when the blinker is on with the 3157 bulbs it seems the drl filament shuts off and a serparate filament comes on for the blinker side.
so hopefully im not bouncing around to much. basically i want white leds for the drl and yellow for the blinker but i want the drl to shut off like a switchback tower led, but im curious how to wire this.
when the blinker is on with the 3157 bulbs it seems the drl filament shuts off and a serparate filament comes on for the blinker side.
so hopefully im not bouncing around to much. basically i want white leds for the drl and yellow for the blinker but i want the drl to shut off like a switchback tower led, but im curious how to wire this.
So you want to separate the turn signal from from the DRL housing? If I got that right, then here ya go:
Brown = Running Lights (low filament)
Purple* = Turn Signal (high filament)
Black = Ground
* = The purple wire may be a different color on the other side. Just remember, you'll always have a brown wire, black wire, and whatever other color will be your turn signal wire.
First, cut the black and purple wires going to the DRL bulb harness. You're going to want to "Y" off the purple wire to attach to where the negative end of the original negative wire went to. By doing this, the DRL will turn off with each time the turn signal flashes, but will stay on as a normal running light. If you change your mind and want to keep the DRL on when the turn signal flashes, just attach the negative back to the negative like it originally was.
From there you just need to run the purple and black wires to your new turn signal housing.
Hope this is what you were looking for man!
Brown = Running Lights (low filament)
Purple* = Turn Signal (high filament)
Black = Ground
* = The purple wire may be a different color on the other side. Just remember, you'll always have a brown wire, black wire, and whatever other color will be your turn signal wire.
First, cut the black and purple wires going to the DRL bulb harness. You're going to want to "Y" off the purple wire to attach to where the negative end of the original negative wire went to. By doing this, the DRL will turn off with each time the turn signal flashes, but will stay on as a normal running light. If you change your mind and want to keep the DRL on when the turn signal flashes, just attach the negative back to the negative like it originally was.
From there you just need to run the purple and black wires to your new turn signal housing.
Hope this is what you were looking for man!
Last edited by blindxeyed; Feb 24, 2009 at 10:37 PM.
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,331
Likes: 346
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
Maybe so... too bad it doesn't match the way our cars are actually wired.
The front lamps have dual filament bulbs. The dim filament is used for running lights when the headlights are on and is connected to the brown wire at the socket. The bright filament does double duty for both the turn signals and the daytime running lights and is connected to the dark blue wire on the right and the light blue wire on the left.
Without the headlights on, the DRL module illuminates the bright filament of both front bulbs. When the turn signal is used, the DRL module turns off the constant power to that side bulb and switches to allow the flashing power from the turn signal switch through to the bright filament on that side. Once the turn signal is cancelled, the DRL module switches back to sending constant power to the bright filament on that side. The dim running light filament is never used in these conditions.
With the headlights on, the DRL module turns off the constant power to the bright filaments in both front bulbs and the headlight switch provides power to the dim filaments. The turn signals still send flashing power to the bright filament when activated.
So there is no way to separate the DRLs from the turn signals at the lamp socket. Doing so would require modifying the DRL module wiring.
The front lamps have dual filament bulbs. The dim filament is used for running lights when the headlights are on and is connected to the brown wire at the socket. The bright filament does double duty for both the turn signals and the daytime running lights and is connected to the dark blue wire on the right and the light blue wire on the left.
Without the headlights on, the DRL module illuminates the bright filament of both front bulbs. When the turn signal is used, the DRL module turns off the constant power to that side bulb and switches to allow the flashing power from the turn signal switch through to the bright filament on that side. Once the turn signal is cancelled, the DRL module switches back to sending constant power to the bright filament on that side. The dim running light filament is never used in these conditions.
With the headlights on, the DRL module turns off the constant power to the bright filaments in both front bulbs and the headlight switch provides power to the dim filaments. The turn signals still send flashing power to the bright filament when activated.
So there is no way to separate the DRLs from the turn signals at the lamp socket. Doing so would require modifying the DRL module wiring.
Maybe so... too bad it doesn't match the way our cars are actually wired.
The front lamps have dual filament bulbs. The dim filament is used for running lights when the headlights are on and is connected to the brown wire at the socket. The bright filament does double duty for both the turn signals and the daytime running lights and is connected to the dark blue wire on the right and the light blue wire on the left.
The front lamps have dual filament bulbs. The dim filament is used for running lights when the headlights are on and is connected to the brown wire at the socket. The bright filament does double duty for both the turn signals and the daytime running lights and is connected to the dark blue wire on the right and the light blue wire on the left.
blackbyrd, sorry about the confusion
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,331
Likes: 346
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
I'm not sure exactly what you're trying to accomplish. Do you want the DRLs to remain on when the turn signals are activated? Why have separate bulbs for DRLs and T/S?
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Okay, so I reviewed the last way laid out, and I see the problem more clearly now. It would work fine, but not how you would want it. During the day the DRL's and the Turn Signals would be lit up. When you use your blinkers, they would flash in sequence at the same time. Once your turn your running or head lights on, the turn signals would turn off, and the DRL's would remain the same. But then when you use your blinkers, they would alternate back and forth. Each time the turn signal would blink, the DRL would turn off, and vice versa. Now if that's something you could live with then the last way I posted would be the easiest route.
If you're determined to do it the way you first described, by completely separating the DRL from the Turn Signal. Then this is the only way I can think of.
You would first have to disable your DRL module, and.. create your own setup. You would have to run a new power lead to them (red wire in picture), that is switched on when the car is in Accessory/On.
This way would use the high filament as the DRL's currently do. It would turn off and flash at opposite with the turn signals. So each time the turn signal lights up, it would turn off, and vice versa. It would be like this day or night. If you don't want it to use the high filament in the bulb, and instead the low filament, just switch it to the brown wire instead of the pink.
WhiteBird what do you think of this setup?
If you're determined to do it the way you first described, by completely separating the DRL from the Turn Signal. Then this is the only way I can think of.
You would first have to disable your DRL module, and.. create your own setup. You would have to run a new power lead to them (red wire in picture), that is switched on when the car is in Accessory/On.
This way would use the high filament as the DRL's currently do. It would turn off and flash at opposite with the turn signals. So each time the turn signal lights up, it would turn off, and vice versa. It would be like this day or night. If you don't want it to use the high filament in the bulb, and instead the low filament, just switch it to the brown wire instead of the pink.
WhiteBird what do you think of this setup?
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Verdad Gallardo Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 4,641
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From: cookeville, TN
whitebird it goes along with a new bumper design for my car imagine a tube of plexi or cylider cut in half so a straight edge faces out if you put a light to it and block off a side the light is dispursed evenly on the roughed up side of the plexi and on the opposite side is the blinker that is why i need separate bulbs not so much seperate housings, its kind of hard to explain without having it done but image drls like what are on a audi except dont see the led of course they may use switch back leds for there design and it maybe something i need to look into.
hope that makes sense
hope that makes sense
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,331
Likes: 346
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
Okay, I think I understand the concept of the split lamp with DRLs and turn signals as separate sections. And if I understand correctly, you want to have the DRLs work like the factory ones but you want the turn signals to be a separate lamp on each side and the DRLs should turn off while the signals are in use then come back on when the signals end?
The usual way to wire alternating lights is to connect them so that the power from one eliminates the ground from the other. That gives you the common GM setup of the turn signals and side marker lights flashing alternately when the turn signals are used. I don't think that's what you're looking for - I think you want the DRLs to stay off for the entire time the turn signals are flashing and then come back on after.
I'm not 100% sure this will work because it involves fooling the solid state circuitry in the DRL module but it won't hurt anything and it's fairly easy to return to stock:
Cut the light blue and dark blue wires at the DRL module behind the radio. Splice the cut ends that go into the car to the corresponding light blue with white and dark blue with white wires going into the DRL module (don't cut the white striped wires). Now you have working turn signals but no DRLs and two extra cut ends of wires that carry the DRL power. Run your own wires from the cut ends of the light blue and dark blue wires that go into the DRL module to the other part of your front lamp (light blue goes to the left side and dark blue goes to the right side). This gives you DRL lights separate from the turn signals. If the DRL module works as it should, it will turn off the DRL on the appropriate side while the turn signal is in use and then turn the DRL back on after the turn signal goes off - that's why you don't cut the two white striped wires, they're the turn signal input to the DRL module.
The usual way to wire alternating lights is to connect them so that the power from one eliminates the ground from the other. That gives you the common GM setup of the turn signals and side marker lights flashing alternately when the turn signals are used. I don't think that's what you're looking for - I think you want the DRLs to stay off for the entire time the turn signals are flashing and then come back on after.
I'm not 100% sure this will work because it involves fooling the solid state circuitry in the DRL module but it won't hurt anything and it's fairly easy to return to stock:
Cut the light blue and dark blue wires at the DRL module behind the radio. Splice the cut ends that go into the car to the corresponding light blue with white and dark blue with white wires going into the DRL module (don't cut the white striped wires). Now you have working turn signals but no DRLs and two extra cut ends of wires that carry the DRL power. Run your own wires from the cut ends of the light blue and dark blue wires that go into the DRL module to the other part of your front lamp (light blue goes to the left side and dark blue goes to the right side). This gives you DRL lights separate from the turn signals. If the DRL module works as it should, it will turn off the DRL on the appropriate side while the turn signal is in use and then turn the DRL back on after the turn signal goes off - that's why you don't cut the two white striped wires, they're the turn signal input to the DRL module.
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Joined: Apr 2002
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From: Eastern MA
I thought he wanted the DRL always on and have normal blinkers.
Forgive the simple ASCII drawing.....
Current DRL/Turnsignal setup
(0)
Dual filament bulb acting as both DRL and Turn Signal, swapping filaments in different situations.
New Custom Setup
00
Two housings. Two single filament bulbs. DRL Bulb always on. Turn Signal Bulb flashes normal with turn signals.
(Instead of bulbs you are using LED strips, right?)
Is that what you are after or do you want to retain a swapping routine? If you want to retain a swapping routine, which one? (there is the stock method and at least one new method outlined in earlier posts)
Forgive the simple ASCII drawing.....
Current DRL/Turnsignal setup
(0)
Dual filament bulb acting as both DRL and Turn Signal, swapping filaments in different situations.
New Custom Setup
00
Two housings. Two single filament bulbs. DRL Bulb always on. Turn Signal Bulb flashes normal with turn signals.
(Instead of bulbs you are using LED strips, right?)
Is that what you are after or do you want to retain a swapping routine? If you want to retain a swapping routine, which one? (there is the stock method and at least one new method outlined in earlier posts)
Last edited by VIP1; Feb 27, 2009 at 09:08 AM.
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,331
Likes: 346
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
In that case, it would be really easy. Just wire the turn signals as above (to bypass DRL power) and use ignition-controlled power to run the other half of the lamp as constant DRLs.
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 4,641
Likes: 392
From: cookeville, TN
i think i would like the drl to go off when the blinker goes on
im afraid the yellow and white to gether might not be all that visible
to do what you are talking about whitebird wouldnt be that hard the car has been re wired mostly since i took the v6 out
im afraid the yellow and white to gether might not be all that visible
to do what you are talking about whitebird wouldnt be that hard the car has been re wired mostly since i took the v6 out
