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Parking Lights

mangus580

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Ok, I have seen this info somewhere, but I cant remember....

I know its possible to make a 'jumper' and make it so the front 'parking lights' are on when the headlights are.... I dont remember where I saw it, and if there was any downfall. I suppose I could go dig in the TM and check the schematic, but I am too lazy ;-) I know someone here has to know hte answer....


oooohh.... If someone has pictures of the process, we could make a nice tech article with it!!



On a similar topic.... does the new style switch (pushbutton) do this automatically?
 

h1crwchf

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mangus580 said:
Ok, I have seen this info somewhere, but I cant remember....

I know its possible to make a 'jumper' and make it so the front 'parking lights' are on when the headlights are.... I dont remember where I saw it, and if there was any downfall. I suppose I could go dig in the TM and check the schematic, but I am too lazy ;-) I know someone here has to know hte answer....


oooohh.... If someone has pictures of the process, we could make a nice tech article with it!!



On a similar topic.... does the new style switch (pushbutton) do this automatically?
I need to know how to do this also. I got pulled over the other night because I had no front parking lights.

I have the push button switch and it still works the same way.
Dave
 

mangus580

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Darn, I was hoping the pushbutton cured it ;-)

The pushbutton is probably harder to do, as you have to do it external from the switch :-(

No way to make the jump inside I am pretty sure! I have been in mine ;-)
 

SixBuy

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I'm looking at the wiring diagram and it looks like putting the main switch in 'Service Drive' and the auxillary switch to 'Park' would turn on the front parking lamps while the headlights are on. Downside would be panel lights would be dim only. Hmmm... Gonna have to go outside and try this because the operator's manual doesn't say the headlights work in Service Park...
Plan 'B' - put a toggle switch between terminal 'L' (circuit 491) and terminal 'H' (circuit 21) and switch it on when you want front parking lights while driving.
Plan 'C' - tell the PD it's supposed to be that-a-way and the law is wrong...
It may be that you could get away with a jumper between L and H but I'm not sure I trust the schematic of the light switch. (From TM 9-2320-361-20)
Good Luck
 

mangus580

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Headlights do not work in service - park mode, been there done that...

I think that a jumper between the pins will do it....

Maybe Bjorn or Kenny will remember this from elsewhere and add their input...
 

cranetruck

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Mike, the forward facing yellow goes out when the head lights are on.
I added a front marker light facing each side (also visible from the front) and wired it to the other marker lights (wire 491). The second "marker light" in the picture is for the turn signal so it can be seen from the side.
 

Attachments

mangus580

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Bjorn, couldnt I connect wire 491 (for the regular markers) to the wire that is for the front amber that go out when the headlights are on? I understand your way works, this just is easier for me right now, as the lights are on the truck ;-)
 

mangus580

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Ok, yeah, reading the schematic finally (shoulda not been so lazy before aua ) if you connect Pin H to Pin L in the lightswitch, or wire 491 to wire 21 outside, it should work.

I am not sure I will do it with a toggle switch, as really, I have no need for it to be in its current configuration. I am considering doing it right inside the switch. Only thing that will stop me, is if/when I put in a pushbutton switch, I am not sure I want to soldier a jumper inside it ;-)

Doing it this way will also make it easier when it comes time to finally mount my side marker lights like Bjorns.... as I can just put a Y splitter right there at the composite.

When I actually get around to doing this, I will take some pictures! Promise!
 

Recovry4x4

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Hey Mike, here's your answer courtesy of Jonathon Emery from the list. I'll take the flak from JE about reposting it but I doubt that he will mind.


I'd like to have a little discussion here about M35 lighting with any fellow
electrical types and any one else interested in improving the lighting
system on thier M35, or for that matter most any M series vehicle.

I am going to attempt to make my deuce DOT compliant. I have taken detailed
pictures of an M35-A3 which seem to have almost everything that DOT requires.

This can be broken down to two issues:

1) Wiring the existing front parking lights and rear tail lights to function
as normal vehicles do.

2) Adding the additional required front and rear ID, side clearance, and
backup lights.

Start with item #1. I have been studying the TM9-2320-361-20 and if you
look at the big foldout schematic near the back, the front parking lights
are circuit 491 which connect to pin "L" of the light switch. This is
only ever on when the panel light lever is in the park position. The rear
tail lights are circuit 21 which connect to pin H of the light switch. These
are only on when the main switch lever is in the service drive position. A
note in the -10 says that to get both front and rear parking lights you must
turn the main light switch lever to the service drive position and the
panel light lever to park. This of course turns off the headlights. So you
cannot ever drive with front parking lights and headlights on a the same time.

Now if you get out a TM9-2320-218-20 for the M151-A2 and look near the
middle for the schematic (page 2-90 and 2-91), you will find that they have
externally (external to the light switch that is) connected circuits 491 and
21 together, look just to the left of the light switch. The net effect of
this is that you will now get both front and rear parking lights when the
panel lever is in the park position, just like the first detent on most
normal civy light switches. And, so long as the panel light lever is in any
position other than park, you will get the front parking lights on when the
tail lights are on along with the headlights when in the service drive
postion. Seems to be exactly what I'd want. By the way, do not try to
figure out the schematic on page 2-100 of the 361-20, it is wrong, look at
the big fold out one in the back.

Any comments?

Now for issue # 2. Whoever did the rebuild job on the M35-A3's did the
following. They installed a plate on the rear of the bed at each corner
that contains a backup light and a ID light. Then they cut a large rectangle
hole out of the rear panel of the bed, including the existing hole for the
trailer plug, and installed the remaining 3 red ID lights (five total on the
back). They also add a smaller plate on the side of the bed at the rear for
a side clearance light, same type as used for the ID lights and red also.
At the front they add a small plate that bolts to the fender and comes
forward and bolts to the guard ring for the front composite light, an amber
clearace light is mounted on the plate facing sideways. This little detail
for the front is actually shown in the 361-20 on page 4-69. Obviously all
these added lights would be wired into the new combined circuit number
491-21. This could all be accomplished by making up little Y adapter cables
so that you would not have to cut the existing harness anywhere. The only
thing missing is the front ID lights. DOT specs call for a series of 3
amber lights to placed as high up on the vehicle as possible in the front
and centered and one on each side, for a total of 5. I don't recall seeing
any of the front ID lights on that M35-A3 and I did not have any pictures
of them. Question is, there is no permanent structure to mount anything on
any higher than the cowl. You could put 3 amber lights say on the upper
windshield frame near the center then put one amber light at each outside
edge of the windshield frame facing forward. Anyone ever given these front
ID lights any thought? The mil-spec light units are pretty big for mounting
in this area. You can get some pretty small light units, they would not be
mil-spec but it would be plenty simple to put 24v bulbs in them and of
course you'd have to run a wire up to the top of the windshield frame.

Then there is the issue of the backup light. In my pictures it appears to
be a catalog item right out of the Peterson book, other than perhaps
changing to 24V bulbs. Not exactly mil-spec but it's also not something
necessary for any tactical situation. As far as powering them, you would
have to add another wire to the harness. I suppose tap off of circuit
461-462 that connects to pin J of the light switch. Run that to a switch
that would tickle the rod that sticks out the back of the tranny. Cole
Hersey has a page or more of that type of switch listed. That way the
backup lights will work when the the main light switch is in the stop or
service drive position only.

Because the truck is short enough you wouild not need any indermediate side
clearance lights.

I think I've covered all the DOT requiements. The only real problem is to
figure out the 5 front ID lights. AND, can the light switch handle all the
added current our would one have to add a relay and run a seperate wire(s)
to all the new added lights? Is there or is there not a circuit breaker
inside the light switch? The M151 book shows one and the M35 book does not.

Anyone else interested in working on this? I am going to make up the
brackets for the rear lights and I'll make the little one for the front
clearance light if I can't find any original ones. Could make many if
others are interested.

I'll be out of town till monday but I'm looking forward to any replies.

later,

je
_____________________________________________________
 

cranetruck

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Well Kenny, I have all that installed except for the rear ICC lights (had them on the old bed).
I installed my back-up lights using two 12-volt units in series and also a back-up alarm (both can be disabled
using a dash mounted paddle switch). The back-up lights and alarm are activated by the shaft on the tranny. Had it for years
and it still works well. The shaft hits a limit switch when the transmission is placed in reverse.
For the forward ICC lights, I installed a "light bar", which was made in a muffler shop BTW, which also mounts the flood lights.
My "service lights" position turns on all lights except the forward looking amber ones. In "park", the head lights go off and the
forward looking ambers go on (all the marker lights stay on for both positions).
This wiring was done years ago and I don't know exactly where the connections were made.
To keep from tripping any CB, I installed a relay which feeds the headlights from a dedicated breaker. It is still operated by the light switch.
 

cranetruck

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My ICC book (The Motor Carrier Safety Regulations , 1974), states that any vehicle shorter than 30 feet
does not need an intermediate marker light. However, the M756 pipeline truck comes with the intermediate
markers, possibly because it's considered a separate unit.
As stated many times before, the light switch does have a built-in circuit breaker rated 20 amps.
For multiple lights, a relay circuit is recommended (diagram posted a couple of times before and also in the December issue of MVM).

PS. Who is je?
 

mangus580

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Recovry4x4 said:
Hey Mike, here's your answer courtesy of Jonathon Emery from the list. I'll take the flak from JE about reposting it but I doubt that he will mind.
Any chance you could get a couple close up pics of how the lightbar is mounted and such? I doubt I will make one, but if I start getting harrassed, it would be nice to have the info...
 
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