Headlight Mod for 97' - Not the same as 98' or 2000'
Thread Starter
|
Member
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Boca Raton
Headlight Mod for 97' - Not the same as 98' or 2000'
Well it is ALMOST the same but not quite. I will quote Pooley for the first part.
You simply pull the light panel switch out. disconnect the wire harnesses. carefulley remove the faceplate (several melt points). If you are careful (use a small screw driver) you don't have to glue it back on, it pops back on. I then used a little dremel with a flat ended cylindrical grinder to remove the ramp. you'll see it. you also have to remoe a tab outside the ramp in order to be able to turn just the fogs on. simply check the action of the switch and make sure everything is smooth.
But then DO NOT DO THE WIRE MOD. I REPEAT DO NOT DO THE WIRE MOD unless you want complete meltdown. I am not a complete expert on the Fords but I love to tinker.
After you do Pooley's mod, put the light switch back in the dash and go out under the hood. On the drivers side there is a black relay box next to the brake booster. It is the smaller one that is father aft. Pull off the cover and locate the relay that is closest to the fender on the aft row (the smaller ones not the one big one that is in there). When you pull it out note how it came out for you are going to bend one of the connecting tabs. Flip the relay over and put the 3 like tabs on top like this
| | |
_
_
Now bend the top right one over to the right and completely up the side of the relay so it is pionting to towards the top. Now get a small piece of wire 16 guage or better and put a female spade connector at one end. Cut the wire about 4" long and strip the other end. You can fuse this if you feel more comfortable. Now look in the relay box and put the stripped end in the further forward hole that the realy came out(look up at the dashes I put in for a reference... the bottom one) Now put the relay back in the slot with the one tab bent up. Take the spade connection and put it on the connection tab.
HERE IS WHY: On the back of the light swtch assy. the yellow wire on the center connector provides the ground for the fog light relay but there is another hidden relay somewhere that provides the power for the relay. You can't just simply jumper any wires on the switch for there is onle one wire the get power when the lights are on and its the one for the headlight. The reason you have to bend the tab up is you do not want the power you are suppling the relay to back feed the lighting system...... MELTDOWN AGAIN. The only draw back is you will only get an indication the foglights are on when the headlights are on .... but who cares... if you only have your parking lights on or just your fog lights, helll you should know you turned them on. Now if you want to get creative you can find a wire that has power only when the key is on and use that as the supply power to the relay and you'll never leave them on by accident. I hope this helps.
John
You simply pull the light panel switch out. disconnect the wire harnesses. carefulley remove the faceplate (several melt points). If you are careful (use a small screw driver) you don't have to glue it back on, it pops back on. I then used a little dremel with a flat ended cylindrical grinder to remove the ramp. you'll see it. you also have to remoe a tab outside the ramp in order to be able to turn just the fogs on. simply check the action of the switch and make sure everything is smooth.
But then DO NOT DO THE WIRE MOD. I REPEAT DO NOT DO THE WIRE MOD unless you want complete meltdown. I am not a complete expert on the Fords but I love to tinker.
After you do Pooley's mod, put the light switch back in the dash and go out under the hood. On the drivers side there is a black relay box next to the brake booster. It is the smaller one that is father aft. Pull off the cover and locate the relay that is closest to the fender on the aft row (the smaller ones not the one big one that is in there). When you pull it out note how it came out for you are going to bend one of the connecting tabs. Flip the relay over and put the 3 like tabs on top like this
| | |
_
_
Now bend the top right one over to the right and completely up the side of the relay so it is pionting to towards the top. Now get a small piece of wire 16 guage or better and put a female spade connector at one end. Cut the wire about 4" long and strip the other end. You can fuse this if you feel more comfortable. Now look in the relay box and put the stripped end in the further forward hole that the realy came out(look up at the dashes I put in for a reference... the bottom one) Now put the relay back in the slot with the one tab bent up. Take the spade connection and put it on the connection tab.
HERE IS WHY: On the back of the light swtch assy. the yellow wire on the center connector provides the ground for the fog light relay but there is another hidden relay somewhere that provides the power for the relay. You can't just simply jumper any wires on the switch for there is onle one wire the get power when the lights are on and its the one for the headlight. The reason you have to bend the tab up is you do not want the power you are suppling the relay to back feed the lighting system...... MELTDOWN AGAIN. The only draw back is you will only get an indication the foglights are on when the headlights are on .... but who cares... if you only have your parking lights on or just your fog lights, helll you should know you turned them on. Now if you want to get creative you can find a wire that has power only when the key is on and use that as the supply power to the relay and you'll never leave them on by accident. I hope this helps.
John