OK I just went out to my truck and looked around to see what I was going to be in for when installing the FAL. I crawled under the truck to see the A/C compressor and what I found was a wiring plug that looks like it is plugged into something by the engine oil pan and is gray in color,but it is right next to the compressor almost touching the serpintine belt and almost looks like it is the A/C compressor plug but then I found a blue plug that is towards the top of the A/C compressor that I belive is the plug that controls the compressor this bundle of wires runs up and loops around the valve covers and ties into the wireing harness that also has all the COP Connectors as well as the FI plugs..Inside the wireing harnes I found a big black wire a small black wire and a black wire with a green stripe. So is the black wire with the green stripe the wire I want to use for hooking up the A/C line for the FAL's It is fairly easy to get at and since it is right by where i want to install the control box behind the headlight on the sheet metal the wire sholdnt have to be very long. Also what is evryone using to splice into the wire if this is indeed the wire i need ? Are you using those clamp on type wire splicers?

Richard D.

 

Do yourself a favor and dont splice in at the compressor. Here is what I would recommend. Pull out owners manually and identify the A/C clutch relay, Go over on drivers side and pop the fuse box out so you can flip it over. Meter the leads on the bottom side of the relay and see whcih ones are hot when vehicle is off. Then start it up and test them again, then turn on A/C and one of the dead wires should go hot. Tap into this wire right under the fuse box. It will be much better protected from the elements and you can be 100% certain you have the correct wire.

 

Sweet that does sound a bit better. Thanks Zyg.

Well I may have thanked you to soon I went out and got my owners manual out and there is no listing for A/C Clutch for the fuse panel under the hood, the only listing I could find for A/C Clutch is as follows: This applies to the interior fuse panel #5 position 15 amp /Speed Control, daytime running lamps, climate control blend door, backup lamps, A/C Clutch coil

Nothing at all for the fuse panel under hood that relates to the A/C Clutch.

So now I am even more confused!


Richard D.

 

I don't mind splicing into a wire as long as I know it is the correct wire what I will do is simply cut the wire strip off some coating the use a Marine Waterproof Butt Connector with Adhesive lined Heat Shrink Tubing for a water tight connection and splice everything back together good as new.

Richard D.

 

Zyg makes a good suggestion. I wish I thought of it.

When I went out to my truck I had trouble finding a way to tap into that but then again I just went out there for a few minutes out of curiosity from that suggestion. The wire I tapped into is one of 2 that terminates at a plug at the top of the compressor. The 2 wires are taped up and run up the front of the engine and back across the valve cover on the passenger side. Zyg's idea would be a more OEM-like install though.

Zyg, how do you pop that box out to get to the back of the relay sockets ? I didn't notice how to do that just looking at it.

 

The 97 & 98's dont have an AC relay in the engine bay fuse box.

That's why I picked up my AC signal at the pressure switch on the AC accumulator.

 

Yeah Richard... I didn't mind doing the splice. I've got lots of experience soldering circuit boards and things like that too so I didn't have an issue of doing that either. When you look at the front of the motor where the wires come up from the compressor you can't even see where I spliced it in. It's all sealed up and the new wire is wrapped up in the black plactic wire loom and just follows the compressor wires back to the firewall.

Yeah shrink tubing is great stuff. It's hard to use on a "T" splice though unless it's in a tape form. The combination of liquid electrical tape and silicone tape over that dealt with that issue.

 

I dont mind splicing into wires but I would rather do it in a spot that is 1) easy to get to and 2) ideally away from the elements. Splicing in under the fuse box is both of those. There are simply tabs near the corner os the fuse box which hold it in place, pry them away one at a time and left the corner of box as you do so. There should be enough slack in the wires running to the underside for you to at least set the fus box on its side and have easy view/access to the underside and the wires are all nicely exposed. Then when done splicing in, the are on top of the wheel well and under the box so less likely to cause problems down the road.

 

What year is your truck richard?

 

My truck is a 97 and from what I can tell the wire loom that is already wrapped around the passenger side of the engine cam cover attached with black plastic cap things appears to contain the wires. If you go back and read my previous post you will see that how I described everything I found. ronhop I will not be using a "T" fitting with the Marine butt connectors I have if you twist two 16 gauge wires together and insert them into the butt connector it will crimp down on both of them and the Heat shrink tubing is part of the butt connector insulation. I use this for marine applications it actaully has a glue that when heated up kind of melds everything together making a waterproof connection it is really good stuff. I use i on my boat made to be down in thebilge area under water for bilge pumps and such. You can buy it from www.westmarine.com

Richard D.
Here is my ride check it out:

https://www.f150online.com/galleries....cfm?gnum=2479

 

Hapynzap would it be possible for you to sedn me a picture of where you did yours? I belive the wires I found are the A/C wireing I just needed to know if the right wire is the black with green stripe but if you could send me apicture or post here that would be great.

Richard D.

 

Like I was saying. I got my positive AC signal off the plug that goes on the pressure switch that's on the AC accumulator back by the passenger side firewall. I checked the plug with a 12v test light and the AC on/off to verify the proper wire on this plug. Here's a picture of my splice. I then wrapped it in electrical tape and plugged it back on the pressure switch. There is more than one way to do this and this was my method. I then ran my wire to the #8 terminal on the FAL controller.

 

OK now where talkin that is KISS (Keep it simple stupid) and very effective I would guess I imagine I could even do it my way just move down the wire a bit further and make my splice that way I still get the waterproofing I was looking for. So do your fans cycle on when ever the Control **** is switched to A/C even if the fan switch is on low?

Richard D.

Although I would still like to know if anyone tapped into the wires that do run across the passenger side cam cover and if in fact those wires that are in there are the A?C wires Blackwgreen stripe?

 

Richard I already tried there at the cam cover and I couldn't get it to work. I recommend against it.

Whenever the AC compressor runs the fans run. In all fan positions except "floor" and "panel" or "off"

 

OK cool it looks like the wire you tapped into is red is that correct?

Richard D.