2007 dodge ram automatic headlights

Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Security and Convenience
Forum Discription: Car Alarms, Keyless Entries, Remote Starters, Immobilizer Bypasses, Sensors, Door Locks, Window Modules, Heated Mirrors, Heated Seats, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=96842
Printed Date: May 17, 2024 at 1:49 PM

Topic: 2007 dodge ram automatic headlights

Posted By: ibow24
Subject: 2007 dodge ram automatic headlights
Date Posted: September 02, 2007 at 12:23 PM

Hello,

Can anyone help me with the installation of a DEI-545T in my 2007 Dodge Ram.?

I think with the CanBus stuff it's not as easy as it should be.

I want the parking lights and headlights to come on automaticlly. I think it would be easy to wire this by adding the relays between the headlight switch input and output but then looking at the wiring diagram I don't think I would be able to turn on fog lights since it is a push button on the headlight switch.

I had the dealer activate the daytime running lights but now I want to add the full automatic feature. I really miss this feature after getting this truck

thanks

Steve

Replies:

Posted By: enice
Date Posted: September 02, 2007 at 1:44 PM

Do you want your headlights to stay on when you remote start the car? or do you want them to turn on when you press the unlock button? and or both?

Posted By: ibow24
Date Posted: September 02, 2007 at 2:49 PM

I do not have remote start and have no plans on adding it so I'm only looking for the lights to go on once the ignition is turned.

thanks

Steve

Posted By: enice
Date Posted: September 02, 2007 at 3:29 PM

Sorry Just realized you have the right module. Basically it would turn on once the wipers turn on and or the sensor that comes with the 545t would turn it on. As for the fog lights, they also can be triggered by the output headlight wire which would power up your headlight and fog lights but you have to use another relay since the headlights and parking lights are negative trigger thru a 660 ohm resistor. Its not as basic as you would think but can be done. Remember the output wire from the module must have a 660 ohm resistor to turn on the lights. If it doesnt have the resistor it wont.

Posted By: ibow24
Date Posted: September 02, 2007 at 7:25 PM

I guess you lost me with the negative trigger and 660ohm resistor stuff. Do I need to wire in an external resistor is that resistor in the switch itself? Also I do not want the fog lights to be on the automatic circuit. I would like to remain as they are..manual control. Is there any way you could make this really easy on me and show me a wiring diagram of detailed explanation.

thanks, Steve

Posted By: enice
Date Posted: September 02, 2007 at 7:47 PM

lol its pretty simple..... first you need to tell me which 545t do you have?? the newer style or older style?? The older one has external relays while the newer one doesn't. After that I can explain what wires you connect to what.

Posted By: ibow24
Date Posted: September 02, 2007 at 10:38 PM

My DEI545t kit contains the following.

(2) relays (the normal mr76 type with 85,86, 87,87a and 30 pins and a control module the photocell and wire harness plugs into. A prewired harness for each of the realys. According to the instruction sheet one is for the parking light and the other is for the headlight (one has gr and vio wires the other has bl and br but I forget which is which,,,I dont have it here in front of me. I think the violet and brown wires go to pin 87 and they have an inline fuse installed.The relays also have have a common red wire to pin 86 that comes off the control module. 2 other wires also come off the control module and if I remember they go to pin 85.

thanks for helping me out. I really appreciate it !

Steve

Posted By: enice
Date Posted: September 02, 2007 at 11:04 PM

Blue wire from the relay: This wire you connect to the WHITE/ light green wire at the switch (in between the wire your add a 660ohm resistor) to make it work. According to DEI the Headlights and parking lights are negative trigger thru this 660 ohm resistor. If im not mistaken(if anyone can correct me please do so) this will trigger both the headlights and parking lights so the other wires off the relay aren't needed. Try doing it. If it doesn't then i'll give other info.

Violet wire from relay- This wire you connect to ground.

The rest of the wires from the module is basics like ground, power, ignition. The violet wire is the one you also need and you must connect to the BROWN / white or brown orange at the wiper motor.

This is the actual setup and should be easy.. Good Luck

Posted By: Chris Luongo
Date Posted: September 03, 2007 at 7:58 AM

I've never installed a 545T, but everything enice says sounds exactly right.

The only other things I would suggest, is to make your resistor a temporary connection, until you're sure that it works right.

If you find, for example, that you're getting only the parking lights, try substituting a resistor slightly larger or smaller.

You won't break anything by using the wrong-size resistor, you'll only activate the wrong function.

Posted By: ibow24
Date Posted: September 03, 2007 at 8:31 AM

great information. Thanks for your help.

life was easier when everything was just +12v switched wasn't it...but then we wouldn't have all these gadgets to play with.

I printed out your tips and I'll get to work on it and let you guys know how it turns out.

thanks again for your help

Steve

Posted By: ibow24
Date Posted: September 03, 2007 at 10:32 AM

one more question about the wiring you desribed.

Were I make the connection to the W / LG wire on the headlamp switch. Am I going to cut this wire and connect the truck side to the resistor and blue wire or am I making a tap off the W / LG wire? If I cut this wire then I assume the switch will no longer turn the lights on and also I doubt I would be able to turn the fog lights on...and I assume being able to turn the lights on with the switch is probably an inspection requirement. If I make a T tap off the the W/LG wire I should then still be able to turn them on with the switch if needed but they would also turn on with the DEI unit.

Also Enice, in your last post you said to ground the Violet wire but then you said the Violet wire goes to B/W or B/O on the wiper motor.

thanks again for your patience and help.

Steve

Posted By: enice
Date Posted: September 03, 2007 at 11:14 AM

You have 2 violet wires. The relay one goes to ground and the other harness on the module is the one connected to the wiper motor.

What you want to do is just strip the WHITE/ light green wire and connect your blue wire to it. After do that you cut the blue wire and put a resistor in between in and test to see if it works. And by they way DO NOT T TAP, just strip the wire and make a "little hole" in it and put your blue wire through it. When you turn on your switch manually it will not turn on the unit because its an output wire and basically doesnt make sense to get into depth on why. Trust what im saying and you should be done and have a working 545T. If you can, solder the connections that you made.

Posted By: ibow24
Date Posted: September 03, 2007 at 11:33 AM

ah...you're right...2 violets. Thanks.

why not do a T-tap?

thanks again

Steve

Posted By: Chris Luongo
Date Posted: September 03, 2007 at 11:59 AM

ibow24,

Again, since I'm not familiar with the 545T, maybe it's better to break it down like this:

1. Install the majority of the 545T.....get -yourself to the point that when it's dark out, you have a wire coming from the 545T that puts out a ground.

2. Bring that wire to the headlight switch.

-Strip open (but don't cut) the wire on the truck.

-Connect the 545T wire to one end of your resistor.

-Connect the other end of the resistor to the wire on the truck.

As far as enice not telling you to use a T-tap, he's referring to a specific brand of electrical connector, the T-Tap from 3M (and other companies), which clips onto the factory wire, instead of having to cut/splice/solder.

If you're using the general term of making a "T" type of connection to the factory wire, yes, that's exactly right.

There is a lot of disagreement among professional installers as to what type of connection is best/acceptable....... T-tap, poke-wrap-tap, poke-wrap-solder-tape, and others.

But that is a discussion for another day----just make the best, most reliable connection you can.

Posted By: enice
Date Posted: September 03, 2007 at 12:01 PM

T Taps get loose and are not recommended in any automotive installation. If you solder your connections and need to troubleshoot the install then the connections part wouldn't be a factor.

Posted By: ibow24
Date Posted: September 03, 2007 at 1:10 PM

OK, so the T-tap issue is one of reliability or lack of. got it. Solder is good with me.

one last question and I promise I'll quit bugging you guys.

Enice, in your description of the relay wiring you said BLUE goes to light switch with 660ohm in line and Violet goes to ground. Did you mean BROWN goes to ground ? the relay with the BLUE wire on 30 has the BROWN wire on 87 (not violet) The other relay has Green on 30 and Violet on 87. With the installation you described, Since the 660ohm resistor triggers BOTH parking and headlights I'm really only using one of the relays correct? I'm guessing that the Violet wire on the 7 wire harness that goes to the wiper motor. When the wiper is turned on the violet wire becomes engergized into the module and that in turns energizes the relay, closes the switch and turns on the lights.

thanks, Steve

Posted By: enice
Date Posted: September 03, 2007 at 1:20 PM

Exactly the way you mentioned with the motor part. Also, I just saw the manual again and yes you are right. I got the wires mixed up on the relay part. Since the resistor turns on both the parking lights and headlights then you wouldnt need the other relay. If you dont want it to be bulky you cut the wires and match on a seperate relay. Remember the name of the game is not just to make it work but to make it look factory(well at least in my game). BTW, you arent bugging anyone. This is how you learn. Good that you asked before you did anything. Its a brand new car and would hate to see something go wrong.

Posted By: ibow24
Date Posted: September 03, 2007 at 1:47 PM

Great, I think I got it all now.

I found some wiring diagrams for the 06 Ram. Do you have any idea if the 07's are the same? I'm trying to find a good place to get the constant +12v and the switched ignition point. It looks like Pk / Y is switched to the power outlets in the dash. I should be able to use that OR I do not have heated seats so I can probably just plug into the connector where the heated seats control would normally be. Not sure where to find a constant +12 source yet.

OH, and according to the 06 wiring the Intermittant Wiper Switch Signal wire is Br / Y. I believe that is where I want to take the violet from 7 wire harness of the 545T.

once again. A HUGE thanks for patience and help, Steve

Posted By: vitrox
Date Posted: September 03, 2007 at 1:54 PM

not to say all these ideas aren't great.. but why not just throw a diode on the relays under the hood? 1 diode coming from the fuel pump negative trigger going to the low beam negative on the relays will work also.

Posted By: ibow24
Date Posted: September 03, 2007 at 5:10 PM

ummm..that doesn't sounds too easy to me.

I took the bottom dash panel off just to start looking around for the wires I need. The harness for the headlight switch was easy to get to and unplug but it has THREE white and light green wires in it LOL...as long as it is the same as the 06 wiring, the one I want is #1 on the plug so that's easy enough...but all the other wiring behind the dash is all wrapped in bundles and spiral wound with electrical tape. It's not going to be easy to find the wiper wire or a constant +12 and switched +12.

Also unless I figure out a way to rewire the fog lamps it looks like I will have turn on the headlight switch even though the lights will already be turned on by the 545T. Unless..... The fog lights come on with a push of headlamps switch button. You DO NOT have to push this button every time you want them on. Push it once and they will come on anytime you turn the switch to parking lights or headlights. SOOOOO, During normal operation the parking light / headlight switch will stay in the OFF position allowing the 545T to automaticlly turn them on. If I want the fog lights on I just turn the headlight switch to the "parking light" position and they will come on.

I guess I need to test the 660 ohm resistor value. I think there would be 3 different values needed to turn on the sepeate light groups. X ohms = parking lights only, Y ohms = Parking lights AND Headlights, Z ohms = Parking Lights / Headlights & Fog Lights. Hopefully the 660 value turns on the parking lights and headlights and when I turn the switch it add in the fog lights. maybe....wait...the fog lights would be in parrallel with the automatic lights not in series so I guess that would work. I dont know, I'm not that smart.

Steve