FLASHING SIDE MARKER LIGHTS FOR THE 2005 CHRYSLER 300C
----------------------------– 2nd Edition ---------------------------------
THE PRELIMINARIES:
This is my second “how to’” write-up on “how to” make the side marker lights flash with their respective turn signal. My first design, posted in November of 2007, used two relays, with associated diodes to prevent backfeed to other circuitry of the car, and capacitors to control the flashing when the parking lights were on. It worked fine, but I thought that it was over-complicated, and a bit difficult to build.
So I went back to the drawing board and developed a four relay (two/side) design, with no diodes and no capacitors, and it all fits neatly into a 1” x 2” x 3” project box. Further, it connects into the wiring of the car just like the first design just behind the right side of the front bumper where the wire harness from the Module-Integrated Power (a.k.a. IPM) comes down from the engine compartment and branches off to the right and left side marker lights.
Making the side markers flash when the turn signals flash, whether the parking lights are off or on, can be accomplished with the use of two relays per side. When the parking lights are off and the turn signal is turned on, power needs to be sent directly to the respective side marker, while at the same time the parking light circuit is disconnected from the side marker light preventing turn signal power from backfeeding to the other parking lights. Conversely, when the parking lights are on, power to the side marker simply needs to be interrupted when the turn signal is turned on. Thus the side marker turns off when the turn signal turns on.
Side Marker Light Flasher Control Circuit Schematic
And Insertion Point Diagram
THE COMPONENTS:
Relays: “R1R”, “R2R”, “R1L”, and “R2R”(Four req’d.):
Four Packages, Radio Shack Cat. No. 275-0248 - $4.69 each, $18.76 Total
Component Perforated Circuit Board (One piece req’d.):
One package, Radio Shack Cat. No. 276-148 ----- $1.99 each, $1.99 Total
Hobby Box, 1”D x 2”W x 3”L (One req’d.):
One package, Radio Shack Cat. No. 270-1801 ---- $2.29 each, $2.29 Total
In addition, the following are required:
1) Approximately 15’ of #18-20 AWG stranded hook-up wire. It can be of multiple
colors for identity purposes, or all one color with labels applied to maintain identity.
I used what I had on-hand: Red, Orange, and black. If you need to pick some up for your build Radio Shack sells 15’ reels of one color for about $7.00.
2) As required: solder, silicon adhesive/sealer, tie-wraps and/or electrical tape.
THE BUILD:
The Project Box:
Prepare the interior of the project box to receive the PCB by trimming down the vertical PCB retaining slots 3/8” below the top of the open box, and then by drilling down the (4) PCB mounting bosses flush with the bottom of the box with a 3/8” diameter drill.
Assembling The Relays To The Perforated Circuit Board:
Position the relays on the PCB with the relays’ pins inserted through the board EXACTLY as shown so that all relay pins are located in holes surrounded by copper rings:
Top view of assembly:
Bottom view of assembly:
then mark the positions of the relays on the top side of the PCB, remove the relays and carefully trim the ends of the PCB as pictured so as to allow placement into the hobby box as shown below:
After all is determined to properly fit into the project box, solder the relay pins to the board.
Wiring The Relay/Perforated Circuit Board:
Per the schematic diagram, and as pictured below, cut, strip, and solder wires between relay pins. Extend the two (2) leads (the red and orange as shown in the picture) leaving the assembly destine for the Front Control Module (FCM) 60”. Extend the four (4) leads leaving the assembly for connection into the car’s wire harness 12” so as to have sufficient length for splicing into the wire harness behind the right front bumper.
Label the ends of the leads (masking tape tabs will do) marked to indicate the connection point of each wire into the wire harness per the schematic diagram above.
Assemble The Wired Relay/PCB Into The Project Box:
First, lay the wired assembly into the project box and mark where the wires cross the lip of the box. Remove the wired assembly and cut a notch into the top edge of the project box to a depth that will allow the tops of the relays to sit on the inside bottom of the box.
Second, place a 1/2" or so dab of silicon adhesive/sealer into the center of the bottom of the box, then set the wired relay/PCB assembly into the box with the wires exiting through the notch. Allow the silicon adhesive/sealer to cure.
Seal and Close The Project Box:
After allowing the silicon adhesive/sealer attaching the relays to the inside bottom of the project box to cure, apply four dabs of silicon adhesive/sealer to the tops of the screw-hole posts at the inside corners of the project box, and a bead of silicon adhesive/sealer around the rim of the box.
Then set the lid into position and install the screws to seal the box.
Wipe off any silicon adhesive/sealer that oozes out of the joint.
Apply a bead of the silicon adhesive/sealer around the wires at the exit point from the project box. Allow the silicon adhesive/sealer to cure.
THE INSTALLATION:
After raising and supporting the front end of the car with the transmission in ‘PARK’ and the emergency brake set, remove the splash pans beneath the engine (4 – 10mm bolts) and behind the front bumper (6 plastic pins and 10 – 7mm bolts).
Now then, working from beneath the right front corner of the car, reach up to the right side marker lamp’s socket, grasp it and twist counter-clockwise to remove it from the reflector. Pull the cable support clip, located about 6” down along the side marker lamp’s supply wires, from its hole in the black styrofoam backing of the bumper. Unplug the side marker bulb from its socket and put it aside for safe keeping. Carefully unplug the wire connector from the right side fog lamp to allow the wire harness additional freedom. Follow the wire harness toward the left side of the car, passing the branch that goes upward into the engine compartment, and then forward of a brace, and on through a support molded into the backside of the bumper. At this point of support give the wire harness a bit of a bend and release it from the support. The wire harness will now be quite loose allowing the branch point in the harness that leads up into the engine compartment to hang down below the bottom of the bumper. Remove about three inches of the tape used to form the wire harness from either side of the branch point, and up the branch itself.
The result should look like this:
Then cut the white-with-violet stripe wires as indicated, strip the ends back 3/8”, and twist together the ends of the pair of WT/VT wires going to the left side of the car. Also strip a 3/8” piece of insulation off of the BL/BR ground wire without cutting the wire.
Next, connect the two side marker light, the IPM, and ground leads from the project box to the car’s wire harness at the points prepared per the above. If you are using heat shrink tubing to insulate the splices, slip the pieces on to the hook-up wires before splicing. The result should look like this:
Now extend the two 60” wires coming out of the project box (in my case the RED and ORANGE in the pictures) going to the FCM upward behind the bumper along the wire harness branch that goes upward into the engine compartment. Trail these two wires toward the right side, beneath the headlamp assembly, following the headlamp wiring harness as it loops toward the rear and upward beneath the integrated power module (IPM). At this point remove the engine cover and pull the battery cable support clip from its hole in the strut tower to allow the IPM to swing upward 90-plus degrees to allow access to connector C2 just to the rear of the Front Control Module. Support the IPM so that it doesn’t fall back to its normal position while working on making the wire connections at the C2 connector.
As can be seen in the picture below:
the “signal” wire for the right side marker lamp (in my case the RED one) is tapped onto the white-with-tan-stripe (WT/TN) wire, while the ORANGE (in my case) “signal” wire is tapped onto the white-with-light-green stripe (WT/LG) wire.
At this point do a functional test to see that everything works as it should.
After assuring that all is well, tape the two joints below the IPM, lower the IPM into its clip, plug the battery cable support clip back into the strut tower, tie-wrap or tape the leads down along the wire harness, replace the engine cover, and close the hood.
Now, back down beneath the bumper, solder the splices of the leads from the project box to the wire harness, and insulate the joints with heat shrink tubing or electrical tape. Do another function test to assure correct operation. Then twist the leads from the project box to form a harness, and tape everything to finish off the wire harnesses. Up behind the bumper re-install the wiring harness in the support behind the bumper, plug the fog light connector back on to the rear of the fog light assembly, re-install the side marker bulb into its socket, re-install the side marker socket into the side marker reflector housing, and plug in the wire harness support clip. Finally, tie-wrapped or tape the project box to the headlight washer fluid hose thusly:
Replace the splash pans behind the front bumper (6 plastic pins and 10 – 7mm bolts) and beneath the engine (4 – 10mm bolts). Lower the front end of the car to the ground.
DONE!
04-14-2008, 06:54 PM
Linear Mode
