wiring problem-driving lights

yesterday, i started installing some driving lights on my 1998 explorer sport.

after attaching the lights to the truck, i started the wiring

i have installed some fog lights on my x before, so i htought this was going to be easy.

the first step was to find the high beam wire and connect it to the switch. since i did not have a tester on hand, i went to my haynes manual. where i thought i found the wire (gray/orange). so i searched for it and searched, after i removed the panel under the steering panel, as well as the metal panel behind it, i found a gray and orange wire coming from the steering wheel. :scratch: i spliced into this wire and connected it to the switch.

second step was to mount the relay by the battery, which i did. (easy)

third was to connect the battery to the relay with the blue wire, which i did.(easy)

fourth was to connect the ground from the relay, which i did. (easy)

Fifth was to ground the lights, which i did.(easy)

Then connect the lights to the relay, which i did.(easy)

final step was to connect the relay to the switch, which i did.

after checking every thing and making sure all the grounds were connected, i turned on the headlights and then the switch(but the light on the switch did not turn on), anyways i turned on the high beams to see if it would work. No luck. righ tnow the only thing i can think of causing this would be the wire i connected to under the dash was the wrong wire.

but to throw another wrench into the mix, this morning i went to work and noticed the airbag light was on, but it would not stay on, it will randomly turn off and on, not at any intervals.

sorry for the long post but any help would be appreciated

 

[jimbo74]

does it come on and off randomly? it is supposed to come on for 6 seconds when you initially start up the car then go off

 

[SkanlaxJMO]

have you tied putting 12v on the wire that the high beam wire would atach to so that you can eliminate any light wiring issues.

 

[jessebitz]

does it come on and off randomly? it is supposed to come on for 6 seconds when you initially start up the car then go off

upon further inspection, i noticed the light turns on and blinks once then nothing then two more blinks then it will shut off for a few seconds then start over again. is this a code?

 

[High_Order1]

Do NOT put power on any wire you don't know what it does. Best scenario, you just kill a module. Worst scenario, you activate the airbag with your head at steering wheel level and snap your neck.

ESPECIALLY with orange or yellow wires.

To test:

Unlatch your lead from the vehicles' steering wheel harness. Start car and test to see if that clears the SRS warning.

Then, apply voltage to YOUR wire going to your relay. If the lights come on, you picked the wrong wire to sense from.

Also, idk in your specific application, but some lights are grounded differently, and you'll need an isolation relay to catch the wire in the car. I know this from putting headlamp flashers in vehicles. You can't just whack wires anymore, the cars don't like it. Some even throw a cel code. Weird.

Maybe someone on here has a Ford manual instead of your chiltons' and can send you a scan of the page in particular?

-Shawn

 

[chickenviii]

heres some wiring diags, not sure if you have auto lamps or not so heres everything, even fog's the airbag wiring is usually in a yellow shroud (kinda like a big loose piece of heatshrink, and you dont wanna ground this (it allready has power, its switched on the ground side)

 

[Bill Kemp]

I have always spliced the switch wire into the high beam wire under the hood at the headlight and run the wire back into the interior. Much less chance for error.

 

[jessebitz]

thank you everybody for your responses, you are all very helpful.

Today i did what was suggested and spliced into the high beam wire right by the headlight. Now it works perfectly, the driving lights only come on when the high beams are activated.

I still have the airbag issue though, im getting code "42". I checked the fuse panel and # 2 and 26 look good. i have yet to try the yellow plug under the seat.

does anybody have suggestions for something i could try?

i really appreciate the the help