magnet18

Any idea what the previous owner was doing with this wire?




anyone got a link to the wiring diagram?

scope103

That isn't factory wiring (almost all factory wiring is color with a stripe).

First, I'd want to know which bulb that was. Marker? Then you would want to find out which lead of the relay the blue wire went to. Is the blue wire activating the relay when the marker light comes on, or is the relay activated by something else and turning on the marker (?) bulb?

If the relay turns on the marker bulb, my guess would be that it is some sort of alarm signal. But there are easier ways to wire that.

Co_94_PU

iTrader: (-1)

Easier to probe the plugs than consult the diagrams, you only have two wires at the plug. Trace out the red and yellow to locate the ends.

Thinking it's a blinker mod. That's the front end of a first gen based on the round plug the DOT stamp and what looks like grill and headlamp buckets..

PS better pictures, more description of where and what we're looking at. Diagrams are at the rear of your service manuals.

magnet18

Traced it to a the floodlights on the bumper
relay also has red wire that goes to battery, yellow wire to switch to ground, and the 2 black wires go to the two floodlights.
Those 4 wires make sense
I have no idea why there's a blue wire to the turn signal
I'll see if I can figure out the relay wiring

Co_94_PU

iTrader: (-1)

should have it numbered on the bottom side, or you can probe those for continuity.

its looking like a fog or trail light that only works with running lights.. a safety feature to make sure they didn't leave the lights on.

PS Incase you didn't know your blinkers are only visible from the front on first gens they are in the bumper. That's a corner marker also called running lights.

magnet18

Messing with the lights, i see that now. They work, come on when i turn the lights on.

I'm confused why thats the case, i thought there was supposed to be a turn signal indication on the front when the truck is viewed from the side...
Guess that was just the law in the 80s?

Seems backwards to me, I would have thought the bumpers were the running lights and the corners were turn signals

Shrug

Co_94_PU

iTrader: (-1)

I think there is some leeway in the regulations, close enough to the corner. Or they altered it in the late 80's

scope103

"At or near the front, at the same height, symmetrically about the vertical centerline, as far apart as practicable." 49 C.F.R 571.108 https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/571.108

Turn signals are NOT required to be visible from the sides. Marker lights are, and the marker lights MAY flash with the turn signals, so many vehicles just merge the marker and turn signals. (Still must be "at or near the front.")

magnet18

Tied it in properly, packed with dielectric grease

magnet18

huh, good to know

Co_94_PU

iTrader: (-1)

Been a long time since I've had to dig into one of these.

In 84 SAE approved a new standard #588, adopted in 1989.

Spec requires visible from an angle of 45° to each side from the front.
They also changed the internal divider stuff also it looks like. So 1st gen 4runners are allowed to do the "cut a new hole and move the front's into the corner" mods.. good to know I'll be doing mine now I know, they have been zip ties to the crossbar since I got it (no bumpers eek) guess I should look that one up also, might need to slap a bar across my rear end to match.

Thanks for being up this subject, I've been concerned about a fix it ticket but my front is I guess OK since they bleed light with out a reflective surface no matter where rhey dangle up there.

Might get one for low output but cop can't eyeball that spec very well.

dropzone

iTrader: (6)

whoever invented those splice and dice crimp thingies is evil.
I have had more electrical issues tied to those splice crimp connectors than I care to remember on vehicles I have bought over the years.

Co_94_PU

iTrader: (-1)

He did that while I was typing and I never saw it.. I uh just died a little inside. I had to go back and look at the original post, a butt splice done properly is almost and in some cases better than solder ! Going to tell myself the crimp was way to tight with no overlap and ready to fall apart so we all feel better.


A butt splice done well has the the wires fully inserted such that they protrude slightly the opposite side, there will be a spiral twist merging the wire sections (not like a bubblegum wrapper, a spiral) the same as if you were soldering, and be contained inside a shrink wrap..

magnet18

Fine, properly is the wrong word, tied it in on the correct side of the connector is better.

When at home I clean, flux, solder, with leaded solder, clean off flux, and heat shrink. At the shop I didn't have a soldering iron, but the only issues I've had from these are when someone uses the wrong gauge, so it'll do for now.

edit
The old crimp was on wire so corroded at the contact it was brittle

Co_94_PU

iTrader: (-1)

It's all good man, we're just picky. It's on the hot side now, So if the bulb blows you can still run the other lamps?

magnet18

It was always on the hot side, but it was on the bulb side of the connector, instead of the wiring harness side of the connector

Don't know why he did that

Now I can take the light off if I need to, before I couldn't