View Full Version : How-To: Blinker Mod - Generation 4


Needforspeed368
Jan 28 2006, 04:29pm
How-To: Make the useless side-marker light function as a turn-signal

This How-To is for a Generation 4, however this can be performed on any Ranger using the Daniel Stern Lighting Tech guide:

Daniel Stern's Flashing Sidemarker Lamp Tech (http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/markerflash/markerflash.html)

Tools Needed:


#2 Phillips Screwdriver
Wire cutter/stripper
Soldering Iron and Solder, or a 4 crimp on wire-taps
Electrical Tape and/or shrink wrap


Step One:
Remove your Turn Signal by removing the two screws located at the bottom. There is a black trim piece of plastic covering the turn-signal tabs that these screws go through. Push this straight down to expose the tabs so you can pull the turn signal off. The signal is also held on by a clip at the top, so apply even pressure top to bottom and it will unclip.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b242/Needforspeed3685/Truck%20Tech/Blinkermod1.jpg

Step Two:
(You may have to cut back the wire loom to expose enough of the wires from both of the following bulbs.)
Cut the wires for your side marker light about 4-6 inches from the light-bulb housing. (a black and a brown wire) Wrap the ends that normally supply this bulb electricity with electrical tape and tuck them behind the header panel, making sure no wire is exposed to cause a short.

Cut the brown and green wire from the outer turn signal bulb as far away from the housing as possible.

Strip all the wires, for a total of 6 bare wires. (two from the side marker, 2 from the turn signal bulb-housing, and two which supply the turn signal electricity.)

Solder together all three brown wires from both lights. Secure with heat-shrink or electrical tape and ensure no wire or solder is exposed.

Solder together the two green wires with the black wire of the side marker. Secure with heat-shrink or electrical tape and ensure no wire or solder is exposed.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b242/Needforspeed3685/Truck%20Tech/Blinkermod2.jpg

Put the turn signal back on and you now have a functioning side-marker light!

With this modification, you will have the following results:

Headlights/Parking lights ON - turn signal flashes alternately with side marker light.

Headlights/Parking lights OFF - Turn signal and side marker flash together.

Needforspeed368
Jan 28 2006, 04:31pm
That's 4 submissions in 2 days, and I'll be posting my How-To LED Dash soon. Am I an RPS Contributor yet???

Talley
Jan 30 2006, 05:14pm
why not just cut the sidemarker wires then use them blue splice crimps and splice them into the other wires then just tape off the feed to the sidemarker.

Needforspeed368
Jan 31 2006, 09:30am
Because those blue crimp splices are not weather proof, and for a long term-reliability, soldering and heatshrinking, with a little electrical tape even, is the best method for a weaterproof connection. You could use those crimp splices, but if you have a soldering iron take the extra 5 minutes and do it right.

reddog64
Feb 03 2006, 06:04pm
solder and heatshrink is the safest way...

be sure to put the heat shrink on before you solder... :cheers:

Ranger72
Feb 03 2006, 06:28pm
solder and heatshrink is the safest way...

be sure to put the heat shrink on before you solder... :cheers:


Hahaha, we have all made that mistake before... its like DAMN, get me the dikes....