Anybody use this running/DRL light pigtail?

[Figmo]

So I picked up one of these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0BS35TCGP/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Plugged it in on the drivers side fender light connector as directed. It gives +12v on the red output as it should when running lights are on.

But the yellow wire never has any voltage. Even with engine running and DRL’s on

Checked inline fuse. Fine.

instructions have no contact info for manufacturer

Any ideas?

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[Hootbro]

Yeah, they jacked that and the pictures they use from the Quadratec kit.

If I am following, the red wire goes to pin 4 for the parking lamp driver and the yellow wire goes to pin 5 the DRL lamp driver.

Assuming you have DRL function on the fender before installing the TEE kit, I would ring out the harness point to point for the yellow wire circuit. I would also check for 12vdc at pin 4 on the vehicle side of the connector.

Tech Authority splits the circuits up into two diagrams, Park Lamps for the Park Lamps (duh) and Headlamps for the DRL that I have attached.

 

[Figmo]

WOW! Great info, @Hootbro !

Tomorrow I'll go out there and pin it out. Agree, they prob assembled the plug incorrectly.

Thanks!

 

[Figmo]

Yeah, they jacked that and the pictures they use from the Quadratec kit.

If I am following, the red wire goes to pin 4 for the parking lamp driver and the yellow wire goes to pin 5 the DRL lamp driver.

Assuming you have DRL function on the fender before installing the TEE kit, I would ring out the harness point to point for the yellow wire circuit. I would also check for 12vdc at pin 4 on the vehicle side of the connector.

Tech Authority splits the circuits up into two diagrams, Park Lamps for the Park Lamps (duh) and Headlamps for the DRL that I have attached.

OK - it's not the pigtail. I rang it out and it's fine. But I don't have 12v at the vehicle side connector.

So...backing this truck up a bit.... maybe I'm unclear about what this pigtail is supposed to be doing in the first place.

I have activated DRLs using J-Scan. And my headlights are working as DRLs.

My need is that I have a step-transformer to up the voltage to my LEDs to 24v to decrease amperage and voltage loss in the wiring. The plan was to have the DRLs trigger the relay to energize this transformer. Then have the parking lights trigger the relay for my amber LEDs.

I would just have the same parking light trigger BOTH the transformer and the LEDs except I've also got white LEDs with their own relays. They'll need that transformer energized also and would be nice to be able to operate them without requiring the parking lights to be on also.

So is there something else I'm missing regarding the DRLs that this pigtail is responding to? Like a different J-Scan setting? Or is it some factory hardware that just doesn't exist on my Jeep?

 

[Hootbro]

I have activated DRLs using J-Scan. And my headlights are working as DRLs.

That circuit it is tapping into is for using the fender light as the DRL, not the headlamps.

You probably have to mess around some more with JSCAN on that. Below is a picture of the fender DRL's. If you have the LED package, it will be one continuous light across with the turn signal acting as a switchback.

 

[Figmo]

Do not have LED head/tail lights but do have LED fender lights that light. I assumed that DRL pigtail was tied to these.

BUT.... looking closer - these actually light with the parking lights, not the DRLs. I don't really see any difference at all on my fender lights between parking lights only and when DRL headlights are on.

I'll pop open J-Scan later and poke around to see what else I can fiddle with.

 

[Rockabillyroy]

one wire for parking lamp, one wire for DRL. If DRL is on, is parking light off?

 

[Hootbro]

Do not have LED head/tail lights but do have LED fender lights that light. I assumed that DRL pigtail was tied to these.

BUT.... looking closer - these actually light with the parking lights, not the DRLs. I don't really see any difference at all on my fender lights between parking lights only and when DRL headlights are on.

I'll pop open J-Scan later and poke around to see what else I can fiddle with.

Those were my DRL's on my 2022 Rubicon. Cannot remember if that was from something in the radio vehicle settings or JScan.

Out of ideas on this one.

 

[Figmo]

one wire for parking lamp, one wire for DRL. If DRL is on, is parking light off?

No. That DRL light on the fender (white light I pointed to in the pic above) is ALWAYS on anytime parking lights are on. The behavior of that light does not seem to relate to DRLs at all on my vehicle. It acts like a parking light.

IIRC, this was the same even before I used J-Scan to enable DRLs. Pretty sure the only change I noticed to the lighting by enabling DRLs in J-Scan was the headlights now stay on while I'm driving even during the day. But those fender white lights have always behaved like parking lights ever since I've owned this vehicle (did not purchase new - got it used a few months ago)

What I find odd is this: if those lights are supposed to be DRL's, then shouldn't they be connected to that same DRL pin on the plug that @Hootbro listed above? Which means, if they are on, that pin should be hot.

But what I'm seeing with my meter is the opposite. The DRL pin is dead, the parking light pin is hot (yet those white lights are still lit on both fenders). Which implies those lights must be connected to the parking light pin on the plug.

And - it appears - nothing is connected to the DRL pin (and it never gets 12v)?

When I get home tonight I'll try resetting the DRL feature in J-Scan back the way it was and just see what difference that makes (if any). I remember I had to pick "CANADA" on the list - which I found odd. Maybe that changes more than just the headlight behavior.

 

[Figmo]

For any future seekers with this problem: I've thrown in the towel.

I reset my JScan settings back to the way they were. Nothing seems to activate the DRL pin on the wheel well plug. My fender white lights seem to be tied to the parking lights always and I've found no way to activate the DRL pin on that plug.

So I've given up on Plan A of using the DRLs to trigger my transformer relay and switched to Plan B: tapped the fuse box F52 to for a circuit that is just always hot with the ignition.

Since the parking light wire from the pigtail works, this will fill my needs. If your needs require the DRL wire...all I can say is "Vaya con Dios, mi amigo"

 

[Hootbro]

For any future seekers with this problem: I've thrown in the towel.

Just kidding. DRL's have confused quite a few including me.

By chance, have you looking in the radio settings menu under "Lights" and ensure the DRL setting is set to on?

 

[Main Line Willys]

I am assuming you have only tested with the vehicle in park. Do you have a helper and try ringing it out while in drive?

I had fits with a back up camera install on a manual transmission 2018 JK. IF the parking brake was set, the camera would not activate and of course I was doing all of my testing with the brake set.

 

[Stan H]

"ringing it out while in drive?"
LOL that's the way I drive mine every day

 

[Main Line Willys]

I only mentioned it because I don’t think the DRL are active when in park. Then again, I don’t park my Jeep in front of a mirror.

 

[Hootbro]

I only mentioned it because I don’t think the DRL are active when in park. Then again, I don’t park my Jeep in front of a mirror.

Owners manual says they should work in any position for automatic and only when moving for a manual.

@Figmo you have a manual transmission?

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