This weekends electrical jobs

[Lee J]

OK, I've got a few electrical jobs to do on the 2001 tranny this weekend.
I'll list them below but feel free to offer advice or alternative methods. I am a novice but understand simple concepts.

1. FIT WORK LIGHTS TO REAR
For this I'm going to follow Madvanman's simple diagram. Im using 2x 55w worklamps and Im gonna mount them to the roof at the rear. I'll mount the lamps, earth them to the chassis, run the cable along the inside gutter (where the interior light wires run) to a relay, then to a switch, inline fuse then to the battery. (see diagram)



2. REAR MARKER LIGHTS
I'm fitting 2x red rooftop rear marker lights. I'll drop the wire through the roof and down the rear pillars to the rear light cluster where I will tap into the rear side light circuit using a scotch lock. Then I'll earth to the chassis. I will repeat this for the left marker light. Anyone know the wire colour for the rear side lights?

3. FRONT MARKER LIGHTS
I will mount the white rooftop marker lights to the roof then hopefully I will be able to tap into the side light wire thats running to the rear with a scotch lock and then earth the marker light to the chassis.

4. EXTRA INTERIOR LIGHT
I want this light to work using the built in on/off switch. I don't want it to go on/off with the doors. This is so the guys in the rear can have the light on whilst we're driving, so a simple on/off is sufficient.
I think a wire from the battery through a fuse to the light unit then earthed to the chassis would be ok but please feel free to suggest an alternative.

Thats it, Im gonna be busy!!

[rover]

It all makes sense to me!

I'm no expert when it comes to auto electrics but I have done all the things you are going to do and did them the same way, all apart from the second interior light that is...I just put a scotch block in the wire for the rear interior light (which is was switch only) and ran through a fuse and down the interior gutter to the new light, then earthed to the chassis again.


Rover.

[MrMPuk]

The extra interior light can just be fed from the exisiting interior light as that also has a permanent feed. When you say earth to chassis you can just use the fixing screws\bolts for the ligths that your gonna fit.

[Lee J]

The extra interior light can just be fed from the exisiting interior light as that also has a permanent feed. When you say earth to chassis you can just use the fixing screws\bolts for the ligths that your gonna fit.

but surely the new light will only work when the existing interior light is in it's on position?

[MrMPuk]

No because there is a permanent feed at the light and a switched from the door, otherwise you wouldn't be able to switch it on with the door closed!

[Lee J]

ok, thanks. so i have red and black. any clue to which is which or is it a case of suck it and see?

[MrMPuk]

I would say get yourself a multimeter, if you are doing all this wiring you can't be without one really!

[Luke]

I would say get yourself a multimeter, if you are doing all this wiring you can't be without one really!

i'd agree!! you can get them from £5 and if your just doing reletivly basic wiring it will be plenty good enough!!!

[MrMPuk]

I paid £200 for my last one and it has all the same functions as my £10 one, apart from a backlight display.

[rover]

I took the feed from the back interior light cos they were on different circuits(no Idea why or if thats normal?), that way if the front had any problems(broken wires in door shorting out/water ingress etc) the mid one would still work, and its easier to get at the wiring without moving head linings!


Rover.

[sidspop]

All sounds good to me, except...
If you are fitting new work lights, and interior lights, why not bring one feed from the battery, via fuse, to the rear of the van, and then use a 2 way fuse box to do your additions? That way all your bits are isolated from the existing, and you wont have to splice into old wires, which is always hit and miss.
Where did you get marker lights from, and if I'm really nosey, how much.? I want some on my van, but finding good quality at a sensible price is hard.
Andy

[stevew]

Yep, I agree.
If you're fitting a load of accessories then it's so much nicer to fit your own fuse box and keep the original wiring standard. It'll pay off in the long run when you're looking at a circuit diagram in Haynes manual and know it's standard. They're cheap as chips too!
Steve

[Lee J]

thanks people. I didnt get around to the marker lights wiring because I want them to come on with the side lights but when I tried to tap into the side light circuit I was confronted by a plug going into the top of the rear light unit which had 6 or 7 different coloured wires going into it. help?

anyone know what colour the side light wire is?
(it's on a 2001 new shape tranny).

[Lee J]

ok here's what Ive found. I thought I'd post this for reference. This is only applicable on a new shape transit. This is the plug that plugs into the rear light clusters:

LH Side

pin6 Reversing lights ---- GN/BK
pin5 Turn Signal ---- OG/YE
pin4 Park/side ---- OG
pin3 Stop lights ----OG
pin2 Ground ---- BK/OG
pin1 Fog lights ---- GN/YE

RH Side

pin6 Reversing lights ---- GN/OG
pin5 Turn Signal ---- OG/BU
pin4 Park/side ---- OG/BK
pin3 Stop lights ----OG/BK
pin2 Ground ---- BK
pin1 Fog lights ---- GN/YE

[Lee J]

does anyone know what path the wires run from the rear light clusters? I know they run down the centre of the side panels but where do they go when they reach the side door. I assume it's upwards, across the top of the side door and along the top of the van into the overhead storage and down the front pillar into the engine compartment. Would this be right?