Electrical issue

[Lone Watie]

I'm still waiting on my ss braided fuel line for my Isspro mechanical fp gauge, but decided to wire up the lights the other day. I tapped into the ash tray light as recommended by geno's garage. Now, I'm getting an intermittent condition of the dome and courtesy lights turning on while I'm driving, and today was inside the store shopping only to leave the store and come outside and hear my factory alarm honking going off. Then 5 minutes later while driving, the flasher unit started making that sound like the relay was opening and closing.

My wiring is like this:

Ash tray ground line is orange/black. I didn't use this, I used a ground underneath the steering wheel. Spliced into the hot wire (tested with a volt meter/fluke 88v), reading on the source wire was 12v + so knew it was the hot, tested with the ground and got -12v. It did this the other day when I originally used the cup holder light, which made me promptly rewire the hot to the ash tray (as recommended by Geno's). Now doing it again, and scratching my head at it. I'm having a hard time believing that the flasher unit all of a sudden decided to go out coincidentally after I did some wiring.

I also know this, all of those wires go like this:

1. From fuse block to the Central Timer Module (located to the right of the steering wheel, left of the ash tray, back side of the dash. See attached diagrams

2. From the CTM to Joint Connector No. 5

3. From Joint Connector No. 5 to Ground 201 and the cup holder and the ash tray lights.

This CTM controls lots of things, for example, audio warnings and the factory alarm system, turning the interior lights off after a certain time, etc.

My goal is to have the gauge lights dim with the dimming control, so any other suggestions are appreciated. I'm just looking for the closest source for the hot, and maybe I did the ground wrong.

[Lone Watie]

A couple assumptions I'm making about my setup.1. I'm assuming that my ground is good, as if it weren't, then I wouldn't be getting the light to turn on with my headlight switch2. I'm also assuming, as mentioned above, that my flasher unit is fineAlso, when it does this, my door jamb switch will not shut the interior lights off. The only way to shut them off is to turn the dimmer all the way down to off.I'm hoping that I didn't fry the CTM, as I'm sure this isn't a cheap thing to replace, and I want to fix my problem before throwing parts at it, especially high dollar parts, which if I haven't found the problem will just fry a replacement CTM. Thanks in advance for any help.

[Lone Watie]

Anybody out there on this one? Should I maybe disconnect the lighting for the gauge until this is resolved? Thanks.

[Mopar1973Man]

I'm also hooked up to the orange wire myself. But I don't have the highline system...(No alram in my truck...) But I'm tapped in at the stereo since the adapter hookes the aftermarket stereo to the dodge connector has the dimmer lead... It open so I used it...

[Lone Watie]

I'm also hooked up to the orange wire myself. But I don't have the highline system...(No alram in my truck...) But I'm tapped in at the stereo since the adapter hookes the aftermarket stereo to the dodge connector has the dimmer lead... It open so I used it...

Mine is definitely a high line CTM. I still have factory radio/cd (single disc)/cassette in the truck, there were just a lot more wires leading to that, and felt more comfortable with working with 2 wires finding the hot vs. the mess going into the stereo. Could my wiring job, given the above diagrams, be increasing the resistance usually expected by the CTM, which is causing my issue? Thanks for the reply. My learning curve with this goes up every day. By the way, no offense meant on my other thread about tire size. I probably have small **** complex about my tires. My MPG last tank, by the way, changing subject a little was 20.3 (hand calc) SGII spit out upper 19s, but was disconnected for about 10 miles, and therefore not completely accurate. SGII is seemingly more or less calibrated for my truck now, as the numbers are more believable.

[Mopar1973Man]

Mine is definitely a high line CTM. I still have factory radio/cd (single disc)/cassette in the truck, there were just a lot more wires leading to that, and felt more comfortable with working with 2 wires finding the hot vs. the mess going into the stereo. Could my wiring job, given the above diagrams, be increasing the resistance usually expected by the CTM, which is causing my issue? Thanks for the reply. My learning curve with this goes up every day. By the way, no offense meant on my other thread about tire size. I probably have small **** complex about my tires. My MPG last tank, by the way, changing subject a little was 20.3 (hand calc) SGII spit out upper 19s, but was disconnected for about 10 miles, and therefore not completely accurate. SGII is seemingly more or less calibrated for my truck now, as the numbers are more believable.

Surprising to see how many kept the stock stereo. The dimmer lead orange should be affecting it be I guess it does in your just for some odd reason. But I would double check you connection and be sure you not shorting into other leads or gorund by chance. double check you wire color too... I seen a few time where the tracer color was hidden out of sight... You might eve nsee if you can hit that joint connector 5 and tap it there... As for the tires no problem... Just tossing 2 cents...

[edcasey]

Surprising to see how many kept the stock stereo.

. If I got rid of my stock stereo, how would I play my tapes?

[gassernomore]

I wired mine into the fuse panel. Used #14 it was for the dash lights. My kit came with one of those connectors that you put in with the fuse. The gauge light dims when I dim the rest of the dash lights.