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Ford has, at various times, referred to the two lights in the grille of the ’02-‘05 T-Birds as “Supplementary Parking Lights” (I’ll refer to them as SPLs), “Driving Lamps,” and “Running Lights,” and even before the T-Bird was in actual production they referred to them as “Fog Lights.” As we know, the T-Bird bumper failed some part of the crash test that therefore prevented them from installing Fog Lights there, so some Birds came with no lights (just little painted plates) and others with regular lights installed.
Since buying my ’05 Bird, almost a month ago, I desired to make those two lights function as Daytime Running Lights (DRLs), in that they would come on whenever the car was running, regardless of the light switch position, and that “only” those two lights would be on, unless the light switch was activated.
As I studied the ’05 Workshop Manual and Wiring Diagrams I realized that because they were originally designed into the car as fog lights, that they therefore had their own circuit, thus if I could activate them, then I wouldn’t be activating the other parking and side lights.
The wiring diagrams showed the SPLs got their power from the Auxiliary Junction Box (AJB) under the hood, right behind the passenger Headlight assembly. The power was “Hot at all times” and the lights came on whenever the light switch on the dash panel was activated, which simply caused the SPL circuit to be grounded.
I knew the key was to change the power source to “Hot in Start or Run” and to always have the SPL circuit grounded.
My goals were to:
In fact, the “Add-A-Fuse” claims their product “Maintains New Car Warranty” and is designed for adding accessories requiring 10 amps or less, and the SPLs only require 10 amps. I then made a permanent ground for the SPL (with a quick disconnect capability to return to stock, if desired).
The result: Whenever the car is started the SPLs come on, and ONLY them, no amber parking lights, or side lights, or tail lights. Of course whenever the light switch is activated then all lights function as stock.
(Added 1/9/06) However, I did note one thing that I did not state above:
With the Ignition Switch in the LOCK, OFF, or ACC position, the SPLs are off, thus if you turn on the "parking lights," without the key in the Start or Run position, then you get all the Parking lights on except the SPLs, which seems to be way one would expect a car to operate.
The total cost of the Mod was about $5.
I took a lot of pictures during the mod and hope to have them posted in a couple of days. The two pictures below were taken tonight after the Mod, hopefully I will get a couple of daylight pictures tomorrow.
Any comments or questions or suggestions?
Tony Capoccia
2005 Black/Full Red, with Borlas and DRLs.
See the BEFORE and AFTER pictures (Note: the bright light in the middle in the New Jersey "reflective" license plate):
Daylight Pictures....
Before DRLs:
After DRLs:
Since buying my ’05 Bird, almost a month ago, I desired to make those two lights function as Daytime Running Lights (DRLs), in that they would come on whenever the car was running, regardless of the light switch position, and that “only” those two lights would be on, unless the light switch was activated.
As I studied the ’05 Workshop Manual and Wiring Diagrams I realized that because they were originally designed into the car as fog lights, that they therefore had their own circuit, thus if I could activate them, then I wouldn’t be activating the other parking and side lights.
The wiring diagrams showed the SPLs got their power from the Auxiliary Junction Box (AJB) under the hood, right behind the passenger Headlight assembly. The power was “Hot at all times” and the lights came on whenever the light switch on the dash panel was activated, which simply caused the SPL circuit to be grounded.
I knew the key was to change the power source to “Hot in Start or Run” and to always have the SPL circuit grounded.
My goals were to:
- Have this to be a very inexpensive modification (Mod).
- A Mod that would not void the new car warranty.
- A Mod that could easily be reversed (removed)
- A mod that did not cause any “Ford” wires to be cut.
- A mod that would allow all the other light functions to operate normally, to include the “exterior lamp inoperative messaging system” that sends a message to the instrument cluster whenever an exterior bulb burns out.
In fact, the “Add-A-Fuse” claims their product “Maintains New Car Warranty” and is designed for adding accessories requiring 10 amps or less, and the SPLs only require 10 amps. I then made a permanent ground for the SPL (with a quick disconnect capability to return to stock, if desired).
The result: Whenever the car is started the SPLs come on, and ONLY them, no amber parking lights, or side lights, or tail lights. Of course whenever the light switch is activated then all lights function as stock.
(Added 1/9/06) However, I did note one thing that I did not state above:
With the Ignition Switch in the LOCK, OFF, or ACC position, the SPLs are off, thus if you turn on the "parking lights," without the key in the Start or Run position, then you get all the Parking lights on except the SPLs, which seems to be way one would expect a car to operate.
The total cost of the Mod was about $5.
I took a lot of pictures during the mod and hope to have them posted in a couple of days. The two pictures below were taken tonight after the Mod, hopefully I will get a couple of daylight pictures tomorrow.
Any comments or questions or suggestions?
Tony Capoccia
2005 Black/Full Red, with Borlas and DRLs.
See the BEFORE and AFTER pictures (Note: the bright light in the middle in the New Jersey "reflective" license plate):
Daylight Pictures....
Before DRLs:
After DRLs:
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