Hi all

I'm installing an alarm, and it has the ability to provide 10amps of current to lights (which will quickly flash when the system is toggled).

I just want to have have the turn signals / running lights flash, as apposed to the headlights.

Has anyone done this? Is there a wire to tie into on under the dash, or will I have to do my soldering under the hood?

I've been staring at the `68 wiring diagram for quite a while now, and I can't quite figure it out. I could "experiment", but I'm hesitant to do so, based on past experience...

Dave,

My alarm doesn't have that option, but now you've got us all interested.

The front and rear running lights are on different circuits so you would need to have a two pole relay to drive them. You'll have the same problem with the turn signals because they are divided left and right.

How about the hazard lamp circuit?

Thanks for the input so far.

Yes, I think the "hazard circuit" or running lights circuit would be fine. Ideally, I'd like to avoid having multiple relays involved (as John points out), and I think that would be the case if I tapped into the wires that actually connect to the bulbs.

If I could simply provide power (through the alarm) to one wire (in parallel with the hazard switch? or running lights switch?), and let the car's wiring/circuitry do the rest of the work for me, that would be great.

Additional thoughts?

I used to install car alarms for a living and generally that gets connected to the parking light circuit which is a brown wire for GM cars. This brown wire comes out of the headlight switch and goes to the corners of the car and powers all parking lights. I've never worked on anything older than the 1970's though and I have gotten into the wiring on my firebird yet so it could be different for you. Sounds like maybe there's two circuits.

All you wanna do is mimic the light switch that's in your car. You don't have to run wire to each light, just power the wires coming off of the light switch. Toggle your light switch between parking lights on and parking lights off (not headlights on) and probe the wires coming out the back of it. One wire will show 12V then 0V then 12V then 0V as you're toggling the switch; just splice your wire in with this. If two different wires are toggling 12V / 0V then you have two circuits and you need to power both of them; if only one wire is toggling then only deal with that one wire. I don't know if 10A will be enough or not, you might wanna through a relay in there (I would).

As for the two circuits I think you can power both with this same signal. If there are two circuits, they both turn on and off at the same time and by the same light switch so you should be able to power them with the same signal (just put in one relay and power both circuits with it). Connecting them together won't change the net current flow so there shouldn't be an issue

you can also use this wire coming out of your alarm to honk your horn if you want

I would go with the horn honking and do it all through the horn relay. You have power and the horn right there. You get the running lights blinking and it just looks like hazard lights. It's not going to bring someone running to your car's rescue.

Thanks guys!

fyi, the unit comes with a "siren", and a separate wire that will also power the horn if desired.

It was a fairly inexpensive: Black Widow, 2-button, shock sensor and wires that connect to siren, original horn, lights etc, for roughly $35 - $40 US.

PS: I think the wire was brown in `68 too, but will report back after verifying.

If you connect the front and back circuits you're asking for trouble because they are separately fused and only one side feeds the IP. Do it right and get a double pole relay.

what's an IP?

Okay, I found the following brown wire which I believe is correct. (+12V when parking and headlights are on). The probe in the picture below points to it.

I then used a multimeter to supply +12V to it (with the lights switch off of course) while measuring amps, and sure enough, all of the "running" lights lit. The current flow is shown on the photo of the meter.

Additional thoughts?

Looks like your alarm's 10A output can handle the circuit. If that wire turns on all the lights you want it to turn on then you're good to go; just connect up your alarm's light output wire to that.

I'm not sure about the 2nd circuit that Hammered is talking about cause I've never seen that before for parking lights. But if there are two circuits which you are trying to power and they are normally separately fused then I agree you should power them with separate relays rather than connecting them together.

The headlight switch is a double throw switch (it makes two sets of contacts for each position). I'm not sure how you got all four to light but I'd say go for it if it works. I could not get mine to do that so I just made the rears opererable.

IP: instrument panel