eaglescout526 Posted January 29, 2020 Share Posted January 29, 2020 Looks like a good score! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High2by Posted January 29, 2020 Author Share Posted January 29, 2020 Looks like a good score! The best!!Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High2by Posted February 2, 2020 Author Share Posted February 2, 2020 It was really pretty outside today and after feeding the cows I got started working on the MJ. I worked mostly on the interior but I did do a couple things to the outside. I got my under hood light installed and used the devil wire to hook it up.I also got my relay cover installed and I painted my wiper arms black but didn’t take a picture of that. Inside I got the cargo light switch installed and finally finished up my radio too. I’ve still got some tweaking to do on exact placement of it. It needs to move driver just a little bit and I think with a washer or two I can get it to shift but I didn’t have any bolts the right size to make that happen. So once again something little holds up progress....I got my center console installed and mounted down. I painted it but it’s the wrong color. I used blue mist but it’s a little too blue. I’ll get the correct color and repaint it but for now, it’s nice to have a console mounted and sturdy.My ash tray had the driver side tab broke off so I got creative and used an old dash and dremel tool and cut out the part I needed then glued it into my dash. With the ash tray installed you never see the tan color. Not the prettiest but it is functional.I got both courtesy lights installed with LED bulbs. When it gets dark I’ll take a picture of them. I think they will be plenty bright enough.I also found this under the hood light that I had but the cable will not roll back into the light. The plastic is riveted but I was curious if you could take it apart and rebuild it?All in all, a productive day for me. Now gotta clean up and get ready for the super bowl.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglescout526 Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 2 hours ago, High2by said: also found this under the hood light that I had but the cable will not roll back into the light. The plastic is riveted but I was curious if you could take it apart and rebuild it? I say give it a shot. Not sure how rebuildable they are but probably just the mechanism inside needs a good lube-up. Looks like a good productive day. Least you didn't fight with a door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High2by Posted February 3, 2020 Author Share Posted February 3, 2020 My new interior lights.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scguy Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 That looks real nice. Sent from my LM-V405 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liketosmash Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 Interior lights look great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High2by Posted February 4, 2020 Author Share Posted February 4, 2020 Thanks guys!Another piece of the puzzle arrived today and of course they are calling for rain the next few days.Once this bad boy is on, she’ll be back on the road and I can’t wait!Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High2by Posted February 10, 2020 Author Share Posted February 10, 2020 Well I got the alternator installed. Pretty straight forward. Two mounting bolts, plug in connector, singe wire connected and belt back on. I was all excited to drive it today. Got in it, fired it up and the volt gauge didn't reflect that I had put a new alternator in it. In fact, it's as if the truck ate the new alternator just to get under my skin. So I turned on everything I could to draw electricity and the gauge actually showed zero. I turned everything off and it hovered under 9 in the red. I'm at a loss, any thoughts? Oh, I also got my headrest put in. Now both seats match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiatslug87 Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 What's the voltage at the battery when the engine is running? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglescout526 Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 I second what fiat said. What matters the most on Renix systems is if the alt is charging the battery or not. That being said, I have gotten my system to reflect what the charging says. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High2by Posted February 10, 2020 Author Share Posted February 10, 2020 8 minutes ago, fiatslug87 said: What's the voltage at the battery when the engine is running? I don't have a meter so I don't know. I'll have to get one and check it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High2by Posted February 10, 2020 Author Share Posted February 10, 2020 I took off work today to try and get my truck fixed but it is pouring rain like pouring water out of a boot. Unbelievable. Anyway, I'm gonna go to O'Reilly's when they open and get a multi meter. Any suggestions on what to get? They have a Performance Tool W2969 which looks like it would do all I need, yes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scguy Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 I took off work today to try and get my truck fixed but it is pouring rain like pouring water out of a boot. Unbelievable. Anyway, I'm gonna go to O'Reilly's when they open and get a multi meter. Any suggestions on what to get? They have a Performance Tool W2969 which looks like it would do all I need, yes? Just a quick look, that should do fine for simple checks. Some reviews say the test leads aren't very durable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ωhm Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 15 minutes ago, High2by said: They have a Performance Tool W2969 which looks like it would do all I need, yes? Put a 12vdc Test Light on your list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High2by Posted February 10, 2020 Author Share Posted February 10, 2020 11 minutes ago, Ωhm said: Put a 12vdc Test Light on your list. I do have one of these and use it often, great little gadget that is worth it's weight in gold, even though it doesn't weight much... 17 minutes ago, scguy said: 28 minutes ago, High2by said: I took off work today to try and get my truck fixed but it is pouring rain like pouring water out of a boot. Unbelievable. Anyway, I'm gonna go to O'Reilly's when they open and get a multi meter. Any suggestions on what to get? They have a Performance Tool W2969 which looks like it would do all I need, yes? Just a quick look, that should do fine for simple checks. Some reviews say the test leads aren't very durable. I saw some of the same reviews. I've never owned a meter before so hopefully this one will last me, no more than I apparently use one. Thanks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scguy Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 If you ever get to the point of wanting a good meter, check eBay for a used Fluke 115. It's the standard tech school meter, so there's a ton available from pawn shops etc. I use mine all day, every day at work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High2by Posted February 10, 2020 Author Share Posted February 10, 2020 Ok. I went and got a meter and did a test. I just put the leads to the battery cables with the engine running.I think I have it set right as far as getting the reading I needed?? If it is set right, then I AM charging the battery and the alternator is doing what it should.Checked the gauge....Still nothing. The gauge was working before so I tried to remember everything I did before the gauge went south.I added courtesy lights with LED bulbs. Simple plug and play. Then I added a cigarette lighter with the light but I don’t have a bulb for it yet. Again, simple plug and play. The factory wires and plugs were already in place.I also added the cargo light switch in the dash and it is plugged up too but I haven’t installed the light itself out back. Plug and play again.I installed a new radio.....On the factory radio the wire that fed the “ignition” hot was somehow tied or crossed with the headlight switch. When you turned the headlights off and the radio was on, the radio would go off and then come back on. This wire was the trouble wire. I did NOT reuse this wire as my ignition hot wire. I ran a new wire from the fuse block to the radio. I have had no issues since then with the headlight switch controlling the radio power. I also installed an under the hood light using the demon wire to make it hot but is plug and play as well.Of these things I’ve done, I can’t think of any cause for them to be tied to the gauge doing what it’s doing unless it’s something to do with the radio????Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglescout526 Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 Cleaned your grounds yet? Maybe clean some terminals and connectors out with electrical connector cleaner. The reason why your radio would turn off when you turn off the headlights is because that blue wire would be for the display. It would turn on or off the back lit display or dim the VFD if you had an older radio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 courtesy lights have got to be the easiest upgrade ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High2by Posted February 10, 2020 Author Share Posted February 10, 2020 Cleaned your grounds yet? Maybe clean some terminals and connectors out with electrical connector cleaner. The reason why your radio would turn off when you turn off the headlights is because that blue wire would be for the display. It would turn on or off the back lit display or dim the VFD if you had an older radio. I have cleaned and refreshed all but the one from the rear block to the firewall, in fact there is no ground there. I need to add it.There was an orange/brown wire that I used for the display lights. When the headlights come on the display dims. I wonder if I have something backwards.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High2by Posted February 10, 2020 Author Share Posted February 10, 2020 courtesy lights have got to be the easiest upgrade ever. Agreed. You would think they would have been standard on every truck.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglescout526 Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 Probably need that ground. I might have it wrong and the blue is just for the VFD displays only. I remember when my dad first did my radio that when turning the head lights on or off would cause that issue you had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High2by Posted February 10, 2020 Author Share Posted February 10, 2020 I didn’t use the blue/white wire at all. My new radio used the orange/brown wire for the display lights to dim when the headlights come on.At least that’s how I wired it. I’m gonna go back over all my grounds and add the one but I just can’t figure out why all of a sudden the gauge went wonky.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglescout526 Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 Tis a Renix mystery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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