A/C panel lights jumper

[Spittybug]

Someone kindly remind me which pins get jumpered in the relay socket so that the A/C panel lights only come on with the headlights..... I had it wired this way and removed the jumper when I was doing some work in there. I only noticed last night that I don't have lights. The old site had a "how to" on it I think, but I couldn't find one here.

Thanks.

[EdR5150]

http://www.dmcnews.com/Techsection/acpanellites.htm

http://www.16908.info/?p=341

[Spittybug]

Perfect, thank you.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Someone kindly remind me which pins get jumpered in the relay socket so that the A/C panel lights only come on with the headlights..... I had it wired this way and removed the jumper when I was doing some work in there. I only noticed last night that I don't have lights. The old site had a "how to" on it I think, but I couldn't find one here.

Thanks.

That's why I permanently (butt connector) modified my wiring by clipping the wires and connecting.

[chef4u]

It works, thanks.
I went ahead and replaced those lights with LED's.

[DeLorean03]

Pull #11.

Take a pair of pliers and gently wiggle the MIDDLE SPADE back and forth over and over until it gets flimsy, and then lightly break it off. That spade is the ONLY one you want to mess with. Reinstall relay. Now the AC panel lights will be off until the headlight switch is activated.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Take a pair of pliers and gently wiggle the MIDDLE SPADE back and forth over and over until it gets flimsy, and then lightly break it off. That spade is the ONLY one you want to mess with. Reinstall relay. Now the AC panel lights will be off until the headlight switch is activated.

As I read the schematic, the lights go full intensity with the key on and dim (uses resistor) when the lights are switched on. Removing the center pin would just use the "dimmed" light function. It probably would not be noticed with LEDs.

The jumper solution eliminates the load and heat produced by the relay coil power and gives you full intensity of the lights.

[Kenny_Z]

Thank you for this thread, I did the modification earlier today and it is so much nicer.

[content22207]

Actually the original intent of the A/C panel relay was to have a totally opaque black panel that you could not even see the control markings on until the car was energized and the panel was illuminated. See p. 52 of the Gold Portfolio (Car & Driver July 1981). Vin 500 has the opaque panel:
VIN500ACPanel.jpg

Obviously this razzle dazzle was dropped for production cars, but the original wiring remained intact.

Bill Robertson
#5939

[DeLorean03]

As I read the schematic, the lights go full intensity with the key on and dim (uses resistor) when the lights are switched on. Removing the center pin would just use the "dimmed" light function. It probably would not be noticed with LEDs.

The jumper solution eliminates the load and heat produced by the relay coil power and gives you full intensity of the lights.

Point noted. I performed this mod back before LEDs were so widely used on our cars, and I was trying to keep the warping on the A/C panel down to a minimum. With LEDs, I suppose I could go back to "stock" setup. Either way, everyone wins (: !