I have new 2010 ram 3500 mega cab. I have read previous posts about the 4 auxiliary switch bank you can get on the 2011's, which mount in the dash of the 2010. I bought the switches, and when I installed them, I noted a 7 pin connector on the back of the switches, and my 2010 has three pins which go in. The power wire does not line up with any pin. Is there an adapter, or can I get the 2011 wiring harness and splice it in so I can utilize my switch bank? And if so, anyone with the part number??
Thanks,
Lemer

 

Can you take a picture of the switch bank?

 

I hadn't heard of this. Any pictures you can provide of the switch bank front and back and where they mount would be deeply appreciated. I'd like to install them on my new '10.

 

if you search "dash switches" bottom of first page there should be a thread called dash switches, there are some photos and part numbers there.

 

Got it. Thanks!

 

Just got some more info... a dodge service tech looked at it and told me I was SOL. The 2010 wire harness will not match up to the 2011 switch bank. So I asked if I could get the harness designed for the switches and splice it on. He said he would get back to me. Seems to me, the switch bank will not care where it gets its power or ground from ,nor to where they are out-putted. I talked to a somewhat knowledgable parts guy in Texas, and I got the part number for the harness. However, it will not be available for another month...
switch bank number = 5164912AC
wire harness = 801202LG

 

From looking at the upfitter document, it appears that the switch bank are low amp switches that run a bank of relays in the separate power module that sits on the firewall. I higly doubt the switches are rated to carry the 20-40 amps shown on the upfitter page.

I have not got into the Dodge wiring yet, but if it is anything like the GM wiring from my previous truck, there is a lot of comm tied into the vehicle wiring circuitry. From the other discussion in this forum on adding factory fog lamps and having to program the ECM to make it work, I suspect the same thing. If the switch bank works on low voltage and only sends comm through some kind of common vehicle LAN low voltage (~4V) wire, the bank may be virtually useless.

If it works alone on 12V power but only for low amp circuits (in other words, if you can put 12V+ and a ground to the assembly and get the switches to open and close a 12V circuit outside with a multimeter) you could wire the 12V low amp output of each switch to a remote mounted 12V Bosch-type relay. They are $3 or $4 apiece.


Someone who currently has a switch bank that they could try a 12V supply on would help solve this question. Also, the number of wires would also help. To be a fully functional 12V switch bank, there would need to be a 12V+ input wire, a ground wire and at least one 12V+ output wire from each switch. That would total 6 wires for a 4 switch bank and the wires would have to be fairly sizeable gauge for 20 and 40 amp circuits as opposed to the small 18 or 20 guage wire used on LAN low voltage vehicle wiring.

 

So is it possible to set it up as a bank of relays with 12 v going in, output to whatever you wish to add, controlled from the low volt switch bank??

 

The key would be that the switch bank has to put out 12V with a dedicated wire output from each switch. As long as each switch (when activated) puts out a single dedicated 12V lead, you can use each lead to activate a 12V relay that would then carry the full amp load in a separate 12V circuit.

The way a relay works is basically that a relay is a heavy duty on/off switch that is activated by the presence or absence of a 12V signal. When the relay sees the 12V come in on the signal line, the main circuit closes and powers the accessory tied to the main relay. When the 12V signal goes away, the main circuit opens and power is cut to the accessory. A relay only draws around 1 amp through the signal line but can carry up to 100 amps or more (depending on the relay's capacity) for a 12V system. It's basically a way to control heavy amp accessories using a very small or fancy switch that is too small or "cheap" to carry the current needed for what the switch controls.

 

How does the system function for the existing options, like the hazard lights? They are on the same type of low voltage switch, but at some point it converts to 12 volt, right? Sorry to be so ignorant.

 

I haven't dug into the Ram wiring yet to see if it is 12V with relays or some type of low voltage mutli function LAN wiring like GM. The LAN is sort of a universal bus wire that allows mulitple devices to communicate to a central body control module. In other words, the low voltage LAN wiring send all functions through the vehicle computers where the vehicle computers then process and send out the signals to relays to open or close.

 

That makes sense. The tech who looked at it said one of the wires was a bus wire. Does that make it impossible, or can I mimick whatever they are doing with 2011's?

 

You need to get a household/automotive multimeter and run a continuity test on the switch bank. Let me know if you have one and I'll tell you how to do it.

 

If anyone needs a switch bank like this, I have one I'd let go cheap....I'm not giving up my heated seats and other comfy options to have switches!

Chris

 

I do have a meter . . . so any help is appreciated.