LtsGo4ARide

Hi All,
I just bought my 2001 Dodge Ram 4X4 two weeks ago. It is the 2500 XLT and it has the Cummins in it. I know nothing of the history other then the guy I bought it from had bought it from a bank. What I suspect is that it was reposed from some one and they let it go because of a blown head gasket. Of course I didn’t know about the head gasket when I bought the truck. As of now I’ve got the water leak stopped by using radiator stop leak. I realize this is only a temporary solution. I am looking around for a shop to make the repairs, if I can’t find one that is going to charge me a realistic amount for the repairs I’ll do the work myself. (Although I’ve never worked on a diesel engine) Before I realized that the head gasket had trouble I had started working on the lighting system. The stock lights are really bad on this truck. I started out by buying a set of sport lights off the web. After I received them I went to install them only to find the bulbs were different! Well at this point I suspected that I just needed to buy a pigtail from Dodge to be able to connect the new light system. I went to my local dealer for the part only to find that I would have to buy a hole new wiring loom. Well that wasn’t going to happen. That night is when I discovered this web site. I searched sport headlights and found there was an outfit that makes the pigtail I need. So the part has been ordered.
Let me get to the issue that I need advice on now! I travel out in the desert between where I work in California and my home in Nevada an awful lot. These are little roads with no traffic to speak of so lighting is really important. Besides wanting my stock lights to be the best they can be I feel I need a set of driving lights. I installed a set of KC Daylighters on my brush guard last night. I want them to turn on and off with the high beam lights on the truck. I designed a wiring diagram to accomplish this taking into account the fact that our lights use the negative line to switch the lights. (I’m going to try and insert the wiring diagram I designed) After I completed the work the lights worked exactly as they were supposed too. I installed a switch on the dash board so that I can turn the lights off around town and I can activate the system while I’m out in the country. The lights turn off with the high beam lights. As I said everything worked great; well when I came out to go to work tonight the truck wouldn’t start. Both batteries were low enough that the truck wouldn’t turn over. My question is; having a circuit that has power on the positive line but the negative line is switched is it using power. I don’t think it is the lights aren’t using any power so there is no load. I know there is a chance that my batteries could just be going bad but considering I just worked on the electrical system last night this is a very strange coincidence! I’d sure like any help anyone can offer, thanks, Carol
PS: The picture didn't print text boxes? i don't know why

LtsGo4ARide

Just an update; I bought two new batteries today. I think the trouble I had was one of my batteries died. Happy New Year, Carol