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Flickering fog lights

Discussion in '1st Gen Tundras (2000-2006)' started by FirstGenVol, Jan 23, 2022.

  1. Jan 23, 2022 at 9:31 AM
    #1
    FirstGenVol

    FirstGenVol [OP] Brake Czar

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    When @Tundra2 helped install my bumper in July of 2020(time flies BTW) it was extremely hot and humid, and I was ready to be done. Not realizing someone made adapters that would allow me to use the OEM fog light plugs we instead cut them off and used the hardware that Baja Designs provides with their lights. Noah even asked me to make sure and I should have picked up on his hesitancy.

    This was fine for 15 months or so but now my fog lights flicker. I mentioned before that they don't flicker if the truck is parked and off but they do if it's parked and engine idling. That's odd to me.

    What's the best way to fix this? Can I go back to an OEM connector? I tried unplugging and reconnecting the plug and it didn't help.


    IMG_20220123_111849154.jpg
     
  2. Jan 23, 2022 at 10:46 AM
    #2
    Festerw

    Festerw New Member

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    You'll probably just have to redo the splices to the factory wiring. Get a good pair of crimpers and adhesive lined heat shrink butt connectors.

    Those connectors look decent and unless you're planning to go back to factory lights there's no reason to toss them.
     
    Darkness, des2mtn and FirstGenVol[OP] like this.
  3. Jan 23, 2022 at 4:57 PM
    #3
    shifty`

    shifty` The Second Shortcoming of Christ

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    Question for you first.

    Are these LED by chance?

    One of my friends put LED light bulbs in his stock housings recently. When he's driving, the flickering from them is enough to give epileptics a seizure. If he's parked, nothing. But the vibration of the car moving on the street makes them almost appear like they're strobing. It's the weirdest thing.
     
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  4. Jan 23, 2022 at 6:16 PM
    #4
    FirstGenVol

    FirstGenVol [OP] Brake Czar

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    The are LEDs but not in a stock housing. Baja Designs.
     
  5. Jan 23, 2022 at 6:19 PM
    #5
    FirstGenVol

    FirstGenVol [OP] Brake Czar

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  6. Jan 23, 2022 at 6:23 PM
    #6
    Festerw

    Festerw New Member

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  7. Jan 25, 2022 at 3:00 PM
    #7
    FirstGenVol

    FirstGenVol [OP] Brake Czar

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  8. Jan 25, 2022 at 3:11 PM
    #8
    assassin10000

    assassin10000 New Member

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    Strip the wires back about 6-8mm, then see if they slide into the connector. If they don't fit, go next size up.

    Given the pic above, you'll probably just use the red ones.


    Crimp them on then heat them so the ends shrink down to seal the wire & insulation.
     
  9. Jan 25, 2022 at 3:23 PM
    #9
    FirstGenVol

    FirstGenVol [OP] Brake Czar

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    I don't own a heat gun. Guess I'm buying one.
     
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  10. Jan 25, 2022 at 4:16 PM
    #10
    FrenchToasty

    FrenchToasty The Desert rat, 6 lug enthusiast

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    Hair dryer?
     
  11. Jan 25, 2022 at 4:32 PM
    #11
    FirstGenVol

    FirstGenVol [OP] Brake Czar

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    I was actually wondering about that but assumed it wouldn't get hot enough..?
     
  12. Jan 25, 2022 at 4:33 PM
    #12
    FrenchToasty

    FrenchToasty The Desert rat, 6 lug enthusiast

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    On high, I bet it would, do a test sample
     
  13. Jan 25, 2022 at 6:03 PM
    #13
    shifty`

    shifty` The Second Shortcoming of Christ

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    Hair dryer may work on high heat if held close enough. Still, everyone should have a heat gun. Wagner makes a really solid one.

    Advice above to find the butt splice that's too skinny, then go one size up is perfect. I'd add, if you don't have a GOOD pair of crimpers, get one.

    Don't use one of these:

    upload_2022-1-25_21-1-10.jpg

    At bare minimum go to the store and get a pair of these, I think they have the non-Klein blue-gripped ones at Home Depot:

    upload_2022-1-25_21-3-22.jpg
     
  14. Jan 25, 2022 at 6:15 PM
    #14
    texasrho83

    texasrho83 DGAF#1

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    Cigarette lighter does the trick. I used one until I bought a butane gun
     
  15. Jan 25, 2022 at 8:13 PM
    #15
    NickB_01TRD

    NickB_01TRD You don't need less cars, just more driveway.

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    I hardly use a heat gun so the cheap harbor freight one has gotten me by the last 4 or 5 years just fine. If you'll hardly ever use the heat gun I'd reccomend it.
     
  16. Jan 25, 2022 at 8:38 PM
    #16
    Darkness

    Darkness Allergic to white

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    Lighter. Start with some distance, kind of run it up and down the heat shrink and get closer until you see it start to contract. When it starts to shrink you're close enough, just keep going back and forth so you don't melt it. Practice not on the wire first. Us a scrap piece. It works very well.
     
  17. Jan 25, 2022 at 10:29 PM
    #17
    assassin10000

    assassin10000 New Member

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    I'd second this. The crescent ones are the blue handled ones.


    Or a BBQ lighter if you want extra reach.



    I use a butane torch or my mapp gas torch if doing 1/2" and larger heat shrink.
     
  18. Feb 27, 2022 at 1:33 PM
    #18
    FirstGenVol

    FirstGenVol [OP] Brake Czar

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    I'm lost here. From your post I thought I would be reusing both sides of the connector pictured but now that I'm into this I don't see any way how these butt connectors are going to work with this connector. They don't really fit far enough down in there to send current to the light side.

    IMG_20220227_161859178.jpg

    IMG_20220227_163232883.jpg
     
  19. Feb 27, 2022 at 1:43 PM
    #19
    Festerw

    Festerw New Member

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    Those guys just work on the wires. You need the specific pins to go inside the connectors.
     
  20. Feb 27, 2022 at 1:51 PM
    #20
    FirstGenVol

    FirstGenVol [OP] Brake Czar

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    I'm not seeing the point of the butt connectors then. I fished those old pins out of the trash. They are pretty mangled if you can imagine that. I guess if they still slide onto the male side they might work? Still unclear how the butt connectors tie all this together.
     
  21. Feb 27, 2022 at 1:57 PM
    #21
    Festerw

    Festerw New Member

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    I assumed you were redoing the wire connection where the connectors went to the factory wiring.

    So connector above>wire pigtail>butt connector>factory wiring. Is what I thought you had going on
     
    FirstGenVol[OP] likes this.
  22. Feb 27, 2022 at 2:24 PM
    #22
    FirstGenVol

    FirstGenVol [OP] Brake Czar

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    Thoughts on how I should proceed?
     
  23. Feb 27, 2022 at 2:30 PM
    #23
    FrenchToasty

    FrenchToasty The Desert rat, 6 lug enthusiast

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    Cut out the black connectors and use the pink ones in their place
     
  24. Feb 27, 2022 at 3:07 PM
    #24
    shifty`

    shifty` The Second Shortcoming of Christ

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    The pink butt splices are for connecting two pieces of wire together. You'd normally use that to mend something you cut, like, if you have a different connector you want to put in the place of an old connector, you could cut the old connector off, then splice the different one onto the factory wire stubs you left behind.

    Then you have the OEM style waterproof black connector with green rubber on it. There is a special crimping tool and special wire terminators you need to use that. I don't see any evidence you have the special waterproof cable ends you need to use that connector. So I'm not sure if you can use it.

    Ideally, you typically want to avoid splicing where possible (if possible). But in this case, I'm guessing you want to use the pink butt splices to crimp new connectors onto your existing OEM wiring that's already been cut?
     

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