I really wanted the fog lamps to be on with the high beams from time to time and was tired of the GM habit of "forgetting" the lights were on last time I drove.  I decided to bypass the OEM system, but I did not want to eliminate the OEM switch.  Here, I put a Radio Shack 275-617 push button switch into the OEM box and filed off the original button plunger so it would strike and work that new switch.  I then substituted my own wiring harness and BOSCH relay to supply the OEM lights.  Now I can turn them on and off anytime I need them (off-roading especially).  

HOW TO: Take apart the switch box and insert the new switch by drilling out the area where the red return rubber was.  File a little off two sides of the switch so that the striker from the OEM button will be centered on the new switch.  File about 10mm off the OEM button plunger.  Carefully!  Leave the striker a little longer (like it was) and test often as you work so it's the proper length.  If you go too far, you can add some double stick to the top of the new switch.  It may be necessary to file a little around the top rim of the OEM plunger so it will go a little deeper into the dash or it may not work the switch fully.  File off the part of the OEM button that depresses the tang of the original circuit and put a little piece of tape between the contacts to disable the OEM circuit.

Tap the GRAY lead (D) from the parking lamps to feed the switch +12v when the lights are on.  Clip the PURPLE LED lead (B) and feed the OEM LED voltage from the output of your switch. Tape off the PURPLE that runs to the OEM harness (unused).  Run the output of your switch under the hood and use it to trigger a BOSCH relay to power the OEM lights.  Clip the PURPLE at each OEM light and substitute the output from your relay.  Fog lamps anytime the lights are on! (and it won't forget!)

Shown here on top is the quick way to have your high beams and low beams on both at the same time on an '02 Avalanche.  Just tap into the lo beam yellow (ground) wire and dump it to a convenient grounding post.  Illegal in all states!

HI BEAMS AND LO BEAMS ON AT THE SAME TIME with OPTION!
FOR OFF ROAD USE ONLY!
Click here for scrollable printable drawing
Click here for scrollable printable pic of fuse block
Click here for scrollable printable relay connections

It's illegal in all states and most countries to have your HIGH's and LOW's lit up at the same time on the road.  But, say you want to use them off road, but would like to disable that on the road.  Here's a simple way to wire it up to use the dome override to enable or disable this feature.  Run a wire from your low beam ground wires ('02 is yellow) under the fuseblock into the cab.  Pop out your headlamp switch at the dash and wire in a Bosch style 5 pin relay as shown in the drawing.  Your choice as to what the dome override will do pressed in.

A) To have it ENABLE your HI+LO then run that ground wire from the 87 terminal.
B)  To have it DISABLE your HI+LO, run that ground wire from the 87a terminal.

Other wires shown are in your headlamp switch harness.  '02 Avalanche shown. Other models my vary.  Some relays require a small diode in the WHITE wire feed to the relay. 

Click here for a page on basic relay usage and why!

Line of Fire (obtained on eBay) was mounted on the tailgate with all the mounting hardware removed from the unit and 3m doublestick tape used (click for pic).  It's nearly invisible during the daylight and makes for a very neat appearance. To wire it, I did not want a buncha wires hanging all over the backside so I simply got a nice little $5 flat four trailer plug (female side) from Wally World and tapped into the main trailer harness (solder all connections and click here for the pin out). I added about four feet of wire so I've got a five foot flat four if I ever need one. The LOF simply plugs into it and all the excess wire is tucked up into the spare tire out of the way.

 The white lettering graphics kits were obtained from stripeman.com for the Avalanche and includes 4 sets of "Avalanche" for the cladding and the tailgate "Chevrolet" as a separate kit.

Saw a great idea on the Avalanche Fan Club web site.  SabreXray made his back up lights into amber turn signals, but I modified his idea to preserve the back up light function as well using 4 Radio Shack 276-1144 3 amp diodes.  Takes about a half hour to do it this way, you just need two Tappits from Walmart, four diodes,  eight female bullet connectors and eight male bullet connectors.  See the drawing for the simple circuit and check the picture for how these wire up.  Note that the white band on the diodes point toward the backup light.  All the supply lines from the harness are FEMALE and all the connectors to the lights are MALE so this is easily reversible. Once you make all your connections ready and your diode joiner, it takes less than 5 minutes to install and remove.  Backup light bulbs are replaced with AMBER 3357 or 3157.

Twin foglights added to trailer hitch area that come on with the reverse lights or "on demand" with the cargo lamp. I have them hooked up to come on only when the parking lights are lit, but you can wire them to come on anytime. No extra switches to install! See the drawing.  We work off the trailer plug harness and the cargo lamp ground.  See the pics above for them lit up!

NOTE: the OEM cargo lamp circuit is always hot and the cargo lamp switch completes the ground to light the cargo lamps.  Just work your way into the cargo lamps thru the side tool box and run a lead off the ground terminal of one of the lamps down thru your drains to your relay to work the cargo relay.

NOTE: if you leave on your interior lights or some such foolishness, GM will turn on your REVERSE lights for a set amount of time as a signal that something's wrong.  If you use the "on all the time" red wire option, this will also light up your rear fogs which may drain your battery.

Advance Auto Parts was running a sale, Silverstar signal lamps half off.  These lamps in amber have a richer more mellow tone than Wally World 3357a lamps when lit and they look really really good when turned off.  At regular price, they are not worth four times the cost, but on sale at just twice the price of regular, they are ok!  The pics show standard amber and Silverstar amber side by side (passenger side has them, driver's not).  The pic of the front does not really show how nice they look, but as soon as the snowstorm is over, I will try to get a better pic.  The reverse lamps show how much of a difference these make in appearance. I've also installed them on my wife's Magnum!

Double set of air horns mounted on a homemade aluminum bar behind the bumper to supplement the stockers.  Use a Bosch style relay and trigger off the OEM horn hot wire.  LOUD!

Click here for a page on basic relay usage and why!

Grille and bowtie painted black with Duplicolor Truck & Van paint. Time spent - about an hour. Money spent - about six bucks!

Click here for scrollable printable PIC2

Click here for scrollable printable PIC3

Need we say more!

For longer hauls, I use the bigger rig. Twenty feet by Eight feet TimberWolf. Inside is modified as living space with a fridge, AC, inflatable bed and what not.  I can get most of my toys in there, haul 'em where I want, park the toys in a tent and live in the trailer.  Sorry, haven't written this one up yet tho.....

Click each pic for a larger view.