Amp Power Steps trigger wire question

[ba123]

Brain not working today, please help! Maybe I’m just o er thinking this.

My steps work great, triggered by each door properly as they should…

I wired them and used diodes to isolate each of the door signals which feeds into a single open door feed that runs to let my alarm know the door is open and then also as a dome light trigger.

The problem is that the Amp Control box sends POWER on those door trigger wires, which doesn’t make any sense to me right now. It’s a ground trigger.

If I put in a diode to isolate the power on the trigger wire, the steps do not come down as it doesn’t allow the ground signal to come through either.

Is there something wrong with my step controller or is my brain just not functional this late in the year.

Please help me figure this out.

 

[Speedrdr]

I’m not sure I understand the problem. (1) The steps work, is that right? (2) Are the steps “electrified” and at risk of shocking someone?
If the answer to (1) is yes and the answer to (2) is no, then there’s no problem that I can see.

Randy

 

[ba123]

The problem is that there is power on my ground trigger to my alarm and light. The power flows from the steps trigger wire and through as that is the route for the ground to flow. If I put a diode and stop the power from flowing to the ground switch, the steps don’t work.

Maybe I’m just overthinking and the power on that circuit is no issue but it seems like ground isn’t going through either. Generally diodes allow power one way and I’ve never used one to allow a ground one way and to stop power from flowing back.

I got a diode “variety pack” that I’ll mess around with and see if one works how I want it but there has to be someone else who’s done this.

 

[Speedrdr]

Wish my college roommate was still alive. He was really good with circuits as he was an electrical engineer. I wish I’d have paid more attention to the material he had me quiz him on before a test. Unfortunately, as an Economist major didn’t see the need.
Wish I was more help.

Randy

 

[ba123]

I might be just overthinking and it wouldn’t be the first time.

I just tested with my dome light and it works as it should regardless of the power.

I’m just a little scared cause I don’t want to mess up my pricey Digital Guard Dawg system, but since I can select between a ground and power trigger, I’m sure I won’t hurt it.

I’ll run some more tests tomorrow and post in case anyone else goes down this rabbit hole. I’m sure others have and not bothered to check voltage, cause I mean, why would you?

 

[Wild horse 75]

This is why I’m going to run separate door switches. Planning on using the magnetic ones that come with the steps for the steps then add a traditional switch in the door jam for dome lights and what not.

 

[ba123]

You’re going to run two separate door switches?

That’s seems like it’s not necessary. These steps go in hundreds of modern vehicles and taps into the stock sensor. I’m sure I was just overthinking it but will post when I’m done.

Don’t put two switches unless you really just want them.

I have the magnetic ones and I’m happy with them.

 

[Wild horse 75]

I’m just planning on it right now. When I actually get to that point in the wiring I’ll go over my options. I figure painted magnetic switches in the location recommended will be almost invisible. Then another switch either in the jamb or off the duff door stop. I’m planning enough complicated things in it don’t need to over complicate something simple to avoid running a second switch. I’ve installed several sets of steps in modern vehicles where the door switches actually send a signal to the BCM so these work slightly different and I need to dive into it further. Right now I’ve gone as far as making sure everything is in the box. Lol

 

[Colo77Bronco]

I would love to see a wiring diagram of your final system as I will likely duplicate it.

 

[ba123]

I think I got it figured out and will post after I wire it up and confirm it really does work.

 

[ba123]

I confirmed I was overthinking the voltage, at least partially overthinking. The signal wire from each trigger wire has voltage until it senses ground and then it’s ground. The problem is that both come into one signal (to dome light and alarm) and if one wire still has voltage, then voltage is what was being sent to the dome light or the alarm. No trigger and no good.

So, I needed to be able to combine these two ground signals at the end and have them either show ground or no ground, not power in any scenario.

The diodes I ended up using (I tried a variety) were 1n4001. 1n4007 seemed to work as well but more resistance to ground.


This allows the ground signal to pass through and blocks the voltage from the trigger wires if present. I found this by chance when I was putting a diode on the AMP step wire. The AMP steps sometimes include a diode in their kits and it really bothered me that there were no instructions on how to use a diode in their kits. They either supply it or they don’t based on whether or not you need it. They don’t say which diode. They say they’ll send you one free if you need it (but holidays and closed)…

So I figured there had to be a way to make it work and got a diode pack and tried a few.

Since one door on each side, you don’t need a diode on the trigger wire. You need it to separate the two sides into one signal. In the AMP step application scenario, they are isolating two doors on one side and have a separate factory signal for each side already built in.

I’ve wired it in and all works.

Dome light turns on, alarm is triggered, step comes down. One switch.

 

[Wild horse 75]

Looks simple enough. Probably gonna have to do it that way now. I was trying to remember why I wanted to run separate switches and it was the dome light issue. I didn’t want to have both steps deploy when one door opened. Didn’t think of using diodes to block the signal to the second trigger wire. Well I’ve screen shot these and will stick them in my album for when I reach that point. Thanks.

 

[ba123]

I ended up also putting another diode on the signal wire to the dome light so that if I turn on the light from the headlight switch, it doesn’t back feed to the alarm. Not sure I need it but if I make it so I have a door open chime, then I don’t want it to chime when I turn the light on.

I’ve also gotta see if this dome light has a timeout so it auto turns off and if not I might find a way to add it. I’m sure there’s an easy splice in control. I see a few with a quick search.

 

[ba123]

Update…I bought this thing since my dome light has no timer and just stays on:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016B414PI/?tag=classicbroncos-20

Allows you to use either a ground trigger or 12v trigger for lights on (I obv use ground)
Allows the other wire on my SSV Works Dome Light to be hot so I can now press the button on the light itself to turn on and not only from the Headlight switch.
Can have it fade in and out, which is nice.
Can have it stay on for X seconds after door closes (I set for 20).
Has a customizable timeout in case you leave it on.

The only thing that wasn’t perfect was for some reason, it didn’t like the drivers side door trigger with that last extra diode I threw in there. The one on the drivers side has slightly higher resistance and I could change it or just leave that last one out, which is what I decided to do for now. It was overkill for the alarm just in case I leave the headlight switch turned to ground but def not needed.

Works like a charm and is small.

 

[Mark1911]

Update…I bought this thing since my dome light has no timer and just stays on:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016B414PI/?tag=classicbroncos-20

Allows you to use either a ground trigger or 12v trigger for lights on (I obv use ground)
Allows the other wire on my SSV Works Dome Light to be hot so I can now press the button on the light itself to turn on and not only from the Headlight switch.
Can have it fade in and out, which is nice.
Can have it stay on for X seconds after door closes (I set for 20).
Has a customizable timeout in case you leave it on.

The only thing that wasn’t perfect was for some reason, it didn’t like the drivers side door trigger with that last extra diode I threw in there. The one on the drivers side has slightly higher resistance and I could change it or just leave that last one out, which is what I decided to do for now. It was overkill for the alarm just in case I leave the headlight switch turned to ground but def not needed.

Works like a charm and is small.

Good afternoon, I am in the process of doing the same thing as you did with your amp step module, operating the interior lamps. I also have the magnetic reed switches that came with the steps purchased from Toms Offroad. What I did was pretty much exactly as you described with the diodes, one for each door switch leading to the module for the steps, but my interior lamps are a positive powered type and not ground type of lighting. So, what I ended up using is a relay to switch from a ground source from the reed switch to power source through the relay for the operation of the interior lamps, woryour lamp ked awesome one time and now the reed switch is dead, basically stuck in "closed" position.
Is your lamp circuity the same as mine? and if so, how in the world did you accomplish this?
I did measure the amperage draw on that switch to relay and its 1.12 amps, initial spike is 1.45 amps
I feel really stupid at this point.
Mark

 

[ba123]

So, if you send power to those door switches, they will fry. I accidentally did one time when I had an extra door sensor wire I hadn’t hooked up yet… anyway.

I bought these as replacement, which I like even more since they aren’t white and they can be either NO or NC:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O9W90U6/?tag=classicbroncos-20

As far as why it’s not working…did you see my post above on how to use the diodes? They have to be backwards.

If you don’t know why your switches fried, make sure you test the setup without a switch by just touching the sensor wire to ground so you don’t keep frying them but I’d bet you put the diodes the normal way which is t right for a ground signal.

Hope this helps! Don’t feel stupid…little stuff like this will drive you nuts!

Ben

 

[Mark1911]

Thank you for your input and mostly your reply, I believe what happened is the supplied magnetic reed switch can't handle anything over 1 amp load.
after my initial calculation, I was way off it's actually a 158-milliamp coil load of the relay, which I believe is really nothing as far as electrical load on a circuit. What may have happened is a small amount of positive voltage is back feeding through the field coil of the relay to the ground side and that is what fried the switch, not one but I managed to kill both of them! lol. dammit....
Anyway, I did try a regular door switch from say a Subaru or Honda etc, you know the type that just completes the ground circuit for interior lighting and whatnot. BOOM everything works perfect, steps and interior lights, so yea magnetic switches are stuck in the closed position. I will order the magnetic switch you sent me, it appears they can handle a little more load? we shall see. I really like the magnetic switch and would like to stay with them.
I did put the diode the correct way, I just think the reed or magnetic switch just can't handle any more load than the step control module.
Mark.

 

[Mark1911]

What I will try doing is put a diode inline from the ground signal of the relay to the magnetic switch to prevent any stray positive voltage back feeding, we shall see. In theory it should work......

 

[ba123]

What I will try doing is put a diode inline from the ground signal of the relay to the magnetic switch to prevent any stray positive voltage back feeding, we shall see. In theory it should work......

Since the relay is backwards to allow the ground signal, it WILL allow voltage to feed back through.

I hope you get it to work. The new switches have been flawless for me.

I think worst case, you can get the light module I listed above and use that instead of the relay. It works for either a ground signal or a 12v and will send either one to your light as well.

Other thing I like about it is the timer function. Make the light turn off when you turn the ignition on, only stay on 20 minutes or whatever you set…

 

[Mark1911]

Damn good idea, I am ordering the dome light controller you have listed and forget the relay, the dome light controller will act as a relay and prevent voltage back to the reed switch which damages them, obviously.
I will let you know how this works out, I feel good about it. Thank you for your help!!
Mark