Engine Idle Control "Mod"

[Rodslinger]

Here is a pretty cool "mod" I read about that I'm going to do when I get home today. It allows you to flip a switch and as long as the rigs in park and the parking brake is set, it will slowly idle itself up to 1200rmp. From what I understand it would be great for y'all cold weather folks to help prevent "wet stacking" if you idle your rig for long periods.

Here's what to do on an '05. The wires are apparently different colors for other years -

There should be an orange wire in a harness next to your brake release lever and a blue/white wire in a harness near the OBD port. The '04's apparently have blue wire with a yellow stripe instead of the orange. Neither of these are connected to anything. Take one and run it to one terminal on a toggle switch and the other to the second terminal on a toggle switch. Now with the truck in gear and the parking brake on if you flip the switch the rpm's should gradually climb to 1200.

I'll take some pics and post them if it works.

[AYP Tires]

Are these the wires that go to a switch if you have PTO from the factory? Just curious.

[Rodslinger]

Hey Scotty - Yeah from what I understand they are the wires for the factory PTO. It kind of makes you wonder what other wires are in the harness just waiting to be plugged in.
I just got home a couple minutes ago. I'm going to go out here in a sec and check it out.

[Rodslinger]

OK! That was so easy - too easy but it's SO cool. Alright - I found a better write up on it that fit my exact setup. My '05 has the upfitter switches so I just used one of them for the install. Let me go thorough it;

I pulled my fuse box so I could see and locate everything easier. It was 4, 10mm bolts to pull it in my case. Once I dropped it down I could see the wires for my upfitter switches and they had white tape over them labeling them for AUX1 through AUX4. I pulled the one I wanted and striped it enough for a barrel connector. I then located the customer access wiring harness right around the emergency brake handle. It too was labeled and Scotty was correct, the ORANGE wire was labeled for the PTO. I pulled it out, striped it and used a short (4") piece of wire to connect it and the up fitter switch together.
Fire up the rig, in park and with the emergency brake on flip the switch.....it gradually idles up. Sweet......ok I'm easily amused!
My pictures turned out horrible - too bright outside and I was too close to what I was trying to capture but trust me you don't need pics to do this.

[jwiger]

F'ing A Dude I'm doing that this weekend!!! Hey Rod, Do you have a block heater on your truck? i do and i want to see about splitting it for a battery trickle charger, Since i'm going to alaska in a few months, i figured it'd be a good and effective way to keep the batteries a little warmer and maintained.

If any one has a recomondation for a 12v trickle charger let me know.

[Rodslinger]

Just proof once again that great minds think alike James. That idle control mod is cool - you'll get a lot of use out of it in Alaska I'm sure. Damn I'm jealous! I always wanted to get stationed in Alaska when I was in. All the great hunting and fishing up there makes it a sportsman's dream.
As I understand it all the trucks come with block heaters but they only supply the CORD as a standard feature in a few COLD states. I don't really know much about it but your logic makes complete sense to me. I'll dig around too and see if I can find where anyone has done that. You'd think the ability to keep those batteries warm in Alaska would be a MUST.

[jwiger]

Did the mod, going to write a article on the job. Seriously it took like an hour and I had to go back to the house like 30 times to get tools/etc. the switch I added is obvious in this pic. notice the Tachometer.

[purduefarmboy460]

Hey, for us 7.3L guys, you have any information for us on that fast idle? Sounds like you got it made!

[Rodslinger]

Unfortunately Farmboy it looks like it's only from '03 and newer models where it came from the factory like this.

[jwiger]

i would think that on any HEUI system this could be accomplished some how.

Farmboy, help me help you, look under your dash and tell me if your accelerator pedal has a thottle cable attached or a little box with electrical wires coming out.

Worst case you might need a govener from a generator which are designed to hold an engine at a closely regulated RPM