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Electrical & Computer SystemsDetails discussions regarding electrical components, wiring, all lighting, wire harnesses and HID conversion for your vehicle.
This is a discussion thread titled "Auxiliary reverse lights", within the Electrical & Computer Systems forum, part of the Technical & Vehicle Assistance Forums category.
I know the moderators get miffed when somebody posts a new thread before doing a thorough search.
There are many threads out there addressing auxiliary reverse lights. Most are tied into the cargo lights. BRILLIANT IDEA! Thought about it for a while and I need something different.
I want to hook my auxiliary reverse lights to a relay and a single pole/double throw (SPDP) switch. Where they will activate when the reverse lights go on, when I flip the switch or remain off if I please. I have a LED light to install in the dash so I know they are on.
My question is:
Where do I tap into the reverse lights?
I pulled off the lens on the back of my truck. I found two wires going to and from the "reverse lights". One Red with a Blue Stripe and the other White with a Black stripe. My reverse lights work, so the "+" wires must eventually lead go to a relay (or many relays) then to the battery. The "-" lead to a ground.
Where do I tap into the "+" wire?
In my old truck I pulled out the passenger seat. My girlfriend shifted the vehicle from N to R while I tested the wires with a voltammeter. Took a while but I found it.
Furthermore I have a Haines repair manual and I've searched and searched for the R/L wire and I can't find it! In my old truck there was a schematic of all the wiring harnesses. There was actually an exploded view of the truck and all the wires.
Now I have T/S! Please tell me one of you has some info...
I know the moderators get miffed when somebody posts a new thread before doing a thorough search.
There are many threads out there addressing auxiliary reverse lights. Most are tied into the cargo lights. BRILLIANT IDEA! Thought about it for a while and I need something different.
I want to hook my auxiliary reverse lights to a relay and a single pole/double throw (SPDP) switch. Where they will activate when the reverse lights go on, when I flip the switch or remain off if I please. I have a LED light to install in the dash so I know they are on.
My question is:
Where do I tap into the reverse lights?
I pulled off the lens on the back of my truck. I found two wires going to and from the "reverse lights". One Red with a Blue Stripe and the other White with a Black stripe. My reverse lights work, so the "+" wires must eventually lead go to a relay (or many relays) then to the battery. The "-" lead to a ground.
Where do I tap into the "+" wire?
In my old truck I pulled out the passenger seat. My girlfriend shifted the vehicle from N to R while I tested the wires with a voltammeter. Took a while but I found it.
Furthermore I have a Haines repair manual and I've searched and searched for the R/L wire and I can't find it! In my old truck there was a schematic of all the wiring harnesses. There was actually an exploded view of the truck and all the wires.
Now I have T/S! Please tell me one of you has some info...
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I have installed the auxillary reverse lights on my truck, using a relay as you are looking into doing. I located the reverse light trigger wire underneath the drivers seat where it goes from inside the cab to underneath the truck. I mounted the relay inside the drivers side kick panel. Theres enough room in there for at least 3 relays. I have 2 installed already. Good luck it's not that big of a job to install.
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Anyone try anything like thse 50 Watt Halogen. I'm thinking about it but I concerned about the heat they'll put out, I havent checked the wattage on our stock ones yet.
I had the 50w halogen backup bulbs in my Passat. The warning in the instructions said not to be in reverse for more than 2 minutes otherwise the housing could be damaged. That wasn't a problem for me because there would no reason that I would need to be in reverse for that long.
There's a definite difference in brightness from behind the vehicle and I've attached a picture that compares it to the stock 21w bulb.
Was there a difference from behind the wheel? I'm not sure. My windows were tinted pretty dark so I'm not sure if I could tell. Even so, I felt better that they were there. I would definitely have bought some for my Sequoia but they don't use the same bulb type.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TwinStop
Anyone try anything like thse 50 Watt Halogen. I'm thinking about it but I concerned about the heat they'll put out, I havent checked the wattage on our stock ones yet.
can't do a FAQ search. I am trying to hook up the back up light to my horse trailer but there seems to be a problem. You see I have a plug that allows me to plug the existing 4 pin into it and then all I had to do was hook up the blue wire to the electric bakes, the black wire to the battery and the white wire to the ground. Well it seem to me that hooking up the big wire to the ground is by passing the one that already exists in the 4 pin. Is this the case and does anyone have any suggestions?
I located the reverse light trigger wire underneath the drivers seat where it goes from inside the cab to underneath the truck. I mounted the relay inside the drivers side kick panel.
That's were I found my reverse wire too. I went another step and wired them and my reverse camera to a switch so they always come on when in reverse, and I can turn both on anytime I want to.
Here are my rear lights.
__________________
Tom 03 AC SR5 Silver Sky Metallic
Cab height ARE cap, Westin chrome step bars, tinted front windows 35%, Hella mini foglights under front bumper ,fog lights under the frame to light up the door area, fog lights under rear bumper (factory dash switches for each set of lights),Bedrug, Hellwig swaybar, one-touch window control for both windows,Kenwood DDX-6019 double din dvd unit,2 amps, 2 sets of speakers, 6 disc cd changer,Q-logic sub box, subs, rearview camera, & skid plate. Freebies: Power outlet mod,fog light mod, map light mod &, debadged. Hope to add: Chrome bull bar, headest monitors for back seat passengers (daughters) Waiting for time to install: kicking alarm w/remote start. My Website
So I cannot tie reverse spotlights 55 w each into the reverse wire? What would happen? They just would not turn on? On a Wiring diagram I ran the lights into the reverse wire with no luck. I have the lights hooked up to a relay, and a switch now. Usually I disconnect the switch wire, and run the new wire from there into the wire operating the light I want to use. The original poster seems to have wired his lights into the reverse wiring. So is there no way to make the spot lights come on automatically with the reverse lights? Or do I keep the relay wired into the fuse, and also run it into the reverse wire??????? Thanks in advance
Also the lights are hooked up, and run fine now from a switch. i'd really like to run them through the reverse lights though, so that they will come on automatically when the reverse lights are engaged. So far no luck getting them to come on with the reverse lights.
I would not mind having the opton of running them from the switch, and the reverse lights. Meaning that I'd like the option for them to come on automatically with the reverse lights, or manually with the switch when the reverse lights are not engaged. But the switch cannot stay in the on position. Only when I want it on for manual operation. Hope this is clear enough.
Last edited by hrdneglcry; 11-07-2007 at 03:17 PM.
So I cannot tie reverse spotlights 55 w each into the reverse wire? What would happen? They just would not turn on?
The factory wiring would overheat,insulation will melt,something will short circuit and blow a fuse.
Quote:
On a Wiring diagram I ran the lights into the reverse wire with no luck. I have the lights hooked up to a relay, and a switch now. Usually I disconnect the switch wire, and run the new wire from there into the wire operating the light I want to use. The original poster seems to have wired his lights into the reverse wiring. So is there no way to make the spot lights come on automatically with the reverse lights? Or do I keep the relay wired into the fuse, and also run it into the reverse wire??????? Thanks in advance
Also the lights are hooked up, and run fine now from a switch. i'd really like to run them through the reverse lights though, so that they will come on automatically when the reverse lights are engaged. So far no luck getting them to come on with the reverse lights.
I would not mind having the opton of running them from the switch, and the reverse lights. Meaning that I'd like the option for them to come on automatically with the reverse lights, or manually with the switch when the reverse lights are not engaged. But the switch cannot stay in the on position. Only when I want it on for manual operation. Hope this is clear enough.
You probably tapped into the factory reverse lights' ground instead of positive. Get a test light or multimeter and verify what's ground and what's positive.
There's a way you can still switch the lights even with the reverse lights off,but fix the original problem first. You will need an additional relay to do this.
__________________ Try SEARCHING before posting. Thanks!
Is it the same with the trailer tow lights? I cannot tie into them either? So how can I install reverse auxiliary lights? Tooldud was able to do his..................
1) Make sure your existing polarity is correct as stated above.
2) ONLY USE THE REVERSE + POS TO POWER THE RELAY INSTEAD OF USING THE REVERSE + CIRCUIT TO POWER THE ACTUAL LIGHTS THEMSELVES. bECAUSE THEY WILL OVERLOAD THAT CIRCUIT. yU NEED A DEDICATED CIRCUIT TO POWER THE AUX. LIGHTS. The existing reverse circuit is to trigger the relay, much like the manual switch would do.
OK, not to collude this thread, but on my regular front auxiliary lights I used the relay, and wired them right into the bright lights. I also, once tied them into the fog lights. I mention this because I know how to tie lights into other lights, and into the relay to run when the lights are activated. But I have been unable to do so with the reverse lights. It is not a hard operation to do. But I cannot get the lights to activate when they are wired into the reverse light wire. I do wait for the reverse lights to engage, before I determine if the auxiliary lights are on, or not.
Last edited by hrdneglcry; 11-07-2007 at 07:48 PM.
Auxiliary reverse lights
Found it!!
Linear Mode
