reverse lights
Thread Starter
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i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,426
Likes: 5,508
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
reverse lights
truck is an 02 diesel with auto trans.
has anyone added extra reverse lights and hooked them up to a separate toggle switch AND the stock switch?
i want to be able to use the reverse lights, (stock lights and 3 sets of leds) with both the stock switch but also with a switch the dash for rear work lights.
case in point: with the salt spreader in the bed, there is no real way to see the broadcast pattern except to turn it on and then get out and look. this wastes salt. by turning the lights on while i am moving i will be able to see how far i am slinging, and how much is coming out.
i am not sure if turning the reverse lights on while the trans is in any gear besides reverse will hurt anything though.
has anyone added extra reverse lights and hooked them up to a separate toggle switch AND the stock switch?
i want to be able to use the reverse lights, (stock lights and 3 sets of leds) with both the stock switch but also with a switch the dash for rear work lights.
case in point: with the salt spreader in the bed, there is no real way to see the broadcast pattern except to turn it on and then get out and look. this wastes salt. by turning the lights on while i am moving i will be able to see how far i am slinging, and how much is coming out.
i am not sure if turning the reverse lights on while the trans is in any gear besides reverse will hurt anything though.
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,862
Likes: 765
From: SoCal/Wyoming
I use back-up buddy lights and they have a switch on them so you can turn them on as work lights when you are behind the truck. I would imagine you could rewire this switch to be able to turn it on from inside the cab. Electrical rigging is not my strong suit but I am sure someone on here would have an easy solution.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,465
Likes: 17
From: Jacksonville, FL
Just tap off the reversing light circuit and install a separate switch in parallel from the cab (run both sets of wires to the LED lights) using a constant hot from the fuse block (can be a switched feed that can only be turned on if your key is turned on also if that suits your need better). This way they will turn on if you have it in reverse or have the switch turned on, or both.
The only issue with this is that your reverse lights (stock) will turn on with the switch too. If you don't want this then a relay that is set to close its contacts (coil receives a 12v signal from the stock circuit too) when the stock reverse lights are on tied in between the two feeds will stop your reversing lights turning on with just the switch.
I hope this makes sense? It's been a long day and j am about to head to bed! I will re-read when I get up to make sure it's not just a bunch of random words put together.
The only issue with this is that your reverse lights (stock) will turn on with the switch too. If you don't want this then a relay that is set to close its contacts (coil receives a 12v signal from the stock circuit too) when the stock reverse lights are on tied in between the two feeds will stop your reversing lights turning on with just the switch.
I hope this makes sense? It's been a long day and j am about to head to bed! I will re-read when I get up to make sure it's not just a bunch of random words put together.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 2,215
Likes: 2
From: North Lake Tahoe
Just did this to a buds truck and mine is next.
I have LED's under the trailer hitch and when you shift it into reverse the LED's and factory R lights come on.
To wire those up to a switch so you can turn them on when in drive or park you want to run a relay.
Relay # 30 + power supply with inline fuse to relay.
Relay # 85 to ground.
Relay # 86 in cab switch power to relay.
Relay # 87 to (number of places) 1. To the trucks fuse box for the reverse lights. 2. Down at reverse switch on transmission. 3. Run wire all the to the back of the truck into the trailer 7 way plug reverse wire (think it's purple or orange. Use test light) and tie into the backside of that.
I have LED's under the trailer hitch and when you shift it into reverse the LED's and factory R lights come on.
To wire those up to a switch so you can turn them on when in drive or park you want to run a relay.
Relay # 30 + power supply with inline fuse to relay.
Relay # 85 to ground.
Relay # 86 in cab switch power to relay.
Relay # 87 to (number of places) 1. To the trucks fuse box for the reverse lights. 2. Down at reverse switch on transmission. 3. Run wire all the to the back of the truck into the trailer 7 way plug reverse wire (think it's purple or orange. Use test light) and tie into the backside of that.
FTE-Spread The Knowledge
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,284
Likes: 240
My son uses a wireless remote switch for all of his LED lights. Pretty slick setup! He can turn them all on or just certain ones from over 50 yards away. You need welding glasses when they are all on, yet they hardly draw any amps.
Thread Starter
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i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,426
Likes: 5,508
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
the led's are already mounted under the bumper and tapped into the truck lights. the overhead "takedown lights" in the whelen led bar are tapped to battery power through a relay and circuit breaker with relay trigger power coming from the fuse box through a switch inside the truck.
what i want to do is run a wire from the relay to the truck/under bumper led's.
my main question is if putting power to the reverse lights while the truck is in forward gear will cause issues with the trans.
what i want to do is run a wire from the relay to the truck/under bumper led's.
my main question is if putting power to the reverse lights while the truck is in forward gear will cause issues with the trans.
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 5,277
Likes: 32
From: Blairsville, Pennsylvania
the led's are already mounted under the bumper and tapped into the truck lights. the overhead "takedown lights" in the whelen led bar are tapped to battery power through a relay and circuit breaker with relay trigger power coming from the fuse box through a switch inside the truck.
what i want to do is run a wire from the relay to the truck/under bumper led's.
my main question is if putting power to the reverse lights while the truck is in forward gear will cause issues with the trans.
what i want to do is run a wire from the relay to the truck/under bumper led's.
my main question is if putting power to the reverse lights while the truck is in forward gear will cause issues with the trans.
One option is to use a DIODE in the stock reverse light circuit, between the stock circuit and where you apply power via the switched relay.
Diodes only flow in one direction and will prevent a backfeed on the stock circuit.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 2,215
Likes: 2
From: North Lake Tahoe
When we wired up my buddys truck we ran the wire from the relay all the way back to the 7 pin reverse wire and has had no issues. I don't want to run a wire that far back so I'm going to tap in to the reverse wire on the trans switch. Shouldn't be a problem as all that does is to tell the lights to come on.
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Thread Starter
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i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,426
Likes: 5,508
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
good, that is what i was looking to hear.
i prefer not to splice into stock wiring harness in trucks that work in the winter, the salt water off the roads tears things up.
i prefer not to splice into stock wiring harness in trucks that work in the winter, the salt water off the roads tears things up.
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