Back-up Lights???

omGoddard · **Posted:** Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:30 pm

A lil OT, but Ray, your KJ is really looking sweet.

HoppedUpOnGoofballs · **Joined:** Sat Nov 29, 2008 10:36 pm **Posts:** 203

Just a thought.. Alcohol-induced, of course...

The lights are in the back.. The reverse lights are in the back.. Why not just tap in right near the reverse light? ..Its only triggering a relay, so its not like it is drawing a lot of amps.. (Still need to bring power back, but youd have to do that anyways..)

RkyMtnKJ · **Posted:** Wed Jan 14, 2009 11:37 pm

My dad and i installed the PIAA kit on my dad's F-350 and what we did to get the reverse lights to come on when in reverse was tie the wiring into the rear drivers tail light. All you do is pop out the tail light, determine what the reverse light wire is. cut the wire and splice it in with the reverse light using butt splices (i think), crimp them together and place the socket back in the tail light. Wrapped any splicing with electrical tape and good to go.

Routing the wiring was a pain but we managed. we actually had to add 3 extra feet to complete the project resulting in more than one splice.

RAYMAN975 · **Posted:** Fri Jan 16, 2009 7:30 pm

i didnt know if the wire would be easy to find under the dash, because thats where the switch is. the PIAA kit has 3 wires coming out of the switch, the 2 for the 2 lights, and the 3rd for the remote turn on with the stock lights(im almost positive, but its something like that

). maybe i will just run the wire to the back and splice it into the taillight, it will probably be easier than trying to find it under the dash! haha

oh, and thanks goddard!

Puddle Jumper · **Posted:** Sat Jan 17, 2009 12:36 am

I did this about a month ago with small fogs in the rear bumper.
I checked the reverse indicating wires at several points under the dash and they had 12V on them all the time - possibly info from trans switch to BCM.

I couldn't find a reverse indicating wire at the front of the vehicle without power - got tired of looking. :evil:

I soldered a wire to the white & tan wire (in my 2004) in the drivers side rear light (which is on in reverse) and fished the wire inside to the rear pillar area. I used electrical fish tape but a straightened out hanger will work.
From there I fished the wire thru gaps in partially removed plastic trim moulding all the way to the front.
This work took me about half an hour compared to the three I wasted looking for the right wire under the dash.
I used a diode on this wire connecting to the switch because I also connected 12V constant on so I could turn the lights on whenever I wanted. I used the 87a wire off the relay (middle plug) to activate an LED indicator light I mounted next to the switch in the dash.
It works great.
Good luck - The basket looks great!

flyingwen · **Posted:** Sat Jan 17, 2009 2:16 am

Puddle Jumper wrote:

I did this about a month ago with small fogs in the rear bumper.
I checked the reverse indicating wires at several points under the dash and they had 12V on them all the time - possibly info from trans switch to BCM.

I couldn't find a reverse indicating wire at the front of the vehicle without power - got tired of looking. :evil:

I soldered a wire to the white & tan wire (in my 2004) in the drivers side rear light (which is on in reverse) and fished the wire inside to the rear pillar area. I used electrical fish tape but a straightened out hanger will work.
From there I fished the wire thru gaps in partially removed plastic trim moulding all the way to the front.
This work took me about half an hour compared to the three I wasted looking for the right wire under the dash.
I used a diode on this wire connecting to the switch because I also connected 12V constant on so I could turn the lights on whenever I wanted. I used the 87a wire off the relay (middle plug) to activate an LED indicator light I mounted next to the switch in the dash.
It works great.
Good luck - The basket looks great!

Right on. I hope to tackle this project this weekend.

Wil (not Wendy)

LIV42DY · **Posted:** Sat Jan 17, 2009 5:36 pm

Tap it right of the the tailight, splice into the reverse light wire, passenger side and you are done. Mine are set up that way. only need them when going in reverse anyway.

RAYMAN975 · **Posted:** Sat Jan 17, 2009 6:28 pm

i have used mine for numerous different things, not just for backing up, and it didnt drain the battery at all. while camping, i used them for playing cornhole! the front rooflights were TO bright and more of a direct straight ahead light, these were more angled outwards and worked great! aimed them perpendicular to the cornole boards aimed at the middle between the 2 boards

TAHOE · **Posted:** Sat Jan 17, 2009 8:10 pm

Puddle Jumper wrote:

I used a diode on this wire connecting to the switch because I also connected 12V constant on so I could turn the lights on whenever I wanted. I used the 87a wire off the relay (middle plug) to activate an LED indicator light I mounted next to the switch in the dash.
It works great.
Good luck - The basket looks great!

Please more details. I'm about to do this also, curious as why you need a diode and where to put it in line? I was just going to use relay and a 3 way switch, now I'm curious to your set up.

flyingwen · **Posted:** Sun Jan 18, 2009 7:34 pm

Ok slowly working on the wiring... I am using a LightForce wiring harness to wire in the lights... Here's a sneak preview of the wirte-up while I am on baby duty, and await for FlyingWen to get home so I can get finished!

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Sun Jan 18, 2009 9:19 pm

Been looking over it pretty good and it makes sense.

Only thing I cant figure out is why you have a connector coming out beside the diode thats not connected to anything??

TAHOE · **Posted:** Sun Jan 18, 2009 9:43 pm

SO if I understand right, the diode will be in the line from the reverse wire from the light/under dash/etc so it won't feed juice back through the reverse circuit if you turn on the "aux" back up lightsusing switch. So I take it your switch is an off/on toggle/rocker switch, not an on/off/on switch?
Is the LED light just a standard little one from like Autozone?
I think I understand it, I had originally planne dto use a 3 way switch, but like this better.
Great pic by the way, even though the diode placement is kind of fuzzzy in pic, but hey, great job for watching kids and playing on puter!

flyingwen · **Posted:** Mon Jan 19, 2009 1:22 pm

Jeepjeepster wrote:

Been looking over it pretty good and it makes sense.

Only thing I cant figure out is why you have a connector coming out beside the diode thats not connected to anything??

Sorry, I was using the LightForce wiring harness... the original picture is from the instructions and the other connecter is for a negative switch type... so in this case it was not used.

flyingwen · **Posted:** Mon Jan 19, 2009 1:27 pm

TAHOE wrote:

SO if I understand right, the diode will be in the line from the reverse wire from the light/under dash/etc so it won't feed juice back through the reverse circuit if you turn on the "aux" back up lightsusing switch. So I take it your switch is an off/on toggle/rocker switch, not an on/off/on switch?
Is the LED light just a standard little one from like Autozone?
I think I understand it, I had originally planne dto use a 3 way switch, but like this better.
Great pic by the way, even though the diode placement is kind of fuzzzy in pic, but hey, great job for watching kids and playing on puter!

Correct, the diode (think one way road) is enough to trigger the relay so even with the switch in the off position the rear rack back-up lights will turn on anytime that there is power to the reverse lights. With this set up, the switch is the on-off included in the LightForce harness, and when switched will turn on the lights. Basically the manual switch, and the power to the reverse lights control the relay.

We should have a write-up tonight or tomorrow that should clear everything up.

TAHOE · **Posted:** Mon Jan 19, 2009 1:54 pm

Cool, clear as mud pie

. Seriously, I got it figured out now, I'm going to bookmark this one as I will be needing that pic for future reference.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Mon Jan 19, 2009 6:36 pm

flyingwen wrote:

Correct, the diode (think one way road) is enough to trigger the relay so even with the switch in the off position the rear rack back-up lights will turn on anytime that there is power to the reverse lights. With this set up, the switch is the on-off included in the LightForce harness, and when switched will turn on the lights. Basically the manual switch, and the power to the reverse lights control the relay.

We should have a write-up tonight or tomorrow that should clear everything up.

Wonder if anything will happen if you turn the switch on and put it in R?

flyingwen · **Posted:** Mon Jan 19, 2009 7:41 pm

Jeepjeepster wrote:

flyingwen wrote:

Correct, the diode (think one way road) is enough to trigger the relay so even with the switch in the off position the rear rack back-up lights will turn on anytime that there is power to the reverse lights. With this set up, the switch is the on-off included in the LightForce harness, and when switched will turn on the lights. Basically the manual switch, and the power to the reverse lights control the relay.

We should have a write-up tonight or tomorrow that should clear everything up.

Wonder if anything will happen if you turn the switch on and put it in R?

The relay will be triggered. The diode in this case protects the factory circuit.

flyingwen · **Posted:** Tue Jan 20, 2009 12:40 am

Write up here: http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/vie ... hp?t=39402

Back-up Lights???

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