Kaymar Bumper Wiring (1 Viewer)

[BigMac]

Anybody installed & wired the taillights in a Kaymar rear bumper lately? I would appreciate feedback on what worked.

Instructions say - "plug the new wiring loom into the car's existing loom which has sockets to match. The trailer plug can be wired from the same loom. Plugs located right hand rear of fuel tank". That's it.

I have a NAPA/Hoppy plug-in trailer wiring harness ready to install and intend to use it to drive a flat 4 wire trailer plug - that's a no-brainer. The Kaymar bumper's lights have four terminals each; ground plus 3 bulbs - brake, turn, light. I can't see how the Kaymar harness would work right ALONE, since it does not have a "diode pack" tail light converter like the Hoppy and seems to connect at only one side of the vehicle. The Kaymar "loom" has 3 connectors to plug into the "car's existing loom" - they are 2 terminals each, stop & light seem to be in one, turn signals are in the other 2. Maybe I'm missing something obvious. Appreciate any info. BigMac

 

[landtank]

I completely disassembled that harness and connected them parrallel to the appropriate lights. This however blew my factory trailer light box. The extra draw on those lines from the extra bulbs caused the blinkers to stop working. So unpluged them and bought a new box from Napa. Haven't had time to investigate if lower amp buls are available or connecting in series would do it.

Rick

 

[yomama]

I can't recall exactly (that was last year :dunno, but seems to me it did just plug right in. I have the Toyota trailering setup though. Just a note, as I also have an ARB bullbar, I found that with all the extra lights now running that I needed to go up an extra 5 amps on all my lighting fuses. Of course I am still using the factory wiring, but no problems so far.

Yomama

 

[Jim_Chow]

I installed a Kaymar on my 4runner last year (it uses the same hella tail lights). Since I don't have a trailer lighting connection, I tapped off the left and right rear tail lights (behind the tail lamp assemblies), ran the 16gax4 conductor wire through the stock grommet beneath the left tail light (this is where the harness for the rear tailgate lights/power window exit the body) to 4-prong spade connectors (avoid the round molex connectors...they suck) to allow removal of the hella tail lamp assemblies. I just used those plastic splicing clips that you get from electronics stores to splice the wires and taped them so they wouldn't accidentally pop open. The stock tail lights/signals weren't affected at all. I tapped off both lights and lead the wire from one under the rear trim since I didn't want to sap all the current off of one light...that might lead to problems. So far, so good. I used blue silicone rtv on the connectors outside, then wrapped them well in electrical tape and placed that in split loom. So far, it's held up to water well when driving on wet roads (no shorts). I haven't submerged it yet, though.

 

[BigMac]

Thanks for the info guys - I had hoped to be able to treat the Hella bumper lights like another set of trailer lights. Oh well. I now intend to wire the Hella bumper lights, a relocated license plate bracket and some kind of rear mounted work light in the most integrated way I can come up with. Thanks again, BigMac

 

[Jim_Chow]

BigMac,
my kaymar tire carrier came with a license plate light (the little black hella one), bumper didn't come w/ a license light..only the two hella tail lamps. If you look at the Kaymar catalog, it's the same license plate light they mount to the jerry cans and license plate bracket. I was unable to find the Kaymar license plate bracket in the US. I bought a bracket from SleeOffroad, but ended up not using it since it wouldn't fit my 15" wheels well, and to mount the hella license light to it would have required some mods I'm not equipped to do in my apartment. I ended up drilling holes in the bumper and bolting the plate directly to it, and wiring that license plate light to the nearest hella bumper taillight (tapped off the parking light signal and ground).

 

[yomama]

Another alternative to drilling holes in your bumper or LC anywhere for the license plate is to do what I did. I took a flate piece of steel, inch wide maybe and drilled three holes in it. Two holes match where the plate used to be and the other is for the other end of the plate to move it over about 8 inches. Kind of like this.

. . (old mount)
plate

-.-----.-----.- (new mount to shift it left)
plate

Then I put a rubber bumper on the back side and woola.

Yomama

 

[landtank]

I did pretty much what Yomama did except I used 1" square stock so I could shift the plate a little more. 2 years and haven't gotten pulled over yet.

 

[BigMac]

Thanks for all the info. I have also "temporarily" shifted my plate left. It's a pretty marginal location, totally spare tire-obscured from about the 5 to 3 O'clock position. It remains to be seen if my FL plates will attract the CA Highway Patrol's attention in this location. I will eventually work up a lighted bracket that will hang it down on the spare where the unavailable Kaymar plate holder would go. As for the wiring, I am splicing bumper lights into the input side of the trailer wiring convertor in the PS rear panel. Thanks again, BigMac

 

[Jim_Chow]

I considered buying the extension arm from MAF ($30) which essentially does what you guys did (shifts the plate over to the side), but I thought attaching it to the bumper looked cooler, and my rear license plate lights weren't working as is, so I installed the Kaymar/hella license plate light (came w/ the carrier so I didn't have to buy it separately) in the bumper. Cost me < $2 for stainless bolts. I did receive a couple of compliments on the bumper recently on a road trip to Yosemite (park employee) and Sequoia NP's (guy who had a '85 runner). In LA, the car capital of the world, I've only seen one other vehicle (an 80) w/ a kaymar rear bumper.

 

[nakman]

Ok, so I sold out and went with the Kaymar. Spent most of Saturday on the tire carrier and wiring hookup.. thought I had it but then last night realized the running lights in the bumper aren't working, brake lights and blinkers still work fine, and everything in the truck tail lights still works fine.

After some digging, I realize that I should upgrade the flasher to a Stant/Tridon EP36.. but that doesn't have anything to do with the running lights, right? Just doesn't make sense since the original tail lights are still working fine..

edit: sorry where are my manners? here's a pic

 

[lurker]

Ok, so I sold out and went with the Kaymar. Spent most of Saturday on the tire carrier and wiring hookup.. thought I had it but then last night realized the running lights in the bumper aren't working, brake lights and blinkers still work fine, and everything in the truck tail lights still works fine.

After some digging, I realize that I should upgrade the flasher to a Stant/Tridon EP36.. but that doesn't have anything to do with the running lights, right? Just doesn't make sense since the original tail lights are still working fine..

edit: sorry where are my manners? here's a pic

I like the license plate part!

Thought you were going to sneak on over on us?

 

[YngTLCOwner]

I love your setup Tim! I hope to be able to get the Kaymar soon.

Steve

 

[nakman]

Thanks guys. I used an old license plate as my support to shift the real one over... put a screw through each towards the bottom, then used the existing holes in the top. I've got a plastic frame on backwards helping keep the plate sticking out- away from the tailgate, so far so good.