Supplemental backup light Q

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B3A5T

B3A5T

10 Year
Joined
Oct 21, 2011
Threads
36
Messages
303
Location
PlanoTX
Hello everyone,
Wondering if I can be pointed in the correct direction on where to tap into the reverse lights to add a pair of led lights. I want them to turn on and off by means of putting the gears in R and anything else. My initial thought was to tap right at the cable that powers the light bulb on the rear tail light, but there has to be a better way. I don't want to use a switch bc 1) ease of use 2) I dont see my wife using it or she or I forgetting about it and driving down the road with light pointing at cars behind. Reason I need them is that my rear tint is 3% (I need it) and the led will help a bit when backing up.
Btw I can go w a backup camera but I want to try this first.
Thanks
Cheers
 
I did mine by tapping into the red-with-blue stripe wire (hot to reverse lights) and white-with-black-stripe wire (ground) under the driver's side above the spare tire. Ran 2 new wires to the new driver's side light, and 2 more across the rear of the truck to the new passenger's side light. Made the connection to the pass side inside the driver's side new light.

My installation was more of a fit exercise...new lights now are el-cheapo 35 watt halogen bulbs inside rubber housings...generic stuff available cheap at any auto parts store. Phase 2 will be replacing the cheap lamps with either halogen fog lamps, or maybe led's.

I find backing with the outside mirrors a lot easier than using the inside mirror through the tail gate window. Ymmv.

hth

Steve
 
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hankinid said:
I did mine by tapping into the red-with-black stripe wire (hot to reverse lights) and white-with-black-stripe wire (ground) under the driver's side above the spare tire. Ran 2 new wires to the new driver's side light, and 2 more across the rear of the truck to the new passenger's side light. Made the connection to the pass side inside the driver's side new light.

My installation was more of a fit exercise...new lights now are el-cheapo 35 watt halogen bulbs inside rubber housings...generic stuff available cheap at any auto parts store. Phase 2 will be replacing the cheap lamps with either halogen fog lamps, or maybe led's.

I find backing with the outside mirrors a lot easier than using the inside mirror through the tail gate window. Ymmv.

hth

Steve
Click to expand...

Thanks! That's exactly what I wanted. Can you clarify : "Made the connection to the passenger side inside the driver's side new light".

Thanks again!
 
image.webp

Any of you know what this connector controls/does? Its on the drivers rear back corner. The little hose is the fuel overfill hose. I know it's not for the trailer bc I have that one connected to the hitch and working, unless of course the 100s come with two?!?!

Also can I tap on any of these cables inside the tailgate? I'll be using a LEO license place bracket that allows for the LEDs to be mounted perpendicular on either side of the license plate. Tapping to the tailgate is the shortest "cleaner" solution.
image.webp
image.webp

Cheers
 
B3A5T said:
View attachment 926679
Any of you know what this connector controls/does? Its on the drivers rear back corner. The little hose is the fuel overfill hose. I know it's not for the trailer bc I have that one connected to the hitch and working, unless of course the 100s come with two?!?!

Also can I tap on any of these cables inside the tailgate? I'll be using a LEO license place bracket that allows for the LEDs to be mounted perpendicular on either side of the license plate. Tapping to the tailgate is the shortest "cleaner" solution.
Click to expand...
No idea...sounds like you are not mounting your b/u lights under the rear bumper. If you're mounting them on the tailgate, simply look for a red/blue for the hot lead in the tailgate, and a white/black for ground (or stick a ring lug on your led light wiring and bolt to something inside the tailgate.

B3A5T said:
Thanks! That's exactly what I wanted. Can you clarify : "Made the connection to the passenger side inside the driver's side new light".
Click to expand...
A 2-wire cable goes into the left light, a second 2-wire cable goes into the left light and then across the truck to the right light.
 
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Result!
Thanks @hankinid !
image.webp


Turned off ( can't tell they r lights):
image.webp
 
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Im mildly confused by where you guys tapped in. I have two LED lights and want to do the same thing as you, can you provide some more explanation to where and how you tapped in?
 
I have those exact lights as well sitting in my garage! They are the 9.5" linear light strips intended to be used for DRL's but I was going to stick them to the towing receiver hitch crossmember just like @B3A5T did. But can ANYONE provide a wiring diagram, or preferably a pic, of EXACTLY which wires they tapped into and where they are? Or how they ran it through a relay (heard a couple members mention this option)? I would appreciate it tremendously guys! :cheers:
 
^^My apologizes @B3A5T I just jacked your thread!:bang:
 
TheForger said:
But can ANYONE provide a wiring diagram, or preferably a pic, of EXACTLY which wires they tapped into and where they are? Or how they ran it through a relay (heard a couple members mention this option)? I would appreciate it tremendously guys! :cheers:
Click to expand...
Remove the door to the spare tire, take out the jack and the 3 bolts that hold the jack mounting bracket in place. Toward the rear you should see a connector with the wires you need...red w/ blue stripe is hot lead to backup lights, white w/ black stripe is ground. Those are the 2 you want.

Given current draw of LED's, I doubt a relay is needed.

Get under the truck and mount the LED's on your hitch crossmember.

Drop the spare and get it out of the way.

Take the LED leads and splice + to + and - to - with the wires you'll use to get inside to the connector inside with the red/blue and white black wires. I used about 3 feet of 18ga. wire and had some left over.

Under the truck on the inside of the driver's side frame, you'll see the sunroof drain hose, near that you'll see the tailight harness coming through a rubber grommet. Feed your LED feed wires through that and route to the connector. Splice the feed wires to the connector, observing polarity.

Put everything back together.

PM me if you have questions.

Steve
 
Last edited:
hankinid said:
Remove the door to the spare tire, take out the jack and the 3 bolts that hold the jack mounting bracket in place. Toward the rear you should see a connector with the wires you need...red w/ black stripe is hot lead to backup lights, white w/ black stripe is ground. Those are the 2 you want.

Given current draw of LED's, I doubt a relay is needed.

Get under the truck and mount the LED's on your hitch crossmember.

Drop the spare and get it out of the way.

Take the LED leads and splice + to + and - to - with the wires you'll use to get inside to the connector inside with the red/black and white black wires. I used about 3 feet of 18ga. wire and had some left over.

Under the truck on the inside of the driver's side frame, you'll see the sunroof drain hose, near that you'll see the tailight harness coming through a rubber grommet. Feed your LED feed wires through that and route to the connector. Splice the feed wires to the connector, observing polarity.

Put everything back together.

PM me if you have questions.

Steve
Click to expand...

Thank you!
 
hankinid said:
Remove the door to the spare tire, take out the jack and the 3 bolts that hold the jack mounting bracket in place. Toward the rear you should see a connector with the wires you need...red w/ black stripe is hot lead to backup lights, white w/ black stripe is ground. Those are the 2 you want.

Given current draw of LED's, I doubt a relay is needed.

Get under the truck and mount the LED's on your hitch crossmember.

Drop the spare and get it out of the way.

Take the LED leads and splice + to + and - to - with the wires you'll use to get inside to the connector inside with the red/black and white black wires. I used about 3 feet of 18ga. wire and had some left over.

Under the truck on the inside of the driver's side frame, you'll see the sunroof drain hose, near that you'll see the tailight harness coming through a rubber grommet. Feed your LED feed wires through that and route to the connector. Splice the feed wires to the connector, observing polarity.

Put everything back together.

PM me if you have questions.

Steve
Click to expand...
Great explanation!
 
hankinid said:
Remove the door to the spare tire, take out the jack and the 3 bolts that hold the jack mounting bracket in place. Toward the rear you should see a connector with the wires you need...red w/ black stripe is hot lead to backup lights, white w/ black stripe is ground. Those are the 2 you want.

Given current draw of LED's, I doubt a relay is needed.

Get under the truck and mount the LED's on your hitch crossmember.

Drop the spare and get it out of the way.

Take the LED leads and splice + to + and - to - with the wires you'll use to get inside to the connector inside with the red/black and white black wires. I used about 3 feet of 18ga. wire and had some left over.

Under the truck on the inside of the driver's side frame, you'll see the sunroof drain hose, near that you'll see the tailight harness coming through a rubber grommet. Feed your LED feed wires through that and route to the connector. Splice the feed wires to the connector, observing polarity.

Put everything back together.

PM me if you have questions.

Steve
Click to expand...

Thank you very much, that is exactly what I needed!
 
You guys are most welcome.

If you might be thinking of making the reverse light connections in the tailgate because the wires are right there and easy to get to...

Be aware that the connections are easily done. That said, threading the wires correctly out of the tailgate, across the tailgate to the body through the plastic elbows and then up and into the truck, might be the biatch directly from Satan. I did an LC for a friend of a friend that way and cursed the guy in my mind for a week or 2.

One thing I neglected to mention...splices you make outside the interior of the truck will be in a possibly wet/muddy/dirty splash zone. I strongly suggest using adhesive-lined heat shrink to insulate the splices...I like Raychem TAT or similar. Heat it enough to see the adhesive exude on each side of the tubing.

I don't know how I missed OP's "after" pic...that inspired me enough to get the led's and remove the 35W tractor work lights on my LX.

Steve
 
Nice job on keeping them discrete. :cheers:
 
@hankinid so i mounted my LED backup light here, how would you recommend i wire it (wire route)?
Z5xLkZA.jpg
 
What about a link to get these led strip lights? These could come in handy other places too. Under the hood, interior and so on.
 
My bad that's what I get for posting past my bed time lol.
 
I read multiple reviews about em on amazon that said that the cheap wiring catches fire. Wire connections are weak, they said. check connections and insulation when you get em. Don't need to see a land cruiser fire... I like the idea of this a lot. The pfran reverse lights do a great job of spotlighting behind my truck, but the area directly behind me is dark. These would help lots, I reckon.

B3ast! Your install has my OCD going crazy. I know the hitch isn't symmetrical with the exhaust exit, but why the heck didn't your LED strips get mounted symmetrically?? >.<


...via IH8MUD app
 
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