MIDNIGHT RIDER
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- Joined
- Sep 29, 2005
- Posts
- 4,639
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I got to thinking about those two tiny telephone-wire sized wires that plug into the transmission and trigger the reverse lights.
They are not really enough for the two little 1156 bulbs in the tail-lights, let alone the big sealed-beam flood-light that I had spliced into the rear of the truck, not to mention the fact that the already over-loaded IGNITION ON powers them.
I ran a fused 12AWG wire, straight from HOT under the hood, all the way back to the rear of the truck, and connected it to the BATT/HOT wire on a relay.
I clipped both standard reverse lights, and the big one, free of the system, and connected them to the load side of the relay.
I added two big wires for future lights that will hang on each rear corner, angled outward at about 45* each side.
I also added a big wire that will feed the four reverse lights on the trailer, one each side about mid-way, and one each side of the rear.
I connected the existing REVERSE light wires to the SWITCH/TRIGGER side of the relay.
Before I started, engine not running, reverse lights on, including the big sealed-beam, I had 8.3 VOLTS at the lights.
After I finished, I had 11.8 VOLTS , which I figure will step up to around 14 VOLTS , when the engine is running.
Now, the only draw on that tiny reverse wiring system is the relay trigger.
I got to thinking about it, and decided an over-ride switch is in order, such that I can turn the lights on, without the transmission being in REVERSE, or the ignition being on.
That should prove handy.
They are not really enough for the two little 1156 bulbs in the tail-lights, let alone the big sealed-beam flood-light that I had spliced into the rear of the truck, not to mention the fact that the already over-loaded IGNITION ON powers them.
I ran a fused 12AWG wire, straight from HOT under the hood, all the way back to the rear of the truck, and connected it to the BATT/HOT wire on a relay.
I clipped both standard reverse lights, and the big one, free of the system, and connected them to the load side of the relay.
I added two big wires for future lights that will hang on each rear corner, angled outward at about 45* each side.
I also added a big wire that will feed the four reverse lights on the trailer, one each side about mid-way, and one each side of the rear.
I connected the existing REVERSE light wires to the SWITCH/TRIGGER side of the relay.
Before I started, engine not running, reverse lights on, including the big sealed-beam, I had 8.3 VOLTS at the lights.
After I finished, I had 11.8 VOLTS , which I figure will step up to around 14 VOLTS , when the engine is running.
Now, the only draw on that tiny reverse wiring system is the relay trigger.
I got to thinking about it, and decided an over-ride switch is in order, such that I can turn the lights on, without the transmission being in REVERSE, or the ignition being on.
That should prove handy.