Back up lights. Which wire??

[Justbeamn]

I'm trying to hook up a set of back up lights to come on in reverse and I need to know which wire powers the OEM set. Thanks in advance.

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98. 5 3500 SLT Quad Dually 4x4. Waterfall Blk on red. Custom dually flaps, All acc's w/leather
BD exhaust brake, dash mount Banks guages, Mag-Hytec Diff. cover, SS bug screen and fender trim,SS Stull diamond line running boards, Crome 4" turn down.

 

[Crazy Horse]

It should be the purple wire in the LR frame rail next to the spare tire. That's how my 99 and Y2K's are. I'd probe your 98. 5 to make sure that's the one.

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2K Dodge 3500,4x4,SLT,Quad Cab,PR4 Red,Auto Trans,3. 54's,Anti-Spin Axle,Trailer TowPack,3 Piece Auto Ventshade Hood Protector,"BEEFED" up Factory Camper Pack{No Airbags},Factory Fogs,Rear Slider,Rancho 9000's,Rhino Spray In Liner,Smitty Built Nerf Bars,Alpine 60x4 Watt CD Player,Lance Cabover Camper,BD Plug n Power,K&N w/Modifed Stock Box,Amsoil 15w40,EGT Guage,And Enjoying The Ride.

2K Dodge 2500 SLT RC LB PB3 Blue
99 Dodge 1500 SLT/Sport RC SB Solor Yellow {Her Truck}

 

[Cooker]

Just a thought, you may also want to wire a on and off switch for the lights just in case you'd like to use them while not in reverse.

 

[Arcticat]

You might want to think about running a seperate circuit to the lights and using a relay wired to the reverse circuit to trigger them. My little 55w backup lights caused the factory reverse lights to dim quite a bit when I tried to just piggy-back them on. You will need to run wire anyway if you want to do it the way cooker suggested. Keep in mind while designing the circuit you want that the whole lighting system is switched ground, ie that purple wire is 12v+ right off the fusebox and the switch in the transmission closes the ground to complete the circuit.

Edit - at least it's switched ground on my truck. I'm not sure if the change was made effective in 99 or in 98. 5 with the intro of the 24v. Do you have the newer style cab and mirrors? If so the wiring was probably part of the whole redesign.

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'00 2500 reg cab LB 4x4, 5spd, LSD, Hot Poweredge, 275 injectors, Warn HS9500I winch, Trans4mer grille guard/winchmount, TracRack, Line-X OTR, G-tech, Loadsaver, and a bunch of other crap I don't technically "need" Name a factory option-I don't have it!

[This message has been edited by Arcticat (edited 12-30-2000). ]

 

[RMHanes]

If an additional swith is wired in, where would be the best place to mount it? Best place that I can think of would be right on the stick shift column for people with a manual transmission. There has to be a nice switch already available that can be mounted there.
Would the best place to bring the wires into the cab be through the firewall? If this is the best then make sure that there are grommets to prevent the wire from chafing and rubbing through. Radio Shack has a bag of various size grommets availble. Could also check out the hardware store for these.

 

[T.Fogie]

Keep in mind the wiring difference between the 98. 5 and the 99. If memory serves me right, the 98. 5 is switched on the positive side and the 99 on the ground side. I highly recommend using a relay and powering from the battery for the add-on lights. Hook the relay to the backup light wire to initiate the connection.

 

[DLBurns]

As I am severly electrically challenged, Could someone supply a basic wiring diagram showing what you have described? I would like to hook up a set of back up lights as well, and I would like a seperate switch to turn them on without having the truck in reverse.
TIA

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01' 3500 Bright White,QC LWB, Auto, 4:10, Line-X Bedliner, Member San Jose RamRunners
2000 Dutchman Travel Trailer ( 1st class POS )
1996 Harley-Davidson FLHR

 

[Crazy Horse]

Buff, an easy way to wire a set of back up lights is to run a fused hot lead from the positive battery cable terminal to a lighted switch under your dash. You can pick up the hot at the terminal under the plastic cover/pos. distibution center,where the pos. batt. cable goes{drivers side}. You can get the switch at any parts store. Make sure the switch is rated heavier than what the lights will pull{amp draw}. Wire the switch so it lights up when the lights are on. Run one hot feed back to where you mount your lights. This will feed both of the lights with power and then ground them to the frame where you mount them,if they are not self grounding. Make sure your fuse is at the battery,and your fuse and wire are of sufficent amp rating for what the lights are going to draw. This will allow you to switch the lights on any time,truck running or not. Don't leave em on by mistake or your battery will go dead. That's what the lighted switch is for.

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2K Dodge 3500,4x4,SLT,Quad Cab,PR4 Red,Auto Trans,3. 54's,Anti-Spin Axle,Trailer TowPack,3 Piece Auto Ventshade Hood Protector,"BEEFED" up Factory Camper Pack{No Airbags},Factory Fogs,Rear Slider,Rancho 9000's,Rhino Spray In Liner,Smitty Built Nerf Bars,Alpine 60x4 Watt CD Player,Lance Cabover Camper,BD Plug n Power,K&N w/Modifed Stock Box,Amsoil 15w40,EGT Guage,And Enjoying The Ride.

2K Dodge 2500 SLT RC LB PB3 Blue
99 Dodge 1500 SLT/Sport RC SB Solor Yellow {Her Truck}

[This message has been edited by Crazy Horse (edited 12-30-2000). ]

 

[Diesel Junkie]

I'm just a dummy but this worked perfectly for mine. If you look at your trailer wiring next to your hitch you will see a purple and white wire that is for the backups on the trailer. Icut that and tied in my aux lights with a twist on connector and then put a piece of the shrink tubing to keep out the water. This works well for me and I don't think it will pull from your other lights since it is meant as an aux anyway.
Just my $. 02
Scott

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'01 3500 qc 5sp, 4x4 white w/ green graphics dark tint, flaps, tonneau,painless, Uniden Grant LT w/3' glass K-40, back up lights
'91 Regal 260 at Dale Hollow

 

[Crazy Horse]

Watch the load you put on the purple wire or you might have problems. See Articat's post.

 

[Thomas]

Nothing helps like a factory service manual! Here's what I see in mine:

For model year 2000, from the park/neutral position switch at the A/T or the back-up lamp switch at the M/T all the way to the back-up lamps you need to look for an 18-gauge violet/black tracer wire. This wire goes from the transmission to joint connector no. 1 in the PDC and then to the back-up lamps. Somewhere between the PDC and the lamps, this wire is split, going to each back-up lamp AND the trailer tow connector. The circuit is grounded after the back-up lamps.

The headlamp circuit on a 2000 RAM is switched-ground but not the back-up lamps.

If you're interested in increasing the light behind your truck while in reverse, you are asking a lot of a fairly long run of a single 18 gauge wire. It's amazing how quickly light output from an incandescent lamp falls off with slight voltage drops.

I suggest that you run a fused wire from a battery to the rear of your truck and use the existing violet/black tracer wire to trigger a relay.

I'm overkill on my truck having run an 8 gauge wire from the passenger-side battery to a six-circuit fuse box tucked up under the sheet metal near the right side tail light. My 55-watt back-up lights are bright.

 

[KWIKKURT]

I went a different route. .

I first removed the rear factory lights. . then cut about 1 in of plastic off the area the fact Backup light bulbs mount. . Shaped it to match up with some small 55 watt zeon driving lights. (you see them on the ULGY LOWERED STREET CRUISERS. . usually Hondas. . )

Then Epoxed the front zeon light bezel into the factory light lense then installed the rest of the lights... When finished you can not tell them from stock lights. . Untill you put it in reverse... #ad


The Zeon lights give you 55 watts of light at around 25 watts of power load.

I took Pics. . of the install. When I develope them I will post.

Have A Happy Rammin Good Year... . KWIKKURT

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"Have you driven OVER a phord lately"
2001 2500 BRT WHT SPORT QUADCAB 4X4 ETH 3. 54LSD TRLR CMPR PKG ALL OPT XCPT LTHR

[This message has been edited by KWIKKURT (edited 12-30-2000). ]

 

[Arcticat]

Well basically everything I said was wrong except to run a seperate wire from the battery. Great. I can't believe I don't remember the details of an install I did just a few months ago. The lights I got (Navigator POS brand back-up lights) have burned out anyway, so I got some new Hella's to put on sometime soon. These will have some serious light - 110WX2, with a real reflector. Take THAT, stupid darkness!

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'00 2500 reg cab LB 4x4, 5spd, LSD, Hot Poweredge, 275 injectors, Warn HS9500I winch, Trans4mer grille guard/winchmount, TracRack, Line-X OTR, G-tech, Loadsaver, and a bunch of other crap I don't technically "need" Name a factory option-I don't have it!

 

[DLBurns]

Sounds like the lead from the battery to the switch and then to the lights is the way to go! As I mentioned, I am electrically challenged! What is a relay and what purpose does it serve!
Thank Crazy Horse for the valuable info!

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01' 3500 Bright White,QC LWB, Auto, 4:10, Line-X Bedliner, Member San Jose RamRunners
2000 Dutchman Travel Trailer ( 1st class POS )
1996 Harley-Davidson FLHR

 

[Crazy Horse]

Buff, A circut breaker basicly does the same thing as a fuse except it is usally self resetting if it blows or trips. A fuse will cost less and if you wire it right will never blow anyway. The nice thing about wiring the lights this way is that you can turn em on anytime even driving down the road. I have put lights on this way and it is nice to occasionally check on the trailer to make sure it's still there in the middle of the night. Ya can't tell with these Dodges.

[This message has been edited by Crazy Horse (edited 12-31-2000). ]

 

[Thomas]

Buff,

I don't want to step on any toes here but I think you need a second opinion on what a relay is and what it is used for. I suggest you contact one of your San Jose RamRunners for an explanation.


Thomas

 

[Samscov]

Buff, You can think of a relay as somewhat of a remote control switch. Basically it's function in this application is to switch on a device which draws more current than the circuit that You want to control the device can supply.
A relay basically has 2 parts, 1) the coil, and 2) the contact points. The coil simply acts as an electromagnet that is turned on to move a pivoting steel bar that one of the contact points is on, when the bar is pulled down by the magnet (it's held up by a spring)both contact points are made, completing or closing the circuit
The coil takes relativaly little current to pull the points together, but the points are capable of carrying a large amount of current. All this can be in a cube of about 1 inch for Your application, available at any auto store.
The power for the coil can come off the light duty original circuit.
The power for the new device can come from the battery, ALWAYS through a fuse or circuit breaker, through the relay contact points and then to the device.
Hope this helps & explains it some for You.

 

[Arcticat]

Okay Buff here's what to do. Run a 12ga. wire directly from the battery to pin 30 on the relay. Make sure to put a fuse holder with fuse in this run. Size the fuse with this equasion - total wattage of lamps divided by 12 volts + 5 amps. Tap the backup signal wire mentioned in Thomas' post and run that to pin 86. Ground pin 85 to some convenient bolt or screw, making sure you have bare metal contact, and then power your back up lights off pin 87. If you want to be able to turn the lights on without having the truck in reverse, run an additional wire from pin 86 back to a switch in the cab that has 12V power. This way the lights will go on when you hit the switch OR when you put the truck in reverse. This is how it's wired on my truck. This sound right to everybody?
#ad


[This message has been edited by Arcticat (edited 01-01-2001). ]

 

[DLBurns]

Thanks a million for all the info! And definately a big thanks to Articat for the schematic! A picture is worth a thousand words!
This sight has been a source of invaluable information for desiel novices such as myself!
Thanks to all

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01' 3500 Bright White,QC LWB, Auto, 4:10, Line-X Bedliner, Member San Jose RamRunners
2000 Dutchman Travel Trailer ( 1st class POS )
1996 Harley-Davidson FLHR