Best way to add backup lights to 2006

[bigceltic]

I am thinking of adding a pair of LED lights to my rear bumper (either flush mount or hang them on the bottom of the bumper) and did some searches of the forums but did not find any good answers regarding wiring them in - I believe my truck has the TIPM and I don't want to mess anything up. I would prefer to wire them to come on with my reverse lights (that is my need) but if I have to, I will wire them to a switch for manual activation. Can someone point me to a thread that already exists, or provide guidance on if I can wire up these lights to work as I desire without blowing my TIPM or causing other issues?

Thanks in advance,

George

 

[cerberusiam]

IIRC, backup lights are run out the range sensor switch not the TIPM so it is a little easier and safer to do. A power wire from the battery to a relay box activated by a jumper off on of the back lights would be the best way I think. You could just tag onto the driver side battery with a inline fused circuit and run the wire in the existing harness bundle, ground the relay box to the frame at the rear an it should work fine.

 

[bigceltic]

IIRC, backup lights are run out the range sensor switch not the TIPM so it is a little easier and safer to do. A power wire from the battery to a relay box activated by a jumper off on of the back lights would be the best way I think. You could just tag onto the driver side battery with a inline fused circuit and run the wire in the existing harness bundle, ground the relay box to the frame at the rear an it should work fine.

Awesome. That is good news. Thanks!

 

[lpennock]

Your 7 pin trailer connector has a reverse light line. If running led just tap that line. If running incandescent use that line to control a relay.

 

[bigceltic]

But I would still run a wire to the battery, right? For Power? Or can I get power from the trailer connector?


Edit: I found this page: http://metroecho.info/wiring-diagram/wiring-diagram-for-a-7-wire-trailer-plug.html

So I could also tap the black wire (12v) for power, and the purple (reverse) for on/off, right?

 

[AH64ID]

But I would still run a wire to the battery, right? For Power? Or can I get power from the trailer connector?


Edit: I found this page: http://metroecho.info/wiring-diagram/wiring-diagram-for-a-7-wire-trailer-plug.html

So I could also tap the black wire (12v) for power, and the purple (reverse) for on/off, right?

That's what I did for my backup camera and what I will do when I install the LED lights that are sitting on my shop bench.

 

[bigceltic]

Sweet. For my backup camera, I wired it into the tail lights. I will wire my backup lights into the trailer plug. Thanks for all the help, gentlemen.

 

[PWong]

http://www.rambodybuilder.com/2006/docs/wd/dr/wiringdiagrams/8w51rearlighting.pdf

 

[PWong]

http://www.rambodybuilder.com/2006/docs/wd/dr/wiringdiagrams/8w51rearlighting.pdf

The backup lamp switch was on 8W-51-3. you can use that ground signal to trigger a relay to power the lights.

 

[PWong]

From 8W-51-5, see backup lamps are fed from TIPM.

 

[Flopster843]

I've got LED backup lights on the rear of my gooseneck and they pull power directly from the 7 pin trailer connector. I see no reason you couldn't power a set mounted on the back of the truck the same way. If you want a quick, easy, and cheap way to increase your backup lighting, just put some 886 fog light bulbs in place of the standard 921 bulbs in the housing. I've been running them for years and they work great. No wiring, no mounting, and you can't even tell they're installed until they come on. Here's a how-to if you're interested: http://www.carbonitecummins.com/Documents/Backup Lights.pdf

 

[seafish]

I drilled and flush mounted 50 watt PAR36 halogen flood lights into my bumper using rubber grommets from Grote.

 

[bigceltic]

But I would still run a wire to the battery, right? For Power? Or can I get power from the trailer connector?


Edit: I found this page: http://metroecho.info/wiring-diagram/wiring-diagram-for-a-7-wire-trailer-plug.html

So I could also tap the black wire (12v) for power, and the purple (reverse) for on/off, right?

Ok, lights installed on the underside of back bumper. Now I need to wire it. I am horrible with all things electrical, so please bear with my noob questions. The lights have a red (+) and black (-). My plan is to connect the two reds together and solder them with another piece of wire that I will then use a tap to connect to the 12v power wire (looks like the black wire from the RV industry std 7-way connector diagram). Then I plan to connect the blacks together and solder to another piece of wire and use a tap to connect to the purple wire (back up).

My questions:
1. Ignoring colors for the moment, is this the correct way? Or red from the lights to the backup wire, and black to ground?
2. Colors - what are the right wire colors? The link I posted has black (12v) and purple(reverse), but I have seen other diagrams with different colors. Can someone tell me which color wire I tap into for the red (+) aux lights, and which color tap into for the black - or do I just ground them on the frame?

Again, sorry for the questions but I don't want to mess it up!

 

[lpennock]

Light black to ground. Light red to purple backup lead.

 

[Motorhead]

I mounted some Grote Trilliant LED lights into my back bumper. I put a three way switch on my dash so I could select to have them on or not. One selection has them on when I am in reverse, second has them off. Third position turns them on without any ignition on or trans in reverse. The switch on the right is for the backup lights. I used a separate cube relay to run them so no load through the TIPM. Last pictures are of them on and then just the stock lights.
I added some square Grote Trilliant backup lamps on my trailer along with some Whelen 84 diode stop, turn, tail lamps. I also installed a switch inside the 5th wheel that will run the lamps off of the battery in the trailer. I installed a diode so if the trailer is plugged in to the truck and I turn the lamps on by the switch in the tailer, it won't back feed into the truck.

 

[mwilson]

Go get a relay kit. Wire as per my diagram.

The only thing not on there is the ground wire for your new lights. Attach the ground wire from the new lights to the truck frame along with the indicated ground on the relay.

I used your reference as to the purple wire, double check that with a test light before wiring it up.

 

[bigceltic]

Go get a relay kit. Wire as per my diagram.

The only thing not on there is the ground wire for your new lights. Attach the ground wire from the new lights to the truck frame along with the indicated ground on the relay.

I used your reference as to the purple wire, double check that with a test light before wiring it up.

View attachment 99377

Awesome, thanks. Will pick one up on the way home tonight. I liked Motorhead's 3-way switch idea. I may go that route in the future.

 

[mwilson]

Awesome, thanks. Will pick one up on the way home tonight. I liked Motorhead's 3-way switch idea. I may go that route in the future.

Please refer to the diagram again before you start. I did it while on the phone and had to go back and modify it.

The point of the exercise is the lights are powered by the 12V trailer feed, the back-up light feed triggers the relay which allows the current from the 12V power feed to flow through the relay and illuminate the new lights. The only extra load placed on the back up light feed is the little tiny coil in the relay.

Way safer for the TIPM.

 

[bigceltic]

Roger, will do.

 

[bigceltic]

I got the lights hooked up tonight, per mwilson's directions - THANK YOU! I used a test light and found that my 12V power wire is the RED wire and the back up light wire is the white-with-green-stripe going into the 7 pin trailer connector. So much for the purple wire! I also saw some sites that listed the backup as the yellow wire (which I did not have at all). Glad I followed advice and tested first.

As usual this groups comes through!