How-to: Install auxillary reverse lights **UPDATED WITH SWITCH**

[gfunkfb09]

Finally did this!

I finally got around to doing this.

Did it with a $24 set of fog lights from AutoZone.

Mine are switch on only, they don't come on with the reverse lights. I like being able to turn them on with the car off, or when driving to scare off tailgaters.

Some pics of them:

Car on




Car off

 

[withac]

I've got the one two way switch in my '** and two one way switches in my pick-up so I can have them off, on, or run by the back up lights

 

[puckhead]

What type of switch are you guys using? WIll any switch work?

 

[jeffyrc]

What a very good idea and very practical. I like it, think I might do it

 

[withac]

What type of switch are you guys using? WIll any switch work?

In my '** I used the On-Off-On rocker switch (rated at least 20a@12v) switch listed in the original install. I also bought little indicator light (because the switch wasn't lighted) and mounted it next to the switch so I would know when the back up lights are on. With this type of switch, and wired correctly, one way they only come on with the trucks reverse lights, in the middle they don't come on at all, and the other way they are on continuosly in case you want them on to be puttering around behind the truck at night. When I did my pick-up I used two, on-off, lighted rocker switches. Switch one on they come on with the reverse lights, turn it off and the other one on, they are on contunually, leave them both off, well, you got the idea. With this method when you turn them by themselves the reverse lights on the truck come on too, no biggie as far as I can tell, just an artifact of two switches going to one output. Hope that all made sense

 

[puckhead]

Thanks for the info! If I were to put his there instead, someone said a straight switch would fry the his and I would need to do a repay. Anybody confirm this? If so how do I do that?

 

[withac]

Thanks for the info! If I were to put his there instead, someone said a straight switch would fry the his and I would need to do a repay. Anybody confirm this? If so how do I do that?

Not sure I follow you but I did it like the original write up, and added my own post to it (see the first page), and I've had zero problems. When I did my truck I used two on off switches, had one powered from the reverse wire in the hitch harness like the original instructions, and the other switch powered from the battery like the original instructions, it's just that instead of going to two sides of one on-off-on switch like the original, they go to two separate on-off switches, if that made sense. The output from the switches splice together then go to the relay to power up the lights, that's why when I turn them on constant I get feedback to the truck reverse lights and they come on also (if the reverse switch is on also). I can always turn them both off. Once again, did that make any sense? I did this a year ago and have had zero problems also.

 

[puckhead]

Oh, balls. My bad dude. Typed that up on my phone and it didn't turn out that good lol. Yeah yours makes sense. I am just thinking of doing a more clean cut approach. I just want one on off switch not wired into my stock reverse lights. So in-between the switch and the light (mine are going to be hids) do I need any type of relay? I have been told that running a switch with no relay will fry my hids. Thing is I don't know what relay or why. I just need to know if I need one or not lol. Hope this clears things up. Don't think I slaughtered this one lol

 

[withac]

Oh, balls. My bad dude. Typed that up on my phone and it didn't turn out that good lol. Yeah yours makes sense. I am just thinking of doing a more clean cut approach. I just want one on off switch not wired into my stock reverse lights. So in-between the switch and the light (mine are going to be hids) do I need any type of relay? I have been told that running a switch with no relay will fry my hids. Thing is I don't know what relay or why. I just need to know if I need one or not lol. Hope this clears things up. Don't think I slaughtered this one lol

I don’t know a lot about HID’s, but I thought they took some time to warm up and it wasn’t good to turn them on and off frequently. IF that’s the case I would think you wouldn’t want HID’s for aux. back up lights. As for the relay, I’m not an electrician but my understanding is the purpose of the relay is so the power for the lights is going through the relay not a little switch, all the switch has is the power from the back up light wire or whatever constant 12 volt source you found, then the switch activates the relay and then however many watts your lights are runs through the relay not a switch. So I would think you would use the relay like in the write up and it would send the power to the HID’s. Make sense?
Please, anyone else with more knowledge chime in here?

 

[puckhead]

I see what you are saying now. Makes sense too. So I would take it that most switches are set up so they can not handle the 12volt load then and the relay is?

I would be using the Auxiliary HIDs for dark nights and camping and stuff so i would turn em on and leave em on for a while.

Thanks withac!