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Splicing into reverse lights
- Thread starter Bdiddy11
- Start date
winterbeater
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Royal Oak, Michigan
That is the way that I would do it. But the BEST way would be to solder the wires in.
If they are high powered, you might want to run a power wire from the front with a relay.
If they are high powered, you might want to run a power wire from the front with a relay.
CharlesS
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Quezon Province, Philippines
The reverse light wiring on my '98 is only 16 gauge at best. This will handle a max of 10 amps or about 100 watts of light bulbs total per side between the backup light and whatever additional light you add.
If the lights are more than 50W each then you should add a power source and relay as Winterbeater suggested.
If the lights are more than 50W each then you should add a power source and relay as Winterbeater suggested.
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The wire will, but the switch in the trans will not. I toasted mine with my new reverse lamps because I got lazy.
I'd say the NSS/reverse light switch is good to about 25W, anything more than that and it will toast it. Add a power distribution block somewhere in the back and run the lights from a relay from there. The added bnefit is that you'll need that 12V back there at some point, and you can then put the relay on a switch with a simple diode inline on the original reverse light wire, allowing you to turn them on and use them as work lights when parked/camping.
keith_b00ne
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Kentuckiana
Easy really.... Google 'relay' and there are diagrams everywhere. Here it is in ASCII.
ground -------------------------|
Battery ------ fuse ------- relay-------- aftermarket lights
tail light -----------------------|
ground -------------------------|
Battery ------ fuse ------- relay-------- aftermarket lights
tail light -----------------------|
UKJEEP
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- London, England
If you're gonna add to the load on the original circuit definitely use a relay BUT the original switch must be good for more than 25w - the original bulbs are 21w x 2!
Don't U.S. tow electrics include at least one 12v feed? If they do, as I'd expect, there's a suppply already laid into the back of the vehicle as far as where the tow pack plugs in.
Don't U.S. tow electrics include at least one 12v feed? If they do, as I'd expect, there's a suppply already laid into the back of the vehicle as far as where the tow pack plugs in.
Yes, but only if the vehicle was factory-equipped with a tow package (or subsequently had one fitted). I can't remember exactly how it's run on mine, but I seem to recall that the connector for the trailer electrics runs in somewhere up at the front on the driver's side rather than piggybacking off of the rear lighting directly.
I have to say that as I've been taking more of an interest in the XJ's electrics over the last few months I've become less and less impressed with Chrysler's skimping on that system in some key areas. 'Adequate at best' barely describes it, and from what I've been digging up it seems as though cheaping out on the wiring wasn't just a Jeep-specific thing; almost all Chrysler products of the era appear to have been victim to penny-pinching in that regard.
- Location
- Rainy side of Washington
Yep... you know how much you can save by using 3 feet of 14ga instead of 3 feet of 12ga?
10.704 CENTS DUDE!!!! LET'S DO IT!
(this is actually based off current prices for 12/2 NM-B vs 14/2 NM-B at Home Depot)
Between the HVAC blower and the headlights they probably saved around 2 million dollars... over the course of the entire run of XJs 84-01. I wonder how much they cost us in repairing those stupid decisions?
10.704 CENTS DUDE!!!! LET'S DO IT!
(this is actually based off current prices for 12/2 NM-B vs 14/2 NM-B at Home Depot)
Between the HVAC blower and the headlights they probably saved around 2 million dollars... over the course of the entire run of XJs 84-01. I wonder how much they cost us in repairing those stupid decisions?
UKJEEP
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- London, England
That's $107 per 100 XJ's - & the accountants that designed them would probably tell you that Chrysler only made about $10 per vehicle sold: that's why, in their eyes, it makes perfect sense! What do they care about our problems/expenses, they wouldn't be much interested if it cost the original buyer & I doubt there's many on this forum that bought their XJ new.
Oh, & they didn't save quite so much on the headlights on European export models, 'cos they're Cibie O.E. (still rubbish though, without upgraded wiring & relays!).
Going back to my original point regarding a 12v supply in the back, I've never had cause to remove the trim panels from the back of mine but the impression I got from various postings on this forum was that behind the left panel (as you look in through the rear hatch) there a multipin connector to plug in the the trailer electrics. If that's right, then there is a 12v supply + an easy tap into all the rear light functions.
Oh, & they didn't save quite so much on the headlights on European export models, 'cos they're Cibie O.E. (still rubbish though, without upgraded wiring & relays!).
Going back to my original point regarding a 12v supply in the back, I've never had cause to remove the trim panels from the back of mine but the impression I got from various postings on this forum was that behind the left panel (as you look in through the rear hatch) there a multipin connector to plug in the the trailer electrics. If that's right, then there is a 12v supply + an easy tap into all the rear light functions.
rysam
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Paradise, Ca.
Is the frame rail hollow enough to fish a few wires/airlines down it from the engine bay or is there structural bs in the way?
- Location
- Rainy side of Washington
There is some structural BS up toward the front. Should be possible to string stuff through but it will be annoying.
I would run wiring under the trim inside the vehicle long before I would run it into the frame and then into the vehicle at the back, though.
I would run wiring under the trim inside the vehicle long before I would run it into the frame and then into the vehicle at the back, though.
rysam
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Paradise, Ca.
cool, thanks. I thought that would be the case.
I don't recall seeing that connector back there, but haven't been specifically looking for it the last couple of times I've opened that panel up chasing down rattles, either. In any event, I need to get in there to take measurements for something I've got in mind for that space so will check when next I'm in there. Depending on weather and motivation, that may be later tonight
One thing I should add, however: although my XJ's build sheet lists it as having been ordered from the factory with the tow package, it's possible that 'from the factory' in this case really means 'dealer fitment at delivery'. If that's the case, the towbar and related wiring may not have been done exactly as the factory may have.
For the sake of my own clarity: we're talking about the space behind the interior side panel in the cargo area that does not have the indentation - it's on the left-hand side as you look into the hatch from the rear, correct?
- Location
- Rainy side of Washington
Might be different on a RHD XJ since the spare tire is always on the drivers side, right?
That was exactly why I wanted to be sure it was the panel on the left as you look into the hatch
Begster
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Cape Cod/Boston, Mass
Having added reverse lights in the past off the reverse light wiring with no relay, I would definitely recommend adding a relay. I added reverse lights (just regular driving lights from autozone) off a multi-toggle switch that would either turn on with full battery power, or draw directly from the reverse light wires when put in reverse, there was a huge difference. Both lights would be noticeably dimmer when they were both on, vs. just the factory reverse lights, or just the driving lights. It was at the point where it wasn't really worth having them turn on with the factory lights.
No, the spare is not always on the right in a RHD.
No, the spare is not always on the right in a RHD.
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UKJEEP
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- London, England
If weather & motivation (love that expression!) were on your side I guess this is too late (put it down to the time difference & having only just got back into work, where I have internet access) but yes, we are talking about the space on the left, as you describe. (I deliberately avoided reference to "driver's side" - as mine is RHD.
I have a similar problem with the tow package which appears to be O.E. but dealer installed, presumably to fit U.K. spec. hitch & trailer socket BUT there are are 2 diistictly after-market looking relays (albeit professionally installed) under the hood, the wiring for which I've not been able to work out and a wiring which seems to run the length of the vehicle, alongside the brake lines.
However, IF I have correctly understood what I've read on this forum over the last 12 months, there is a multi-pin connector to make the electrics side of a tow pack intallation a "plug'n'play" job, by whoever or whenever it is fitted.
I have a similar problem with the tow package which appears to be O.E. but dealer installed, presumably to fit U.K. spec. hitch & trailer socket BUT there are are 2 diistictly after-market looking relays (albeit professionally installed) under the hood, the wiring for which I've not been able to work out and a wiring which seems to run the length of the vehicle, alongside the brake lines.
However, IF I have correctly understood what I've read on this forum over the last 12 months, there is a multi-pin connector to make the electrics side of a tow pack intallation a "plug'n'play" job, by whoever or whenever it is fitted.
Alex E
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Bay Area, California
I added reverse lights to a "ON-OFF-ON" switch that controlled a relay. In one position it allows me to turn them on manually with out the key in the ignition, the other "ON" position they will turn on with the factory reverse lights and the "OFF"...well they are always off.
I got a standard Bosch relay and wiring pigtail, ran a 12 or 14 gauge wire directly from the battery to the relay, then from the relay to the lights. The relay is permanently grounded and the switch manually supplies 12 volts when switched "ON" or when switched to the other "ON" position that allows 12 volts to close the relay anytime the reverse switch closes and supplies 12 volts to the factory reverse lights.
I got a standard Bosch relay and wiring pigtail, ran a 12 or 14 gauge wire directly from the battery to the relay, then from the relay to the lights. The relay is permanently grounded and the switch manually supplies 12 volts when switched "ON" or when switched to the other "ON" position that allows 12 volts to close the relay anytime the reverse switch closes and supplies 12 volts to the factory reverse lights.
