[domay11]

I just bought some fog lights from advanceauto which I intend to use as reverse/back up lights.

How do you think I should wire them? I've heard you can wire them into the trailer hitch to come on when you shift into reverse and have a switch to turn them on whenever I wish? How so?

 

[jmaack727]

If it were me I would use the reverse wires to trip a relay and have them come on. I personally wouldn't do a switch. But if you need one go for it.

Also on my 2000 there is a single I want to say a single white and tan wire taped up by the passenger frame rail, iirc it is a reverse signal wire. Might be brakes though I forget.
Here is a pic. The spare is in the lower left corner.

 

[Torres]

i'd also do it with a relay over a switch. use the reverse power wire to tap into and run to the switch on the relay. it'll flip every time you put it in reverse and the lights will come on. simple process to do. hard part would be to find the wire.

 

[domay11]

I have a Haynes manual, that shows which is which.

Could I just take the reverse wire from my hitch and splice it to the power source on my fogs? That would make sense to me... :huh:

 

[Torres]

if you did it to the power source of the fogs, then they'd only come on when the fogs came on. then you might as well wire em to a regular switch. unless you mean the remote from the reverse lights, then the power from the fogs as the power source? you could...but i would be wary to overload the fuse rating on the fog lights. i'd just as soon play it safe and wire it straight to the battery. then when in reverse, it'll trip the switch and the power will turn on the lights.

 

[domay11]

Yes, I did mean wire my back up lights (which are cheap fog lights) power directly to the reverse wire on my trailer harness.

 

[sloryde86]

You can have both an aux switch and also have them come on with the reverse lights when you put it in reverse. You need to wire in diodes, though. I tried this with mine, but I kept overloading the reverse circuit and blowing the fuse. So I ended just wiring the aux switch only. Much more reliable that way. I can probably find the link to the diagram I used if you like. But like I said, kept blowing fuses with that set up.

 

[reiddizzle]

ur better off having a switch for the lights that way when you have the car in park and your outside the car u can flip it and have light in the back to work with. I plan on doing this and putting the switch in the cab where the ashtray used to be

 

[domay11]

I'm starting to thing that a switch would intact be a better way to go. I just need to find a place to put it now.

 

[project_dog]

well try this on for size. This is what I did. I hope it helps

 

[sloryde86]

well try this on for size. This is what I did. I hope it helps

:forehead: I never gave a 3 position switch a thought! Did you have any problems with blowing fuses?

 

[project_dog]

Nope. I love it. I'm going to add brighter ones on. I'm also going to make metal bracket so I don't break them. That happen last time I went up a steep hill, my rear bumper bottomed out.

 

[project_dog]

Plus you can turn on whenever too.

 

[eharri3]

What you want is possible

I had it on my 04 Quad Cab probably for nearly 3 years with no problems. I am not an expert at wiring and I had this done so I can't diagram it or anything but they were wired off a relay tied to the stock reverse light circuit and also off a switch on the dash so I could turn them on if need be without being in reverse. Diodes were also required in ADDITION to the relay so that turning on auxiliary lights using the switch did not trigger the stock reverse lights if not in reverse. If you're unsure of yourself go into a car audio place or somewhere that does this kind of stuff and tell them how you want it to work, they should be able to do it. I had it set up exactly how you want it and never had a problem.

 

[Torres]

what you explained sounds exactly like the diagram above. which is good...i never thought of a 3 position switch either. i'd probably go that route. leave it in auto and if you ever wanted em on, flip it. best of both worlds

 

[project_dog]

I leave it in Auto. When you go back up the kick on "Automatic" and If you cant see what your doing back there you can do that too.

 

[domay11]

Nope. I love it. I'm going to add brighter ones on. I'm also going to make metal bracket so I don't break them. That happen last time I went up a steep hill, my rear bumper bottomed out.

How much current are those reverse lights drawing? Could this be the reason he hasn't blown any fuses - because your lights don't draw much current?

 

[project_dog]

I dont know how much they are drawing. I meant to say I'm going to reposition them better. Do it right.

 

[reiddizzle]

that is a pretty sweet setup do you have any pics of the lights and switch in cab? what kinda lights does anyone recommend for a backup lights. I want a rectangular but all the ones ive found are 50 bucks

 

[project_dog]

I went to Auto Zone and picked up a pair for 35 bucks. They're cheap but they work. I'm going to redo some connectors. Ill post some pictures later tonight. My wife is about to wake up for work and I wanna suck up first, then tell her I bought himself a Yellow Top.