back-up lights ?

[auburnfan138]

hey guys...

i just bought some kc 517 reverse lights off amazon.com

i planned on just tapping into the reverse lights to get power to them...(no switch) and i was wondering if i needed to locate the fuse that powers the reverse light and add 10 amps to it since the lights are 55 watts each....so by my math they would pull 9.16 amps when the reverse is engaged....


is this a good idea...or not...:scratch:

 

[BrooklynBay]

Do you have a link? A relay with good wires would prevent the bulbs from dimming down. I assume that these are auxiliary lights in addition to your regular back up bulbs in the taillights? This chart is one of the links in # 48 of my list of useful threads: http://fordfuelinjection.com/?p=8

 

[Four0Sport]

I wired 55 watt lights and tapped into the stock reverse light wiring to power them. Everytime I hit the switch, it blew the fuse for the rear lights. If you want them to last, and to be bright, you should wire them up with relays using a tapped power wire from the factory wiring to turn on the relay. Make sense?

 

[auburnfan138]

I wired 55 watt lights and tapped into the stock reverse light wiring to power them. Everytime I hit the switch, it blew the fuse for the rear lights. If you want them to last, and to be bright, you should wire them up with relays using a tapped power wire from the factory wiring to turn on the relay. Make sense?

sounds like german....since i dont want a switch how would i go about wiring in the relay?

 

[gsx220]

you tap the factory wire for the reverse light when the relay gets the power from that it switched on using a power wire you ran for the reverse lights no switch needed but i would add a switch incase you need rear lighting when you cant put the truck in reverse either way it will work

 

[Four0Sport]

if you do not want to run a switch you will need a 4 prong relay. the relay or the packaging will tell you which specific terminal to use for the following: 1 wire coming from the power wire of the factory reversve lights to turn on the relay, wire coming from the battery or other 12V source to power the lights, 1 wire for ground, and 1 wire going out as power for the lights. adding a relay not only protects the factory reverse light circuit as well as the auxillary light circuit but will put a constant 12V to the fog lights using them to their fullest potential.

if you wanted to use a switch you would need a 5 prong relay. most fog lights come with a wiring kit in the box that includes a relay. you could use that harness and substitute the prong for the 'switch' for the power wire from the factory reverse lights.

i confused myself, so let us know if you need more help.

 

[Bill Kemp]

http://www.kchilites.com/faq/instructions/517_backup.pdf

This link should help you.

 

[auburnfan138]

uh oh...i just noticed the 517 has a relay with it...i had bought the 5x7 floods serperatly bc i thought all that came with the 517 was the floods and a switch. :thumbdwn:

would my idea of replacing the 10 amp fuse with a 20 amp fuse in the fuse box work? or is it not a good idea to raise/lower factory fuses?

 

[Bill Kemp]

When a fuse burns out and a larger fuse is then put in the next thing to burn is usually the wiring. So, not a good idea to replace with larger/higher amp. fuse.

 

[edlmann]

When a fuse burns out and a larger fuse is then put in the next thing to burn is usually the wiring.

. . . and the rest of the car shortly thereafter.

FWIW; AFAIK; IMHO; YMMV; yadda, yadda, yadda.

Regards, Ed Mann

Albert says, "Click here for free Gator wallpaper."

 

[bp1506]

All you need to do is put in a relay. Pretty much the same thing as installing driving lights on the front of your car, you just use the reverse positive as a trigger for the relay.