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  •  » Reverse Lights

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    7/10/2018 11:02 PM  #1

    Vicfonz
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    From: Southern California
    Registered: 3/21/2018
    Posts: 239

    Reverse Lights

    ok next project..so my car has reverse lights in the back valance but not connected..nor there is no wiring for it back in the truck except for what comes off of the lights themselves(power and the ground)..the car was completely rewired with American Autowire Highway 15 Kit..i checjked the sight and its really not clear on how to wire them..do I ground the reverse lights then connect the black and red wires from each together then run a wire to the front directly to one of the wires coming off off the safety neutral switch?..the S/N switch works fine(wont start in drive reverse etc)  so 4 sets of the wires come up from the trans tunnel into the engine bay 2  are connected and go through firewall to dash area there are 2 other wires coming off the switch that are just zipped tied together if I remember they are black and red..(I think) they are connected to a plug one side male the other female..do I connect the wire from the reverse lights to one or the other and just leave one there?..i really don't know how it connects just know it all works together somehow..i searched the web and see schematics but really don't get it

    "If Someone Did it on Youtube...So Can I...Well.....Unless its Heart Surgery,Thats Kinda Hard"
     

    7/11/2018 8:31 AM  #2

    BillyC
    I FYI 24-7

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    From: Chesapeake, Va.
    Registered: 4/02/2013
    Posts: 965

    Re: Reverse Lights

    Assuming the two wires at the trans that are zip tied are connected to your reverse light switch you would need switched power to one of them and the other you would connect to your backup lights. The lights them selves would be grounded to the body at the light either by a wire or their mounting screws. It's easy enough to check the switch by connecting a circuit (ohms)tester to the two wires and put your shifter in neutral and then reverse. It doesn't matter which one is connected to switched power as it is a simple single pole switch.

    "anyone that stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty"Henry Ford
     

    7/11/2018 5:44 PM  #3

    Vicfonz
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    From: Southern California
    Registered: 3/21/2018
    Posts: 239

    Re: Reverse Lights

    yea its connected to the NS ...after looking at more schematics I figured one wire went to the plug...do you know where I can draw power from?...also would it matter how I plug the power and the reverse lights to the plug?..i have an old NS laying around I figured id cut the plug off soder  and use it to plug in so its cleaner

    BillyC wrote:

    Assuming the two wires at the trans that are zip tied are connected to your reverse light switch you would need switched power to one of them and the other you would connect to your backup lights. The lights them selves would be grounded to the body at the light either by a wire or their mounting screws. It's easy enough to check the switch by connecting a circuit (ohms)tester to the two wires and put your shifter in neutral and then reverse. It doesn't matter which one is connected to switched power as it is a simple single pole switch.

     

    "If Someone Did it on Youtube...So Can I...Well.....Unless its Heart Surgery,Thats Kinda Hard"
       •Thread Starter
     

    7/12/2018 7:47 AM  #4

    BillyC
    I FYI 24-7

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    From: Chesapeake, Va.
    Registered: 4/02/2013
    Posts: 965

    Re: Reverse Lights

    Vicfonz wrote:

    yea its connected to the NS ...after looking at more schematics I figured one wire went to the plug...do you know where I can draw power from?...also would it matter how I plug the power and the reverse lights to the plug?..i have an old NS laying around I figured id cut the plug off soder  and use it to plug in so its cleaner

    BillyC wrote:

    Assuming the two wires at the trans that are zip tied are connected to your reverse  light switch you would need switched power to one of them and the other you would connect to your backup lights. The lights them selves would be grounded to the body at the light either by a wire or their mounting screws. It's easy enough to check the switch by connecting a circuit (ohms)tester to the two wires and put your shifter in neutral and then reverse. It doesn't matter which one is connected to switched power as it is a simple single pole switch.

     

     
    If you don't already have wiring in place and I assume you don't, you can run a wire directly off of your ignition switch. Just connect to the switched power on the switch and run it down to the switch on the trans.

    "anyone that stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty"Henry Ford
     

    7/12/2018 12:10 PM  #5

    Vicfonz
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    From: Southern California
    Registered: 3/21/2018
    Posts: 239

    Re: Reverse Lights

    ok good deal thank you

    BillyC wrote:

    Vicfonz wrote:

    yea its connected to the NS ...after looking at more schematics I figured one wire went to the plug...do you know where I can draw power from?...also would it matter how I plug the power and the reverse lights to the plug?..i have an old NS laying around I figured id cut the plug off soder  and use it to plug in so its cleaner

    BillyC wrote:

    Assuming the two wires at the trans that are zip tied are connected to your reverse light switch you would need switched power to one of them and the other you would connect to your backup lights. The lights them selves would be grounded to the body at the light either by a wire or their mounting screws. It's easy enough to check the switch by connecting a circuit (ohms)tester to the two wires and put your shifter in neutral and then reverse. It doesn't matter which one is connected to switched power as it is a simple single pole switch.

     

     
    If you don't already have wiring in place and I assume you don't, you can run a wire directly off of your ignition switch. Just connect to the switched power on the switch and run it down to the switch on the trans.

     

    "If Someone Did it on Youtube...So Can I...Well.....Unless its Heart Surgery,Thats Kinda Hard"
       •Thread Starter
     

    7/12/2018 6:04 PM  #6

    wsinsle
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    From: Belle Vernon, PA
    Registered: 4/01/2013
    Posts: 1,660

    Re: Reverse Lights

    Where ever you take positive from, make sure it is fused. Running wires under the car to the reverse switch and to the back should be fused. 

    If this forum can't fix it, it isn't broke.
     

    7/13/2018 10:22 AM  #7

    Vicfonz
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    From: Southern California
    Registered: 3/21/2018
    Posts: 239

    Re: Reverse Lights

    good point...I ran power off the back of my ignition switch....so everthing works great!! ..ill add a fuse somewhere in there...any idea what kind or how many amps to use?

    wsinsle wrote:

    Where ever you take positive from, make sure it is fused. Running wires under the car to the reverse switch and to the back should be fused. 

     

    "If Someone Did it on Youtube...So Can I...Well.....Unless its Heart Surgery,Thats Kinda Hard"
       •Thread Starter
     

    7/15/2018 10:37 AM  #8

    wsinsle
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    From: Belle Vernon, PA
    Registered: 4/01/2013
    Posts: 1,660

    Re: Reverse Lights

    Normal reverse lights draw about 3 amps so a 5 amp fuse would work if that's all you will use the circuit for.

    If this forum can't fix it, it isn't broke.
     

    7/16/2018 11:15 AM  #9

    Vicfonz
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    From: Southern California
    Registered: 3/21/2018
    Posts: 239

    Re: Reverse Lights

    yea that's all im  using the circuit for ..I put a 15 in there...I will switch it and put a 5amp..thanx

    wsinsle wrote:

    Normal reverse lights draw about 3 amps so a 5 amp fuse would work if that's all you will use the circuit for.

     

    "If Someone Did it on Youtube...So Can I...Well.....Unless its Heart Surgery,Thats Kinda Hard"
       •Thread Starter
     

     

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