Wiring rear spotlights with reverse gear selected.

[Latitude777]

My current reverse lights suck a$$ and with my rear tinted window it's impossible to see any light at all.

So my plan is to wire up some small slim spotties under the rear of my 4runner to aid with this.

Only that I need them to turn on every time I select reverse gear as well as being able to switch them on anytime whenever I need them.

I have a switch (3 pins) and lights only at this stage.

Any help please!!!

[WelchyGQ]

Hi,

The common of the switch will go to your relay. One pin of the switch will come from your factory reverse light and the other pin from 12v.

Then wire up your relay as normal.

Then depending what position the switch is in it will be contant on or on when you select reverse.

Hope that makes sense?

Welchy

[WelchyGQ]

[-Scott-]

Unless his reverse light has constant +12V, and is earthed by the switch on the gearbox.

[Latitude777]

Nice work.. Thanks mate. So from each light I can run the earth directly to the body? I don't have to run the negative all the way back to the battery?

[WelchyGQ]

yeah you can earth straight to the body.

As Scott said - as long as your lights a re positive switched - ie switch 12v to the light when selected - you can check this with a multimeter.

[Shadow]

Should fuse the 12v supply for the switch, or take it from the accessories or something, otherwise a fire hazard exists!

[WelchyGQ]

yeah - sorry (drawing was done in about 60 sec with paint!!)

i would have it form the battery still but so you can use them as camp lights when the ignition is off.

Welchy

[Latitude777]

yeah - sorry (drawing was done in about 60 sec with paint!!)

i would have it form the battery still but so you can use them as camp lights when the ignition is off.

Welchy

Hey mate,

Realise its been a while, its taken me this long to get around to fitting these lights up.

Just a quick question. Using a three position toggle switch, on for on, off for off, and the other on for on with the reverse lights only.

Problem is is that i cant get the reverse lights to work with the spotlights when the reverse gear selected. Tried wiring to the reverse switch selector and even tried splicing into both sides (black and red wires individually ofcourse) and they did funny things.

One turned my reverse lights on but not the spotties but wouldnt come on when reverse gear was selected. The other would switch my park light dash indicator light on and do nothing to reverse lights or spotties... GO FIGURE!

Where do i need to get my signal from on the gearbox end to get an on signal to make the spotties work with the reverse lights?

[WelchyGQ]

hey,

your "signal" cancome straightfrom the positive wire that goes to your factory reverse lights.

Welchy

[Latitude777]

hey,

your "signal" cancome straightfrom the positive wire that goes to your factory reverse lights.

Welchy

I thought i did that the first time which is when things went haywire! I've only got one factory backup light switch on the gear box with a black and a red wire. As mentioned before the above happened.

Heres the wiring diagram i've set mine up from.

Do i need to go from somewhere in the fuse box or something? The gearbox isnt giving me what i wanted.

[Latitude777]

Playing so far has gotten me no-where.... FRUSTRATING!

Tried wiring a positive wire from the rear of the tail light just for signal and it did the same thing as wiring from the positive wire on the reverse light switch on the gear box.

It switches my cars reverse lights on manually, (wont engage with the gearbox) but doesn't turn on the spotlights in either position.

Wiring to the negative wire on the reverse switch turns the park light dash indicator on and does nothing to the spotlights.

They work fine on the manual on over ride switch just not any other way.

[ledgend80]

what happens if you swap the wire from 85 on your coil that goes to the switch with the power wire at the battery. so what i9 am saying is swap these 2 wires at the switch.

[poppywhite]

I understand what you are trying to do but haveing spotties come on every time you hit reverse wont make you popular around town, and could have/cause other problems, and legal issues as well.
Safer and more practicle to just manual switch as needed.
Learn to use those side mirrors, lighter tint.

[WelchyGQ]

I understand what you are trying to do but haveing spotties come on every time you hit reverse wont make you popular around town, and could have/cause other problems, and legal issues as well.
Safer and more practicle to just manual switch as needed.
Learn to use those side mirrors, lighter tint.

Nah, i dont think you do understand. the setup i drew enables the lights to come on with reverse, for offroad, or completely off, normal switch, or manually on, for camp lights etc.

welchy

[WelchyGQ]

yeah - sorry (drawing was done in about 60 sec with paint!!)

i would have it form the battery still but so you can use them as camp lights when the ignition is off.

Welchy

Hey mate,

Realise its been a while, its taken me this long to get around to fitting these lights up.

Just a quick question. Using a three position toggle switch, on for on, off for off, and the other on for on with the reverse lights only.

Problem is is that i cant get the reverse lights to work with the spotlights when the reverse gear selected. Tried wiring to the reverse switch selector and even tried splicing into both sides (black and red wires individually ofcourse) and they did funny things.

One turned my reverse lights on but not the spotties but wouldnt come on when reverse gear was selected. The other would switch my park light dash indicator light on and do nothing to reverse lights or spotties... GO FIGURE!

Where do i need to get my signal from on the gearbox end to get an on signal to make the spotties work with the reverse lights?

send me your number in a PM.

[Latitude777]

Ignore previous diagrams.. Here's one I established after many phone calls to an electrician friend of mine.

Turns out it was all ass about! Added an extra indicator light off of 87 on the relay as well so anytime the lights come on I have a nice blue led come on telling me they're working.

As for the comment re the lights coming on in town.. I'm never going to use them in town. Theyre 4wd use only. Yes I have a dark window but when there's town lights about I see fine. So yes 3 switch positions. Forced on, completely off and reverse gear selected on which is wired up to the positive wire on the reverse gear selector switch which I found in my Haynes.. Pays to do a little reading.

Only now the switch is playing up and I have no reverse lights at all!! Go figure! Lol.

[crispy]

Thats the same as what Welchy posted at the start of this...

[Latitude777]

Thats the same as what Welchy posted at the start of this...

Yeah except without relay channels labelled. Having very little experience with using relays I needed one that spelt it out for me.

[turps2]

I have used 12v 50 watt down lights mounted in spare wheel, light beams cross over and luminate rear and sides well. Wired through relay.

[steve patrol]

I know this is an old post but im about to do this my self. Just a thought... The positive signal from the gearbox, I only tap into this and not break the original circuit? Plus if I use 2 relays (aka 1 per light) I just join them at the switch?

Ps There are no laws on brightness of reverse lamps that Ive found in the ADR's??? Only that they must be white, and commercial vehicles don't have to have them...

I'm still going to have them switched off in town though...

Cheers for any help

Steve

[Shadow]

I know this is an old post but im about to do this my self. Just a thought... The positive signal from the gearbox, I only tap into this and not break the original circuit? Plus if I use 2 relays (aka 1 per light) I just join them at the switch?

Ps There are no laws on brightness of reverse lamps that Ive found in the ADR's??? Only that they must be white, and commercial vehicles don't have to have them...

I'm still going to have them switched off in town though...

Cheers for any help

Steve

you will also find it says a maximum of 2 symmetrical white lights.

so if your car already has 2 in the tail lights, adding another is technicaly not compliant. However, there are many many trucks etc getting around with more than 2, so i dont think its going to be a problem.

[steve patrol]

Done and works a treat!

Just a Q? Instead of piggy backing the power to the switch off the 30 on the relay, I ran a wire directly from the battery via a 30amp fuse to the switch, I then ran a separate wire via another 30 amp fuse to the 30 on the relay. Just seemed the better option??? Or am I wrong? All seems to work sweet though!!!

Ps Pissed off the factory lights all together so there should be no dramas now (its a cab chassis) Just got to get some white covers rather than blue...

Thanks again for all the info!!!

Cheers

Steve

[ash_on_mtb]

So I did it a different way.

I've got a simple 2 way toggle mounted under the reverse lights on the spare, and that turns the lights on and off. I also have a relay in the rear quarter that gets a trigger feed from the reverse lights to fire it up, and thats what runs the lights when reverse is selected. And to avoid having the situation where the reverse lights will get a powered feed when the work lights are manually switched on, there is a diode in line to stop the power running 'back down the line' so to speak

So there are 2 power wires running to the lights, and one common earth (as I don't trust the pivot on the SWC to provide a solid earth)

Works a treat, other than the relay that just crapped itself last week and provided 6 hours of diagnostic hell for me, as I was extremely dubious something so simple could let go, but a pile of fuses taught me otherwise...

[CRUZAAMAD]

About to do this myself.
With a nice LED I found..
much brighter in the mirrors !!
Better wire one up to the reverse light too.

Within next two weeks

[CRUZAAMAD]

Done the mod
without a relay as the sparky said... LED draw such low amps.

switched to a work light...
and into reverse through a diode..
6w from jaycar sbout 1.90 ha ha
and 6bucks for the wire..
as I had the work light already wired up

just have to test it at night..

great modd!!