Auxiliary LED Back up light help?

[jsutherland]

Looking for input and clarification. I am installing auxiliary LED back up lights on the rear of my 86 M1008. The lights are 16 watts a piece and I am planning on running two off the rear bumper. My questions... Can I splice straight into the existing back up light wires? My lights say they are 16 watt lights. Using a conversion calculator it says that they are about 1.33 amps a piece. I know the existing back up light fuse on the CUCV says its a 30 amp and should have no problem holding the additional amperage if my math is right. Does this sound correct to anyone that knows more about it than me? Also, is the existing back up light wires the best place or should I look to wire into the trailer harness? I am trying to wire these directly into the back up lights so they are not on a switch but come on only in reverse. Thank for the help.

 

[cucvrus]

Looking for input and clarification. I am installing auxiliary LED back up lights on the rear of my 86 M1008. The lights are 16 watts a piece and I am planning on running two off the rear bumper. My questions... Can I splice straight into the existing back up light wires? My lights say they are 16 watt lights. Using a conversion calculator it says that they are about 1.33 amps a piece. I know the existing back up light fuse on the CUCV says its a 30 amp and should have no problem holding the additional amperage if my math is right. Does this sound correct to anyone that knows more about it than me? Also, is the existing back up light wires the best place or should I look to wire into the trailer harness? I am trying to wire these directly into the back up lights so they are not on a switch but come on only in reverse. Thank for the help.

I don't know all the equations and other statistics. I have run standard 12 volt spotlights and a back up alarm on a CUCV plow truck for over 25 years without issues. A few had the common hot 30 amp fuse . I cut that wiring and put a circuit breaker in place. Also I did seal all the connections I made and kept the wiring high and tight so ice and snow did not build up on it. Looming it an securing it helps a lot. Good Luck. LED is the way to go. Happy New Year. Be Safe.

 

[Mad Texan]

I looked mine up and they are 18 watt auxiliary lights that I added to mine. I also changed the oem bulbs to led at the same time but I haven't had any issues since I installed them.

 

[cucvrus]

Mad Texan I have a door like that one on the right. I mean a perfect match. And by the way I am going to be getting the M1010 bodies out of my back yard this coming spring / summer. I hope to get rid of all the containers and scrap vehicles I currently have. Moving on and never looking back. Happy New Year. Be Safe.

 

[Mad Texan]

Mad Texan I have a door like that one on the right. I mean a perfect match. And by the way I am going to be getting the M1010 bodies out of my back yard this coming spring / summer. I hope to get rid of all the containers and scrap vehicles I currently have. Moving on and never looking back. Happy New Year. Be Safe.

Rick, really? An exact match? I might have one that matches one of your M1010 bodies...

Happy New Year to you too!

 

[jsutherland]

Good deal. They will be used for plowing so I planed on doing it classy like. Heat shrink, loom the whole nine. Happy New Year to you as well.

 

[jsutherland]

I don't know all the equations and other statistics. I have run standard 12 volt spotlights and a back up alarm on a CUCV plow truck for over 25 years without issues. A few had the common hot 30 amp fuse . I cut that wiring and put a circuit breaker in place. Also I did seal all the connections I made and kept the wiring high and tight so ice and snow did not build up on it. Looming it an securing it helps a lot. Good Luck. LED is the way to go. Happy New Year. Be Safe.

One more cucvrus, how about rewiring the old military trailer plug with a 7 wire trailer plug? Any issues or pretty straight forward?

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

18 watts is only 1.5 amps @ 12v, times 2 is 3 amps, so it should be fine, but.... I wouldn't. I'd add a relay for three reasons:

1. Just to be sure I don't tax the old system.
2. It isolates the new lights and makes it less likely that your new lights will cause problems that will harm the rest of the truck.
3. If you run a decent lead back there (say, 12 gauge) to power your relay, you have a good power source back there to use for future things. For example, you could use it to power a trailer, or a rear work light, or....

 

[Mad Texan]

18 watts is only 1.5 amps @ 12v, times 2 is 3 amps, so it should be fine, but.... I wouldn't. I'd add a relay for three reasons:

1. Just to be sure I don't tax the old system.
2. It isolates the new lights and makes it less likely that your new lights will cause problems that will harm the rest of the truck.
3. If you run a decent lead back there (say, 12 gauge) to power your relay, you have a good power source back there to use for future things. For example, you could use it to power a trailer, or a rear work light, or....

If I were wiring in some large spots I would defiantly agree with the relay. Other trucks that I have owned had 4 spots on the front bumper at 130w each with each pair on a relay that was triggered from the high beam switch.

The current power requirement from my back up lights (4) is 3.36 amps. The original 1156 bulbs would have been roughly 4.2 amps (27w/12.8vx2).

 

[jsutherland]

18 watts is only 1.5 amps @ 12v, times 2 is 3 amps, so it should be fine, but.... I wouldn't. I'd add a relay for three reasons:

1. Just to be sure I don't tax the old system.
2. It isolates the new lights and makes it less likely that your new lights will cause problems that will harm the rest of the truck.
3. If you run a decent lead back there (say, 12 gauge) to power your relay, you have a good power source back there to use for future things. For example, you could use it to power a trailer, or a rear work light, or....

Thanks. Ill look into a relay. Having zero experience with relays I'll have to do some research and youtube training. Might be premature without checking but would you hook up the existing back up light wires to the relay as well to actuate the relay and the auxiliary lights or would this be only for a switch operated system?

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

There is a great site for all things 12v. Oddly enough it's called the12v.com!

Edit to add, here's your diagram:

https://www.the12volt.com/relays/relaydiagram25.html (Turn off your ad blocker or it won't load correctly.)

86 goes to your existing back up lights.
85 goes to ground some place convenient.
30 goes to your new back up lights.
87 goes to your 12v source.

Mount the relay near the back somewhere. Inside the tail light housing would be handy, and out of the weather. (You could just hang it in there with a cable tie.) Your back up light connection is right there, too. Use plenty of dielectric grease on your connections.


Of course you'll fuse the 12v lead close to where it starts, and protect that wire on its long journey to the back of the truck.

 

[ehuppert]

FYI, Standard S654 is a nice relay harness assembly! Makes for a nice clean install. Usually use Bosch relay 0332209150. Have used both of these quite a bit, no issues with either.