Question about tapping into reverse lights

Just picked up a corded oscillating tool and a carbide blade for it. Thinking now that drilling the corners and using the OMT to cut the squares is going to be the way to go. Still haven't got the lights yet, though.

 

I used a grinder.

Just make sure your holes don't line up with the support braces on the back side of the bumper. That would make life a little more difficult.

make yourself a template and cut the first square smaller than need be and make it bigger as you test fit. Make it so that it's a tight fit and you will never see the cut metal when the flush mount is in.

 

the flush mounts I'm looking at have a pretty generous flange around the perimeter that'll cover the cuts, but I typically do the first version of this kind of cutout in a piece of cardboard (usually the shipping box the thing came in) to then transfer to the metal. Don't want to get it so tight that the cut edge scraped off the anodize/powdercoat from the aluminum housing and turns the combination of chrome, steel, aluminum and the composite bed into some kind of galvanic hell that rots the lights or the bumper at triple-speed.

good tip on being aware of the mounts, thanks.

 

Quick humorous hijack, sorry. I'm reading this thread and smiling. On the 2016 Tacomas you can throw your truck in reverse while driving (don't scoff too loudly!!) to get the back up camera to come on while driving. Supposedly a safety feature and it's talked about in the 2016 tips and tricks. I actually mustered up enough balls to try it on my way home one day after reading about it by a few people. It actually works!! Truck just goes to neutral and the back up lights and camera comes on!! Anyway, all I can think of is having a tailgator or someone that you just want to screw with behind you and having these lights on there, throwing the truck in reverse and scaring the shit out of them!! Yes, it doesn't take much to amuse me. Commercial over, go back to your original program.

 

whatttttttt??? Like at driving speeds?

 

Yep. I'm not joking. There's plenty of talk about it. I was doing about 30 when I gathered my nutsack up and threw it in reverse. There's even a video because nobody would believe it. My truck just coasted like I pit it in neutral and the camera came on so I could see what was behind me.

 

its gotta be a transmission safety feature.... the reverse lights and cam are just by products of it being in reverse!

I know for a fact the 5 speed auto in our 2nd gens.... WILL shift to reverse at speed.... accidentally bumped mine into reverse once at 20.... engine just stalled. Luckily i was on a snowy road.

 

just wanta see more pics and suggestions

 

I mounted (2) 15w CREE pods in the factory holes under the bumper and tied into the trailer light harness backup wire. I plan to install a relay for override and I purchased a matching switch for the dash. When I back up at night, it lights up the front of my neighbors house....lol.

If you search this forum for LEDS under the back bumper you'll find my post and pics.

 

I just added auxiliary reverse lights as well as changed out the reverse lamps from 921 halogens (I think) to LEDs today. I ended up wiring into the 7-pin trailer socket. I wish the 7-pin trailer socket used screw terminals instead of crimp terminals since it was a pain to get the ground and reverse wires out of the trailer socket. In hindsight I should have just replaced the trailer socket. That would have saved me an hour plus of frustration. The factory trailer back-up circuit goes through a relay and fuse so no need to add either one. The 7-pin trailer reverse signal activates at the same time the tail lamp reverse lights do. Maybe in the future I'll move the auxiliary backup LED lights to a separate switch instead.

Here are some photos of my install. I soldered and heat shrunk (adhesive lined) each solder joint then wrapped all wiring with split loom. Self-fusing silicon tape was applied where needed. I also used water resilient connectors (I would have use two terminals ones but four terminal ones were what I had laying around). The LED lights were listed at 18W but consume closer to 11W (~900mA @12Vdc) each based on my multimeter readings. Total install time was seven hours . . . Would have been closer to five hours if I just replaced the 7-pin trailer socket with one with screw terminals.

Hopefully this helps someone out. I referenced a bunch of different threads to get ideas for this install.

 

I've been running the little rigid SR-MF back up lights in my pelfreybuilt rear bumper for a long time and I just tapped into the reverse lights as well. But I also swapped out the factory reverse lights for LED bulbs for lower combined amps.

 

I think you meant to say fuse...

 

The stock/factory reverse signal on the trailer socket runs through a fuse and relay. I updated my original post. Good catch.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/led-backup-lights-under-the-bumper-complete.415127/

Just to make life a bit easier for everyone.

 

Nope..no relay..just a fuse after the IGN switch.

 

Are you sure there isn't a relay on another schematic page? Or perhaps it's different depending on the model year. I referenced wiring diagrams for a 2013. There is definitely a fuse and relay in the circuit.

 

That is a 2013 info. There is a relay n fuse for the tow tails and battery charging. Only fuse for the reverse circuit.

 

I was worried about hitting them below and/or above bumper lights.
So I wentered with flush mounted
To me it looks so much cleaner than pods.

 

Quick question - which wire is for the reverse lights in 2016 Tacoma factory Trailer harness. I’d also like to add a switch in the cab so I can control manually if y’all habpve any suggestions there. Thnaks