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CONNECTING LED REVERSE-BACKUP LIGHT ON BRAKE LIGHT BAR

CDA 455 II

CDA 455 II

ANFAQUE2
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No Country For Old Men
I installed a 60" LED brake/signal/reverse-backup light bar.
The brake/signal light simply plugs into a 4-prong trailer connector.
1674869360820-jpeg.jpg


However; the reverse-backup light needs to be wired/connected.
That part is an attached 15' white 12ga or 14ga single wire.

nOOB QUESTION
Would I simply splice said white wire into the Bronco reverse bulb socket wire?:confused:
1674924825844.png
 
CDA 455 II said:
reptillikus said I could connect it to the Bronco's trailer harness.
1) Didn't need know it had one.:laughing::homer:
2) I don't know shit from Shinola about electrical-anything.:homer::homer:
Click to expand...
Broncos and Fseries had a towing package option. If you have it, there's 2 extra plugs hanging behind the bumper on the driver's side frame rail
123.jpg


One plug has left turn, right turn, parking and ground. The other plug has reverse, aux +12v and the +12 for the trailer brakes. So if you have the towing package option you don't have to cut into your taillight harness, you can get everything from those connectors instead.
 
reptillikus said:
Broncos and Fseries had a towing package option. If you have it, there's 2 extra plugs hanging behind the bumper on the driver's side frame rail
123.jpg


One plug has left turn, right turn, parking and ground. The other plug has reverse, aux +12v and the +12 for the trailer brakes. So if you have the towing package option you don't have to cut into your taillight harness, you can get everything from those connectors instead.
Click to expand...
Ok; thanks for the visual.:beer:

I have the 4-inline trailer plug that's always been hanging/wrapped around/on the hitch receiver.
I'll take a closer look.
 
I wouldnt straight wire a bar to an existing load circuit.

Bars pull 15ish amp.

use the backup liggt power to trigger a relay. Run a 12-10g wire from the battery to the relay, trigger from b/u to relay, pigtail disconnect to bar.
 
Thats why i recommend the trailer plugs, if the vehicle is equipped with them. All those circuits are fed by dedicated relays designed to carry enough current to power a trailer, which means its more than enough to power a simple LED lightbar.
 
reptillikus said:
Thats why i recommend the trailer plugs, if the vehicle is equipped with them. All those circuits are fed by dedicated relays designed to carry enough current to power a trailer, which means its more than enough to power a simple LED lightbar.
Click to expand...
But did they in '94? Without looking I don't believe that they did.
 
Yeah they did, but I don't know how far back. The 92-97 body style got it. I know the towing package was an option in the 87-91 as well because my dad ordered a brand new truck in 1990 with it, and it had the 2 plugs out back, along with the connector under the dash for the brake controller. Back in those days Ford even included the pigtail for your aftermarket brake controller, to plug into the dash harness.

I have the build sheet for my 88 which lists it as an option altho it didn't get it. I'll have to look at the 90 bronco in the garage and see if it has it.
 
I'm thinking of splicing into/separating a small section of backup light wire insulation exposing it's wire.
Wrap a section of exposed LED wire around the exposed backup light wire.
Wrap with electrical tape.
Profit.

Sound reason?

Side note:
If 18ga is measured at about 1.21mm in dia.; said LED backup light wire measures about 0.5mm-0.7mm dia.
Maybe 22ga wire.🤔
 
total newb said:
I wouldnt straight wire a bar to an existing load circuit.

Bars pull 15ish amp.

use the backup liggt power to trigger a relay. Run a 12-10g wire from the battery to the relay, trigger from b/u to relay, pigtail disconnect to bar.
Click to expand...
Wrong kind of bar based on the picture, it appears to be more like a tailgate strip light.
For hooking up, I would either use a 7-pin trailer plug or a 5 pin one, that way you can quickly disconnect it when you pull your camper off.
If you already have a four pin trailer plug, just change it over to a 5 pin (5th pin is reverse, usually used for boat trailers with a reverse lockout solenoid for the surge brakes), or add it as a additional plug someplace convenient to plug the trailer in.
Something like this would give you both ends and 6 feet of cable:
713TtrxdouL.jpg



Aaron Z
 
total newb said:
I wouldnt straight wire a bar to an existing load circuit.

Bars pull 15ish amp.

use the backup liggt power to trigger a relay. Run a 12-10g wire from the battery to the relay, trigger from b/u to relay, pigtail disconnect to bar.
Click to expand...
The brake/signal lights are plugged into a 4-prong trailer plug.

The backup light is a separate/stand alone white wire.
1675027481406.jpeg



Said white wire appears to be 22ga.
Can one assume said skinny wire indicates a real low power draw from said backup LED lights?🤷‍♂️🤔
 
Last edited:
aczlan said:
Wrong kind of bar based on the picture, it appears to be more like a tailgate strip light.
For hooking up, I would either use a 7-pin trailer plug or a 5 pin one, that way you can quickly disconnect it when you pull your camper off.
If you already have a four pin trailer plug, just change it over to a 5 pin (5th pin is reverse, usually used for boat trailers with a reverse lockout solenoid for the surge brakes), or add it as a additional plug someplace convenient to plug the trailer in.
Something like this would give you both ends and 6 feet of cable:
713TtrxdouL.jpg



Aaron Z
Click to expand...
Yes; a stick-on LED light strip bar.

I'm using one right now:
1675028345092.png


One plug for the backup light/one plug for the trailer.
 
Why not wire up a 7-pin trailer connector with relays (assuming you don't already have them) and run the whole camper off that?
 
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