Aux Reverse Lighting - Let's see your setup!

[jwheeler]

How did you do it? Scotchlok's or cut, strip, solder and seal?

Solder and heat shrink it. Scotch locks are junk. Especially in a location under the truck like that.

 

[BigDogg795]

Solder and heat shrink it. Scotch locks are junk. Especially in a location under the truck like that.

Yeah, I think I'll cut and splice with solder...the other option is running a separate switch...but for that I gotta figure out where to run power into the cab. I looked for the blank panel for the clutch cylinder but I guess I don't have one...I'm not looking forward to drilling holes in my firewall but I may not have a choice.

 

[jwheeler]

Yeah, I think I'll cut and splice with solder...the other option is running a separate switch...but for that I gotta figure out where to run power into the cab. I looked for the blank panel for the clutch cylinder but I guess I don't have one...I'm not looking forward to drilling holes in my firewall but I may not have a choice.

On the main harness that runs through the firewall there is a big rubber boot. Right below where all the wires go in, is a little nipple that sticks out about an inch on the engine side. It is there so you can cut the tip off and run accessory wires through.

 

[SitKneelBend]

On the main harness that runs through the firewall there is a big rubber boot. Right below where all the wires go in, is a little nipple that sticks out about an inch on the engine side. It is there so you can cut the tip off and run accessory wires through.

Wish I would of known that!

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[soSincerious]

mounted into the bumper brackets. not 100% sure if I love it yet or not, but they're very functional.

 

[dmuney]

Ok keep in mind the nighttime photos do no justice for seeing how good this light works I've successfully backed up trailers where there is no light except coming from under the trailer.





Probably working on something

 

[andrew]

question to those of you who have added aux. reverse lights and are using a back up camera. my truck is a 2013 express.

i recently added two led back up lights. i wired them using a relay and to a 3 way switch on the dash. i wired them so the lights are triggered by the reverse wire on the hitch connector when the switch is in 1 position, the other two positions on the switch are off completely, and on all the time.

the question i have for you guys is, have any of you experienced interference with the back up camera when aux lights are on? the camera and relay trigger for the aux lights tie into the same reverse wire on the 7 pin connector. i made a jumper to trigger the aux lights from the reverse wire at tail light itself, and still had the static lines on the screen. the aux lights are grounded to a bumper bolt (chassis) if that helps with any info on my setup. any ideas on how to block out the interference these lights are causing with the back up cam? also, the back up cam is an aftermarket unit tied into my pioneer head unit and has worked problem free since i installed it back in 2013. any help is greatly appreciated. thanks!

 

[SitKneelBend]

question to those of you who have added aux. reverse lights and are using a back up camera. my truck is a 2013 express.

i recently added two led back up lights. i wired them using a relay and to a 3 way switch on the dash. i wired them so the lights are triggered by the reverse wire on the hitch connector when the switch is in 1 position, the other two positions on the switch are off completely, and on all the time.

the question i have for you guys is, have any of you experienced interference with the back up camera when aux lights are on? the camera and relay trigger for the aux lights tie into the same reverse wire on the 7 pin connector. i made a jumper to trigger the aux lights from the reverse wire at tail light itself, and still had the static lines on the screen. the aux lights are grounded to a bumper bolt (chassis) if that helps with any info on my setup. any ideas on how to block out the interference these lights are causing with the back up cam? also, the back up cam is an aftermarket unit tied into my pioneer head unit and has worked problem free since i installed it back in 2013. any help is greatly appreciated. thanks!

If it's not a bad ground, it's probably not signal leak/interference but rather the visual effect of the refresh rate on the camera or radio screen itself interacting with the frequency of the LEDs.

You can test this by removing one of the lights and powering it independently from the trucks power supply. Then place it behind your truck and look at it with the backup camera.

I've noticed strange LED effects on other LED sources when viewed on the trucks screen that were on other vehicles.

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[NOcasio7]

question to those of you who have added aux. reverse lights and are using a back up camera. my truck is a 2013 express.

i recently added two led back up lights. i wired them using a relay and to a 3 way switch on the dash. i wired them so the lights are triggered by the reverse wire on the hitch connector when the switch is in 1 position, the other two positions on the switch are off completely, and on all the time.

the question i have for you guys is, have any of you experienced interference with the back up camera when aux lights are on? the camera and relay trigger for the aux lights tie into the same reverse wire on the 7 pin connector. i made a jumper to trigger the aux lights from the reverse wire at tail light itself, and still had the static lines on the screen. the aux lights are grounded to a bumper bolt (chassis) if that helps with any info on my setup. any ideas on how to block out the interference these lights are causing with the back up cam? also, the back up cam is an aftermarket unit tied into my pioneer head unit and has worked problem free since i installed it back in 2013. any help is greatly appreciated. thanks!

I am sure someone here can help more but I would start by disconnecting the light while it is in reverse and obviously be sure that the truck wont go anywhere. If the lines go away then you have definitely isolated the problem i would say, I would then probably install some diodes and see if that helps, maybe it is back-feeding into the camera. I hope something i said helps. Good luck!

 

[SitKneelBend]

TLR version of my earlier reply...

Remember what TV screens used to look like when you recorded them with a camera? It's like that (I think)...

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[andrew]

TLR version of my earlier reply...

Remember what TV screens used to look like when you recorded them with a camera? It's like that (I think)...

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thats exactly what it does. a bunch of horizontal lines that move.

 

[SitKneelBend]

thats exactly what it does. a bunch of horizontal lines that move.

Yep, I think that's what you're seeing. With aftermarket head units, you can sometimes change the display settings in ways that may help. Maybe see if you can switch between NTSC and PAL?

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[andrew]

I am sure someone here can help more but I would start by disconnecting the light while it is in reverse and obviously be sure that the truck wont go anywhere. If the lines go away then you have definitely isolated the problem i would say, I would then probably install some diodes and see if that helps, maybe it is back-feeding into the camera. I hope something i said helps. Good luck!

it is def. the aux lights causing the problem. when i place the switch in the off position (no lights on when in reverse) the camera is fine. i thought maybe it was a shared feed issue since the camera and the reverse signal for the relay is fed off the same wire in my t-harness of the 7 pin connector. thats why i made a jumper to see if getting a signal for the relay from the taillight wire directly would make a difference. sadly, it didn't. i don't have a back feed issue with the relay and the 3 position switch, so diodes are not needed. (reverse bulbs in the taillights don't come on when I have the switch in the "always on" position)

 

[andrew]

If it's not a bad ground, it's probably not signal leak/interference but rather the visual effect of the refresh rate on the camera or radio screen itself interacting with the frequency of the LEDs.

You can test this by removing one of the lights and powering it independently from the trucks power supply. Then place it behind your truck and look at it with the backup camera.

I've noticed strange LED effects on other LED sources when viewed on the trucks screen that were on other vehicles.

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thats a good idea. ill try that and see if it is in fact the camera not being able to register that much light. i however still am not sure of permeant a fix for this. thanks for the advice. ill chime in with what i find when i remove a light.

 

[SitKneelBend]

thats a good idea. ill try that and see if it is in fact the camera not being able to register that much light. i however still am not sure of permeant a fix for this. thanks for the advice. ill chime in with what i find when i remove a light.

I don't believe it's the amount of light or the contrast difference, but rather the camera or screen is "seeing" the refresh rate of the lights themselves. We perceive them as constantly on but they are actually cycling on and off very fast. Here is a reddit discussing the problem with photography...

https://m.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1uf1eq/what_minimum_refresh_rate_does_an_led_light_need/

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[andrew]

Yep, I think that's what you're seeing. With aftermarket head units, you can sometimes change the display settings in ways that may help. Maybe see if you can switch between NTSC and PAL?

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i checked that. sadly my avic-x940bt only has an on/off selection, and a battery/ground selection. switching from the power to ground makes the camera not work at all.

 

[Juvenator93]

I have a 2500, but I fabricated a simple L shaped bracket from flat stock. I bolted it to an existing hole in my frame an mounted LED cubes to it. If my Ram had painted bumpers, I think I would have mounted flush mount LED cubes in it. I was afraid that cutting my chrome bumper would have resulted in rust.

Do you have any pics from the back? Like this idea for my 2500


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[andrew]

i checked to see if it was a refresh rate of the camera itself by parking my golf cart (with a 12" led light bar on front of it) shining outward like the aux lights mounted under the truck and got barely any static lines on the screen. also pointed the golf cart's led bar directly toward the camera and that didn't have any negative effect (static lines) on the camera. I'm thinking that maybe i need a video noise filter for the camera itself? such as this:

Beat-Sonic Video Noise Filter (VF1) Produces higher video image quality by removing video noise from external video source.

does anyone have any experience with these or the regular ground/power noise filters? thanks.

 

[brandonjansen]

3" flood pattern cubes with custom mount that I made to tuck them under the truck and keep a clean look.







Top is LED bulbs in the stock reverse lights. Bottom is with the cubes on as well.

 

[SitKneelBend]

i checked to see if it was a refresh rate of the camera itself by parking my golf cart (with a 12" led light bar on front of it) shining outward like the aux lights mounted under the truck and got barely any static lines on the screen. also pointed the golf cart's led bar directly toward the camera and that didn't have any negative effect (static lines) on the camera. I'm thinking that maybe i need a video noise filter for the camera itself? such as this:

Beat-Sonic Video Noise Filter (VF1) Produces higher video image quality by removing video noise from external video source.

does anyone have any experience with these or the regular ground/power noise filters? thanks.

You need to do it with the light(s) you have installed. Not all LEDs have the same refresh rate.

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