Aux Backup Light/Parking Assist Issue

[JGrow]

I've reviewed many related threads on this but haven't seen a complete answer to my exact issue.

Several months ago I installed two Baja Design LED lights flush-mounted in my bumper, triggered off the backup wire. I pulled the trigger and 12v power (did not run 12v dedicated wire to battery) from the 7-pin trailer harness, used a relay, and have a fuse on the 12v wire. I also ground to the chassis for both the lights and relay.

Everything worked perfectly for a couple of months but in the last couple of weeks, the parking assist alarm has been going off any time I shift into reverse. Every once in a while it works fine, no alarm. I've read that people *sometimes* install a diode to prevent backflow interference, but again, the problem just arose and sometimes intermittently.

Has anyone experienced a situation like this and if so, what's the possible issue and/or path to resolution? Ground, power, diode?

Thanks in advance.

Jeff

 

[bm02tj]

Remove relay and wire to trailer harness back up lights
It has a dedicated ground and power when in reverse

 

[JGrow]

Remove relay and wire to trailer harness back up lights
It has a dedicated ground and power when in reverse

Sorry, I'm not following. Are you saying to not use the trailer harness wires and instead tap into the backup wire at the tail light housing?

 

[bm02tj]

Yes center pin is back up lights on separate power to factory lights
I spliced into mine and I believe it was the black wire
They make a plugin harness to tap in as well but cannot remember brand

 

[Al Handy]

I replaced my rear bumper with a Warn unit. I installed two LED lights in the bumper. The LED lights when lit ( hooked them up to the trailer harness) would shut the parking sensors off and the truck would tell me the sensors were not available. I had to install a different LED lights under the bumper to get back the parking sensors. Very Weird

 

[bm02tj]

I have mine on either side of the hitch on a bracket I made under the bumper
Try a small shield around light so the sensor cannot see the light

 

[JGrow]

It's my understanding that park assist sensors aren't affected by light as they use ultrasonic (sound) to detect objects.

I've read numerous threads on installation and it seems many people have no issues while others run into problems with essentially the same method of installation on the same trucks. Many use the 7-pin trailer harness while others use the tail light housing for the trigger wire. Some have had issues with inexpensive lights b since I'm using Baja Design lights, I feel like I have a high-quality lighting product. I may try putting a diode between the relay and the lights to see if it's a backfeed issue and maybe double-checking my grounds. Something like this (note: I'm not using a switch).

 

[mtnrider]

^ That's circuit is an acceptable way to wire it and if you do not have it I would install the diode just for good measure. I'm running several lights off my reverse and high beam circuits with no issue but have diodes on all of them.

With that said, I really don't see how that is affecting your parking alarm. You could disconnect the lights temporally just to verify but I'm leaning more towards a faulty backup sensor?

 

[JGrow]

Ya, I think I'll try the diode and see what happens. Might have to just start disconnecting things and trying different wiring routes.

 

[mtnrider]

I'd pull the relay first and see if it still does it before you get too far into rewiring it. That would be a quick test to isolate it.

.

 

[turkeybird56]

Yes center pin is back up lights on separate power to factory lights
I spliced into mine and I believe it was the black wire
They make a plugin harness to tap in as well but cannot remember brand

CURT

 

[JGrow]

I'd pull the relay first and see if it still does it before you get too far into rewiring it. That would be a quick test to isolate it.

.

I originally tried this and it blew fuses. I called Baja Designs to see if the lights required a relay given I wasn't using an aux swith and they said it didn't, but it blew fuses until I added a relay. Maybe I had something wired wrong before the relay?

 

[mtnrider]

I originally tried this and it blew fuses. I called Baja Designs to see if the lights required a relay given I wasn't using an aux swith and they said it didn't, but it blew fuses until I added a relay. Maybe I had something wired wrong before the relay?

I'm talking about just pulling the relay out of the socket so the lights don't come on. Don't need to unwire it. That way you can see if the park sensors still fault and you will know it's not the lights causing it.
But if you were blowing fuses you were either wired wrong or pulling too much current from what ever line you tapped the 12v from. The lights themselves don't require a relay but you can't tie them to a circuit that is only rated for say 5 amps.

.

 

[bm02tj]

The reverse light circuit on trailer plug has a 20 amp fues