Reverse light tap under hood?

[FireAnt21]

I too am doing a similar thing. I want to be able to control my rear flood’s manually with aux 2 and also have them come on automatically with the reverse lights. I’m using a 2-1 diode connect to the relay of the flood light harness. Either condition will trigger the lights without back feeding the other circuit.

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[bobholthaus]

I too am doing a similar thing. I want to be able to control my rear flood’s manually with aux 2 and also have them come on automatically with the reverse lights. I’m using a 2-1 diode connect to the relay of the flood light harness. Either condition will trigger the lights without back feeding the other circuit.

Yes, that little thing will do exactly what you want it to do. Be careful, that thing may get hot, but that's the perfect solution for the Aux switches and the reverse light tap! Using a fuse tap, you can leave that diode in the engine compartment, and tap the Aux wiring and the fuse box right next to the battery, and then run the wiring for your lights back to them, and don't have to worry about weatherproofing that thing somewhere in the rear of the vehicle.

 

[dcmdon]

I too am doing a similar thing. I want to be able to control my rear flood’s manually with aux 2 and also have them come on automatically with the reverse lights. I’m using a 2-1 diode connect to the relay of the flood light harness. Either condition will trigger the lights without back feeding the other circuit.

Where did you get this??

I'm interested in an aux backup light that I can trigger manually or with the standard reverse lights?

 

[FireAnt21]

Where did you get this??

I'm interested in an aux backup light that I can trigger manually or with the standard reverse lights?

Roadmaster 790 Heavy Duty Hy-Power Diode - Single Pack https://a.co/d/dDveVYe

What I did was to do this was tap a jumper wire from the bottom of fuse f111 white/orange wire (I have factory tow package) to one of the two spaded side and the other to one of the smaller aux wires(15amp) . the single spade goes to the wire that triggers the relay connected to the flood lights

 

[mrtm1970]

Sorry I known this isn’t about the reverse light but similar…Does anyone know the fuse for the brake lights? I am planning to do similar with my DD Hitch Light and put a switch in to manually turn the brake light on to act as a rear fog light.

Also thanks (this does pertain to the reverse lighting) for this option!!! I was going to tap into the tow harness to do this but do not have to with this method!!!

 

[bobholthaus]

Sorry I known this isn’t about the reverse light but similar…Does anyone know the fuse for the brake lights? I am planning to do similar with my DD Hitch Light and put a switch in to manually turn the brake light on to act as a rear fog light.

Also thanks (this does pertain to the reverse lighting) for this option!!! I was going to tap into the tow harness to do this but do not have to with this method!!!

F107 is left trailer turn/brake, F109 is right trailer turn/brake. The challenge is that unless you tap the third brake wire somehow, they are individual circuits and they will blink when you turn your blinkers on. Let me look for a third brake light fuse in the list of fuses (I’m just reading the manual - I’ll link a PDF HERE for fuses only if possible)

F36 is the trailer brake connector circuit; you could try that. That should be a single wire linked to your brake lights. I would think that would work.

For those of you tapping the wires below the fuse box (not using fuse taps): I’ve never tapped below the box. How hard is it to do? That’s cleaner for certain,

 

[mrtm1970]

F107 is left trailer turn/brake, F109 is right trailer turn/brake. The challenge is that unless you tap the third brake wire somehow, they are individual circuits and they will blink when you turn your blinkers on. Let me look for a third brake light fuse in the list of fuses (I’m just reading the manual - I’ll link a PDF HERE for fuses only if possible)

F36 is the trailer brake connector circuit; you could try that. That should be a single wire linked to your brake lights. I would think that would work.

For those of you tapping the wires below the fuse box (not using fuse taps): I’ve never tapped below the box. How hard is it to do? That’s cleaner for certain,

Thanks!!! I will need to give it a try when I get my fuse taps in.

Question I did have is are these fuses always running hot (meaning always having power on)? Because if not, they won’t come on unless in reverse or hitting the brakes.

 

[bobholthaus]

Thanks!!! I will need to give it a try when I get my fuse taps in.

Question I did have is are these fuses always running hot (meaning always having power on)? Because if not, they won’t come on unless in reverse or hitting the brakes.

I don’t understand your question; don’t you just want the light to come on when you hit the brakes? Or when you manually turn it on with your switch? Asking for clarification, do you totally understand the wiring to be done using one of those diodes? (Not being an ass, I’ll walk you right through it if needed)

 

[mrtm1970]

I don’t understand your question; don’t you just want the light to come on when you hit the brakes? Or when you manually turn it on with your switch? Asking for clarification, do you totally understand the wiring to be done using one of those diodes? (Not being an ass, I’ll walk you right through it if needed)

I am looking to turn the brake light on (when NOT applying the brakes) and turn on the brake light of my DD Hitch Light with my AUX switch while driving (it acts as a rear fog light).

 

[bobholthaus]

I don’t know about turning on the brake lights; not sure I’d mess with that circuitry. The hitch light is a no-brainer.

 

[mrtm1970]

I don’t know about turning on the brake lights; not sure I’d mess with that circuitry. The hitch light is a no-brainer.

ok, I guess I will have to use a test light on the fuse and if it won’t do what I want, I will have to tap into the wire harness at the DD Hitch light.

 

[FireAnt21]

For those of you tapping the wires below the fuse box (not using fuse taps): I’ve never tapped below the box. How hard is it to do? That’s cleaner for certain,

Once I figured out how to get it open it wasn’t bad at all. If careful you can do this without disconnecting the battery. The driver side of the pdc has non insulated connections to worry about. Since I was looking at the white/orange wire in F111 I was pretty careful moving the pdc around. I used this Video for removal instructions from member @Jeep Generation (around 8:50 mark)

 

[mrtm1970]

F107For those of you tapping the wires below the fuse box (not using fuse taps): I’ve never tapped below the box. How hard is it to do? That’s cleaner for certain,

@bobholthaus ALL these fuses are cartridge style. I am also looking into it too and can not find any, do they make a fuse tap for cartridge style fuses?

If not, I will do the original way I was going to and tap into the trailer harness at the rear of the Jeep as I don’t want todo the taping under the fuse box.

 

[bobholthaus]

The ones I’ve mentioned are cartridge? That’s odd, although I don’t have access to my Jeep. No, I don’t believe they make a fuse tap for a cartridge fuse (which I’m assuming is one of the square ones). I know the 12v outlet fuse can move between two openings… I tapped similar fuses In my Grand Cherokee, but it’s a 2014, so possibly totally different.

You can also splice below the box like someone has mentioned. I’m of no more help until I get my jeep back, in 3-4 weeks.

edit: yep, F111 looks to be cartridge. Somewhere someone said what color wire that was. It will need to be tapped below the PDC evidently. Although not convenient, based upon that video,it doesn’t look too bad.

 

[bobholthaus]

Once I figured out how to get it open it wasn’t bad at all. If careful you can do this without disconnecting the battery. The driver side of the pdc has non insulated connections to worry about. Since I was looking at the white/orange wire in F111 I was pretty careful moving the pdc around. I used this Video for removal instructions from member @Jeep Generation (around 8:50 mark)

So I just tried this, and I failed. rookie mistake, although I’m not sure it would have helped. I did not undo my pos and neg battery terminals, and when I took the 6 wires off the top of the fuse box, two touched and sparked and now I’ve got a “service air bag” system light on. Before I took them all off though (first spark at #3), I DID undo my pos and neg and wrapped each one in a tiny ziplock as I took them off. And the last one kind of sparked on itself. So I’m guessing the second battery was still delivering power to these somehow.

Now a trip to the dealer. FML. I was so close; this was my last bit of wiring, to get to that damn reverse light tap. i live and learn.

Next day update: everything reset with no check engine lights and no airbag lights. I may have dodged a bullet. No more trying to take the fuse box out, ha! I am going to fabricate my own fuse tap for F111, and if that doesn’t work, I’ll run a wire from the rear hitch where I can tap and waterproof my connection properly, and run it up to the hood (after being in/under this Jeep for 12 hours this past weekend, and how tight everything is in the engine bay of a diesel, this is my second option)

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