How to add back-up lights to an 04+

[whitedog]

Ok, so I was at a GTG this past weekend and they were talking about a "five brake light mod". Well, it was so easy and cheap ( I love those words) that I decided to do it.

Then I found out that you can't do that on an 04+. The bottom strip on the tail light assembly is clear all the way across. So I thought I would just make it a "Four back-up light mod". Install the bulb and just put the wire on different terminals. No big deal, except that I found the following



There is no hole there for the bulb.

I decided to go ahead and do it anyway, I'd just have to make a hole there.

For those that haven't removed the tail light assembly, there are three nuts to remove. Two that are easy to unscrew, and a third that you will probably drop. It takes an 8MM wrench for the nuts, but that bottom, outer one is tough. Maybe I'll have better luck when I do the other side. They are not very tight since they are pulling on plastic and once you break them loose, they screw off very easily. After a quarter turn, they spin right off, but if they don't, try pushing in on the light assembly. The two outer studs have rubber cushions on them, but the single one on the inner side doesn't have one on it, so don't worry that you lost it. I'm thinking about doing a little trimming of the inner trunk liner to make it easier to R&R the bulb holder thing, since it's kind of a pain finagling to get it out.

This is what I started with:



After some time with the mighty $6.99 rotary tool kit from Harbour Freight, I ended up with this:



Sweet. I'm on a roll now. The rest is simple. I stol... Acquired and relocated some wire connectors from work along with some wire and made two jumpers like so:



They are four inches long (Seven in guy-speak) but it could have been a half inch shorter. It was installed like so:



The connector sockets have two pins and you can use either one of them.

The result?



I tried it out in the driveway and I can definitly see better when I back up. I think that it's worth it.

[Keli_OR]

Nicely done!

And if some big truck is sitting on your bumper at a stoplight, putting it into reverse will really get their attention!

What does Bailey think?

-Keli

[whitedog]

Ugh... notice the bumper? That's just from coming home yesterday.

[compu_85]

Nicely done!

Jettafock found this red sleeve to slip over the bulb so he could do the 5 light mod on his 04.

Hmm... I'm guessing that spot on your rear bumper isn't the only non muddy spot on a silver car?

-J

[DPM]

Are you gonna fit a relay to save the reversing lamp switch from burning out?

[Fyrman]

Nice alternative to the 5 light mod. Hasn't been much action in the how-to thread lately, nice to see a new post!

Thanx!

[dieseldorf]

getting for Xmas.

[whitedog]

Originally Posted by DPM

Are you gonna fit a relay to save the reversing lamp switch from burning out?

Something that I kept thinking about was the fuse, but I hadn't thought of the switch.

I'm going to gamble and run with it as is. If there is a problem I will attack it then, but until something happens I'll just keep my fingers crossed. Thanks for the heads-up.

[whitedog]

I'm guessing that spot on your rear bumper isn't the only non muddy spot on a silver car?

From what I'm seeing, almost all of the red cinders are ending up on the back end of the car. Probably wouldn't look too bad on a blue car, except for the rubbed off parts. I remember red Oklahoma mud on my old Blue truck looked pretty good.

[fitzski]

That's a great idea! I too was "disappointed" that I couldn't join the 5BL mod crew, but now we can start our own club! Nyah nyah!!

Fuse #7 is the back-up lights. It's 10 amps, and is shared with the "speedometer vehicle speed sensor". A Sylvania 7506 (P21W) bulb, as one example, is rated at 1.75A, so you're going from 3.5A on two bulbs, to 7A with four bulbs. That leaves 3A for the VSS on the 10A fuse when backing up - is that enough?

[compu_85]

Couldn't hurt to cary extra fuses with you.

Are you shure that's all that's on that fuse? When I was wiering up my 5 light mod the 1st time, I accidently connected the jumper to the reverse light. Pressing the brake made the cluster and comptuer turn on! I guess it fed current back through the speed sensor to the load reduction relay or something.

-J

[whitedog]

Bump and grind here.

[compu_85]

Bump for this great idea!

I just did this on my car, and the difference between the ealry A4 tails and the 04 tails is noticeable, then adding these extra lights makes a huge difference. The fog portions cast a very tall beam, the reverse lights cast a wide beam.

-Jason

[nicklockard]

Compu85, I like your addition of the 04 tails to your 99.5. It really updates the look a lot..in fact, given Tim's great mod, I now want to join his cult: I'm going to find a set of '04 tails and do the Whitedog mod too

Great mod Tim.