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Thread: Wiring Question

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2004
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    Sunshine Coast Queensland
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    Default Wiring Question

    I bought a pair of 126w car work lights off ebay, I want to fit a reverse light to my car.
    Is it possible to wire one of them with a trailer plug so I don't have to cut in to wiring.
    Cheers

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
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    Latrobe Valley
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    Default

    At 126 watts at 12V = 10.5 Amps. Think that reversing lights would be supplied off a 10A fuse normally so chances are that it will blow the fuse. You could try it to see if it does (some LED lights are over rated with regards to wattage) but find where the reverse light fuse is and have a spare of course.
    Best option would be to install a relay controlled off the reversing lights and have the LED work lights on their own fuse. That way if they blow the fuse, it doesn't take out anything else.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Wimmera
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    Fonix. I have a LED reversing light I purchased from eachled.com It is on my truck and is brilliant.

    https://www.eachled.com/p19662-4-3-i...-dc10-60v.html

    If you subscribe to their email list, every now and then they put them up for about $4.80.

    A brilliant light and will be more than you need.

    A 126 watt reversing light is way over a sensible job. And the wiring will have to be heavy, as per maxxsinners suggestion.

    Hooroo.

    John.

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
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    Alexandra Vic
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    Default

    Fonix, you haven't mentioned which of the various trailer connections your vehicle uses, but most don't support a reversing light as standard, so would not provide ready access to the appropriate power source any way. A basic 5 pin plug normally caters for an earth connection, tail light, brake light, left turn indicator, and right turn indicator. A 7 pin connection usually provided for those, a 12V or 24V positive connection (power or battery charging for caravan lighting, break away braking system unit battery charging etc, and electric brake activation.) Obviously, if you have a 7pin connection installed, you could opt for a non standard configuration, but you would need to tap into the car wiring to do this anyway negating the stated purpose of connecting through the trailer connection.

    As suggested previously, a separate positive line from the battery to the rear of the car, with it's own inline fuse and a relay would be the better way to go, avoiding overloading any existing wiring. Modern cars have heaps of cables in the looms, and have reduced the cable sizes to the safe minimum to reduce loom size and cost. Absolute worst case, a car would have 4 x 21W bulbs in reversing lights (2 a side) but most only have 2 (1 a side), so the cable in the loom would often be sized for 5A maximum current, or under half what one of your your lights would draw.

    Also, be aware that fitting a light of the type and capacity that you are proposing would most likely not comply with Australian Design Rules, and as such could invite attention from the authorities and defect notices.
    I used to be an engineer, I'm not an engineer any more, but on the really good days I can remember when I was.

  6. #5
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Sunshine Coast Queensland
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    Default

    Thanks for all the info guys.
    I've decided the lights I bought are too much for a reversing light anyway.
    The lights are very cheaply made, but seem quite solid and put out some light so I'm tempted to put them on the front as driving lights - but if I do that I'll wire them legally (high beam works with/without driving lights but driving lights only operate when high beam is on) which is no hassle as I've wired spots before.
    Cheers

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