# Adding flasher to reverse lights?



## pitrack (Sep 24, 2008)

Hey guys quick question. I have some nice LED spotlights that I want to use as additional backup lights. My question is can I wire a flasher to these so they flash, and then also have them tapped into my reverse lights so that when I backup they go solid? Then when I'm not plowing I'll leave the power to the flasher off and just use them as reverse lights. It works in my head but will it "actually" work?

This flasher possibly:
http://www.strobesnmore.com/Nova-Universal-LED-Flasher.html

Thanks


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## ajracing81 (Dec 19, 2010)

sure will did the same thing with my cab lights they flash when I flip a switch and are normal when switch is off you need a relay wired in for it to work and that's the same flasher I used works great!


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## Maine_Train (Dec 16, 2009)

Before shelling out any buck$ for a new flasher, step one might be to make sure your state allows flashing white lights on vehicles other than police, fire, and EMS, especially to the rear.
It would be a major pain to wire all that up and then find out it's illegal.


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## ajracing81 (Dec 19, 2010)

ya that would be a good idea! it's not that hard to wire if you have wired stuff before


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## 90plow (Dec 22, 2001)

Do you have a wiring diagram that you used?


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## ajracing81 (Dec 19, 2010)

this is what I used to do my cab lights just replace the wires for the cab lights with the reverse light wires I just went to a parts store and a basic relay.

I went on ebay and bought 20 194 white led bulbs and 5 relays i had all the wires already. Then I took down the front of the headliner which was very easy then I found the cab light wires. There are two wires, a black(-) and brown(+) went down the passengers side pillar and into the side of the dash which was covered by a pop-on cover. There are six plugs but to do this you need the green plug, the plug that is feeding the lights, cut the brown wire from the plug leaving enough to connect again. Now you need to wire the led flasher and relay, almost any Led flasher will work for this but i used and sho- me one i had from a mini bar. Hook the flasher up as you would for anything else the ground, fused positive and switch. now comes the hard and confusing part the relay, pin 86 will go to the positive wire from the flasher and pin 85 will go to a ground in the truck. Pin 87 will go to one of the channels on the flasher. Then 87A will go to the brown wire that is cut coming of the green plug. Lastly pin 30 will go the the other side of the brown so lights will remain normal. now flip the switch and see if they work.


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## ajracing81 (Dec 19, 2010)

sorry about the first part about taking everything apart!


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## pitrack (Sep 24, 2008)

Maine_Train;1710366 said:


> Before shelling out any buck$ for a new flasher, step one might be to make sure your state allows flashing white lights on vehicles other than police, fire, and EMS, especially to the rear.
> It would be a major pain to wire all that up and then find out it's illegal.


I don't plan on driving down the road with them on anyways, just on private property.



ajracing81;1710454 said:


> sorry about the first part about taking everything apart!


Thanks for the reply. I guess I'm confused at which pins you're talking about unless that's to do with your cab lights? And why do I need to install a relay?


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## ajracing81 (Dec 19, 2010)

pitrack;1711124 said:


> I don't plan on driving down the road with them on anyways, just on private property.
> 
> Thanks for the reply. I guess I'm confused at which pins you're talking about unless that's to do with your cab lights? And why do I need to install a relay?


the relay is what let's us them as strobes or regular lights. you can try it with out it after thinking about.


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## Maine_Train (Dec 16, 2009)

pitrack;1711124 said:


> I don't plan on driving down the road with them on anyways, just on private property.


Then I guess you'd be okay. Some states won't allow _mounting_ certain lights on the vehicle, but NE law just says you can't _display_ it while on the highway. If they interpreted paragraph 2 here real strictly, it reads as though nobody should use backup lights while on the road. 

Those might help keep some doofus from driving in behind you while you're trying to plow a parking lot or something.
Maybe use a lighted switch for them, so you don't forget they're on. Wouldn't want you to end up in the "Got Pulled Over" thread.


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## pitrack (Sep 24, 2008)

ajracing81;1711203 said:


> the relay is what let's us them as strobes or regular lights. you can try it with out it after thinking about.


So what do you think would happen if I didn't put in a relay? I was under the impression everything was ready to go in the flasher, as in it acted as a relay itself.



Maine_Train;1711467 said:


> Then I guess you'd be okay. Some states won't allow _mounting_ certain lights on the vehicle, but NE law just says you can't _display_ it while on the highway. If they interpreted paragraph 2 here real strictly, it reads as though nobody should use backup lights while on the road.
> 
> Those might help keep some doofus from driving in behind you while you're trying to plow a parking lot or something.
> Maybe use a lighted switch for them, so you don't forget they're on. Wouldn't want you to end up in the "Got Pulled Over" thread.


Yeah I was planing on running a lighted switch. I will most likely only have them on in the middle of the night anyways and hardly any traffic is out then. Good idea though.


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## ajracing81 (Dec 19, 2010)

I think the relay would make it so if there on strobe and you put in reverse it would make it a steady light not flashing . unless you don't care if they flash when backing up you would need a relay.


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## pitrack (Sep 24, 2008)

ajracing81;1712014 said:


> I think the relay would make it so if there on strobe and you put in reverse it would make it a steady light not flashing . unless you don't care if they flash when backing up you would need a relay.


Ah I got ya. Hm well I'll try it without for now and see how It does. With the lights flashing that may be enough for me to see things while backing up. I have a camera too so is not like I'm backing up blind.


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