HELP: Reverse light / park assist problem
03-11-2014, 07:46 PM
#1
HELP: Reverse light / park assist problem
Hi everyone, I'm a new member with an easy upgrade gone wrong. I have searched high and low on the internet with no luck. This may be a long explanation, but I hope someone can shed some light and I can stop feeling embarrassed.
My wife has a 2013 FX4 screw, while installing some Aux reverse lights under the rear bumper I managed to screw up her park assist. I was taking a very straight foreword approach at installing them, nothing fancy. I took 2 LED work lamps and grounded them, then with a common "HOT" wire I tapped into the blue/white wire on the back of the tail light. Upon trying it i put it in reverse and all 4 lights (2 factory/2aux) flashed then died. I thought I grounded something out???? I checked fuses ect... Then found they would flash like that the first try every time after re cycling the key. So I got mad, left it in reverse and cut my "new" hot wire leading to the aux lights and..... The 2 factory's instantly came back on.
So I scratched that idea and moved my hot wire to the + reverse lamp wire on the back of the trailer plug. Put it in reverse and...... Yaaaay they work! But then the dash says "check park assist" and keeps toggling between on/off, beeping, just going crazy. So in my same fashion I got pissed this time, left it in reverse and cut the hot wire to the lights once again. The lights went out and the park assist works again.
Someone else out there has to have had a similar problem, all I want is for more lights to come on in reverse, and my wife not to back into anything.
My wife has a 2013 FX4 screw, while installing some Aux reverse lights under the rear bumper I managed to screw up her park assist. I was taking a very straight foreword approach at installing them, nothing fancy. I took 2 LED work lamps and grounded them, then with a common "HOT" wire I tapped into the blue/white wire on the back of the tail light. Upon trying it i put it in reverse and all 4 lights (2 factory/2aux) flashed then died. I thought I grounded something out???? I checked fuses ect... Then found they would flash like that the first try every time after re cycling the key. So I got mad, left it in reverse and cut my "new" hot wire leading to the aux lights and..... The 2 factory's instantly came back on.
So I scratched that idea and moved my hot wire to the + reverse lamp wire on the back of the trailer plug. Put it in reverse and...... Yaaaay they work! But then the dash says "check park assist" and keeps toggling between on/off, beeping, just going crazy. So in my same fashion I got pissed this time, left it in reverse and cut the hot wire to the lights once again. The lights went out and the park assist works again.
Someone else out there has to have had a similar problem, all I want is for more lights to come on in reverse, and my wife not to back into anything.
03-11-2014, 09:13 PM
#2
Senior Member
i hooked mine to the 7 pin trailer plugs reverse wire, not led lights just some spot lights....no problems...can you post a pic of were you mounted the lights, is the light close to the sensors? reflection, brightness of the light???...
leds are straight forward wiring... positive and a ground..can't see why they didn't work the first time being hooked to the tails...and screwing up the backup sensors..
leds are straight forward wiring... positive and a ground..can't see why they didn't work the first time being hooked to the tails...and screwing up the backup sensors..
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McCoy545 (03-12-2014)
03-12-2014, 04:53 PM
#3
I can't get pics right now, I left to work out of town. I mounted them below the bumper using the bolts holding on the bumper facia, same place I've seen a lot of people mount them on here.
As far as reflection and being too bright goes I ruled that out by covering the lights, and I also tried it in the middle of the day with nothing around the truck.
Although you got me thinking now... Maybe it could be interference??? These lights I have are square 9 LED high intensity lights made by Maxima. I have a set on just about everything I own that is 12v. They put off a very audible high pitch squealing while they are on. Maybe the sound that the lights make could screw with the park assist??? This is the first vehicle I've had with back up sensors. I assume they use some sort of sound wave or sonar?
The lights are still mounted to the truck. When I get home I will put an extra truck battery I have in the bed. And use it to power the lights..if I touch the wires to the battery and it makes my park assist go crazy again..... Then I will have to try different lights.
Sounds crazy, but it might be the issue..
Thanks for your input Steve. I'll post what I find out.
As far as reflection and being too bright goes I ruled that out by covering the lights, and I also tried it in the middle of the day with nothing around the truck.
Although you got me thinking now... Maybe it could be interference??? These lights I have are square 9 LED high intensity lights made by Maxima. I have a set on just about everything I own that is 12v. They put off a very audible high pitch squealing while they are on. Maybe the sound that the lights make could screw with the park assist??? This is the first vehicle I've had with back up sensors. I assume they use some sort of sound wave or sonar?
The lights are still mounted to the truck. When I get home I will put an extra truck battery I have in the bed. And use it to power the lights..if I touch the wires to the battery and it makes my park assist go crazy again..... Then I will have to try different lights.
Sounds crazy, but it might be the issue..
Thanks for your input Steve. I'll post what I find out.