Can the dealer disable license plate lights in reverse?

[ShadowsPapa]

Unplug your license plate light and wire in one like my above post. It's not as bright and points down. Really reduced the glare. Kinda down and dirty way to do it, easy and simple though.

I can't figure out why Jeep put in lights that angle upward toward the camera, instead of aimed directly at the plate. Makes little sense. I bet their factory lights are barely legal as some states say that the plate has to be readable by quite a distance - with the lights.
I bet yours passes better than the factory lights.

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[Kevin_D]

A really tiny relay would work, heck, even a transistor circuit could deal with the license plate lights - and that gives me an idea - I have a transistor relay driver circuit that could work.

But a transistor will need to be biased ON most of the time, and will therefore consume power, whereas a NC relay will only consume power while in reverse.

Kevin

 

[ShadowsPapa]

But a transistor will need to be biased ON most of the time, and will therefore consume power, whereas a NC relay will only consume power while in reverse.

Kevin

With NPN, yes, but with PNP, no from what I've seen trying to refresh my memory.
LOW voltage with respect to the Emitter is applied to the Base, current flows from the Emitter to the Collector and the PNP transistor switches “ON”.

 

[Kevin_D]

With NPN, yes, but with PNP, no from what I've seen trying to refresh my memory.
LOW voltage with respect to the Emitter is applied to the Base, current flows from the Emitter to the Collector and the PNP transistor switches “ON”.

If the transistor is conducting, it's consuming power.

Kevin

 

[ShadowsPapa]

If the transistor is conducting, it's consuming power.

Kevin

Where's the drawback?
That's a big problem for license plate lights?

My thing is that there's no load on the backup lights other than the really miniscule current through the base/collector like there would be with a relay coil. One circuit I've looked at is .78ma

It's just a thought to get rid of a mechanical relay with a coil drawing from the backup lights while in reverse.
The whole thing could be in a case smaller than a typical Bosch relay.
It could also be used to drive a relay coil - negating the need to have a relay coil in line with the backup light circuit. A relay coil will pull more power from the backup light driver than a transistor would driving a relay.

Why are you concerned about "consuming power"?

My point is to take the drain off the backup light driver circuit when someone like me is already driving a lot more lights than just the factory backup lights.
Trying to avoid sticking another drain on that circuit such as a relay coil pulling current through that system.

 

[Jefe1018]

I feel like this needs to be answered, why is this a thing? I’ve never really noticed a crazy amount of glare, or maybe you just opened my eyes to the next must do mod. ?

 

[Kevin_D]

Where's the drawback?
That's a big problem for license plate lights?

My thing is that there's no load on the backup lights other than the really miniscule current through the base/collector like there would be with a relay coil. One circuit I've looked at is .78ma

It's just a thought to get rid of a mechanical relay with a coil drawing from the backup lights while in reverse.
The whole thing could be in a case smaller than a typical Bosch relay.
It could also be used to drive a relay coil - negating the need to have a relay coil in line with the backup light circuit. A relay coil will pull more power from the backup light driver than a transistor would driving a relay.

Why are you concerned about "consuming power"?

My point is to take the drain off the backup light driver circuit when someone like me is already driving a lot more lights than just the factory backup lights.
Trying to avoid sticking another drain on that circuit such as a relay coil pulling current through that system.

The reed relay I'm contemplating draws 1.1mA when energized, which would only be when reversing with a NC contact. A transistor circuit will use 0.78mA whenever the lights are on, except in reverse.
I don't know what the nominal ratio of forward operation to reverse operation is, but I'm pretty sure it's safe to say that the overall power consumption of the transistor circuit will be much greater than the relay circuit, therefore it's less efficient.
Admittedly, we're only talking tenths of a watt, but...

Kevin

 

[IamPro2A]

I love reading this. Different people with different priorities taking different paths to solve a problem.
My take...

Tazer: is easiest, but most expensive.

@Kevin_D: is cheaper, uses off the shelf components, and efficient.

@ShadowsPapa: requires a bit of design and fabrication, but should potentially be more reliable, more compact, and less expensive than Kevin's.

 

[AmishMike]

I love reading this. Different people with different priorities taking different paths to solve a problem.
My take...

Tazer: is easiest, but most expensive.

@Kevin_D: is cheaper, uses off the shelf components, and efficient.

@ShadowsPapa: requires a bit of design and fabrication, but should potentially be more reliable, more compact, and less expensive than Kevin's.

Somebody with a 3D printer- making little visors and selling them to all of us, priceless.

 

[OHJeeper]

I feel like this needs to be answered, why is this a thing? I’ve never really noticed a crazy amount of glare, or maybe you just opened my eyes to the next must do mod. ?

Yours doesn't look like this?

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...se-plate-lights-in-reverse.64645/post-1062244

 

[Quickstep192]

My wife’s Honda has similar glare. I don’t know why manufacturers don’t address this.

I get the regulation requiring license plate lighting, but it sure seems unnecessary in reverse. I’m thinking if you’re in a situation where a police officer needs to see your license plate while you’re backing up, it would be pretty easy to catch you! ??

 

[Swanny]

Super simple DIY fix with a normally closed relay tied to the reverse lights. Reverse lights come on, energize the relay, plate lights go off. Easy peasy & uber cheap.

 

[amoyer_01]

I'll be honest, for $60 it's probably worth it unless you enjoy tinkering with automotive electronics (which I do - but I'm a nerd)

I'm still going to post my write up, but for anyone who wants the "easy button" the eBay link is the way to go.

Any chance you wrote up how to make your own wiring harness for this item?

 

[Vtur]

Super simple DIY fix with a normally closed relay tied to the reverse lights. Reverse lights come on, energize the relay, plate lights go off. Easy peasy & uber cheap.

This ??????

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Super simple DIY fix with a normally closed relay tied to the reverse lights. Reverse lights come on, energize the relay, plate lights go off. Easy peasy & uber cheap.

Any small Bosch type automotive relay will have NO and NC contacts - just choose the correct stationary contact terminal.
87a is NC so will open with power to the coil.
Be really sure the relay you use has a clamping diode across the coil - or add your own, otherwise the coil de-energizing that impact same sensitive electronics. Some already have that built into the relay's case - some cheapies don't.
You can get sockets for them as well - here's a pair I rigged up to put my car's headlights on relays, dropping the voltage drop to all but zip and increasing voltage to the lamps by well over 1 volt.
The sockets screw to the inner fender so if a relay has a problem, I unplug it and put another one in, leaving the wire intact and the relays don't "bang around".

This shows the clamping diode (in red across the relay coil) - this is a diagram I made of a way, using diodes and relay combination to adapt the AMC cruise control switch to be able to control the cruise control built into the PCM of 1990s Jeeps.

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