What is really going on here? License plate lights wash out backup camera image while reversing at night

[ShadowsPapa]

Stupid laws, sounds about right.
In looking to build a kit car I read a bunch of laws and learned that nearly every new car is illegal in Illinois if they decide to enforce the laws. Light brightness/location requirements, vehicle overhang, mirror width....

I wish they'd enforce the stupid laws here in Iowa - or allow us to shoot out the lights that conflict with said laws. I'd love to take a bat to the lights on some of the ATVs and SXS's they have chosen to allow on our streets and highways here, as well as some of the big 4x4 trucks that buy cheap-ass shit lights off Amazon to replace their halogens and have no clue what they are doing to other drivers.
If my wife hadn't been with me one night, I'd have swung around fast and chased down an ATV on the highway south of here and totally destroyed the light bar that moron was using as his headlights that night. (he might have had to walk home - stupid to allow such shit on our public highways, but the lobbies won)

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[Chasm]

I have helped the issue with a piece of electricians tape, that I used a hole punch to leave a small 1/8’s” hole I found through a few tries at 3 o’clock on drivers side, 9 o’clock on passengers side to work best, that helps actually illuminate the plate, but not drown out the camera view. Whenever it rains though I have to replace it. I’m sure I can make it last permanently, but want to be able to put back to original. Even though we have no inspections in Florida. Oh and I have the LED lighting package throughout my Gladiator except the head/fog lights.

Now I want to look to see if the shape would allow some kind of snap-on cover.
Wait... I learned in this thread that I don't need it. Oh well, I still want to figure it out.

 

[Hootbro]

Stupid laws, sounds about right.
In looking to build a kit car I read a bunch of laws and learned that nearly every new car is illegal in Illinois if they decide to enforce the laws. Light brightness/location requirements, vehicle overhang, mirror width....

Yeah, vehicle makers have to build and sell them per Federal laws and regulations. Really up to the states they are registered in to enforce anything. That is why it varies so much of what people can get away with.

 

[gtsonoma]

I did speak to a tech type person at a 3rd dealership. He was very informed and did confirm that dealerships are not given any special access by the OEM that we end users do not have. He flat out indicated that they send folks to Tazer for all these type of issues.

Some of you have pointed to the FED requirements. Yes I do understand that the FED is set on controlling much of our lives. At least one person here has indicated that the issue is not present on 2025 model year Jeeps, so it would appear that there now is some allowance by the FED.

Still though, the OEM could easily have designed the lights themselves to light the plate area and not wash out the camera.

Some here and elsewhere have shared oddities with setting in tools like Tazer. This is why I have yet to purchase one.

The bright headlights some have mentioned is also a peeve of mine, particularly motorcyclists that insist that headlights on hibeam is safer, it clearly is not. On a clear day, no one has the sun anywhere in their field of view, same with bright lights day or night on the roadways. On a clear full moon night one does not have issue looking directly at the moon and seeing things in the field of view with the moon.

 

[Chasm]

Yeah, vehicle makers have to build and sell them per Federal laws and regulations. Really up to the states they are registered in to enforce anything. That is why it varies so much of what people can get away with.

Yeah, I doubt any factory car is going to have the laws enforced on them.
Kit cars have to go through full inspection though, even when replicating a factory car, so they get nailed. The only plus side to my insane state is that the replica cars get titles as what they look like, so a Lotus 7 can be titled as a 1957 or a Cobra can be titled as a 1965.

 

[Chasm]

so it would appear that there now is some allowance by the FED.

I wouldn't count on that. Probably just a lack of enforcement.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

At least one person here has indicated that the issue is not present on 2025 model year Jeeps, so it would appear that there now is some allowance by the FED.

I'd bet that it's open to some interpretation......
Since you don't sit around in reverse, you aren't sitting on the shoulder of a highway, or driving down the street in reverse, the intent of the law is still met.
"Steady burning" in such regs means non-flashing or non-blinking. so you can ignore that part.
They do come on with the headlamps or "parking lamps".............

 

[gatorboy]

Is what I am seeing a symptom of a much larger issue?
The basic issue is that at night, while reversing, the license plate lights wash out the backup camera. Almost to the level of making the on dash screen unusable at night.
Now I know that there are several solutions to this. I am not looking for a solution. I am wondering about what is behind this issue. This situation, like so many others, have presented themselves to me on my 2021 Gladiator Rubicon and I am sure there are numerous other similar issues that others have found.

Specific to the plate light / camera washout issue I have these observations.
I reviewed the options provided by the aftermarket to address this. Tazer for one, does offer a tool that can access a on / off toggle that will fix this. The toggle allows the setting of disabling the plate lights while in reverse. But this only points to the larger issue.
The toggle that Tazer allows access to is within the design of the computer system as provided by the OEM. The OEM could have provided menu access to this toggle, same as they provide access to many other such toggles. The OEM could also just set this toggle the other way when camera option is installed on the given Gladiator and / or any? other models that have the same issue.

It is obvious to me that the engineers that designed these details had some awareness of this situation, after all they had the foresight to put the toggle in place to begin with. Like so many other things the OEM has decided that I (the end user) do not need this access. I spoke with the service counter at 2 of my local Jeep dealerships. 1 had no idea and would need to see and diagnose the jeep, of course for a charge. The 2nd offered to look into the question and call me back.

What are your thoughts ?
What is your experience with this specific or similar things.

One of the MANY reasons I went with the TAZER. Cured !

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I know it probably won't help you with an older year model, but my 2025 operates the way you want from the factory. kinda caught me by surprise the first time i backed up at night and saw that the plate lights were off. I do have the backup delay checked in my settings, so my camera shows it when they turn back on. maybe one of the Alfa/Jscan gurus can figure out how to enable that on yours?

You might take another look.........

I have a 2025 built in March 2025.
My license plate lights stay on ALL the time the lights are on.
They do not go off in reverse.
I can verify that with a photo if someone wishes - because you can see them ON in the camera display when backing up.

In short, my March 2025 JT does not shut the plate lights off in reverse.

 

[mooreman21]

 

[mooreman21]

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Very strange - mine does no such thing. I have no tazer and I've seen no settings. They stay on in reverse. What is your build date?
What's also interesting is that my display is more grainy, and, the plate lights don't glare much at all.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I'd like to see if any other 2025 JT owners notice their license plate lights blanking while in reverse - BRAND NEW, from the factory, NO Tazer and no relay system, just as it was built new.
And - the build date.
Mine has no such "feature", nor do I find it as any option anywhere.
Something is a bit off or fishy here.

 

[grein46087]

Is what I am seeing a symptom of a much larger issue?
The basic issue is that at night, while reversing, the license plate lights wash out the backup camera. Almost to the level of making the on dash screen unusable at night.
Now I know that there are several solutions to this. I am not looking for a solution. I am wondering about what is behind this issue. This situation, like so many others, have presented themselves to me on my 2021 Gladiator Rubicon and I am sure there are numerous other similar issues that others have found.

Specific to the plate light / camera washout issue I have these observations.
I reviewed the options provided by the aftermarket to address this. Tazer for one, does offer a tool that can access a on / off toggle that will fix this. The toggle allows the setting of disabling the plate lights while in reverse. But this only points to the larger issue.
The toggle that Tazer allows access to is within the design of the computer system as provided by the OEM. The OEM could have provided menu access to this toggle, same as they provide access to many other such toggles. The OEM could also just set this toggle the other way when camera option is installed on the given Gladiator and / or any? other models that have the same issue.

It is obvious to me that the engineers that designed these details had some awareness of this situation, after all they had the foresight to put the toggle in place to begin with. Like so many other things the OEM has decided that I (the end user) do not need this access. I spoke with the service counter at 2 of my local Jeep dealerships. 1 had no idea and would need to see and diagnose the jeep, of course for a charge. The 2nd offered to look into the question and call me back.

What are your thoughts ?
What is your experience with this specific or similar things.

The Lights and Camera are not well thought out. But if you want to ensure you have light at night in Reverse, you may want to think about maybe adding some lights, I did all oracle on the back. Picture is during the day, but I am sure you can imagine what Nighttime, will look like

 

[Sandman 4x4]

I did speak to a tech type person at a 3rd dealership. He was very informed and did confirm that dealerships are not given any special access by the OEM that we end users do not have. He flat out indicated that they send folks to Tazer for all these type of issues.

Some of you have pointed to the FED requirements. Yes I do understand that the FED is set on controlling much of our lives. At least one person here has indicated that the issue is not present on 2025 model year Jeeps, so it would appear that there now is some allowance by the FED.

Still though, the OEM could easily have designed the lights themselves to light the plate area and not wash out the camera.

Some here and elsewhere have shared oddities with setting in tools like Tazer. This is why I have yet to purchase one.

The bright headlights some have mentioned is also a peeve of mine, particularly motorcyclists that insist that headlights on hibeam is safer, it clearly is not. On a clear day, no one has the sun anywhere in their field of view, same with bright lights day or night on the roadways. On a clear full moon night one does not have issue looking directly at the moon and seeing things in the field of view with the moon.

Go easy on the bikers, with the way most other drivers out there can miss one then take them out? Anything that helps is fine.

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