How to install HIDs as reverse lights into aftermarket Tails.

[99Yuk]

As the title says, I gave myself an early Christmas present. I saw the video of HID reverse bulbs HERE (http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20271) , and thought to myself, I said 'self, I want that!'.

So I ordered up a set of 5000K H11 35w from DDM Tuning. Cost about $80 after shipping, customs and currency conversion. Cheapest place to buy.

Then I took apart my stock taillight housing to discover that they used a circuit board that blocks access to the bulb holes. After removing the circuit board and rummaging through our auto shop bins, I found some new pigtails that would friction fit into the holes, but a test fit in the truck revealed that the pigtails were too long and prevented the taillight housing from fitting without cutting holes into the fender. I didn't want to do that. (I described that process HERE (http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/showthread.php?p=253896).) So I looked into aftermarket tails. I ended up buying some ANZO G2 LED tails.

What follows is a picture tutorial of my successful attempt to install HID's as reverse lights.
And I have to say, 'I LOVE IT!!!'. There is a warm up period, but it's short, and when they come on in full brightness, it's awesome. I can see when backing up!!!
Well worth the aggrevation, and $$$.

More pics of the install can be found HERE (http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/album.php?albumid=1184).

You will need some Q-Tips, some black GOOP, a Phillips screwdriver, and some black tape.

1. Drool over the drop dead Gorgousness of your new Taillights.
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1184&pictureid=9198

2. Remove the electrical pins that go into the stock reverse bulb pigtail. Throw out extra bits that are removed here. We need those electric pins to power the HIDs.
Flip it over and drool some more.
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1184&pictureid=9199
Twist the pigtail out from the taillight.
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1184&pictureid=9195
Pull the bulb out. It comes straight out.
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1184&pictureid=9194
Remove the inner socket from the pigtail, two clips and they pull out. I used forceps to pull them out.
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1184&pictureid=9193
Remove the electrical connections, they just pull out now.
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1184&pictureid=9191

3. Using the black GOOP, goop in the ballast to the rear of the taillight housing.
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1184&pictureid=9197
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1184&pictureid=9200

4. Get your HID bulb to look like this. Keep the plastic ring on, remove the rest of the plastic bits. Do not touch the bulb with your fingers.
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1184&pictureid=9208
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1184&pictureid=9189
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1184&pictureid=9186
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1184&pictureid=9185

5. Let things sit for 24hours.

6. Do the wiring. It's pretty easy, the DDM HID wiring is keyed so it can't be messed up. And the cool part is that the power leads from DDM kit match up with the power leads of the reverse bulb from ANZO. The only problem is that they are not covered and are bare, so I wrapped up mine good with black electrical tape. black goes to black, and blue goes to green. Can't mess it up and it works first try.

7. Install onto truck. I didn't have enough room for everything behind these lights. The black small box of the HID wiring had to be shoved into the existing hole in the fender with just the wires sticking out.

Sit back and enjoy the efforts of your hardwork!

Merry Christmas!!!

BTW, don't try to do what I did here first. I thought it would be a cool idea to reuse the ANZO stock pigtail, and then just pop the H11 bulb in that pigtail. I spent a night using a Dremel to drill out the center of the pigtail. And it worked! the h11 fit snugly into the Anzo pigtail. However, the resulting height made it stick out too far to fit on the truck. so I had to remove it, and start over.
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1184&pictureid=9187

EDIT: To correct spelling and grammer mistakes.

[Tahoewhat]

Very nice install. Same process probly work on my nbs tahoe. Been thinking about doing this, since i got some bulbs and ballasts laying around doing nothing. But bulbs are 9006's. Might have to do like you and make them work...

good write up..

[sumo]

welcome to the bright side lol

[retorq]

Pics of them on?? I have a pair of lights that look exactly like what you have and they are way brighter then my old ones ...

[stayedge]

pictures would be nice lol

[Brandon X]

Nice writeup. However I can't see why someone would spend $80 just for some brighter reverse lights, but hey to each there own!

[99Yuk]

Thanks for the feedback on the writeup. I often wonder if anyone reads these.:)
I can post up pics of them on. I will try for later tonight.

welcome to the bright side lol
It's nice being on the bright side. I've been on the dark side for too long. My wife likes em so much, that I'm gonna try doing her Jimmy.

---------- Post added at 09:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:01 PM ----------

Nice writeup. However I can't see why someone would spend $80 just for some brighter reverse lights, but hey to each there own!
Ya, I hmmd and hawwd too. It's only $35 for those in the lower side of the border. But everyone I show loves them, and wants some. My wife is on board so that's what matters. And I have to laugh, yesterday I blew out the low beam on my snowmachine. I looked and it's an H4 bulb. So I checked out DDM Tuning. sure enough, I can get a H4 hi/low bulb. I ordered a 8000K 55w H4 high/low bulb today, $90 for my frakkin snowmachine!!! I'm going HID happy, and I can't stop!!!!!!

[99Yuk]

Here is a pic of the brake lights on.
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1184&pictureid=9263

Here is a pic of the reverse bulbs.
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1184&pictureid=9262

I like them.

[retorq]

Pic at night?? LOL

[Brandon X]

Whats your tailgate say?

[99Yuk]

Ok, ok. I just went out and took some night pics on a tripod. I used FRS radios to ask my wife to turn things on and off in the truck. She says to tell you all, 'your welcome'. :)

Wide Angle: Running Lights
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1184&pictureid=9267

Wide Angle: Brakes
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1184&pictureid=9266

Wide Angle: Reverse HID's and Brakes
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1184&pictureid=9265

Wide Angle: Reverse HID's - Look at the snow. Both the front and back are lit up good! This is why I spent $80! I can't wait until spring when I wire up a switch in the cab to deal with tailgaters!
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1184&pictureid=9264



Closeup: Running Lights
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1184&pictureid=9270

Closeup: Brakes
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1184&pictureid=9271

Closeup: Reverse HID's Warming up.
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1184&pictureid=9269

Closeup: Reverse HID's Good to go!
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1184&pictureid=9268

The circles on top are not lit up, it's just the reflection from the camera flash.

[SunlitComet]

wante wante

[Tahoewhat]

very nice, those sure do light up the rear at nite.. ha ha

[retorq]

Wow nice. It gets REALLY dark at nite out here those would come in handy. :D

[96ProCompTahoe]

nice! looks like i need some new tail lights and an HID kit now!

[stayedge]

very nice

[99Yuk]

Thanks for the compliments guys. I'm really enjoying them. I find myself trying to find ways to backup at night now!

BTW, take a close look at this pic. You can really see the color difference from the 8000k fronts and 5000k rears. I find the 5000k too creamy. If I had to do it again, I might pick 6000k. Maybe I'm just climatized to the blue hue of the fronts enough that I dislike the white hue. IDK


EDIT: Boy what a difference a few months make. Turns out that I can see more with 5000k then I can with 8000k. Color be damned, I'm getting old and want to see where I'm going. So a few weeks ago, I orderd up and installed 55w 5000K for my fronts. All I can say is way better for vision than the 8000K's. So to recap, I now have 5000k fronts and rears, and I like it!


http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1184&pictureid=9264

[SunlitComet]

Regarding the installation did you use existing reverse wiring or did you have a relayed setup?

---------- Post added at 02:00 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:49 AM ----------

Concerned about the 18awg wire size and damaging the back up switch.

[99Yuk]

Regarding the installation did you use existing reverse wiring or did you have a relayed setup?

---------- Post added at 02:00 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:49 AM ----------

Concerned about the 18awg wire size and damaging the back up switch.

Good question!
I was concerned during install too!
So I carefully looked at things myself to ensure there would be no issues.

In the end I decided to use the existing reverse wiring. Here's why.

The new DDM ballasts only consume 6A on startup and 3A on runtime.
Both HID's consume 12A on startup and the backup fuse is 20A. There would be no issues there.
The gauge of the wiring is fine for short bursts of 12A. Again there would be no issues there.

Although I didn't have specs on the backup switch itself, I couldn't imagine that mechanical switch couldn't handle 12A.

For the record, I'm going to wire up the manual tailgater switch to a relay to the existing reverse wiring. I don't want 12A running up my headliner to where the switches are.
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1285&pictureid=9865

[foreverfalcon40]

That is awesome!

Very jealous!

Too bad it is not that easy with OEM lights!


kudos!

[SunlitComet]

Well my new leds tails are from anzo so I am sure it will work out fine.

[99Yuk]

That is awesome!

Very jealous!

Too bad it is not that easy with OEM lights!


kudos!

Woot! High praise from FF40! I'll take it!

Thanks man!

---------- Post added at 07:14 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:13 AM ----------

Well my new leds tails are from anzo so I am sure it will work out fine.

Yup, I'm sure you'll be fine too!

Plus you'll like being able to see where your going when you back up!

[SunlitComet]

I have a dark tint on the windows but I also have a backup camera tied in to my head unit as well so that will help alot.