TSB on reverse lights

[washem]

The dealership read me the TSB on hooking up anything to the reverse lights of our Ridgelines. Honda says that the wiring and fuse is not large enough to power anything else. So what are these people with back up cameras and trailers with surge brakes going to do?

[lowrider90]

Originally Posted by stinger

There is no reason for Honda to issue a TSB on the intallation of those accessories, I think the dealer was just saying that you can't add extra load on the tail light fuse.
all dealers have clear instructions from Honda on how to wire those accessories.

I don't remember seeing a tsb here, take a look here...

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/tsb/

[Webwader]

I don't remember seeing a tsb here, take a look here...

It's TSB #05162005 dated May 2005

[swampler]

Originally Posted by Webwader

It's TSB #05162005 dated May 2005

I haven't seen the full text of the TSB, but I assumed it was the TSB to fix the problem with the factory harness not using the back up lights, not that you couldn't use the backup lights to trigger off of.

[Webwader]

I haven't seen the full text either. I was just responding to lowriders comment that he hadn't seen a TSB on concerning the reverse light problem in the tow harness.

[Dnick]

Both the Honda Back-up camera, and the factory trailer hitch wiring have separate harnesses, so they would not 'feed' off of the back-up light wiring or fuse. And "surge-brakes" as I understand them to be (my personal experience) are activated by "travel" in a telescoping trailer tongue. Electric trailer brakes would be another story, but again, they would be fed via the factory hitch harness, which I believe all Ridgelines are wired with (am I right on that one?).

[Whaleya]

Don't try to feed trailer reverse lights from the backup lights and don't install aftermarket high wattage reverse lights unless you use a relay.

As I understand it some people tried to splice into the backup lights and feed it though the trailer connector for reverse lights on trailers which was blowing fuses.

The TSB has no effect on the backup camera. As for surge brakes they are mechanical and electric trailer brakes have thier own circuit and are triggered from the brake lights, thus the TSB doesn't affect trailer brakes.

[Webwader]

And "surge-brakes" as I understand them to be (my personal experience) are activated by "travel" in a telescoping trailer tongue.

Drum surge brakes need no electrical connection but disc surge brakes do. Because disc brakes work equally well in either direction and backing up, especially up a slope, activates the brakes, a solenoid is required lock out the brakes in reverse. The reverse wire activates the solenoid. Without the lockout, disc brakes can lock the wheels backing up.

[Dnick]

Originally Posted by Webwader

Drum surge brakes need no electrical connection but disc surge brakes do. Because disc brakes work equally well in either direction and backing up, especially up a slope, activates the brakes, a solenoid is required lock out the brakes in reverse. The reverse wire activates the solenoid. Without the lockout, disc brakes can lock the wheels backing up.

Thanks Webwader - I just learned something.

[vertrkr]

I know Honda made a running change at the factory to fix this but I have no idea when it was made. I do know it required a change to the main wiring harness that ran from the front to back. To fix this, to get power to the reverse pin, would require that whole harness be replaced which I'm not sure is even possible and don't know of it being done for anyone.

For what it's worth I tapped into the reverse light wire to power my doppler radar backup sensor but I have no idea how many watts it consumes. After 9 months it's still working just fine, no blown fuses yet.