I like it. Sounds like good project for me this weekend.

Did you just snip wires and connect to brakes light wires at rear of Van?

 

strangely enough they arent wired together from light to light...i almost did a "knight rider" with them because of that! BUT, i decided just to add them to the brake light instead...they pull no power almost so no relay is necessary...if you think about it...if your're being followed by a van or something...this will allow traffic way back to see that your braking for quite a distance

 

DOT regulations require clearance lamps and identification lamps on all vehicles wider than 80 inches. Thus Promaster has them but Ford and Sprinter do not as they are narrower. The ID lamps are the three at the center mounted as high as possible (red in rear, yellow in front). The clearance lamps are at the edges supposed to be within 6 inches of the edge (red rear, yellow front).

Are you saying that you are changing the rear 5 lamps into brake lights? Maybe the police will never stop you or maybe they will! In an accident, even if the lighting has nothing to do with it, you could be held liable. More importantly your insurance might not pay for liability or damage repair because you will have made alterations to the DOT required features of your vehicle. Also will the vehicle pass state inspections?

 

Our Highway Traffic Act - which is what the cops enforce on the roads - doesn't necessarily mandate everything that CMVSS does, but it does require vehicles over 2.05 m (80") wide to have clearance lamps - but it only mentions the ones on the outside, not the three center ones.

When you sell the vehicle, that's when they get you; the inspection that is required at that time requires all safety equipment to operate as originally designed.

 

Florida no longer has vehicle inspections as far as I know. They used to when I lived there a long time ago, but now it doesn't seem to be required. I still have family there and visit often. My parents' car does not get inspected.

 

Brian, Ford specs the SRW Transit at over 80 inches wide, yet it doesn't have the lights. Only the DRW models that are even wider have the lamps. Do you know how Ford avoids them on SRW Transits?

 

LOL - You're right.

Expect a recall at some point ...

 

Proof the police have no idea what CFR regulations are, is all those aftermarket taillight and headlight covers, that are not code compliant, running free.

The only people that might catch me, are the car inspection people if they look up. I could easily add switch to flip lights back to normal for inspection.

Anyone with a dually pickup out there? How do your 6 lights across the back of the cab work? Does center light in the six, work as high mounted brake light?

 

If the vehicle has marker lights they must operate as marker lights. It would be an easy pull over for a state trooper to meet his quota.

 

I guess I don't see the problem either with the light change or the enforcement. I certainly wouldn't drive in fear of being stopped for something that all of us would see as safe and better IMHO. Install the switch, if stopped just open the door, switch it and say " Oh I have a chafed wire I guess, thanks officer!" They have better things to enforce like the trailers with flapping parts and the motorcycles with the plate installed sideways, or the lowrider scraping the pavement or the lifted trucks with bumpers three feet off the ground.... don't get me started!

 

Two comments...

1) What do these lights do? The driver knows how high and wide the van is and has to drive so as to not drive places where it won't fit. Other drivers? If the headlights and taillights are at the same width?

I know, "rules is rules".. just wondering what these particular lights accomplish.

2) At an RV show yeaterday in CT. Two Promaster RVs.... They took the clearance lights off, put a body colored blank plate over the holes, then mounted a very small LED in the middle of each blank plate. Looked pretty cheesy!

Ed

 

.....cut......

I know, "rules is rules".. just wondering what these particular lights accomplish.

.....cut.....
Ed

That's a great question, and one I've asked myself too. When I researched it a while back I couldn't find the history behind them. Maybe newer search engines would help.

Since they seem primarily meant for night driving, I've assumed it's probably to make larger vehicles seem larger from a distance than if they only had tail lights. Since trucks often drove slower, it would give drivers coming up on them from behind a heads up that it was a semi trailer and not a car.

I assumed the same logic for front marker lights. If a truck was coming at you while passing another vehicle on a two lane road, it's valuable to know you are heading towards a slow-accelerating truck. Or if you look in rear view mirror and see vehicle behind is a truck you may not slam on brakes as readily.

A pure guess on my part -- could be for different reasons entirely.

 

florida doesnt care...i actually asked a DOT guy and he said on vans they dont give a crap...especially if the dont have a name like "fedex" on them...i took them off the front and the back...
i even took them off my isuzu and they didnt give a crap...
most cops have bigger fish to fry...like mirror tinted front windows...
that one pissed him off, but even then, he only warned me...
i'd much rather not get rearended !


down here in south florida, most cops are just happy not to see a pile of dead bodies in the back of your truck

 

Same here bulldogneon. Unfortunately, most rear end collisions occur because the person who most likely hits you has his/her head buried in there phone while driving, so visually they have no clue your stopping. I installed a Rhino hitch step in my hitch receiver this gives a little extra "reach out an hit me I dare you" room just in case some 20yr. old unemployed/living in basement child is just beginning/learn to drive and is right behind you.

 

^ On my previous tow vehicle (Jetta) the hitch adapter was solidly rusted in place inside the receiver, so I left the hitch ball there. (didn't really have a choice - couldn't get it out) Someone in a Chrysler Neon got a hard lesson about paying attention because of that. No damage to my car, but the hitch ball went right through their lower grille.

 

I looked at the acess around the lights. Wires right there for easy cutting and routing to brake lights. I'll wait for better weather before doing it.

 

I think it's cool that you wired them that way. Sometimes it's better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission.
Besides whose the one paying for your ride anyway.


I'm also in the don't get me started campground. Stop by for a beer and an earful if you dare.

Todd

 

Can you post pic's of the operation?

The upper light seem quite small, not sure how much light you would get from it?

 

if you mean me, no pics, but they lights are ABOVE the height of the cars behind me so it allows for drivers way back to see that someone is braking up in front

 

I'd love to just see how you spliced everything and where you did it on the harness.
I will do the same on mine but want to confirm witch wire etc if you don't mind.

I was also thinking of doing the running light on the lower taillight... not much light coming out of there when you brake.

Thanks

 

Wow.. after reading this thread.. i went out and looked at my 136 low.. and WTF... no 3rd brake light!! Ill just be dammed. I sure thought there was 1 there.. my bad.. dammnnn

 

its very easy...each individual light strangely has its own ground and hot...just puttem all together and addem into the brake light wire...i cant remember the color of the brake light wire sorry...but its really easy

 

Best of both worlds?

Can't one just make the lights "marker lights" when not braking, and "brake lights" which are brighter when the brake is applied? You know, just like a typical tail light/brake light? This is not my forte but maybe one of these ideas work...
1- Switch to a socket for a dual filament bulb?
2- Sister an LED circuit inside the lights to make your own dual-system? LEDs for markers, existing bulb for braking?
3- Decrease the current on the marker lights and then they brighten with added current from the brake light circuit? (are the bulbs flexible enough for this?)

It seems to me that peace of mind from overzealous cops, government agencies, opportunistic lawyers, etc. is as important as peace of mind from better brake lights. I want it all.

Somebody with more E-skills take this and run with it please.

 

#3 with a relay and a 12-6 volt transformer would be easy and clever

 

I'd say option 2, sister in some led lights. the upfitters body guide states the lighting circuit uses resistance to monitor for burned bulbs. Like the deal in my 2004 wrangler...it was a bear to switch it to all LED lighting. It states you can add LEDs to the circuit, just don't replace the incandescents without load resistors. My guess unhooking the marker lights will throw a burned bulb indicator you won't be able to get turned off. That said I love the idea of all those brake lights up there. .02