Ford Guys, Others

[DanStokes]

Is there a convenient place under dash to grab the back up lamp + wire on our '99 E150? By the time it gets to the tail lamp assembly it's black w/pink tracer so it's probably the same somewhere under dash. The back up camera needs the backup lamp signal both at the tail lamp (camera) end and at the monitor end and it would be simpler not to run a wire from the tail lamp. The back up camera I put in the HHR didn't need the back up lamp signal at the monitor end so I was surprised to see that requirement.

THANKS

Dan

[Loren]

The "digital transmission range sensor" mounts over the shaft on the side of the trans where the shifter morse-cable & lever is, it gets power from the fuse box and lets the ecm and start circuits know what gear it's in. The reverse lights get power straight out of that so that's probably all the closer to the dash you're gonna get. You could tap out of that (the black/pink) and run a wire along some handy pre-existing bundle up into the interior to the monitor. Ford might prefer you use a relay, who knows how much load that switch is made for and I'd hate to burn one up.

[DanStokes]

Thanks Loren! I don't think there's any current draw there - the monitor has a separate B+ wire and ground. I think they're just looking for a trigger to tell the monitor to turn on when in reverse. I'm afraid you're right - the trans may be the closest place.

Dan