How to hook up radio cut out for reverse

[fbodydukie]

I am getting an 06 chevrolet 1/2 ton for my employee that for all the times I tell him he refuses to turn the radio down before backing up.. (He is a great employee but not a good driver)

Is there such an item to set up the radio to be cut out when you shift the truck into reverse?

Maybe off the wiring for the back up lights.

Any help would be great.

[&CDFiXER%]

Grab a relay from an autoparts store with NO and NC contacts and use the NC contacts. Wire the coil into the reverse light circuit. Use the NC contacts in series with the power lead for the radio. When truck is in reverse = no power to radio. Total cost less than $10, plus your time.

[fbodydukie]

Thank you! Could you please let me know in a little more detail how to do this? Or should I leave it to a professional?

I am quite handy, but don't want to mess anything up.

[&CDFiXER%]

Wiring diagram is probably your best friend on this project. If you are not comfortable around schematics find a budy who is and offer beer and/or steak, or go to a professional. A competent custom high end audio installer should be able to figure this out with the proper schematics. Just be careful as I would bet your truck uses the ECM or BCM to power the reverse lights, if you short that circuit, "it would be bad". So a fuse inline with the relay coil (the relay contacts will be fused amply by the radio fuse) is a must. Also, since the ECM/BCM is probably the power source, make sure the relay has a "surge" or "blocking" diode across it to keep the relay transients from getting back into the ECM/BCM output. IIRC, those little Bosch relay kits you get at the autoparts store have one built in, they usually show a little rectangular symbol across the relay coil if they have this diode/snubber. You also do not need a huge 30+A relay, check your current radio fuse, if it is a 10A,then get at least 15A or so relay would be fine. I reccomend a smaller relay because they have smaller coils that take less current.

 

What you are doing is simply paralleling the relay coil with the reverse lights, so the relay coil has to go in that circuit somewhere. Since the relay coil would be switching the power lead to the radio (usually the red lead in the harness at the radio, or at the back of the fuse block), having the relay in/near the dash would be best. The reverse circuit will be the harder to find, the radio circuit is a piece of cake -- its at the radio harness and behind the radio fuse! Just the NC (Normally Closed) contacts in series with the radio power lead. The NC contacts will show closed or continuity when checked with a meter when the relay is at rest/unpowered. So in short (no pun intended) you will be cutting and splicing the NC relay contacts into the positive power lead to the radio. Compare this to the relay coil which will probably (check your schematic) have one side going to ground and the other side going to the 'switched' reverse circuit fromthe ECM/BCM.

 

Oh yes, you can find what you need here (Ive checked):

 

http://www.gmupfitter.com/body_builder_manuals.html

 

I can only assume it is accurate, be sure to check against what you actually measure with a meter.