Brighter back up lights

[steve8]

Someone posted you cannot put brighter back up lights in as they're led . Is this true?

I have a 23 Denali 1500.

Are those strips that adhere to the lower part of the tailgate that plug into the wiring harness any good?

They work with blinkers, reverse, and hazards.

[calgator73]

2 hours ago, steve8 said:

Someone posted you cannot put brighter back up lights in as they're led . Is this true?

I have a 23 Denali 1500.

Are those strips that adhere to the lower part of the tailgate that plug into the wiring harness any good?

They work with blinkers, reverse, and hazards.

I use the one from GM accessories... It works absolutely fantastic. 

 

Don't use the stick-on because they have a very hard time adhering and they will tend to fall off after a while.  They do have holes so you can use self tappers to keep them lined up.  The only real thing you need to pay attention to is the control module cannot go behind the rear tires it's not weatherproofed nearly enough.  Instead there's enough harness length to tuck it up into a space between the hitch and the spare tire up high and you can zip tie the bundle up there that keeps it out of any water spray.   I also added silicon caulking to the wire penetrations into the box to make sure nothing could get in.

 

The only reason I know this last part about the install was when the dealership put mine on originally they did a really crappy job using stick-ons which failed the wiring bundle which fell out from underneath the truck and the control module wass tucked behind the driver side rear tire and eventually shorted out causing fuses to blow for the tail lights.  One other thing you can use to help you out are all the connections should be filled with dielectric grease before connecting.

 

I'll try to find photos later of my install and the performance of the lights but it was a couple years ago

[gemarsh]

This photowas taken in fog...

 

[steve8]

Which one do you have Gemarsh?

 

Chad: Without looking at your unit, when you say control module??

The cheapo ones I have seen have the 4 point male plug to go into the trailer hitch. I was wondering if I could cut that plug off and tap into the appropriate wires?

 

Thanks guys.

[steve8]

Btw gemarsh, yours looks great!

[gemarsh]

It is the Putco brand that is available on gmc accessories page.

[steve8]

Yikes, over $300 from gm. Seems pretty steep.

Some on amazon that are rigid and around $100 look pretty good.

[Bikerjon]

43 minutes ago, steve8 said:

Yikes, over $300 from gm. Seems pretty steep.

Some on amazon that are rigid and around $100 look pretty good.

You get what you pay for. You could probably find that Putco strip somewhere other than a GM website for less. You shouldn't be cutting corners on a new Denali IMHO.

[newdude]

1 hour ago, steve8 said:

Yikes, over $300 from gm. Seems pretty steep.

Some on amazon that are rigid and around $100 look pretty good.

 

 

The GM offered Putco bar is plug and play with a harness into the taillights.  

 

If you install universal ones and use the trailer plug, you may run into trailer lighting issues or trailer messages coming up on the dash.  The new lighting system these trucks have are very sensitive to mods.  

 

So IMO, tread carefully with a cheaper one.  And skip on that high end Putco one that has some sort of light module with it as there is a couple threads on here with nothing but issues after installing one.  

Edited January 21, 2024 by newdude

[steve8]

Agree on not buying something cheap. I can see issues with wiring/computer/trailer etc.

Thx all.

[Naughty Donkey Performance]

8 hours ago, steve8 said:

Agree on not buying something cheap. I can see issues with wiring/computer/trailer etc.

Thx all.

This one is amazing and I have had ZERO issues with it, look for an open box special on Amazon etc, Ebay has em as well but the quality of Putco is unmatched and American made with warranty etc.

Looks completely different than the cheapie ones that burn out and have half as many LED's in them

 

[repairman54]

CAN bus LED's in my '23 since the spring. Zero issues and plenty bright. 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CRGU91Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1