Back-up lights

[markco]

I have searched for an answer to this without luck.

 

Has anyone replaced the back-up light bulbs with the higher wattage ones available? I've heard of 50watt bulbs. Do they melt the plastic lense??? I think they would. Do they blow the fuse? or make the wires too hot?

 

I have an '03 Suburban with the tinted windows and I can't see at all when I back up at night.

 

If bulbs are not a good option I'd like to install seperate light units. Can anyone recommend a good quality kit - water tight, nice wirring/connectors, good mounting scheme.

 

thanks!

[BBSilverado]

I have searched for an answer to this without luck.

 

Has anyone replaced the back-up light bulbs with the higher wattage ones available?  I've heard of 50watt bulbs.  Do they melt the plastic lense???  I think they would.  Do they blow the fuse? or make the wires too hot?

 

I have an '03 Suburban with the tinted windows and I can't see at all when I back up at night.

 

If bulbs are not a good option I'd like to install seperate light units.  Can anyone recommend a good quality kit - water tight, nice wirring/connectors, good mounting scheme.

 

thanks!

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

 

I have used the 50 watt halogens bulbs in several vehicles. They do make a big difference and I never had a problem with them, but they never are really on for more than 10-15 seconds at a time. If for some reason you need to have them on for more than a minute I would shy away from them because they may get to hot for the housing.

[dewfpo]

Get the Halogen replacements. Your not leaving the backup lights on for hours at a time. Usually less than a minute or two. Never had a problem and they are noticeably brighter.

 

DEWFPO

[JimG]

KC makes an awesome set of back-up lights. I got mine at JCW, search for KC Backup lights. Not cheap, at $80, but it's like having headlights in reverse for me.

Only issue: With the GM's, when you hit the unlock button on the fob, your backup lights come on (unless you can change that). When you wire the lights, you will tap the existing wire going to the backup lights to power the relay coil that switches the 25A circuit for the KC lights. So as designed, every time you hit the unlock button, your nice bright high-wattage bulbs draw plenty of amps without the alternator charging the battery. What I did was to add another relay. My additional relay taps a circuit that is hot only when the ignition is ON. The relay in turns feeds power to the original relay KC gives you. It may be overkill, but I didn't need all that light when I hit the unlock button.

[Supurban]

A straight bulb replacement might help brighten things over the stock bulbs.

The problem with the factory location is that the lamps are too high to see the stuff closer to the ground in the dark.

 

If you really want to be able to see better, you should consider an extra set of lamps under the bumper. The problem with the factory location is that the lamps are too high to see the stuff closer to the ground in the dark.