Tailgate light bar with reverse

[mywhip]

I got this from a buddy for fixing his computer for him. He has an older ranger (94-97..around there). He bought this for his truck, but got another one. So obviously the wires are a bit different, in which i am confused about.

It came with no instructions, and he said that none of them did.

I was told that the red wire hooks into the brake lights, and the white wire hooks into the reverse lights. However, i do not know what the first picture (the pin) goes to..anyone?

 

[02RangerXLT]

That goes to your trailer plug in the back of your pickup.

 

[mywhip]

Does every ranger have them from factory?

 

[Grey_04]

Does every ranger have them from factory?

chances are if your truck has the factory tow package it will have the plug some were behind the rear bumper. if not you need an adapter (posted a pic below) you can find them at walmart, any auto parts store or a trailer sales. wallyworld ,would be your cheapest instructions are usually included but it's a plug and play just make sure the flat end stays covered when not in use they have a habit of turning green with corrosion.

 

[mywhip]

Okay..so i went to walmart and i found something that i was wondering if it would work. This is the extension cable for the hook up. The following wires are for different things:
white-ground
brown-tail
yellow-left turn
green-right turn
(they all say (CCI) after them?)

So anyways, my thinking is i could just splice the wires into the hot wires of the according wire functions, and it would work, correct?

And i found this for 4$..so it would be sweet if that worked.

 

[holyford86]

nope, you need a T harness to make the lights work correctly. Trailers use dual function stop,turn/running lights. many rangers (2000 included) use single function bulbs and need a diode pack (T harness) to work the trailer lights correctly

 

[mywhip]

So i don't really understand how it works then.

The picture posted above my picture is what i need, correct? So then it has an adapter that splices into each side of the tail light assembly, and then the spliced segments run into that t, and then i plug my bar into it?

 

[Grey_04]

mywhip, the adapter i posted will work for you, there's a plug under your bed that goes to the taillights, you will unplug that put the "t" adapter in replug the truck lights in and the flat plug shown will now be your trailer lights. the truck lights will work like normal..

hope that explains it better,,

 

[mywhip]

So everything i need (minus the t adapter) should already be there? Where at, under the bed, is the connection? I figured there would be some splicing involved..good to know that there isn't.

Thank you for the help!

 

[Grey_04]

the plug for the tail lights should be right behind your bumper around your hole for the spare tire( at least that's were mine was drivers side of that hole ) unplug that pop the "t" adapter in plug your lights in. the plug that's attached to the lights your friend gave you should plug into the one from your new adapter.

if it wasn't 2:11 am I'd run out and lay under mine and snap a pic but it's also -7*f so i hope this helps ya

 

[--weezl--]

your tail lights you have 3 bulbs, you have your reverse light, you have your turn signal, and you have one dual filiment bulb, one filiment is tail lights, the other is brake lights, the newer trucks use 2 bulbs, one is tail, the other is a dual filiment, the dual is tail lights on one, and brake/turn on the other, the newer style you could just splice hot-hot cold-cold and chicken-chicken, know what i mean? the t-adapter works it all together for you to have the right power going to the right wires... you COULD just splice the hot wires and the ground, but then you either wouldn't have your bar doing brakes, or wouldn't have it doing turn...

the plug on my truck is behind the drivers side frame rail, between the cross member and the bumper... yours may be in a slightly different location...

i can't find a pic of the connector on google, if you find wires in there at all, start dfollowing them every way you can, you will feel the connector, it's about an inch across, quite a bit larger than the wires...

 

[mywhip]

Looks like the previous owner cut the pigtail off of it for some reason..off to a junk yard!

Well..i can't seem to find one of the connectors that go into the t. I was able to go to the junk yard and get both ends, but i cannot find the wiring for the other side...

anyway to just rig this up to work, or do i for sure have to use this connector?

 

[Grey_04]

Looks like the previous owner cut the pigtail off of it for some reason..off to a junk yard!

Well..i can't seem to find one of the connectors that go into the t. I was able to go to the junk yard and get both ends, but i cannot find the wiring for the other side...

anyway to just rig this up to work, or do i for sure have to use this connector?

if I'm understanding you correctly the wires on your truck looks like the ones on the plug that you have pictured? if that's the case then you can use butt connectors and heat shrink to put the wires together from your new plug white to white , brown to brown , etc then you should be good to go... if you stop at a trailer sales have someone look and see first hand but i think your headed in the right direction now..

 

[02RangerXLT]

We need pictures of what the wires on the truck look like.

 

[mywhip]

But i need to have one connection go into each side of the T, correct?