Reversing lights upgrade?

[jbbu]

I'm toying with the idea of putting a separate bright but compact light under the bumper down near the towbar and feed it from the towbar wiring.
I use a small halogen lamp on the 2cv and it works a treat.

Technically illegal -- the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations specify no more than 2 reversing lamps are permitted. The other kind of white light you can have at the rear is a work lamp used "to illuminate a working area or the scene of an accident, breakdown or roadworks in the vicinity of the vehicle to which it is fitted."

There are also registration plate lamps, but these are prohibited from directly emitting any light to the rear of the vehicle according to the required type-approval spec.

[van ordinaire]

Now THAT probably is the answer to reversing lights to illuminate the way behind,as opposed to warning others that you are reversing. Presumably that's why so many rally cars had a foglamp mounted at the rear (in fact there was a time when it seemed to be the principal application of the Lucas WFT576). Unfortunately, modern cars do not lend themselves to such additions, although some towbar installations might help. I had a rectangular fog mounted on the bar of my Niva & always intended to do something similar with the Cherokees. Tapping into the trailer a socket is a good way to pick up a feed, as multipin connectors make breaking into a loom much more difficult but a twist which minimises cable runs is to use a changeover relay in the rear fog circuit, with the supplemetary reversing light connected to the other terminal & the trigger terminal connected into the reversing light circuit. Then, having selected reverse, the rear fog switch activates the supplementary reversing light, instead of the rear fogs.

[white exec]

Just don't use that arrangement in fog, on a public road.
Think about it...

[Gibbo2286]

Pop one of these on the back shelf.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/diall-led-re ... -5v/8719v

[van ordinaire]

Just don't use that arrangement in fog, on a public road.
Think about it...

Fair comment (although this set-up was devised for, e.g. reversing into fields) BUT should you be reversing on a public road in the fog?

[Richard_C]

I had the same issue on my now sold C5 Tourer. Long unlit shared drive to back down. The bulbs were same as in our C3, the light output far less.

In a triumph of styling over engineering, Citroen went for a 'mock LED' look and there is a sort of egg-box style grid betwixt lamp and lens. All made worse by tinted rear windows. I wondered if I could open up the light unit and remove some of the plastic but it didn't look very sensible and I never got round to it. Sometimes reversed with the hazards and/or big red foglight on (its off the public road), also blopped some white paint on the gateposts at the right height. The standard design is pretty hopeless. I doubt a better bulb would help that much.

The C4 Picasso that replaced it is much better going backwards, its just the headlights that are rubbish .... stylists win again with among other things a grey tint on the lenses.

[WillyR]

Evening all.
My 2015 Grand C4 Picasso 2.0 Bluehdi 150 EAT6 suffers like all the rest of the new Picassos with LED reversing lights do... Absolute rubbish illumination, made worse by the electrochrome rearview mirror reducing reflection and the ultra-poor quality reversing camera in low-light. Having read through everything in this string of posts, am I condemned to rubbish revering lights until I replace the car, or does a better LED or other arrangement exist? I have not seen any identification in the foregoing posts of a better LED. All revelations will be gratefully received and acted on.

Similarly, the front Fogs are a complete waste of time when cornering at low speed. The last iterations of the C5 had a discrete cornering light which was fabulous. Why it wasn't carried forward into replacement vehicles (I know, I know, the Picasso isn't a replacement for the C5), I don't know.

[GiveMeABreak]

I think you'll find that they aren't actual LED bulbs. My data shows standard filament lamps - it's just an LED look type of lens - like the C5 X7 has - they look really nice but aren't LED powered.

The only thing I can advise is I also changed my reversing lights on the X7 due to the piddly light output - although the electrochrome mirror lightens automatically when reverse is selected, I also have a factory fitted rear blind which I leave up all the time - so this prevents me seeing much at all. I did replace mine regardless with some LEDs. Here you can maybe see the difference between the original H21Ws filament at the top and an LED upgrade at the bottom.

These are crisper and brighter, and do throw a little more light out - but don't expect miracles!

Reversing-Lights.png (73.27 KiB) Viewed 200 times

[Cutac]

I've got a pair of eBay LEDs with a projector/lens, and they work really well.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Canbus-No-Erro ... 5917e6f4f4

[WillyR]

I think you'll find that they aren't actual LED bulbs. My data shows standard filament lamps - it's just an LED look type of lens - like the C5 X7 has - they look really nice but aren't LED powered.

The only thing I can advise is I also changed my reversing lights on the X7 due to the piddly light output - although the electrochrome mirror lightens automatically when reverse is selected, I also have a factory fitted rear blind which I leave up all the time - so this prevents me seeing much at all. I did replace mine regardless with some LEDs. Here you can maybe see the difference between the original H21Ws filament at the top and an LED upgrade at the bottom.

These are crisper and brighter, and do throw a little more light out - but don't expect miracles!

Reversing-Lights.png

Thanks Marc
The Reversing and Brake light "bulbs" in my car (Exclusive+ Model) are both definitely LEDs, with no type number listed in the handbook. The only advice is that they should only be replaced / repaired by a Citroen dealer.

[WillyR]

I've got a pair of eBay LEDs with a projector/lens, and they work really well.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Canbus-No-Erro ... 5917e6f4f4

Thanks
Before I buy any replacements, I need to know exactly what fitting the LEDs in my Reverse lamps are. Your LEDs look quite good, but I'm a bit puzzled that the Projector Lens doesn't gather the light from the last layer of LEDs closest to the bayonet.

Does anyone know the correct designation of the LEDs in the New Picasso (late 2014 onwards) Reverse Lights? The handbook doesn't list any type number and instructs that only a Citroen dealer can change / repair them. This would be a rather fruitless exercise as they would onlt be replaced by the dealer with the same unit - a waste of time and money.

[GiveMeABreak]

What's your VIN - I can check these out

I think you'll find the reversing bulbs are a W16W bulb and these are shown as filament bulbs....

Only the rear brake and sidelight bulbs are LEDs... the indicator and reversing are standard filament bulbs...

So you may be able to find an LED equivalent of the W16W.

[Cutac]

I've got a pair of eBay LEDs with a projector/lens, and they work really well.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Canbus-No-Erro ... 5917e6f4f4

but I'm a bit puzzled that the Projector Lens doesn't gather the light from the last layer of LEDs closest to the bayonet.

They're there since there's a reflector in the lamp assembly.
Imagine it like a standard bulb + a projector.

[GiveMeABreak]

That 'projector' is simply a plastic lens that covers another LED inside at the bottom and magnifies that light outward - it does nothing for the LEDs mounted around the bulb itself.

Example:

[WillyR]

What's your VIN - I can check these out

I think you'll find the reversing bulbs are a W16W bulb and these are shown as filament bulbs....

Only the rear brake and sidelight bulbs are LEDs... the indicator and reversing are standard filament bulbs...

So you may be able to find an LED equivalent of the W16W.

C4 Lights.PNG

VIN - VF7**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff]

Oh, how I wish you were right, but you have displayed the wrong model in this instance. I have the Executive+ which has all-LED (except the indicators) at the rear.

I went outside and "The Boss" switched the various lights ON/OFF, and I can confirm that all but the Indicators at the rear are LEDs.

I will hopefully attach a photo of my handbook (page 278) showing my rear lights (center set, labelled MODEL WITH LED LIGHTS). My firsat attempt destroyed the post and it vanished, never to be seen again.

Ahhh, there's nothing like getting it right... eventually.