Reverse lights do not appear to match factory diagrams

[RRRoamer]

Gents,

I FINALLY got around to losing the Shaker 500 head unit and am wiring in a Kenwood DNX890HD. This system has provisions for reverse and forward cameras (not currently purchased), so I wanted to get all the wiring done while I am in install mode. The problem I have encountered is that it APPEARS my car does NOT match the factory wiring diagram for reverse!

So I have checked the wiring diagrams and found that the voltage to the reverse lights should be at pins 13 and 26 (white with yellow stripe and dark green with orange stripe) on the 52 pin connector on the SJB. The connector was easy to find and the pins were clearly labeled on the face of the connector. The problem was there was no PINS installed in those positions of the connector.

I pulled the connectors out of the right angle shell (easy to do and all the wiring is on two block, a black one for 1-26 and a gray one for 27-52) and there are no wires in 13 and 52... I double checked the connector image in the service manual and it does appear that I am looking at the correct connector as well (the other two connectors are very different and NOT 52 pin connectors).

My reverse lights DO work, so they are wired up correctly somehow, but it does not appear to be the way the factory says they are wired up. Has anyone else had this issue? Where did they find the reverse lights? I really don't want to run another wire all the way back to the reverse lights just to get a signal. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[RRRoamer]

Never mind! The problem was I was looking at the connectors on the FRONT of the SJB, but the one I need is on the BACK of this little bastard!

My plan was to use a piece of enameled magnet wire with the insulation burned off the end to tap the connector without doing any physical damage. The end of the wire goes inside the female pin (13 or 26). When the connector is mated, that very thin piece of wire is lightly wedged between the male and female pins, making a connection. This is only a signal wire, so it is VERY low current (miliamps at most) and even 30awg wire can handle this for a short ways. The other end of the wire (just a couple of inches or so) is also stripped, then wrapped around the stripped in our our wire going to the headunit, then a wire nut is installed. The end of the head unit wire and the wire nut are then tapped to one of the wiring harnesses under there to act as a strain relief and we are in business.

I've used this method on a couple of different projects and it works great. Plus, it is completely reversible with no damage to the factory wiring or connectors. But, I have to pull the damned SJB to do it. I guess that goes one way or the other (find the wire and splice in), so probably might as well stick to the plan.

RRRoamer