Backup Alarm Disablement.

[nikitis]

I found the backup alarm location. It's under my rear bumper. If I wanted to disable this, I see one power line coming from the frame, and a second wire which just connects to the screw which looks to be a ground plane of the bus frame itself.

I haven't tested it yet, but will it cause any flags in the computer if I disconnect this?

In before you shouldn't disable it blah blah, i'm asking for science purposes. I've already bypassed my vandalock solenoid so if it were tied to that I don't think it would prevent the bus from starting from that avenue.

Also since it needs to be tied to the transmission as it kicks on when in reverse, does it affect anything from a transmission stand point if disabled?

Or does nothing care if unplugged? I would just unplug it and see but if it ends up throwing a trans code because it can't beep for some safety reason etc, I don't want to do that so I'm asking here first.

Model is an: ECCO 530

Exact model here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0028OA9LQ?tag=bravesoftwa04-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1&language=en_US

 

[BamaBus]

I encourage you to disable it and report back, for science purposes.

I guess I leave mine hooked up just so I won't set the brake and walk out with it still in reverse!

 

[nikitis]

I encourage you to disable it and report back, for science purposes.

I guess I leave mine hooked up just so I won't set the brake and walk out with it still in reverse!

I'm not worried about that as I'm alert enough when setting it all in park etc, but it's parked in my neighborhood and every time I back out, all the neighbors can hear it quite loudly. Which is the point if there's kids behind me, but I'll be visually checking behind it and on the street when backing out.

 

[cadillackid]

as fasr as i know all those are is a wire tied to the reverse light and then to the bus as ground... you just want to make sure the reverse light wire doesnt hit swing and hit ground or it blows the fuse..


as for my neighbors.. I installed one of those REALLY LOUD trash truck beepers on my red bus because kids loved to play in the street behind where I sometimes park and they are invisible to the mirrors or windows.. that beeper is so loud it makes your ears ring

 

[desrtdog]

No impact to disable it, but rather than do that, why not just install a waterproof inline fuse on the hot wire? I did this on my BB bus, because, as you say, that alarm can be pretty obnoxious, and for me, I didn't want to wake up the whole campground if I happen to pull in late at night. I like the idea of having the alarm available as a warning to cars/ppl behind me when in civilization, but I also have the ability to disable it to keep from waking the neighbors if backing the bus early or late in the day...Plus, even if you do check around the bus before moving it, doesn't guarantee that some kid is not going to get into your path between the time you've checked and get back to the driver's seat. Better safe than sorry...

 

[ewo1]

Why not just enjoy the best of both worlds here....

Grab an old extension cord, run it from the backup alarm to a toggle switch on your dash.
set it up so you can open the circuit when you want to be quiet when going in reverse or close it and you can also have it operational, as intended, when you are in civilization or in an area where other people/kids are a safety concern.

There no argument about the backup safety alarm issue but this way you can have your pie and eat it too!

 

[desrtdog]

...Yeah - much easier than crawling under the back to remove/install a fuse...

 

[nikitis]

That's true, I didn't think about a switch. I could run 2 wires up to the front with the switch up front on my panel.

I think I'll do that, because I can think of times when it would be nice to have it, but also times where I REALLY don't want it. The campground backing is one of them. If they are barely nice enough to let us in, they definitely don't want us making all that racket.

 

[kidharris]

as fasr as i know all those are is a wire tied to the reverse light and then to the bus as ground... you just want to make sure the reverse light wire doesnt hit swing and hit ground or it blows the fuse..


as for my neighbors.. I installed one of those REALLY LOUD trash truck beepers on my red bus because kids loved to play in the street behind where I sometimes park and they are invisible to the mirrors or windows.. that beeper is so loud it makes your ears ring

Good idea.

 

[kidharris]

Why not just enjoy the best of both worlds here....

Grab an old extension cord, run it from the backup alarm to a toggle switch on your dash.
set it up so you can open the circuit when you want to be quiet when going in reverse or close it and you can also have it operational, as intended, when you are in civilization or in an area where other people/kids are a safety concern.

There no argument about the backup safety alarm issue but this way you can have your pie and eat it too!

why cant you break the wire at the front or fuse box?

 

[ewo1]

why cant you break the wire at the front or fuse box?

The backup alarm is a simple device. The hot wire of the device is connected to the reverse light and grounded at the chassis. when you put the tranny in reverse and the backup lights turn on, so does the backup alarm.

I don't see a way of breaking/cutting/splicing a wire either in the fuse box or dash electrical switches.

Easiest thing to do, using a 2 wire outdoor extension cord.
Switch on one side and the other side, spliced into the alarm "hot" wire.

 

[nikitis]

The backup alarm is a simple device. The hot wire of the device is connected to the reverse light and grounded at the chassis. when you put the tranny in reverse and the backup lights turn on, so does the backup alarm.

I don't see a way of breaking/cutting/splicing a wire either in the fuse box or dash electrical switches.

Easiest thing to do, using a 2 wire outdoor extension cord.
Switch on one side and the other side, spliced into the alarm "hot" wire.

Since I like tying into grounds rather than power lines. I'll likely add a single ground wire and run it up the back to the top and to the front to a switch in my panel, then to a ground spot on the bus.

 

[ewo1]

Since I like tying into grounds rather than power lines. I'll likely add a single ground wire and run it up the back to the top and to the front to a switch in my panel, then to a ground spot on the bus.

That should work just fine!

 

[musigenesis]

I encourage you to disable it and report back, for science purposes.

I guess I leave mine hooked up just so I won't set the brake and walk out with it still in reverse!

I'm a school bus driver and most of our buses (the C2s like I usually drive) have a P gear at the top of the shifter, but the Internationals don't and just have the R at the top. I have often taken an International out and parked, slamming the shifter all the way to the top like I do in the C2s before applying the parking brake - and then wondering what moron left his bus in reverse.

 

[cadillackid]

Since I like tying into grounds rather than power lines. I'll likely add a single ground wire and run it up the back to the top and to the front to a switch in my panel, then to a ground spot on the bus.

things like this is precisely why I left all the old school light wiring in my bus wiring harnesses.. to make your idea work i'd simply have to run a wire from the upper header panel down to the backup alarm ground and the back to front run already exists in the harness.. hook it to a switch, run a screw in the metal of the bus inside the switch panel and done.. no big long wires to run..

 

[ewo1]

things like this is precisely why I left all the old school light wiring in my bus wiring harnesses.. to make your idea work i'd simply have to run a wire from the upper header panel down to the backup alarm ground and the back to front run already exists in the harness.. hook it to a switch, run a screw in the metal of the bus inside the switch panel and done.. no big long wires to run..

Yeppers, no real reason to pull wires for sure!
You can also wire up some LED backup lamps too in the same manner!

and for those who have simple backup cameras, you can use an "extra" wire to wire up some low light "infra red" led's like the ones you see in the home security cameras. By adding infra-red LED's to the rear you solve several issues.

1) better night time illumination-helpful when you are backing up in dark non-lit areas,
2) The infra red LED's will help block out other cameras who might be recording you such as other dash cams (private-police), red light cameras and some license plate readers to...but this blocking I believe only works at night or low light scenario's.

I had built, and still got it, a handheld night vison scope using a home security camera built into a cardboard box, 1.5" LED screen and a 12 volt rechargeable battery, the kind found in office building emergency exit signs w/lites.

Worked really good and could be super useful on a skoolie for backing up at night in dark places.