Adding lights to existing switch?

68PowerWagon · Sep 19, 2017

Hey all, I am planning on installing a headache rack in the near future with 2-2"LED lights on it facing backwards for loading/trailer hook up. What I am wanting to know is can I tap off of the factory switch that turns on the bed light? I am thinking that these LED lights don't pull very many amps & the current switch can handle both draws.

baum · Sep 19, 2017

You can, but to be on the safe side i would only use the switch to activate a relay. Vehicles now days are so sensitive on current draws that the slightest draw can trip a CEL.

WilliamS · Sep 19, 2017

Always use a relay off the circuit you want to tap into. These new fangled trucks are very picky about power draw. You add a relay and it wont care, but you draw too much from an existing circuit and fun things happen.

crash68 · Sep 19, 2017

If you want the LEDs to operate with the bed light switch, wire the relay coil in parallel to the existing bed light. Don't just tap the hot and ground one side of the coil, strange results have been know to happen. Use a separate +12V from the battery to power the LEDs through the relay. The switch on the dash goes to BCU and is momentary.

68PowerWagon · Sep 19, 2017

crash68 said:
If you want the LEDs to operate with the bed light switch, wire the relay coil in parallel to the existing bed light. Don't just tap the hot and ground one side of the coil, strange results have been know to happen. Use a separate +12V from the battery to power the LEDs through the relay. The switch on the dash goes to BCU and is momentary.

Yeah that makes sense. I ordered my truck with the aux switches but somehow it missed the build sheet!!!

I was possible thinking down the road I might put a plow on the front so I ordered the switches & larger alternator. When it arrived I ******* to high heaven & they quickly took another $2,000 off the sticker!

I may just do it right & install the factory aux switches as one guy posted on here. He showed all of the schematics & part numbers. This way I can expand later down the road if I need to. As many posted here it is not a big draw difference but electronics now days can get funky with just the slightest variance.

Adding lights to existing switch?

68PowerWagon

Senior Member

baum

Senior Member

WilliamS

Senior Member

crash68

ACME product engineer

68PowerWagon

Senior Member

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