How can I wire bed lights to the cargo light switch?

[ItsGee]

I want to wire bed lights so when I press the cargo switch both the factory cargo lights come on and the led bed lights. NOTE: I'm not very handy with wiring so if possible make it as easy as possible but I'm willing to try anything.

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[ccasanova22]

I personally would not, as it may void the factory warranty. I instead wired mine to the factory upfitter switches (not all models have these, mine is an XLT Tremor and it does) to keep the warranty intact.

I believe the factory upfitter switches are the only places you can wire bed lights and keep warranty, only other way is to use the Ford Lumen kit as it’s got an approved harnesses.

 

[ItsGee]

https://www.roughcountry.com/product/mlc6-multiple-light-controller-70955 then I think I might just go this route

 

[ccasanova22]

That is a great kit, I've seen it installed on friends' trucks, and should work well. Much better option than tapping into factory circuits IMO especially if the dealer is not mod friendly.

 

[Motorpsychology]

I think the factory switch goes to a controller, like most every thing automotive these days. They are designed to turn off automatically when you put it in Drive, and con't turn on unless in Park. I'd get a kit like the one linked above.

 

[SVTPaul]

You may want to check out this thread.
https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/f150leds-bed-lighting-for-the-ranger.2267/
Also, fyi no issues with my setup after 2+ years in service.

 

[ControlNode]

I have 2 LED strips, one on each side in the bed cover rails. They are wired in Parallel to each other, and then in parallel with the bed lights via a tap at the high mount light at the back of the cab. I thought about a relay or such, but looking at the circuit being controlled by a FET controller and the lights barely reaching 2A I wired them right in. I like that the added bed lights dim out just like the high mount lights. I'm not saying you should do it this way, just that I've had it like this since Feb of `23 and its been fine.

 

[YaBoiNewton]

I want to wire bed lights so when I press the cargo switch both the factory cargo lights come on and the led bed lights. NOTE: I'm not very handy with wiring so if possible make it as easy as possible but I'm willing to try anything.

If you're not confident in your wiring abilities, then just get a few battery powered pod lights and mount them in the bed. Sometimes you can even turn them on with your phone. You'll have to remember to charge/change batteries, but it's a simple setup with zero risk of messing anything up on the truck's wiring.

 

[Dgc333]

I personally would not, as it may void the factory warranty. I instead wired mine to the factory upfitter switches (not all models have these, mine is an XLT Tremor and it does) to keep the warranty intact.

I believe the factory upfitter switches are the only places you can wire bed lights and keep warranty, only other way is to use the Ford Lumen kit as it’s got an approved harnesses.

It is against the law for a manufacturer to void the warranty on a product. Now if you wired the bed lights to the cargo lights and the cargo lights stopped working Ford could deny a warranty claim on the cargo light but nothing else would be impacted. You could potentially wire up something incorrectly to the upfitter switches and ruin the module under the hood and have a warranty claim for that denied.

 

[ccasanova22]

It is against the law for a manufacturer to void the warranty on a product. Now if you wired the bed lights to the cargo lights and the cargo lights stopped working Ford could deny a warranty claim on the cargo light but nothing else would be impacted. You could potentially wire up something incorrectly to the upfitter switches and ruin the module under the hood and have a warranty claim for that denied.

My dealer said the cargo light relay isn’t designed for aftermarket accessory loads but the upfitter switches are fused and rated for the current (and then some) so overloading it won’t blow up anything else.

Just repeating what I heard from my dealer, others may be more “mod friendly”

 

[SVTPaul]

My dealer said the cargo light relay isn’t designed for aftermarket accessory loads but the upfitter switches are fused and rated for the current (and then some) so overloading it won’t blow up anything else.

Just repeating what I heard from my dealer, others may be more “mod friendly”

Most of the led strips the folks have added on here draw like 2 amps or less. But of course the upfitters are the safer route. I haven't seen anyone report an issue using that circuit though.

 

[Brett Fields]

You might consider using the Wolf Haus bed power kit with the pigtail. Use the pigtail to power your bed lights. You'll need to put a switch back there. That circuit behaves like your 12v power ports.

Just a thought....

 

[ControlNode]

My dealer said the cargo light relay isn’t designed for aftermarket accessory loads but the upfitter switches are fused and rated for the current (and then some) so overloading it won’t blow up anything else.

Just repeating what I heard from my dealer, others may be more “mod friendly”

The cargo light is not controlled by a relay, as best I can tell it's a FET controller in the BCM. And from the reading on those, it appears they have over current protections as well, so if too much load is drawn through a FET that circuit is shut down to protect the BCM and other loads fed through the BCM.

It is against the law for a manufacturer to void the warranty on a product. Now if you wired the bed lights to the cargo lights and the cargo lights stopped working Ford could deny a warranty claim on the cargo light but nothing else would be impacted. You could potentially wire up something incorrectly to the upfitter switches and ruin the module under the hood and have a warranty claim for that denied.

If you happen to damage the FET controller in the BCM, or the protection circuit fails to shut it down and damage reaches any other electrical systems powered though the BCM, warranty on those things could be denied as well if they show the source of what caused it was the wiring you did.

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