I think this is my next project...

[WolfgangVTS]

Don't know, I was behind two guys Vaping with the windows down, that looked totally like a smoke screen!

Then I would have to vape…and I just don’t think I can lower my standards enough to do that.

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[lawrench]

Personally, I think the amber would look great!

And it is $5 cheaper than the Red.

 

[Muscleford]

looks like it goes right across the top of the L plate...right where my plate cover is and contacts the tailgate when its down.

Mine is the same. At the fender ends of where it would go my clearance to the bumper is even less than it is at the license plate.

 

[lawrench]

I installed my Putco Blade LED Tailgate Light bar. Even though I bought the one with the "Plug and Play" wire harness, it still took me most of the day. And here are the reasons why it took so long.

1) The instructions (if you want to call them that) did not include any useful information for using the wire harness. I had to use my Google-Fu to find something that even looked like instructions. Fortunately, Putco has a forum and has better instructions https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Vyi...ew?usp=sharing

Even these are not very good.

2) I proceeded to install the harness first, I quickly found out that both sides of the Ranger has to be connect via the harness. Since it was just me, I checked using the hazard lights. Everything looked good so I mounted the bar.

3) Some had concerns about the bar getting pinched from the tailgate in the down position. This is not an issue as long as the light bar is mounted above the license plate holder.

4) I had the wife help me by going through the brakes, turn signals, hazards, and reverse. Everything seemed to be fine.

5) Well if you did not notice, everything worked correctly but the turn signals. When selecting the left turn signal, the right signal on the Putco Blade would blink. Same thing for the other side. I reviewed the horrible instructions again and there is nothing that I could see that I did incorrectly.

6) So back to using my google-fu, and found nothing related to the issue I was having. So I did something that I hate doing, I took all of the wiring harness off, which meant cutting tie-wraps and pulling the harness from my vehicle.

7) When this was done, I reconnected the harness and the same thing. So, I switched ends of the harness and everything worked. I looked at the harness and did not find anything that would signify what side would connect to what side of the truck. Again, the instructions provided by Putco totally SUCKS.

8) Once this issue was corrected, I began to tidy up the harness and wires.

I would say that once the harness was figured out, the install is really easy. I like the light bar and would recommend this to anyone with a day to kill. Otherwise, wait for Putco to actually write some instructions that are worth more than a crap.

I will have to edit the videos as they are too large to upload.

 

[Big Blue]

Good job troubleshooting the turn signal issue. Also a good lesson to not go into mounting things and adding wire ties before testing to make sure everything is working properly.

Could it have possibly the bar was flipped end for end and not the harness? I know some of the ones that just plug into the 4 pin tell you to check the turn signals before mounting the bar to avoid this problem. These don't play well with BLIS and cross traffic alarms by the way. Lucky the connectors are the same on both lights.

 

[lawrench]

Good job troubleshooting the turn signal issue. Also a good lesson to not go into mounting things and adding wire ties before testing to make sure everything is working properly.

Could it have possibly the bar was flipped end for end and not the harness? I know some of the ones that just plug into the 4 pin tell you to check the turn signals before mounting the bar to avoid this problem. These don't play well with BLIS and cross traffic alarms by the way. Lucky the connectors are the same on both lights.

Well, I did test, and I was paying more attention to the LED bar instead of seeing if the turn signals matched up (yes on me) but I did not notice until I reviewed the video that is too large to upload.

But, if the harness is to be mounted a certain way, maybe the instructions would have said? Or at least some type of marker on the harness to tell you which end goes where?

In any case, it is all done now, trying to send Putco a complaint about their poor instructions. I mean really poor as in piss poor.

 

[lawrench]

Well, I am done with mods for a while. The wife wrecked her car and it may be totaled. Another SHO bites the dust..

She wants a Lincoln (2017) MKZ or a (2016) MKX, they newer models are just too damn expensive for us right now.

Hopefully we will find out if her SHO is totaled this week. I hate that car so I hope it is, except I do not want to buy another car for a while. Since she wrecked my truck last year, I will not let her drive mine, but may have to if we do not find her a car before the Insurance company pulls the rental.

 

[DrPep]

The wife wrecked her car and it may be totaled.

[...]

she wrecked my truck last year

I have to ask... What is going on?

 

[lawrench]

I have to ask... What is going on?

I have learned not to ask.

 

[Trigganometry]

I have learned not to ask.

When the new insurance premium bill comes in that’s your chance to ask! ?

 

[lawrench]

When the new insurance premium bill comes in that’s your chance to ask! ?

I actually have really good insurance, so it may not go up too much. If anyone is a veteran, look into USAA for your insurance needs, they have always been good to me.

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