Wiring KC Slimlites to Upfitter switch #3

[ZBoater]

I'm about to embark on what it seems like a daily modding adventure. Today's episode is wiring the newly mounted KC Slimlites mounted on Alternative Offroad hood mounts.

These lights are the 130W version. According to the KC website, they draw 10.8 amps.

What is the AMP Draw of my KC lights?

According to the excellent how to thread on wiring the upfitter switches

http://www.fordraptorforum.com/f170/wire-raptor-aux-upfitter-switches-20335/

Switch #3 is 15A. So I'm picking that one.

Seems too easy. Am I missing something?

---------- Post added at 04:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:39 PM ----------

I'm assuming there's no fuses, no relays, nothing special I need to do. Just connect the hot wire and the ground wire and... Let there be light!

I hope.

 

[Raptor Embroidery]

I'm about to embark on what it seems like a daily modding adventure. Today's episode is wiring the newly mounted KC Slimlites mounted on Alternative Offroad hood mounts.

These lights are the 130W version. According to the KC website, they draw 10.8 amps.

What is the AMP Draw of my KC lights?

According to the excellent how to thread on wiring the upfitter switches

http://www.fordraptorforum.com/f170/wire-raptor-aux-upfitter-switches-20335/

Switch #3 is 15A. So I'm picking that one.

Seems too easy. Am I missing something?

---------- Post added at 04:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:39 PM ----------

I'm assuming there's no fuses, no relays, nothing special I need to do. Just connect the hot wire and the ground wire and... Let there be light!

I hope.

You are absolutely correct. You will need to check the amp draw and as long as it does not exceed the capacity for switch #3, I would go with that one. The system on board already has the fuses and relays built in as well as a switch. Just connect the wires for the up-fitters behind the dash and connect the hot to the wire out in the engine bay "pass through wires" that correspond to the 3rd switch wire. And remember those switches have a specific gauge and color wire that will determine which one matches up with which switch. You don't want to over load those wires.

Now for your ground, there is a factory installed ground and bolt right on the left side (facing the truck) near the battery. I believe it is either an 8 mm bolt or a 10 mm bolt. You will need to solder a ring terminal onto your ground wire then connect it up to the chassis ground at that location. Don't forget to use solder, heat shrink and corrugated wire tube. I've had my experiences with crimp connectors. They almost have always came loose on me.

Good luck and don't worry, these trucks are super easy to add aftermarket lighting to!

 

[ZBoater]

Thanks! Of course I ran into a small snag. The KC harness assumes you will use a switch and a relay, so it's prewired that way. I assume I'll have to cut that off but wanted to ask first.



The red and black wires on the bottom of the pic go to the lights. But they end up in the relay connector, and from there cables to a switch and to power come out.

I'm guessing I need to cut off the whole piece with the relay connectors, and then connect the two red wires to the one coming from the upfitter switch and ground the two black wires. I can toss the rest of the harness into the garbage can. Correct?

 

[Raptor Embroidery]

Thanks! Of course I ran into a small snag. The KC harness assumes you will use a switch and a relay, so it's prewired that way. I assume I'll have to cut that off but wanted to ask first.



The red and black wires on the bottom of the pic go to the lights. But they end up in the relay connector, and from there cables to a switch and to power come out.

I'm guessing I need to cut off the whole piece with the relay connectors, and then connect the two red wires to the one coming from the upfitter switch and ground the two black wires. I can toss the rest of the harness into the garbage can. Correct?

You sure can! Most lighting manufactures make them with relays and switches built in so its an easy install. They don't take in to account that some vehicles have pre-wired switches in them. But the best way to do it would be cut off closest to the relay just so you have two separate lights with just the positive and negative wires coming off of them. Then from there you can Y them together into a bit larger gauge wire (check the combined amperage of the lights and then check the wire gauge size) so you just have 2 leads, one positive and one negative. When I had 4 7" hid lights I just ran 2 on 1 up-fitter. I used #1 and #2 because their draw I believe was around 7.5 amps each. So Combined would be around 15-16 amps. Wiring them all to 1 was out. These came with lights and a relay just like yours. I took the 2 inside lights and wired them together, then the 2 outside lights and wired them together. I believe the gauge wire used out of the back of them was around 16-18 gauge so I Did a Y-Connect and ran the main lead to the up-fitter pass through wires with 14 gauge wire. So check the max flow ratings of your wire before you wire them up. And be sure to secure those wires! I ran them along the back of the front bumper, took the passenger side headlight out, ran it along the frame and under the washer reservoir and past the battery over to the up-fitter wire and grounded it off at the stock chassis ground near the battery.

 

[HAYNES OFFROAD]

If you havnt done your aux wires under the dash this will help http://www.fordraptorforum.com/f81/who-wants-extra-length-their-aux-wires-pics-inside-33314/

 

[ZBoater]

If you havnt done your aux wires under the dash this will help http://www.fordraptorforum.com/f81/who-wants-extra-length-their-aux-wires-pics-inside-33314/

Awesome thanks! I had seen that, but I wasn't able to cut enough tape.

 

[ZBoater]

I was able to pull out just enough with that suggestion to be able to work on it. I wired three switches while I was at it.

 

[ZBoater]

Wrapped the connectors in electrical tape. I stripped a bit of the plastic coating and was afraid the exposed areas might make contact with something.

 

[HAYNES OFFROAD]

Yea no matter what its still a PITA but every lil bit helps

 

[ZBoater]

Yeah. That's why I decided to do three switches at once even though I only needed one. I've already scraped my hands and bled all over the place. Might as well make it count.