Yes, I have searched. I was wondering if someone could help me out for wiring some LED lights to the bed of my truck. A lot of the threads say tap into these lights or tap into those. I want the lights to come on when the cab lights come on. Which wire specifically will I have to tap in to? Is "tapping" the same as "splicing" the wires to each other? Sorry to be a complete moron but I dont want to screw anything up. Thanks in advance. John

 

Few places you can get the interior light circuit at, depending on where you are planning on running the wire out of the cab of the truck.

You are looking for a black w/ light blue wire, which is the non dimmed interior lamp circuit. This is the same circuit that is used for puddle lamps on the mirrors ( if equiped ) and the cargo lamps in the CHMSL.

The common splice seems to be in the driver's side C-pillar, this is for the split between the CHMSL cargo lamps, and the puddle lamps.

What might be a bit easier is in C238, in the driver's side kick panel. This is a 60 pin connector, mounted to the metal on the A-pillar. It is pin #6, just to the side of the center bolt holding the connector together.

The other is behind the dash, up high ( in the area under the cluster "hump" ), to the right hand side in a cam over connector ( attached to the cluster itself ).

splice and tap are used interchangeably, but to be 100% correct, a tap is a splice that the main wire is not cut. This might also be called a T-tap. There are crimp type T-taps, and the solder method of T-tapping.

This is direct from the technical article here at F150online.com

The URL is in the header in the black band.
Look at the top of the web page, it is right below the word unofficial in the gray banner. Or here : https://www.f150online.com/tech/index.html

 

Wow. My knowledge of wiring is worse than I thought. This is like Greek to me

 

And thanks for the help, by the way...

 

Would it be possible to splice them into the tail lights? It seems like it would be easier running them from tail lights than it would from the cab of the truck.

 

You could run them from the tail lights on the trailer tow adapter, but they would need an additional switch.

This is how my cap is done, both the general lighting, and the lighting for the porkchop box.

Use the trailer tow adapter parking light circuit to not have the load on the truck's lighting.

 

i assume you want a custom wired in look and not just the light?

what i am getting at is that i wanted led light but no desire for wiring. at wal mart, in the camping section, they have a this tent led light for $6 with about 15 white leds in it. you remove the hook system, get some 3m strips, and stick it where you want. one lights up my whole bed. i like them so much i want one more for the bed and a couple for my 6x12ft trailer.

 

I will wire them if I can figure it all out. I want them to go on and off with the cargo light/approach lighting...

 

Then you have to get the circuit from the cab of the truck. That is the only place the interior lighting circuit is at.

 

got it. and the c-pillar is behind the back door on the driver's side, correct? you have any good ways of ruuing the wire from the c-pillar to the bed?

 

Yes that is it, where the seat belt is for the rear seat on the SuperCrew.

Under the sill plate are a few grommets, and the factory wiring channel out of the cab to the frame rail for the factory wiring.

Take a look under the truck, you will see where the wiring exits, and the grommets.

 

Thanks man, I appreciate the help!

 

Is your reply to an earlier post applicalbe to a 2009 F150? I want the the bed lights to operate when the cargo light is on. Thanks.

 

The 2009 is different.

If you are getting it from the CHMSL, the cargo lamp circuit is a white wire.



Be careful with how much load you add to this circuit, as it is controlled by the SJB ( Smart Junction Box ) micro control now. Too much load, and you could smoke the SJB.

 

Please tell me what the CHMSL is and where I should look for the white wire. Thanks.