Don't get me wrong, I think connecting the tailgate and toolbox to the power door locks is a great idea. BUT, what will stop a thief from connecting 12v to the wires running to the tailgate or toolbox and opening the door locks. The door trigger wires are all located inside the cab and therefore protected, by connecting to this system locking the tailgate and toolbox is more convenient but the cab just got less secure. I'll bet there is a way to allow the door lock system to trigger the locks for the tailgate and toolbox without the ability to backfeed from the tailgate and open the cab. An electronic solution perhaps? Is there a Electrical Engineer in the house?

 

You will be able to put 12 volts on the outside wire if exposed and open the tailgate and toolbox, but it will not unlock the doors. The doors will only be affected if you can get to the signal wire.

 

another way to prevent the upstream feed is to put a diode in the leads to the tailgate connector (you have to make it removable). a diode only allows signal flow in one direction. so you would install them facing out to the tailgate.. $1 at radio shack. some solder and shrink wrap.

but I hadn't thought of this, and now need to do this on my truck tailgate latch wires.

note that this will protect the toolbox in this scenario, but not the tailgate itself.

sam

 

The 5-wire relays/sockets are more common

 

The external wires going to the lock solenoids do not have any potential on them at rest. They could short them to ground, or apply 12v to them, but it only routes to an open contact on the relay, or to ground.

Besides, most theives would simply smash a window with a rock before going through the wiring.

 

I don't think that setup will work..

the signals to the solenoids needs to reverse..

on lock, it needs to be ground (dark pink), power (pink)
and unlock it needs to be power(dark pink), ground(pink).

both relays in the diagram are setup the same way. (ground 87a, power to 87)

and you can't reverse one and have power flowing as default (87a) to the solenoids

and I'll admit I don't know how to do it with 2 relays

| corrected below
sam

 

The signals do reverse. At rest the power is sitting on the open contacts (87) and ground is tied to both outputs.
When the trigger for lock (green) hits, the bottom relay will send power from 87 to 30 while the top relay remains at ground. When the other trigger unlock hits, the top relay sends power on the opposite output while ground remains output on the bottom relay.

 

Yeah - that works.

I didn't use use 5 pin relays (778) 'cause I didn't have them and I have a half dozen or so 4 pins (775) in the cabinet.

As to back feeding and actuating the doors, as mentioned above there is no circuit "going backwards".The exterior solenoids are only connected when the circuit is completed from the lock switch.

I had given this some thought and figured, you cant feed the "exposed" wire and open the doors and it is a bit of work to put 12 volts to the wires. First - the perp would need to know that there are even power locks on the toolbox and /or the tailgate.

I do plan on adding a toggle switch in the tool box for "valet" purposes.

edit - I do have a toggle switch inside the tool box to deactivate the circuit.

 

I try and avoid diodes when I can. Diodes have a 6 tenths of a volt voltage drop across the terminals. Most of the time you will be using this feature without the vehicle running, and the batteries less then fully charged.

That 6 tenths might make the difference between working/not working.

 

I was also thinking that the power toolbox and tailgate locks are pretty rare. For that reason, it's hard to imagine a thief who would even check for these power locks. Even harder to imagine that he would be knowledgeable enough or have the right equipment to open them. It *seems* like an easier break-in but I think the end result would be less risk of theft. I personally forget to lock things all the time . Having power locks tied to my key fob would help ensure that all the locks were in use.

 

yep.. got it.. I keep seeing BOTH relays firing at once.. but its really one OR the other and NEVER both..

Sam

 

This is a useful thread! I want to do the toolbox/tailgate wired to factory fob also.
What would be the best setup, and if anyone has links or a parts list, that would be great...
My tailgate has a camera, so perhaps some of the needed wiring is already there? Or do I need to run another bundle of dedicated wires to crossbed toolbox/tailgate?

 

on my tailgate with Cam, I had to run separate wires for the lock actuator.

they came as part of the lock product..
http://www.pace-edwards.com/images/pdf/pglk370.pdf

Sam

 

Thanks, Sam.

I had that setup on my '06.
The data sheet says it's for up to 2010 model year. Did you install this on a '11 model? If so, maybe they just didn't update the paperwork.
But your sig shows you have an '08. I will look on their site to see application charts.
But that still leaves the toolbox...

 

Mine is an 08 (with step), but the tailgates are still the same physically. and Ford doesn't provide an option to do this from the factory.. so you have to run wires.

as it appears you need relays now, I would run wires to the toolbox, add the relays, and from there to the tailgate.. one set of wires into the cab..

Sam