Adding additional Cargo Lighting Fail
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New User
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 24
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From: Northern Ontario Canada
Adding additional Cargo Lighting Fail
Today I wanted to add one 18 watt LED light pod to supplement my in-box cargo lights. I decided to just tap into the wiring harness for the 2 factory installed led lights in the box. The additional light is clearly overloading the circuit as the new light flashes once and then I loose power to the 2 in bed lights only. The 3rd brake light cargo lights and mirror spot lights all still work. If I cycle the headlight switch it resets and the in-bed lights work again. Its clearly not popping a fuse so I assume some kind of lighting control module with a breaker that is tripping.
Anyone have an input on this, other than don't hook my new light up this way...lol
Anyone have an input on this, other than don't hook my new light up this way...lol
Junior User
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 60
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From: Gilbert, AZ
it seems like i saw somewhere that the in-bed cargo lights were a 5 volt system, not 12v. you might want to test it with a meter to be sure then add a comparable light to it. I ran a power wire from the battery all the way back for my bed lights.
Wiser by FTE
Joined: Jan 2010
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Tuned
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 428
Likes: 8
From: Knoxville, TN
I might be getting 2 of these lights from amazon...it's only about 20 bucks, 6V and each light is 6 inches long...can space them out in the bed under the rails and hook them to the existing bed light circuit.
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New User
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 24
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From: Northern Ontario Canada
With the 2 bed lights on, truck off I am getting 12.2 volts in the harness, with truck running 13.55 volts, so its 12 volt circuit for sure, but I assume with the theater dimming feature it is controlled by some type of lighting module which will not tolerate another 2 amps of draw. Oh well, I will just run a wire to the side step light harness, it comes on with the cargo lighting and seems to be ok with the extra load.
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Senior User
Joined: Jan 2008
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Thanks...I will keep after it. I don't even have my truck yet...buying and bringing it home tomorrow.
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Thread Starter
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New User
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 24
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From: Northern Ontario Canada
Turns out it was a bad LED light pod overloading the circuit. I had 4 new ones all the same, did a temperary wire up of another pod and it worked fine. It is a 12 volt circuit not 5 or 6 volts on my 2017 F350 CCSB, 6.7 Lariat
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 166
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is there a way that you can have the bed lighting be activated by the tail gate opening? I would love to be able to open the tailgate in the dark and not have to fumble around for the switch, it would also be awesome to see if the tailgate is open from in the cab in the dark..
Logistics Pro
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 3,674
Likes: 51
From: SoCal
LEDs will work on a huge range of voltage, you probably aren't getting full brightness, but if it's enough light then who cares.
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