Wired my grill lights to Aux 1 switch

[Shawnpalmer]

Took some time tonight to rewire my grill lights to the overhead Aux 1 switch. The lights work perfectly, no error codes. I used the wire running to the engine bay for power and ground. It should come this way from the factory. They are actually pretty bright when running them with the low beams. They disappear with the high beams on.

Attached are the Vision X install instructions for how to remove the front grill.

 

[Tazzieman]

That is an ilegal setup in some countries, including mine.
From the owner's manual
"NOTE: The lamps will have the same effects as the high beam which will create glare to oncoming traffic.
NOTE: The use of the LED Auxiliary High Beam Lights are strictly for off-road purposes only.
LED Auxiliary High Beam Lights could temporarily blind other road users."

 

[Eric]

Took some time tonight to rewire my grill lights to the overhead Aux 1 switch. The lights work perfectly, no error codes. I used the wire running to the engine bay for power and ground. It should come this way from the factory. They are actually pretty bright when running them with the low beams. They disappear with the high beams on.

Illegal in UK and EU.

 

[Roving.Grenadier]

Illegal to have them on while on the road, not illegal to rewire yourself for how you want it. In some states they actually require covers for aftermarket lights.

 

[Asnes]

Shawn - any tips or photos to share? I agree it’s illegal to run them on US roads, but that does not prevent you from wiring differently. This is more convenient activation method.

 

[[ Adam ]]

There was a big todo by a safety inspector in VA about those lights, they are not marked DOT & so must only work off road.

That said, given the requirement to be stationary to activate off rd moad, I can agree that aux 1 would be more convenient.

 

[DrahthHunter]

Glad to see all the nanny states you live in! Do you need his home address where you can turn him to the government! Get off your high horses he can use them anyway he pleases! We are all responsible for our actions! If I compared this mod to some of the NEW LED lights its probably laughable. This is the great things about these forms is the MODS.

 

[[ Adam ]]

Glad to see all the nanny states you live in! Do you need his home address where you can turn him to the government! Get off your high horses he can use them anyway he pleases! We are all responsible for our actions! If I compared this mod to some of the NEW LED lights its probably laughable. This is the great things about these forms is the MODS.

TN has similar laws. Does that make it a nanny state as well?

 

[DrahthHunter]

OHHHHHHH you got me there didn't you! I realize that its a DOT thing MFG liability thing, we get it. leave your speed alerts alone FOLLOW ALL THE LAWS. Be complicit with all government rules boy.

 

[[ Adam ]]

OHHHHHHH you got me there didn't you! I realize that its a DOT thing MFG liability thing, we get it. leave your speed alerts alone FOLLOW ALL THE LAWS. Be complicit with all government rules boy.

 

[Tarheel]

Took some time tonight to rewire my grill lights to the overhead Aux 1 switch. The lights work perfectly, no error codes. I used the wire running to the engine bay for power and ground. It should come this way from the factory. They are actually pretty bright when running them with the low beams. They disappear with the high beams on.

Great idea. Would love to perform mod also. Any pics you could supply to educate would be appreciated.

 

[[ Adam ]]

Great idea. Would love to perform mod also. Any pics you could supply to educate would be appreciated.

On Facebook he said

Sure, I removed the front grill enough to tilt it forward, left the wiring harnesses on the lights and clipped the wires leaving 4 inches on each light. Wired them together and ran wire in loom over to the Aux 1 wires that are pre run to the engine bay. Wired it all up with heat shrink tube and heat shrink butt connectors and it works flawlessly.

 

[RJS]

Excellent fix - where in the engine bay are the ends of the pre-wiring for AUX 1 switch?
Many thanks . . . .

 

[Shawnpalmer]

LoL at some of the comments. Edited. Around here Jeeps and Trucks that don’t have aux lighting are pretty rare. You can’t run them on the highway, but on the back roads when nobody is coming the opposite way they are acceptable. On another note my Bronco Raptor had Rigid’s wired from the factory to the upfitter switches. They all come this way.

 

[2wheelfish]

I think it’s a little funny that the folks that were bringing up the legal precautions in their respective country actually can turn those lights on at anytime and don’t have the N.A. problem of only being allowed to turn on those lights in off-road mode (which I understand, but it’s kind limiting).

 

[Shawnpalmer]

Great idea. Would love to perform mod also. Any pics you could supply to educate would be appreciated.

I will try to detail as much as I can on here. First, there are 2 wires (a positive and a negative) coming into the engine bay that are controlled by the Aux 1 Exterior switch installed in every Grenadier. You do not have to have the extra battery or second row of switches. See pic. The wire is on the drivers side for USA spec trucks tucked just under the fender with some white plastic caps on them. They are easy to find, not covered with tape or anything.

Partial Grill removal:
You need to remove the black headlight surrounds held in by 4 torx bolts on each side
Next you will need to unbolt several torx bolts that are located behind those headlight surrounds. This will let you carefully pull out the painted upper portion of the front fender. Do this on both sides.

Next, you will need to remove the rubber trim from the top of the center grill piece. There are little black clips that hold the rubber to the top of the grill. Pry them out with a forked plastic pry tool and try to keep them together. See pic.

Once you get the bots all removed there will still be two torx bolts that are below the bumper line. I left those in and was able to pull the grill forward enough to access the lights. The lights have connectors that you can unconnect and pull out to each side of the grill so you can work on them easily.

Cut the wires about 3-4 inches back from the plug and cap off and secure the cut wire and hide it back behind the grill.

Edit: The plugs that you cut have 2 wires attached. One is striped and is positive, the other is black and negative.

Now get yourself some red and black wire about 5-6 feet long and put it in some wire loom.
I used heat shrink butt connectors to wire the plug to the wires in the loom.

The plug side wires are striped color for positive and black for negative on both plugs. Wire up the first plug on the right side (passenger in USA), then run the loom under the front grill (hidden) and over to the left side. Cut your loom wires and wire the striped plug wire to the red, and the black to the black.Now the lights are connected and positive goes to positive and negative to negative.

You can use one butt connector per positive and negative here on the 2nd light. Insert the red coming from the 1st light, and the striped coming from the 2nd connector into one side, and connect the red out the remaining side of the butt connector. So, you will have 2 wires crimped on one side of the butt connector, and one wire out the other side. Then do this for the ground, same way.

Lead the wire loom up keeping it hidden and zip tie it along the side of the engine bay existing wiring.
You can then connect the positive to the striped lead you found earlier, and the ground to the black lead you found earlier.

Test your connection by turning on the Aux 1 switch, and the lights should come on.

Note: When the truck is turned off and the switch is on, the lights will turn off. However, if you turn on the battery switch next to Aux 1 it will enable the lights to work when the truck is off. The battery switch will also turn on and off the rear load space 12 volt and the usb for the back seat passengers when the truck is off. Great feature!

Now reverse the assembly and put it back together making sure to be careful with the painted upper fender pieces that clip into place.


I hope this helps.

 

[anand]

In my country we can wire however we want with our lights and we aren’t dumb enough to blind oncoming traffic with our off road lights. You can’t run them on the highway, but on the back roads when nobody is coming the opposite way they are acceptable. On another note my Bronco Raptor had Rigid’s wired from the factory to the upfitter switches. They all come this way.

We live in the same country, and many states in this country of ours in fact require aux lighting to be covered at all times on public roadways; more so, there are plenty of people who are dumb enough to blind oncoming traffic with off road lights, just this morning I was passed by a gent in a newer Chevy pickup with his bumper and roof lightbars turned on, on an otherwise well illuminated main road.

Hat tip to KC Lights for making a quick and easy list of every state's statutes, which for your fine state of Georgia states that any vehicle is not to have more than one spotlight, auxiliary driving light, or passing light. Ineos is able to get around a lot of this (including not having covers on them) specifically because of their switching mechanism (requiring off road mode, which also requires a double press of the button and showing the acceptance screen). On your Bronco Raptor, this is why the Rigid light kit comes with covers, to be legal in all 50 states because the up fitter switches can be toggled at any time.

 

[Tazzieman]

I think it’s a little funny that the folks that were bringing up the legal precautions in their respective country actually can turn those lights on at anytime and don’t have the N.A. problem of only being allowed to turn on those lights in off-road mode (which I understand, but it’s kind limiting).

If us who live in the nanny countries need extra light (kangaroos etc) we just install an LED roof strip which comes on with high beam.
On the bitumen or offroad.
No problem , though it doesn't guarantee a boomer won't jump at you.

 

[DaveB]

I think it’s a little funny that the folks that were bringing up the legal precautions in their respective country actually can turn those lights on at anytime and don’t have the N.A. problem of only being allowed to turn on those lights in off-road mode (which I understand, but it’s kind limiting).

Where I live in Australia they are connected to the hi beam function not the off-road function.
You still have to select the on switch on the overhead panel but once you do that they will come on whenever you select high beam.
They will then also go off when you de-select high beam.
This is extremely handy when on country roads as you cut all the lights down to low beam with a single action, without having to move your hands off the wheel.

 

[DaveB]

I think it’s a little funny that the folks that were bringing up the legal precautions in their respective country actually can turn those lights on at anytime and don’t have the N.A. problem of only being allowed to turn on those lights in off-road mode (which I understand, but it’s kind limiting).

At the risk of death threats and vocal outrage...............
You may have to change the wording to "Land of the almost free"