Let's install the "upfitter switches"

blamkin86 · March 26, 2020

OK with the kickpanel out of the way, it's time to mount the fusebox and finish the electrical connections to the truck.

In your bag 'o parts, locate a black plug that's not connected to anything. This black plug will connect the end of the red wire you ran through the firewall, to a dedicated port on the fusebox.

Looking at this first pic, you can see the red wire you already ran in the first phase, needs to get plugged into the fusebox. That black plug is going to accept the red wire, then you'll insert the plug into the correct connector on the fusebox.

It's somewhat hard to see here, but the red wire's on the left, and if you look inside the connector on the fusebox, you'll see a blade connector.

At first I thought they just went together, but, kinda cool, GM gave you a plug for this. Go through your bag(s) of goodies that came with the kit, and find the empty/blank black connector with no wires.

This plug has two sides to it - but only one side will correctly connect the red wire to the fusebox. Carefully note which side you need, then slide the end of the red wire (the one you ran through the firewall in the first phase) into the correct side of the black clip. It's probably possible to remove the wire if you get it wrong, but just get it right the first time. Measure twice, clip once.

Once you're done, let's do one more thing on the fusebox itself. You'll find two set of unterminated wires coming out of the fusebox. Meaning, they have just wrapped electrical tape around them - one set has four wires - these are "The Beef" where you connect your accessories to the Upfitter Switches. There's another gang of three wires - they are for trailer brakes and wiring. I just put more electrical tape on them, and zip'd the gang of three wires to the harness itself. I don't plan on using them, and I'm not sure what you'd went them for since you already have a trailer plug on the back of your truck.

Edited March 26, 2020 by blamkin86

blamkin86 · March 26, 2020

OK get off the floor and grab a beer. Take a break. Still a couple steps to go, then you have to put it all back together of course...

... I'll wait. I'm not much of a drinker myself, but I need to make some burgers for dinner.

Edited March 26, 2020 by blamkin86

blamkin86 · March 26, 2020

Once your break's over, it's time to do another electrical thing.

Go back to the side of the dash where you took the factory fuse block off. If you look in there (technically I did this from the bottom, but..) you'll see a grey electrical connector that has an empty/blank plug in it. Take the plug out.

Unfortunately my pix are all from the bottom looking out. If you can't find the grey plug from the side, climb back under the dash and look up, and towards the fusebox. You should see it - mine was pointing down.

blamkin86 · March 26, 2020

OK we are rounding the last corner and heading for the final stretch of this phase.

First, grab the fusebox, and hold it near where we'll be installing it:

First, the black plug you just put on the red wire from the first steps, plug that into the fusebox. I don't have a picture of this, but there's only one place it can go.

Next, take the grey plug from the fusebox harness, and plug it into the grey plug where you removed the blank/empty end:

Next, run the last unused black connector from the fusebox to the actual upfitter switches on the kickpanel:

At this point, you're switches are wired into the harness in your truck.

One last step here - and this is where you may deviate from what I do. Because I knew I didn't want to take all this off again, and because I didn't have specific screws that would work AND because the screws that I took off the truck did work, I reused them. You may want to do something different.

In any case, match up the two screw holes in the fuse block with two empty holes on the support beam right behind the kickpanel, directly under the steering wheel. They're kind of hard to see, but I did manage to get a picture of me tightening down the screws.

So, once it's tightened down, double check that you've

1) plugged the grey plug from the harness to the grey plug where you removed the blank connector

2) plugged the black plug from the harness, through the supports, out the dash, and into the back of the upfitter switches

3) plugged the new black plug that you added the red wire into the fuse box.

It maybe is also a good idea to see where you left the four loose (electrical tape) wires. Whatever you wire to these switches is going to have to come all the way back to one of these four wires. (Sorry, this is one case where Ford got it better- their wires are all outside under the hood. Sorry, I don't like saying that either, but theirs is better.)

blamkin86 · March 26, 2020

A couple notes from that last step:

First, notice that I accidentally unclipped my electric parking brake switch. Don't leave that thing off - fix it now, or you'll be back in here again later.

Second, when I pulled out the kickpanel, I also noticed the other end of the hood release had pulled out from the firewall. Don't leave that thing loose, plug it back in, or you'll wonder why your toes are wet next time it rains.

blamkin86 · March 26, 2020

With it all still apart, put your key in acc mode and make sure that each light on each upfitter switch comes on. If not, you've missed a step. It's probably either the small black plug in the back of the switches, or the grey plug that went to the factory harness...

So, start putting it all back together.

You have pix above about how it all came out. Remember that, if you did it my way, you're now two screws short. I left off the very last screw, and one of the ones behind the factory fuse cover - those seemed the easiest to come back and fix later.

Don't forget to clip the factory fusebox back into the side there. Also when you're done you'll want to clip the bottom of the kickpanel back in, of course.

Here's some pix of mine going back together:

Edited March 26, 2020 by blamkin86

blamkin86 · March 26, 2020

So that's it for today.

Tomorrow, we'll finalize the wire hanging over the passenger battery.

The good news is, compared to Today, that looks SUPER simple.

Be thinking about what you want to power with your switches. I'm thinking:

1) Relay for onboard air compressor

2) Rock lights

3) Crazy-bright backup light I can also leave on for when we arrive late at campsites with the camper

4) I don't know! Maybe some of those neat looking lights that go above the side steps?

Time for a second beer - you deserve it!

mkeddie · March 27, 2020

Not sure if it's just my phone but all the pictures are blank(broken link)

They appear in the browser just not on Tapatalk

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

blamkin86 · March 27, 2020

Interesting thanks.

On both my PC and phone browsers I can see the pix.

maybe they’ll update tapatalk or something

sorry about that.

Edited March 27, 2020 by blamkin86

2k19Sierra · March 28, 2020

Nice work! I had the dealer install the new kick panel with the switches and run the wire through the firewall when my truck was in for an oil change. Definitely the hardest part. I finished up the easy parts haha. But nice write up! Hopefully you continue the thread with the accessories you install and connect to the switches. Also a quick tip, you can use the 5th aux button it’s just pre wired to a blunt cut wire in the roof spoiler. Thinking for emergency light or back rack lights. Also I agree with you lol, Ford did do their upfitter switches better with the connections under the hood (pains me too lol). We just bought an f250 for one of our guys and it’s way easier to connect stuff. The switches on the overhead console is kinda cool too...

blamkin86 · March 28, 2020

Well sorry - the snow got me today - I'll try and hit the last step this weekend.

As said above, I'm pretty sure its' the easy part...

... thanks for the kind words!

Edited March 28, 2020 by blamkin86

Limelight · March 28, 2020

11 hours ago, blamkin86 said:

Well sorry - the snow got me today - I'll try and hit the last step this weekend.

As said above, I'm pretty sure its' the easy part...

... thanks for the kind words!

I’ve done lots of write ups on other forums over the years so I appreciate the time and effort you have put into this!

Great contribution. Good job.

MesaRat · March 28, 2020

Sweet write up. Thanks.

Just FYI: tried ordering UPFitter switch kit and dealer is telling me GM is holding sales right now and didn't know why. Apparently you can still get the kick panel with cutout. They also quoted me $150 labor to install but will probably do it myself as the travel and wait time will be longer.

Colossus · March 28, 2020

Outstanding job on this. Thanks for sharing.

blamkin86 · March 28, 2020

Hey all - thanks again for the kind comments. To be honest, I'm trying to save a few bucks because I think tough times are probably coming. Since this was a project that I already owned, it seemed a great way to spend time while quarantining, and get this thing done. In reference to my old ford, I actually used the upfitter switches for a couple things (front driving lights, camper connection, rear super huge backup lights) and I love my new truck so much I really wanted to get on to those projects.

Let's go!

OK first off, yes this is by far the easiest step: It's also the most dangerous.

No, I don't like unnecessary drama either, but while you're working on the exposed battery terminals, there's a chance you could ground out something with a tool and make a big spark and mess, and maybe even a fire.

So be smart. When I tell you to remove the grounds, and even then to be careful, do it. I can't take responsibility at this point; if you keep following these directions you're on your own.

OK drama over.

So for this step, we're going to connect that red wire we ran across the top of the firewall in the first phase. To do that, we'll

1) Disconnect grounds from BOTH batteries

2) Install some electrical bits just above the passenger battery

3) Connect the red wire

4) Put it all back together.

As witness to the idea that this step is easiest, I think I spent more time taking pix than I did wrenching. Hopefully you''ll have the same experience.