Adding Aux switches: or, Seriously, just order them...

[Just_Jim]

First: I am a cheap bastard. I know this, and accept it as a factor which often appears in my world view. Order the bloody switches!

My Bronco was not ordered. Now I suffer the consequences. But, Hey! I get a crappy sunglasses holder as a sorry ass consolation to the trouble exerted to upfit my own switch and relay bank. Yay me!

Fortunately I have a rather extensive knowledge of, and background in, 12v DC electronics, and this stuff really isn't mentally taxing or requiring of much more than a basic skill set. Populating a relay block is very simple, it just takes a bunch of time. Fortunately, I have time to fart with this stuff and don't really mind doing it.

First up, I installed my switches in the windshield trim piece.

I have 2 "always live" switches in the bank, and the "power" button will turn on the relay which is otherwise "accessory on" for my ham radio. I'll need a diode in that line to prevent back-feeding everything else on that switched circuit. The other 4 switches will be accessory switched to run aux lighting.

This is a Nilight switch bank, but I painted over the branding.

I also rewired the switches so the locator lights in the switches are on with the running lights rather than always on (as it came), but did that after this pic was taken. Rather than using the original ground jumper wires, I soldered a bus wire across the ground spades. There isn't enough room behind the panel for the daisy chain, so this was strictly to prevent needing to deform the windshield frame or cut a recess for clearance.

The 18/9 cable was then ran across the windshield with the factory harness for the visor mirror lights, and down the passenger A-pillar, and through the big grommet in the firewall above the passenger foot well.

I added a plate of aluminum between the module (no clue what it does) and factory bracket to mount the new relay/fuse box.

This is only mocked up and looks saggy, but it does sit square when bolted in. I'll add another bracket to tie it to the air box to stiffen it up. You can see the harness and additional wires temporarily wrapped around the washer fluid reservoir neck. I need to pull a couple more wires through that grommet (accessed by removing the overflow tank) before I work on plugging everything into the new box.

Power for the new box will come from an 8ga wire run from the 60A breaker over the cowl to the other side.

I have most of the wiring done in the relay/fuse panel waiting for the +12v wires from the harness to the relay's, and then the load wires from the fuses.

And that's where things sit for now.

To be continued...

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[PSUTE]

Looks great! I can do that, not as well as you did, but I am glad that I ordered mine with the factory switches, but I get your conundrum having gotten one without what I consider to be the greatest bargain of a build. Fished enough wires in my life...

 

[kimmnen]

First: I am a cheap bastard. I know this, and accept it as a factor which often appears in my world view. Order the bloody switches!

My Bronco was not ordered. Now I suffer the consequences. But, Hey! I get a crappy sunglasses holder as a sorry ass consolation to the trouble exerted to upfit my own switch and relay bank. Yay me!

Fortunately I have a rather extensive knowledge of, and background in, 12v DC electronics, and this stuff really isn't mentally taxing or requiring of much more than a basic skill set. Populating a relay block is very simple, it just takes a bunch of time. Fortunately, I have time to fart with this stuff and don't really mind doing it.

First up, I installed my switches in the windshield trim piece.

I have 2 "always live" switches in the bank, and the "power" button will turn on the relay which is otherwise "accessory on" for my ham radio. I'll need a diode in that line to prevent back-feeding everything else on that switched circuit. The other 4 switches will be accessory switched to run aux lighting.

This is a Nilight switch bank, but I painted over the branding.

I also rewired the switches so the locator lights in the switches are on with the running lights rather than always on (as it came), but did that after this pic was taken. Rather than using the original ground jumper wires, I soldered a bus wire across the ground spades. There isn't enough room behind the panel for the daisy chain, so this was strictly to prevent needing to deform the windshield frame or cut a recess for clearance.

The 18/9 cable was then ran across the windshield with the factory harness for the visor mirror lights, and down the passenger A-pillar, and through the big grommet in the firewall above the passenger foot well.

I added a plate of aluminum between the module (no clue what it does) and factory bracket to mount the new relay/fuse box.

This is only mocked up and looks saggy, but it does sit square when bolted in. I'll add another bracket to tie it to the air box to stiffen it up. You can see the harness and additional wires temporarily wrapped around the washer fluid reservoir neck. I need to pull a couple more wires through that grommet (accessed by removing the overflow tank) before I work on plugging everything into the new box.

Power for the new box will come from an 8ga wire run from the 60A breaker over the cowl to the other side.

I have most of the wiring done in the relay/fuse panel waiting for the +12v wires from the harness to the relay's, and then the load wires from the fuses.

And that's where things sit for now.

To be continued...

nice work and you still have a place for your sunglasses or garage door opener.

 

[Just_Jim]

I've been busy with other projects lately, but finally got back to working on this one last night.

Wires are all ran through the firewall or under the cowl. I'm using the upfitter white/orange wire to pull the switched power signal from the rear utility outlet to under the dash, then it switches to yellow to come through the grommet and up into the box.

I'll get more pics later.

 

[Bob 07064]

yeah, i'm good with all that stuff to but my time is worth more then the effort.... $200 for factory is money well spent

 

[Snappy22]

Very cool! And clean!

Imagine the lights you could put on that if you added the OEM switches also, haha! Light up the town!

 

[MnLakeBum]

Looks great! I ordered the factory switches as I’m age 57 now and don’t love doing 12v install stuff anymore. In my younger years I competed in car stereo completions and remember spending a few hundred hours on one of my cars. I’d likely throw my back out if I tried that now.

 

[Just_Jim]

yeah, i'm good with all that stuff to but my time is worth more then the effort.... $200 for factory is money well spent

Read the first part of the thread. I wasn't given the option. I'm also very direct in stating that one should order them if they can.

 

[Bob 07064]

Read the first part of the thread. I wasn't given the option. I'm also very direct in stating that one should order them if they can.

no I get it, my original dealer priced me out of my first build and I had the parts lined up to do the switches since I didn't order them the first go around. on my secondary order it was the first box I checked.....

 

[Just_Jim]

I accidentally plugged the wrong load into the #6 fuse (I was tired), so those are reversed. Oops! That's what I get for using red wires on both circuits.

It's still a work in process. You can see the uninstalled switch wires on the right side of the box - those need to go to relay triggers. I also need to bring in a lighting switched wire. Looks like I'll be pulling my grille again.

Here's what she looks like closed up.

 

[Just_Jim]

Finally got 'er going.

 

[jhm66]

When you ran wiring down the passenger A-pillar, where do you go when you get to dash level? Is there a clear path to under the dash before going through the firewall grommet? Thanks!

 

[Just_Jim]

When you ran wiring down the passenger A-pillar, where do you go when you get to dash level? Is there a clear path to under the dash before going through the firewall grommet? Thanks!

There's a channel along the A pillar where the OEM wiring goes on each side. You'll need to pull the interior trim off to run it behind the airbags.

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