Adding LED strips to the bed, how do i get them to come on with the OEM bed lights?

[Kinalyx]

I dont think i can just go red to hot on the button side as im assuming that wire is always hot and not switched, however, there should be a "jumper" of sorts to the other side that tells the passenger side to come on since it doesnt have a button.

Would it be possible to connect both LED strips(driver and passenger side) to the "jumper" and have the whole system work like OEM?

Shawn

 

[dts828]

I spliced them into the OEM wiring at the back of the OEM bed lights. If you don't have ramboxes like me the wiring is easy to get to if you remove the taillights I'm told. I just probed with digital multimeter to see which wire had 12 volts when the OEM lights were on.

Sent from my GM1917 using Tapatalk

 

[Kinalyx]

thats what i was thinking also. Im actually going to try to just pull the OEM LED lights out of the cutouts and do all the wiring right there, shouldn't even need to remove the tails.

 

[titan3636]

Post pics of the steps and results once done!!

 

[jgc650i]

I did the same with my LEDS. If you remove the OEM light on the driver's side (the one with the switch), on the back side you'll see two wire harness connections coming in. The bottom is for the power/switch, the top feeds the light from the switch and has a simple Red(+)/Black(-) two wire. I tapped this set and got the result you're looking for - LEDs come on with the OEM lights, both by the OEM switch and the timed auto on/off.

BE CAREFUL when you remove the OEM light and switch. Remove from the top 1st and press down on the tab you'll see on the top inside as you start to pull the light. Go slowly and make sure you depress the tab fully or you'll break it. Do not pull from the sides or bottom. The bottom has a hook like tab, the top has the depress type tab.

I actually just upgraded my install this past weekend to add more lights and install a secondary switch. You can see that in this post.

 

[dts828]

thats what i was thinking also. Im actually going to try to just pull the OEM LED lights out of the cutouts and do all the wiring right there, shouldn't even need to remove the tails.

I tried to remove the OEM lights but couldn't remove without getting from behind to depress top clip to release light. Might have been easier to release clip from front if I didn't have spray in bed liner option. I found out they spray the liner at factory after the lights installed(they just mask them off) .

Sent from my GM1917 using Tapatalk