questions about powering lights from bed lights power

[lordmundi]

I've found a couple of topics related to this on the forum but don't think I ever found the answers I'm looking for (although my apologies if my search-fu is failing me).

There are some lights on the roll bar I will be installing (not huge lights, just two smaller square LED lights facing backwards into the bed). I was originally thinking about adding the aux switch module and using an aux switch to be able to turn them on and off manually, but I think I'd really like the ability to have them come on when the bed lights come on. And since I also have that bed lights switch button already in the jeep, that would let me turn on and off all of the bed lights together with that switch.

Looking through the forums, it sounds like those bed lights aren't on a separate circuit and use the same fuse as the interior lights (30A maybe?). So I guess my first question to the community is, is that right? I'm not sure how much headroom I have on that 30A fuse because I'm not sure how much all the interior lights normally draw.

But, if that is true, I suppose I have two options - I can either tie the lights directly into the lines that power the bed lights and see if it all works. Another option might be to just tie the signal from the bed lights to power a relay so I can draw power from some other 12V constant source.

So my second question is, if I go with option 2, is there some constant 12V power in the bed wiring that I could tap into? For example, I think I have the trailer hitch wiring on the bumper so presumably there is a constant 12V power line in there? I'm not sure what wires I should use or what the gotchas on that might be so I figured I would ask folks here before I start experimenting. Maybe there is other constant 12V power that is closer to the bed lights?

Thanks for any help, wiring diagrams, personal experience, suggestions, etc.!

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[MPMB]

the manual says this: 30A Pink - Central Body Controller (CBC) 1-INTERIOR LIGHTS

the CBC runs everything on the interior, including power windows, stereo, etc., if I understand a quick search on what the CBC is.

Based on your wants, I'd run separate power to the lights with a relay tied into the OEM button.

 

[lordmundi]

love your portal profile picture @MPMB ... my new gladiator is named "Glados"... i.e. Glados the Gladiator. And I have a blue and orange theme (started by the hydra blue and mojave orange) that I plan to continue on into a slight portal theme on the truck.

 

[IanNubbit]

4 different fuses go into the BCM, many outputs occur after, none of the outputs from the BCM have fuses, its controlled byt the fuses going to the BCM, it's very dumb. It's not really well documented exactly haw the tracing works and which fuse does exactly what besides syaing "interior" "exterior 1" "exterior 2". Most likely, small waulity efficient lights will be fine to T off on the cargo light circuit. Worse that happens is the fuse blows and you know its too much. It's only a 24 gauge wire from the BCM to the Cargo Lights so it definatly wont handle a large load

 

[lordmundi]

4 different fuses go into the BCM, many outputs occur after, none of the outputs from the BCM have fuses, its controlled byt the fuses going to the BCM, it's very dumb. It's not really well documented exactly haw the tracing works and which fuse does exactly what besides syaing "interior" "exterior 1" "exterior 2". Most likely, small waulity efficient lights will be fine to T off on the cargo light circuit. Worse that happens is the fuse blows and you know its too much. It's only a 24 gauge wire from the BCM to the Cargo Lights so it definatly wont handle a large load

that's awesome info... are there any diagrams that show what wires go to the bed and what the wire colors are?

 

[Britton]

Since I added the decked system it covers up the original bed lights. I added two LED strip lights under the bed rails and tapped into the original bed lights. I have had no problems at all.

 

[IanNubbit]

that's awesome info... are there any diagrams that show what wires go to the bed and what the wire colors are?

 

[mx5red]

I've found a couple of topics related to this on the forum but don't think I ever found the answers I'm looking for (although my apologies if my search-fu is failing me).

There are some lights on the roll bar I will be installing (not huge lights, just two smaller square LED lights facing backwards into the bed). I was originally thinking about adding the aux switch module and using an aux switch to be able to turn them on and off manually, but I think I'd really like the ability to have them come on when the bed lights come on. And since I also have that bed lights switch button already in the jeep, that would let me turn on and off all of the bed lights together with that switch.

Looking through the forums, it sounds like those bed lights aren't on a separate circuit and use the same fuse as the interior lights (30A maybe?). So I guess my first question to the community is, is that right? I'm not sure how much headroom I have on that 30A fuse because I'm not sure how much all the interior lights normally draw.

But, if that is true, I suppose I have two options - I can either tie the lights directly into the lines that power the bed lights and see if it all works. Another option might be to just tie the signal from the bed lights to power a relay so I can draw power from some other 12V constant source.

So my second question is, if I go with option 2, is there some constant 12V power in the bed wiring that I could tap into? For example, I think I have the trailer hitch wiring on the bumper so presumably there is a constant 12V power line in there? I'm not sure what wires I should use or what the gotchas on that might be so I figured I would ask folks here before I start experimenting. Maybe there is other constant 12V power that is closer to the bed lights?

Thanks for any help, wiring diagrams, personal experience, suggestions, etc.!

I also wired some LED strips into the bed.
To answer similar question of power consumption:
“On Amazon somebody said “ tested these tonight (2, 5' strip lights) connected to a 12 volt battery on a 6amp float charger, at 14 volts they are pulling about 2.6amps (36.4 watts) on my harbor freight meter.”
google says the 5050 LED draws 20mA, there are 90 on each 60” strip. So sounds like those measurements are in the right ballpark.

The OEM wiring is 18g.
I haven’t had any fires (yet).?‍”

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...ed-bed-light-strip-install.66762/post-1095689

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