Jump to content

Let's install the "upfitter switches"

blamkin86

By blamkin86
in Modifications & Accessories

 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 233
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Popular Posts

blamkin86
blamkin86

This week, I'll slowly detail the installation of the GM upfitter switches. They're going in a 2020 GMC Sierra AT4.   If you're not familiar with the Upfitter Switches, they're a bank of 5 s

blamkin86
blamkin86

That's it for today. Neither end of the main wire is connected to anything - and that's ok for now.   Tomorrow we'll start discombobulating the dash. There are a lot of pieces to remove. If

blamkin86
blamkin86

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

Posted Images

KTDanforth Enthusiast

KTDanforth

Posted
Posted
16 hours ago, PBNB said:

I was able to get my Diode Dynamics SS6 fog lights hooked up to the Upfitter Kit.

 

Now that I have all these buttons to use up, I have to start finding things to hook up!

 

image.thumb.jpeg.56b52bb695db971736ebda2bd052b409.jpeg

Looks Good, what bracketing did you use for the lights?

PBNB Enthusiast

PBNB

Posted
Posted (edited)

I had these lights from my '22 Tundra. They came with the little black angles on both sides and the wiring adaptors for a plug and play solution. The Tundra was kicked down the road but I kept the lights, one of the few good things about that truck! :) 

 

I cutoff the adaptor plugs and made a harness to connect to the upfitter output. The Silverado has a steel bumper rather than all that plastic in the Toyota. I just drilled into the bumper under the grill and mounted these. That part was easy. I can adjust them up and down to avoid blinding people.

 

Here is a link to the kit: https://www.diodedynamics.com/ss6-led-fog-light-kit-for-2022-2025-toyota-tundra.html

Edited by PBNB
PBNB Enthusiast

PBNB

Posted
Posted

Now that the upfitter kit is installed, I am attempting to use up the buttons.

 

AUX 1 - fog lights

AUX 2 - dash cam

  • 9 months later...
AndrewF Enthusiast

AndrewF

Posted
Posted (edited)

What firewall penetration does everyone typically use for the 24+ refresh trucks?  Bulletin 193d for the refresh trucks specifies the firewall penetration on the passenger side behind the battery. While the original 153e bulletin routes across the top of the firewall and through the drivers side.

 

193d requires removing the silver insulation/clips from the upfitter battery power wire and then routing behind the HVAC duct in the cab. That seems like more work when also considering the 4 power outputs from the switches also need to go back behind the duct.
 

It appears it is the same upfitter kit for both pre/post refresh trucks so I’m assuming it does not matter?

Edited by AndrewF
Chuck FB Enthusiast

Chuck FB

Posted
Posted
10 minutes ago, AndrewF said:

What firewall penetration does everyone typically use for the 24+ refresh trucks?  Bulletin 193d for the refresh trucks specifies the firewall penetration on the passenger side behind the battery. While the original 153e bulletin routes across the top of the firewall and through the drivers side.

 

193d requires removing the silver insulation/clips from the upfitter battery power wire and then routing behind the HVAC duct in the cab. That seems like more work when also considering the 4 power outputs from the switches also need to go back behind the duct.
 

It appears it is the same upfitter kit for both pre/post refresh trucks so I’m assuming it does not matter?

 

I won't be a lot of help in giving guides and hints as I never installed the upfitter wiring in my truck as the dealer did it and oddly enough I didn't even request it, the salesman had one of their electrical specialists in the shop do it and I was not charged for it. That to me says someone that is used to doing this install can do it fairly fast as they know the moves. From what I see he bundled the power wire from the passenger battery with the existing factory harness wire that runs along the upper area of the fire wall over to the drivers side and then entered in at the steering column. I have nothing hooked up at the switches though as this was only an upfitter harness and I assume the mini breaker box behind the dash install and yes I had ordered the truck with it so the switch assembly came installed into the lower center of the dash ( being a Chev ) with the special cutout panel made for the switches that the refresh interior situates the switch panel. The harness was sitting under the rear seat in a bag in the tray when I first set my eyes on my ordered truck. Cheap to order with the truck, expensive to buy all the parts after to install it so I hear. 

PBNB Enthusiast

PBNB

Posted
Posted

Having installed the kit in my 23 Silverado, I would expect that the differences would be a longer wire lead from the buttons to the added fuse box. It is really the placement of the buttons that makes this different. 

 

If one could install the buttons in the same location (left of the steering wheel) it would make the installation a bit easier as you would have to pull all the dash pieces to get to the buttons.

 

But I am sure that is explained in the bulletin and install documentation.

 

When I bought our truck, it was 18 months old. Parts of the kit were in the truck but a few pieces were missing so my salesman went and collected all the clips, fuses, wires, etc.. to complete the kit. The buttons were already installed in the kick panel. I didn't have to remove much to get at the install area so that was a bonus. I like the kit now and I use it all the time. Still planning more use for the remaining switches (3 are unused) but that will have to wait till work slows down.

 

The one thing that comes across as strange about this kit is why GM doesn't just install it but leave the battery connections off so if owners wanted to use it, they would just need to install the battery fuses and away they go! Now with the newer dash design and placement of the buttons, that would make a lot more sense. 

  • Like 1
Adaze1 New Member

Adaze1

Posted
Posted

I have installed the fitter kit in my 2025 Chevy.   How do you use button 5?

There is no wire? The harness only has four wires.  Can one be added?  The wire diagram shows it.

thanks

PBNB Enthusiast

PBNB

Posted
Posted

I believe the 5th wire goes to the rear of the roof and allows for something to be connected out the back towards the truck bed. 

 

You should be able to tap into that wire from the little fuse box. "Sw5 Grn/Bl" is the wire according to this picture that I have clipped from the bulletin.

 

image.jpeg.0ea2b2cdbe0b4c1b1bd28413e3f81220.jpeg

  • Like 1

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • KARNUT
      OCI, not when but why?

      By KARNUT · Posted

      For some unexplained reason my father wanted a salvage yard. As we were getting the family business off the ground one brother ran the salvage yard. We gathered there when rained out working on pipelines in the eighties to pull parts. Perfectly good running vehicles would come to us simply because they wouldn’t pass emissions inspection. We were able to swap parts and sell some of them. I got a clean old nova with a bad engine. I pulled a perfectly good small block out a Camaro. A father and son project with a rebuilt engine. The son couldn’t get the engine running right. The problem was the spark plugs weren’t gapped. The 90s vehicles probably widened the gap of shade tree do it yourself engine repair. My do it yourself hot rod repair stopped at the 70s. After that my trusted mechanic kept them in running shape. 
    • Atlas
      Wow I'm in a pickle. (Broke down truck) and a story.

      By Atlas · Posted

      I have an old dental chair in my shop. Something I got for free and apparently it has more than scrap value? People collect them although mine isn't restored or anything. It's visually interesting (1930's Ritter) which is why I like it. And it IS decently comfortable if you kick back.   When a good buddy of mine saw it he said, let me guess, Atlas. It's a conversation piece? As in, you ask the questions, they do the talking?   Where do you hide the jar of teeth?   I would never.   
    • Atlas
      OCI, not when but why?

      By Atlas · Posted

      Are we talking about the same thing, though? The 7 versus 3 wear metals was from Lakespeed's 3.0-specific oil brand comparison test between AcDelco oil and Mobil ESP. The filter remains a constant so whatever excess particles the AcDelco oil is producing aren't being filtered out.   I'm assuming there's a parallel comparison to be made; IF the filter can filter down those particles, engine life increases, and your graph makes the case that a better filter (lower micron rating) can increase engine life. Introducing fewer particles AND filtering those particles with higher efficiency is the best of all worlds. Good oil, good filter.   Where we may disagree is the "baseline relative engine life". I'm more apt to believe the base engine life value is 200k+ on very average oil and filters, "bulk oil of unknown brand and white-label generic fleet-grade filter, Jiffy Lube"   Going from a 10 micron filter to a 5 micron filter should boost a base 200k to 275k in a vacuum as a single factor alone.   Here's the whatabout: How does regularly changing the oil and filter ahead of recommended schedule influence baseline engine life? Most people aren't going to science the heck out of this stuff or ask about Micron ratings, HTHS, or wear comparison tests at Jiffy Lube. Most of the Jiffy lube techs would say they need to call their tech support line to even try to get an answer.   --   Because we love anecdotes here, when I was fishing for 4.3 parts at a local yard this weekend, ALL of the 4.3 vehicles had well over 200k. I love looking at odometers of junked vehicles. How far did THIS go before landing at the crusher? The ones that still had engines weren't seized. None of them were vehicles I'd consider were Amsoil queens, in fact most of them had some kind of service cling-sticker in the corner of the windshield indicating it probably had very average maintenance services. Even the fresh parts rigs- I'm not sure taking an S/T series to 400k has much value considering the running value of those vehicles was probably somewhere around $1,000. 25+ years is a good run on time alone.   The intake manifold I salvaged had clean and bright pool areas. As expected, I found the fuel lines in the manifold rubbed through, just like mine. I'm guessing the lines on that donor truck started leaking, the truck started running rough, and its owner said that's enough I'm unwilling or can't take it out of service for several days, or spend $1000+ to repair it at a shop, it's simply time for a newer more reliable vehicle (or, more than likely, this is the 2nd, 3rd time this has happened in the truck's lifetime). While I don't count on my Blazer for reliability, the thought of giving it away for parts at certain points during my adventure, and being mentally free from its needs has has crossed my mind. I'd be losing $1500 or so, but I can only make more money; not time.
    • diyer2
      Gas Prices

      By diyer2 · Posted

      still $4.00 85 oct.
    • Mike@SolerPrf
      2021+ Tahoe Suburban Yukon Escalade Throttle Body and DLX Controller

      By Mike@SolerPrf · Posted

      Always here to help. Discount Code: TIFF5OFF

  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...