Let's install the "upfitter switches"

Bluesuby · February 2, 2021

@blamkin86 I wanted to send out a quick note thanking Bill for starting this thread. Your info, steps, and pictures definitely saved me a ton of time during the install of the kit and I truly appreciate all the time you spend blazing a trail for all of us on this install. The GM Upfitter site helped with documentation on removing the entire dash, center console, and trim pieces for the full knee bolster replacement. From start to finish it was a 3 hour project but worth the time and savings vs. the dealership install price.

I ordered the entire kit from the dealership a week ago and completed the install this past Saturday. I have wire the switches to my Kleinn GMC mount specific onboard compressor and air tank, my Speed Turtle 3.0 module, my Diode Dynamic footwell lights (wish footwell lights came stock), and my Baja Designs S8 20" LED bar in my front grill. Still looking for a way to tap into the Aux 5 wiring designated for the roof beacon (It appears there is a blunt wire behind the 3rd brake light but I would like to grab that from the harness somewhere under the dash if I can trace it) to give me an additional switch source for a final item.

Huge thanks again to Bill @blamkin86 again and for everyone else providing input on this.

Cheers,

-Chris

mrjulian416 · February 12, 2021

On 10/4/2020 at 8:14 AM, Gecko50 said:

I understand you can change the 5 switches as to where they are used with ignition on / engine running and or engine off and hot at all times controlled by the switch. Someone said by moving the fuse over in the same slot but different connection within the slot. Anyone got the new fuse panel where they can take a photo of the open fuse access?

Chuck

Inside the cover of fuse/relay box you installed, there are two 5-amp fuses on the left (drivers) side in the installed position. The one towards the rear of the truck (top one in the picture) controls switches 1 and 2. The one towards the front of the truck (bottom one in the picture) controls switches 3 and 4. Both of these fuses have an alternate position available.

As they came from the factory I believe these fuses are in the "ACC must be on" position. If you pull one out and shift it to the slot towards the passenger side (red arrows in the picture), the controlled switches will now be in the "always on" position. If I am mistaken, it's simply the opposite... the default is always on and moving them will make them ACC-on-only. But these are the fuses you move to make the change.

Edited February 12, 2021 by mrjulian416

mrjulian416 · February 12, 2021

On 2/2/2021 at 1:06 AM, Bluesuby said:

Still looking for a way to tap into the Aux 5 wiring designated for the roof beacon (It appears there is a blunt wire behind the 3rd brake light but I would like to grab that from the harness somewhere under the dash if I can trace it) to give me an additional switch source for a final item.

Huge thanks again to Bill @blamkin86 again and for everyone else providing input on this.

Cheers,

-Chris

This pic is of the harness connector from the upfitter aux fuse box. According to the wiring diagram from GM, this "green/blue stripe" wire is the one controlled by switch #5. The other end of that wire on through the connector and body harness is dead-ended somewhere near the 3rd brake light.

Snip this one (at your own risk) from the connector under the dash and you should have your 5th line.

Bluesuby · February 13, 2021

Thanks Mike!! Going to give this a try in the AM and I will report back on how it goes to share with the group.

Transient · February 14, 2021

Is there a way to disconnect the wire without cutting it? Only asking because I may want to reconnect it at a future date, but want the 5th switch now.

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mrjulian416 · February 14, 2021

You could go in the back of the connector with a micro screwdriver and release the pin, but then you'd still have the wire crimped to the individual pin.

If you want to preserve the ability to reconnect the green/blue, I would cut it a few inches back from the connector to allow enough length for a butt splice at some future point.

Personally, even if i needed to run power to headache rack light bar, I'd probably route a line from from aux switch, through the firewall, under the truck and up the rack, rather than drilling a hole in the roof of the cab to find the other end of the green/blue.

Gecko50 · February 14, 2021

11 hours ago, Transient said:

Is there a way to disconnect the wire without cutting it? Only asking because I may want to reconnect it at a future date, but want the 5th switch now.

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Yes there is a easier way with out cutting. You can get Tee tap connectors that crimp to the existing wire. If I remember correct a blue colored connector should work. It slices into the existing wire and a fold over plastic locks it into place. Before you do the crimp make sure the new wire is also slipped into the connector. OR you could skin the insulation and twist the new wire around the existing wire, solder then tape. I prefer the first one. Usable as soon as you crimp and snap the cover one.

needfulgolfer · February 14, 2021

Anyone had luck buying the kit online recently? I would love to avoid calling dealers around me and pleading with a bunch of grumpy folks to order this.

ArrowsmithPML · February 14, 2021

That is a spectacular write-up. Greatly appreciated. Honestly, I would have thought that this would have been plug and play but as it isn't I will review once it is time.

My switches will power a forward light bar, a head ache rack mounted rotating beacon, a reversing squawk box which will be engaged from the reversing trigger, but switched here so it isn't on all the time, large backup / aux lamps and lastly either some sideways facing aux lamps or i will just run the wire through the dash and terminate it so that I won't need to mess with all the dash again.

Again, excellent write-up.

Cheers,

Transient · February 15, 2021

Anyone had luck buying the kit online recently? I would love to avoid calling dealers around me and pleading with a bunch of grumpy folks to order this.

Some, if not all, of the kits are on indefinite backorder. GM won't give the dealership a time frame when it'll be released. I had my dealer run a check on availability of the kit for my truck (black interior with push button ignition). They found only 1, and it was at a dealer in Texas. They tried to get the dealership in Texas to release it, but they refused. Plan B was to order everything in the kit by their individual part numbers. This worked, but also cost more than the kit. It ran me about $300, and my dealership gives me a decent discount so they can compete with businesses like GMPartsDirect.com.

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needfulgolfer · February 15, 2021

Got it. Anyone know the replacement part number for the fasteners or a suitable substitute? Seems that is the hold up.

Transient · February 16, 2021

Looks like it's 11589015. That was the only thing my dealer had in stock. They said it was a common part that is used on all of GM's vehicles in various locations. They are the same as the screws holding your knee bolster to the dash, etc. You could really do the project without them. Just take screws from another place, such as the bottom of the knee bolster so you can mount the fuse box. When the new fasteners come in just install them where you took the other 2 fasteners from.

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mrjulian416 · February 16, 2021

The missing screws are just M4 "body screws". I picked up 2 at my local Lowes, 20mm long. They were in one of those blue drawers in the hardware aisle... I think they were $1.25 each. You should be able to find them at any hardware or auto parts store... or the dealer.

Jesediah Thimpy · February 19, 2021

On 3/25/2020 at 1:46 PM, blamkin86 said:

Now you're going to finish pushing the wire into the cab through the grommet you cut ealier.

This is a frustrating step - hang in there you'll get it.

Push the end of the wire into the grommet you cut. You won't get very far, because there's some foam on the other side blocking you.

Unfortunately you're going to have to push as much as you can until it stops - other wise you won't be able to reach it from the inside.

Now, open the door, get on the floorboard and look up:

This is looking up, and to the right, of the steering column where it goes through the firewall. Where I'm pointing there, that's where the wire should come through.

I had to go back and forth several times, fishing for the wire with my fingers, pushing from the engine bay side, until I got my fingers on the wire. You may find it easier to do this with some help, but I managed. I had to pull the foam out of the way, then go back to the engine bay, push the wire, blah blah, until I got enough to pull it through.

Once you get it through, route it above the heater outlet, and point it towards the parking brake control - this picture is looking straight up from the floor.

Finally, don't close off the firewall opening yet. Unfortunately, whatever you're going to wire to this switch ALSO has to come through that same opening you made for the power wire. (Which sucks- they should have put this next bit under the hood!)

mrjulian416 · February 22, 2021

I have now successfully joined the club. A big thanks to Bill (blamkin86) for the initial write up, as well as to the guys who contributed other tips along the way. Without that detail, this would have been a far longer, and more "cussful", effort. Here are my observations, tips, tricks:

--I ended up removing the fuse panel and air vent assembly just as bill described in his initial posts. It seemed like if I only had a third hand I could pull the bottom edge of the kick panel towards the seat and have enough room to get a ratchet on the mounting screws for the aux fuse box. Since I was not replacing the kick panel, I took a short cut by only removing the first two screws and popping the two left-most clips of the panel. I then hooked a ratcheting strap to the bottom center edge of the kick panel, ran it to the drivers headrest, and was able to carefully pull the bottom edge of the kick panel back far enough to get the new aux fuse/relay box mounted. I still had to do this by feel, but there was then sufficient space for my fingers and the ratchet to get to the mounting screws.

-- With the kick panel still largely in place, I connected the harness to the switches through the opening where the drivers fuse panel was. The other two connections were made from underneath, lying on my back on the floor.

--I had bought four 10' coils of TXL wire in blue, brown, gray, and yellow (Wire Barn TXL wire). I taped these four wires to the 10g feed wire before pushing through the firewall grommet. A little wrestling with the foam under the dash, back and forth pushing from above and pulling from below, I successfully got the 10g feed in and connected, as well has having the four switched lines running back out to the engine compartment.

--I used heat shrink crimp connectors on the four leads under the dash. Just hang some hand towels as a backstop when using the heat gun. Under the dash, tuck everything up and wire tie it out of the way.

--In the engine compartment I ran the 4 lines through some split loom from the firewall grommet to the second battery location, taped off the ends for now, and wire tied it into a neat coil. (Mine's a gas engine, no second battery.)

-- My truck also lacked the holes along the cowling to use the plastic push rivets to mount the feed wire across the engine. I did not drill new holes. I just wire tied the new line to the existing loom running across the cowling. You can see this existing line in Bill's pics.

--Having now dealt directly with it, I am even more dumbfounded that GM does not install this stuff on the assembly line. Without the excellent write ups from Bill, this would have been a total PIA. With the write ups, it was only a minor PIA, but still at some point the truck was on an assembly line, with easy access to all connections/components. The option price is the same as what the competition charges, yet somehow the competition can completely install these switches/components and leave you with switched leads dead-ended in the engine compartment. No excuse for GM to do it this way.