GM Accessories Off-Road Light on GM Sport Bar

Transient · September 25, 2020

Last week I placed an order through accessories.chevrolet.com for the offroad lights that install onto the sport bar. I paid for the dealership to install them since electrical work is one of many weaknesses of mine. There was only 1 dealership that showed up on the website for my area. I gave them my truck last night before they closed, after they called earlier in the week and set up an appointment for first thing this morning. I called to find out the status and was told the tech has been working on it all day. Total install cost for the light and required wiring harness was $400. The dealership hourly rate is $175/hour (SoCal, go figure). Doing the math, it's being billed at approximately 2 hours 15 minutes to completely install. At 3:20pm I called to find out if my truck was done. My service writer said the tech has been working on it since 7am, had just spoken to the tech, and was pushing for a 4pm completion. I told them that wouldn't do, and I needed a mode of transportation. They gave me a loaner car. It's now 5pm, and I still haven't heard from the dealership about my truck being done. I have also been told this is the first time anybody at the dealership has installed this GM accessory on a T1. Still, 10 hours for a job that requires 1/5th that is stupid. My truck has only GM Accessories on it (aside from a short antenna and tonneau cover). Before I start calling BS on all of this, I want to take a look at the installation instructions. Does anybody have access to these they can post up in this thread?

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Jason Rebellion · September 25, 2020

It took them 2 days to do the factory lift on my SLT. Same story, first time they’d ever done it. Still only charged me for what was quoted though.

Transient · September 25, 2020

It took them 2 days to do the factory lift on my SLT. Same story, first time they’d ever done it. Still only charged me for what was quoted though.

It's frustratingly stupid. I think I'll head down to the dealership tomorrow with my drone and take a peak to see what's going on. The dealership doesn't have a closed garage for service. It's more like a carport. I'll be able to fly nearby and see what's going on. The attached pic is the service department. Both structures on the right and left are the service bays. There's no doors at all. If I hover over the bays on the right, then I can have a direct line of sight on the left. I saw my truck today, and it is in one of the bays on the left.

Photo cropped to conceal dealership info.

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newdude · September 25, 2020

11 hours ago, Transient said:

Last week I placed an order through accessories.chevrolet.com for the offroad lights that install onto the sport bar. I paid for the dealership to install them since electrical work is one of many weaknesses of mine. There was only 1 dealership that showed up on the website for my area. I gave them my truck last night before they closed, after they called earlier in the week and set up an appointment for first thing this morning. I called to find out the status and was told the tech has been working on it all day. Total install cost for the light and required wiring harness was $400. The dealership hourly rate is $175/hour (SoCal, go figure). Doing the math, it's being billed at approximately 2 hours 15 minutes to completely install. At 3:20pm I called to find out if my truck was done. My service writer said the tech has been working on it since 7am, had just spoken to the tech, and was pushing for a 4pm completion. I told them that wouldn't do, and I needed a mode of transportation. They gave me a loaner car. It's now 5pm, and I still haven't heard from the dealership about my truck being done. I have also been told this is the first time anybody at the dealership has installed this GM accessory on a T1. Still, 10 hours for a job that requires 1/5th that is stupid. My truck has only GM Accessories on it (aside from a short antenna and tonneau cover). Before I start calling BS on all of this, I want to take a look at the installation instructions. Does anybody have access to these they can post up in this thread?

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First time through that sport bar is a bit of a bear. Actual straight punch time for the 4 or 5 we've done ends up being about 3-4 hours (flat rate so they lost their A$$ on it). And a different person in our shop installed each one of those, so first time for everyone.

And the guy working your truck probably kept getting pulled off of it to do other crap too. Depending on size/how many techs, they might not have the ability to leave one guy just on one job for 2-3 hours.

Edited September 25, 2020 by newdude

Transient · September 25, 2020

First time through that sport bar is a bit of a bear. Actual straight punch time for the 4 or 5 we've done ends up being about 3-4 hours (flat rate so they lost their A$$ on it). And a different person in our shop installed each one of those, so first time for everyone.

And the guy working your truck probably kept getting pulled off of it to do other crap too. Depending on size/how many techs, they might not have the ability to leave one guy just on one job for 2-3 hours.

I don't know what the work hours are for the guy working on it, but the shop is open 7am-6pm. I got a call a few minutes ago. They've been working on it for the last hour today (they've only been open an hour). They are experiencing difficulty. I was told it was installed, and they were able to turn the light on and then off, but when they turned it back on it didn't come on. They think the harness may be faulty or there's an issue with the controller. They're ordering another harness. This sounds like it is going to take a few days.

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Transient · September 25, 2020

This is turning into a s*** show with a barrel full of monkeys. They located and installed a 2nd wiring harness for the light bar. They were still experiencing the same problems as before. They tried calling me and saying it is what it is, and to come get the truck. I said if it's not 100% functional then the job isn't 100% complete. They've had several other techs take a look, and none of them can figure what's going on. I told them to call GM to figure out what's going on. Apparently they called Baja Designs. Baja Designs told them to change the battery in the remote. The dealership doesn't have the battery, so they went to get one. I was told I'd get a call back in 30 minutes. That was over an hour ago. I'm about to head down to the dealership.

Edit: the dealership just called to say they aren't able to complete the job today. They're keeping the truck over the weekend. Hopefully Monday....

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Transient · September 29, 2020

Got a call around 12:30 today from the dealership. They said the truck was done. Turns out the problem was the battery in the remote. Why this kit doesn't have a manual switch installed in the truck is perplexing. The only way to turn on/off the light is via a remote that hands from your keys. I wonder if there's a way to get these to work with an auxiliary switch should I go that route? Biggest problem is the 2 strobe features.

Negative impressions on this are that it's way too small for the truck. Imo, it should've been bigger. It's both too thin in height and width. The bracket mounting the light to the sport bar is bigger than the side profile of the light. Also, it uses 4 smaller covers instead of 1 big cover, and they aren't that convenient in removing.

The positives are the light is bright. It's very bright, like it should be. It also has 2 strobe speeds, but the strobe affect is the same. One setting is just faster than the other. The light cover(s) seems very durable. It's not too difficult to put them on or take them off.

Overall, for the money I paid I wouldn't do this again knowing what I know now. However, if your ultimate goal is to have a functional offroad light that mounts to your truck without modifying anything, nor affecting any part of your warranty, then this will work for you. I was able to fit in parking garages with a maximum height of 7 feet. Now the height of my truck is 7 feet 4 inches. For appearance, the light doesn't flow with the truck. While the truck is big, the light seems paper thin and the mounting bracket is big. Aesthetically it doesn't flow with the rest of the truck.

Garys007 · September 29, 2020

Transient,

thanks for the honest review.

Can you take some pictures from a little higher? Maybe one from the bed to look at how the lights mount and the wiring? Also maybe a higher view from the front? Maybe use a latter.

Is the light pattern very focused frontward or is it dispersed to the sides?

Transient · September 30, 2020

Transient,

thanks for the honest review.

Can you take some pictures from a little higher? Maybe one from the bed to look at how the lights mount and the wiring? Also maybe a higher view from the front? Maybe use a latter.

Is the light pattern very focused frontward or is it dispersed to the sides?

Here are some pics you requested. I couldn't find my latter, but I was able to locate my ladder so I could get you a raised front view.

Wiring from the light is run through the light bar, down into the passenger side bed wall so that it goes under the truck, run under the cab, and into the engine bay.

As for illumination, I turned it on a few times last night to check out how the light was projected. I didn't want to annoy my neighbors, so it was brief. From my perspective it was projecting forward, but there was some light scattering out at an angle. When you look at the light bar you'll see the lights are arranged in 4 segments. The lens on both the left and right of each segment are ruined so they scatter light. The 6 lights between them are crystal lenses so the light is focused forward.

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Garys007 · October 1, 2020

Thanks for the additional pictures. Very helpful. I do a lot of beach driving and I see a lot of trucks with various lighting systems. I'm interested in mounting one, but there are so many out there, it's tough to choose.

One last request and no pressure, but if you get a chance to take a picture with the lights on the next time you are out and about, would be greatly appreciated. The beach season is about over here in the NY region, so I am in no rush to get something, so like I said, no rush.

Transient · October 1, 2020

Thanks for the additional pictures. Very helpful. I do a lot of beach driving and I see a lot of trucks with various lighting systems. I'm interested in mounting one, but there are so many out there, it's tough to choose.

One last request and no pressure, but if you get a chance to take a picture with the lights on the next time you are out and about, would be greatly appreciated. The beach season is about over here in the NY region, so I am in no rush to get something, so like I said, no rush.

That may be doable, but not for a bit. I'm headed to Lake Havasu, AZ in about 3 weeks. I suspect there may be a place somewhere between there and San Diego that I might be able to get a good photo for you.

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Wintersun · October 9, 2020

The sports bar is the optimum location for high power offroad lights but when I had them on my truck a CHP officer pulled me over and was going to give me a ticket. I showed him that the wires from the lights were physically disconnected and the lights not operable and he let me go.

The CHP is very lax at enforcing the vehicular code these days with regard to modified trucks so it may not be a problem. If I was putting a set on my truck today I would use Nelson connectors.

Transient · October 10, 2020

The sports bar is the optimum location for high power offroad lights but when I had them on my truck a CHP officer pulled me over and was going to give me a ticket. I showed him that the wires from the lights were physically disconnected and the lights not operable and he let me go.

The CHP is very lax at enforcing the vehicular code these days with regard to modified trucks so it may not be a problem. If I was putting a set on my truck today I would use Nelson connectors.

They can ticket me all they want. I'm in full compliance, as seen in the picture. My lights are fully functional, and will remain so.

24411.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a vehicle may be equipped with not more than eight lamps for use as headlamps while the vehicle is operated or driven off the highway. The lamps shall be mounted at a height of not less than 16 inches from the ground, or more than 12 inches above the top of the passenger compartment, at any place between the front of the vehicle and a line lying on a point 40 inches to the rear of the seat occupied by the driver, shall be wired independently of all other lighting circuits, and, whenever the vehicle is operated or driven upon a highway, shall be covered or hooded with an opaque hood or cover, and turned off.

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=24411.

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Transient · January 8, 2021

I know it's been a few months, but I thought I'd bring this thread back. My saga with the GM Accessories light bar from Baja Designs is still ongoing. If you've been following the thread about auxiliary switches from GM Upfitters then you know I've had a little difficulty getting everything, but I hope that endeavor will be over soon.

The purpose for the auxiliary switches has always been so I could have a wired button on the dash for the offroad lights instead of a key fob. This is the way it was on the last generation of trucks, so I'm disappointed to see that didn't carry over to the T1xx's. I'm pleased to announce that may no longer be the case

I decided to contact Baja Designs about working with them to make a wire harness for the offroad light so I could use the GM Upfitter switch. Their rely was very short and sweet. They already make a wire harness for this application. You can find it at the following link:

https://www.bajadesigns.com/products/ford-upfitter-wiring-harness-onx6-s8.asp

I've already ordered the wire harness. I'll let everybody know how this turns out, hopefully in the near future.

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