Ford Upfitter 6-Switch Overhead console Retrofit for 3rd Gens

So i have A LOT of people asking about the switches so here is a Retrofit guide (or the best thing i can do is show you what i did.) This is part of a larger project of mine which can be found on my built long here; (STILL BUILDING IT)

Background;
I needed more switches for my auxiliary fuse box build and had not set myself to up for a switch pro. Which i'm not a fan of the Switch Pros or similar panels (of which i'm not a fan of membrane switches of that style). So i figured to go with physical switches but the options are pretty limited. so my options were OEM style push switches (which i did not have a huge amount of space for 6 of them and the LEDS are usually some completely different colour than the rest of the dash), rocker switch panel (couldn't figure out where to put it and stick out like a sore thumb), and whatever else i could find.

Not really sure how i bumped into these switches but it checked off the most of what i was looking for. Something that blends into the other buttons and still feel OEM in some way.

So I considered doing this with the 6 switch version upfitter switches from the F250 super duty and install it into the overhead console.

The Switch;



Motorcraft (Ford) makes the switches for the 2017+ F250 known as the SW7718 switch or the Ford Part No.: HC3Z-13D730-AA for a frame of reference. This ran me $100CAD at my local Ford dealer and considering 6 switches for $100 - it's about $17 a switch. Hard to argue the cost against labeled rocker switches which run for about $20 a switch.


Dimensionally; approximately 132.1mm long by 31.4mm wide (i forgot to measure the height) at least with how i measured it.

The switches would fit into the center and passenger side covers (see the red block image below for a ballpark of where i'm talking about).


other configurations is something like this but i'm 90% sure it wont fit, just something to imagine.


There is also a 4 switch version from the 2016 raptor SVT which may fit in that middle portion but is only 4 switches.

here is a link for modifications and some ideas for it; https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1463302-upfitter-safety-switch-or-lockout.html


Mounting Ideas;

I figured to see if there is a community made switch plate that i could hack apart and see if i could fit in the switch and the slide the switch into the placement above that i had in mind.

Replacement switch panels which i could buy (didn't);
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...anels-updated-6-26-2017-now-availalbe.473810/

or could modify one of Meso's overhead panel (which wasn't in stock and because the pandemic - i don't think i would have gotten it in time);
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/custom-overhead-6-switch-panel.522712/

Figured to hell with the cost of it to just try and see if i could make it work and looked into modeling and 3d printing the part that i would need, a task easier said than done as i have no idea how to actually do 3d modeling or how to edit 3d models either.

Smith.p.sean has 3D models of the center-bit and i found the passenger side cover. https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3d-tacoma-parts-thread.570671/

at the end of the day i actually just spot epoxied the switch into place once i got it into place.
found it easier this way.


Wiring/ Pinout;

12 pin slot. but only 10 pins are used.


Pin Use - Pin Location - Colour of OEM harness cable

• Switch 1 – Pin 4 – Yellow

• Switch 2 – Pin 6 – Green/Brown

• Switch 3 – Pin 10 – Violet/Green

• Switch 4 – Pin 9 – Brown

• Switch 5 – Pin 8 – Blue/Orange

• Switch 6 – Pin 7 – Yellow/Orange

• Dimmer – Pin 12 – Violet/Grey (dimmer is used for backlighting when in the "off" position and lights up blue)

• Power for Switch 1-4 – Pin 11 – Green/Orange

• Power for Switch 5-6 – Pin 5 – Green/Red

• Ground for Switches – Pin 3 – Black (For switch back-light only)

• Not Used - Pin 1 - N/A (Red dot above)

• Not Used - Pin 2 - N/A (red dot above)

Close up on the pins under the cover:

Full PCB backside (i didn't snap a photo of the underside but it's just the Switch contacts. 2 contacts per switch)


Harness;
Can buy the OEM harness; Ford Part no. HC3Z15A404B (Plugs into switches). local dealer wanted $80 for the harness so figured to try some alternatives before forking over that much for just a single connector from the harness.

Female pin connectors. This worked out great after getting my hands on the 6x2 (12 pinout) version but the connector easily slipped off the pins on the switch set.



headed to a scrap yard to see if i could find the 12 pin connector off a scrapped F250.
No real luck but that since none of the newer models were available to pull parts off of.

but found 2 1x6 pin pigtail connectors which were found on the 2013 F150s. Pulled them off of the center console where the radio/ LED screen on the base models exits. just had to shave off the splines and the actual retainer clip that was on them and they find into the slot of the upfitter switch.




Wires used;
All of the wires used to splice into the pigtails were 18ga and used about 11 feet per pinout.
Pin 12 (the dimmer) was actually wiretapped into the OEM harness (There is a brown wire in the corner, that is to my understanding the power wire for the dimmers to the entire overhead console. I don't know which pin number it is, other than it's light brown and in the corner slot.
EDIT: Brown wire is Pin 13

 

Part 2 - Retrofit;
now that we have the pinout, now to retrofit it into place.
Removing the overhead console; https://youtu.be/rKtYIFni9b0?t=63
just grab a corner and giver a tug. careful, remove the single attached OEM connector (top left)

NOTE: I HAVE NOT TAKE THE CLAMSHELL APPART. IT WILL BE EASIER IN THE LONG RUN BUT I WAS STUBBORN AND AVOIDED IT.

Back side of overhead console. Red tabs to the right is towards the front of the car.

Remove the mini wiring harness as it will be in the way, push out the traction control switch out. and using a screwdriver there are 6 tabs (4 holding the middle plate, 2 holding the driver side plate) marked bellow that are the locations of the retainer clips. Driver side plate will sort of swing out where as the middle plate needs to be pushed out entirely.


Sing i couldn't remove the passenger side plate (it's a cunt to remove without taking apart the clam shell)
Just a test fitment to see what needs to be done as both side plates are dimensionally the same.

.
Modifications to the switch set itself was removing the pretruding tabs on the sides and middle.
the smaller angled tabs did not interfere and was used to locate it into place as one edge fits nicely.




Plastic is thin in this area, careful.


Lower square was what i cut out to get the passenger side plate out, not sure why but it's a pain in the ass and there is no retainer clips to be pressed to remove the plate. Upper one helps with positioning.


Cut out from the otherside; there are a couple of crossbars that go from one side to the other, those were snipped off as well.



Inserted the switch set as well as the OEM driver side plate to fit back in the Trac control button. Epoxy was applied to hold this into place. Check height and angle of everything to allow it to sit in correctly.

I don't have a clear photo of the epoxy (JB Weld works just fine) application as i worked quickly at this point. I used an old 2-part that i had on hand from a bit ago.
But circled here are the locations that i applied it to hold it in place. I also kept the driver side switch in place in the same manner.


Front side.


Harness;
Might as well add a tid-bit for the wiring harness,

i used 18 ga wires and this harness used about 11 feet to reach the battery.
(See pinout in the previous post)

2xBlue for switches 1 and 2
2xGreen for 3 and 4
2xwhite for 5 and 6
2xreds used for power
1xblack for switch LED ground

"braided" the harness, put all cables at one solid point and straightened out everything and gave it a bit of a twist as i straightened out the cables. I overhead this helps with flexibility as well. Wrapped in OEM fleece harness tape, IMO better than using e-tape to wrap the entire harnes.


After this bit, I spliced in the connectors mentioned earlier from the junk yard and slotted them in. everything felt solid and was pretty happy about it.

Next was the hard part.

Disconnect the battery before moving onto the next point.

Installing the harness;

So once the harness is made, we need to feed the cable through the roofline, down the driver A-pillar, and through the fire wall.

requirements; you need a rod or something to be able to fish a cable through the headliner foam and the room itself.
First remove the driver side A-pillar plastic molding and pull the edge of the headliner down CAREFULLY from the driver side door,only needs to go down an inch or so.
pulling back on the rubber gasket that holds the headliner in place.
AND CAREFULLY PULL DOWN THE AIRBAG (there is a black plastic on the top side of it, make sure that is pulled down too.


and CAREFULLY feed the fishing tool through


a view from inside: there is a bit of foam to the left there, we will be going through a bit of that.


Anyways, tape up your harness to the fishing line and give her a tug, slowly but surely. it might hatch on something so be easy as you go.

I don't have a photo of it outside, but i fed the remaining length back above the airbag and into the cabin, Pushed the cable up along the side and fed it along the A pillar . Make sure not to cross the nearness over the airbag because god forbid something were to happen. we don't need the harness to be in the way of it.

Feed it through the dashboard on the left side (where the tweeter is - might as well do the subaru tweeter mod now if you have not done so)


Firewall;

from inside the engine bay, there is a black grommet/ plug in the side of the firewall.
to my understandings and to my findings. NOTHING goes through this location on the DC Automatics. Simply remove the plug.

seen here is the location of the green circled passthrough adjacent to the break pedal the Autos.
Easy enough to cut with a knife, but keep it small.

i re-used the grommet/ plug that was in there by cutting out the middle plug portion while trying to keep the rubber to still fit inside and stay in place.



other than that - that's it.

wire in the switch panel in whatever method you choose necessary. Be it to relays or what have you.


Anyways. Thank you for listening to my TED talk.

Main inspiration and guide; http://xplrcreate.com/2020/02/24/f150-diy-aux-upfitter-switches/

Absolutely hope this is useful to one other person who chooses to give this a try.

 

NOTES:
I have not relocated the rear-diff lock button yet. i was thinking finding the wires for it and tapping into them and relocating the rear diff lock down in the middle console.




Update 2021-05-25
Relocation completed, but not where i opriginally wanted.
for those that dont want to move the button to the middle console, see this post

 

@TRIAD Powderworks @FitzTaco84 @HeyWannaTaco @Relyk711 @oostroma @Manfred
tagging since you showed some interest.

 

OP, you could've gotten away with a 18/6 cable to the engine room. Power to the switch panel could be tapped from the sail panel connector IN1 where the sliding roof power is missing the wire to the overhead but meets the IN1 from under. (090/2.3II terminal) Also ground...

 

Pin 5 or pin 11...Hot or Switched option.

22/6 awg cable since it's for the coil side of the relay...much easier to pass through...

 

Oh im fully aware it's all overkill. The 2 shops i usually go to did not have any combined wiring other than 4x12ga for trailer harnesses. The thing is, i also didn't want to tap into anything as if i do somehow blow a fuse. Its a pain in the ass to get to the OEM fuse box to change out a blade fuse . If i leave the OEM stuff alone and keep my own system isolated from the rest of the truck - i wont need to worry about it.
Overkill? Yes
But i also have very little idea what i was doing..,

Shop also didn't have anything smaller than 18ga wire either and i dont trust the amazoom stuff either....

Ooh that's useful. Wasnt able to find the wiring diagram when i was searching a few days back - i know there is the service pdfs that float around but not seen it in there.

Or i suck at googling my issues

 

Google Fu is weak...

 

Also, there are several sources for custom labels for these switches.

 

so just learned that the New Ford Bronco has the same 6 Upfitter switches. but seem to have another style and texture to the switches themselves. If anyone tries this, let me know what ford OEM part number is!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq8brP17Lo8

 

Shveet - thanks for the walk through on this. I started this today and have the switches mounted. I did most of mine from the front and was able to leave my switch in place. Wiring harness this weekend is the hope.

 

That install is begging a 3d print cover to compliment/complete it.

 

If it wasn't for the MeSo leds i thought that was mine for a second
Looking good bud!

I am so glad to see one other try this out. I can finally claim im not a crazy nutcase for doing this!

But tell me, how satisfying are those switches when they snap on/ off?

Oh how i wish i had a 3D printer to cover up that gap.
Thankfully i'm 6'4" and cant see it anyways

 

Waaaaay cool

 

how'd you finally fix the switches in place? epoxied into place?

 

Yes, epoxy from the back in 5-6 spots, 2-3 in the front. The front is visible, so I may paint it or run some black caulk in to fill the gap a bit.

Electrical is now the bane of my existence. Everything hooked up correctly as far as I know, and when I power it on from the batery, the switches have no effect. The ditch lights are all that I hooked up, and when I switch the relay under the hood, the lights come on and don't turn off with the switches.

Going to have a local TW member take a looj sometime this week(end).

 

Read to note in the box...

 

I have to admit that is mostly Greek to me. The only Ford parts I have are the switches and the 12 pin harness connector. The rest is all the Blue Sea bundle I ordered from Power Trays. 100A relay, 12 Bay fuse tray, single terminal buss for the positive battery post. Either I have something wired wrong on the harness or the switch has an issue. Or something else...

 

@Tiny's Taco did you buy the full wiring harness (which is like $100) or just the harness connector?