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Auxiliary (AUX) Switches Configuration/Installation DIY

aw2657

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Just curious if anyone knows the wire gauge of the "direct to wire" and ACC power wires that are in the bundle. They appear to be the same gauge as the other two 15 amp Aux wires but they use 10 amp fuses not 15. I used one of the direct to battery wires to install a cigarette lighter that I mounted in the shift console by the passengers leg for a Brake Buddy for towing. As soon as I plugged it in it blew the 10 amp fuse. Checked with Brake Buddy and they call for 15 amp minimum. So I simply changed out the 10 amp fuse to a 15 and it appeared to work fine. Now I'm worried that the wire gauge wasn't designed for 15 amps even though it looks and feels identical to the 15 amp Aux wires in the bundle. Should I be concerned?
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Rhinebeck01

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Just curious if anyone knows the wire gauge of the "direct to wire" and ACC power wires that are in the bundle. They appear to be the same gauge as the other two 15 amp Aux wires but they use 10 amp fuses not 15. I used one of the direct to battery wires to install a cigarette lighter that I mounted in the shift console by the passengers leg for a Brake Buddy for towing. As soon as I plugged it in it blew the 10 amp fuse. Checked with Brake Buddy and they call for 15 amp minimum. So I simply changed out the 10 amp fuse to a 15 and it appeared to work fine. Now I'm worried that the wire gauge wasn't designed for 15 amps even though it looks and feels identical to the 15 amp Aux wires in the bundle. Should I be concerned?


@aw2657

Indeed, the direct to battery wire in the passenger foot well appears to be the same gauge wire as the Aux 3 and 4 wires which are rated at 15 amp.. No where that I know of, is it mentioned though, that the direct to battery wire is rated at 15 amp ... and as you mentioned FCA, has a 10 amp fuse in there and may be for a very good reason.... who knows..

With that said, I don't think I myself would use the direct to battery wire for your accessory that is drawing over 10 amp, possibly 15 amp. Sure, maybe no problem but...

There are other easy ways to get that accessory the 15 amp it needs. You could use Aux 1 or Aux 2.
You could use a $24 Cool Tech Power port, you could piggy back off a fuse in the PDC, Quadratec has an adapter, cargo power outlet, etc., etc.

By the way, If you have an automatic tranny, you will find a grommet on the driver's side firewall, where you can get through the firewall very very easily, to facilitate running your power wire to the PDC ...

In closing, sure you might be aok ?? .... but with a trailer brake controller, do you really want to risk a braking related incident, due to loss of power and and/or risk damage to the JL itself due to wire overload...
 

CaptSully

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Another install tip. I just installed this today, took about 2.5 hours. I did not cut the inner fender plastic rivets or cut a gaping hole in the rubber grommet. Instead I used a glow-rod, put a light below and fed the glow down with wires attached, then took the glow and pushed from the inside to the fender well. I do have the Mopar 2” lift and it gave me plenty of room to work

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Bardog

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Had no idea that they could be configured for momentary/ignition/on, etc... Nice feature to be able to configure them. This will be my first Jeep, and I get more and more comfortable with it each day. See ya later, Ford...lol
How are you feeling about Ford, now?
 

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Woodynj

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Does anyone know the size (AWG) of the factory prewired Auxiliary Switches? I am adding off road lights to the bumper, (will run 9AMPs each) so will be using the 40AMP switch and would like to match the wire size. Thanks in advance!
 

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Does anyone know the size (AWG) of the factory prewired Auxiliary Switches? I am adding off road lights to the bumper, (will run 9AMPs each) so will be using the 40AMP switch and would like to match the wire size. Thanks in advance!
15 amp is 14 AWG, 40 amp is 8 AWG
 

Woodynj

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15 amp is 14 AWG, 40 amp is 8 AWG
Oh wow. Did not expect it to be 8. Thanks. 8 seems overkill for the lights I am going to run (they draw 9amps each so 18 total) but guess might as well. Any reason not too?
 
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redsyphon

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Oh wow. Did not expect it to be 8. Thanks. 8 seems overkill for the lights I am going to run (they draw 9amps each so 18 total) but guess might as well. Any reason not too?
The 8awg will work fine. The only downside is loosing the 40amp run, but if you have no other planned mods that will require it; then it's no big deal.
 

Woodynj

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The 8awg will work fine. The only downside is loosing the 40amp run, but if you have no other planned mods that will require it; then it's no big deal.
Would you run 8awg all the way to the lights? Or can I get away with something smaller?
 

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redsyphon

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Would you run 8awg all the way to the lights? Or can I get away with something smaller?
You could, but I wouldn't personally for basic AUX lighting unless the manufacturer recommends it. You can usually get away with a thinner wire such as a 10awg, etc.

If you know 8awg is going to be overkill, then (if it were me) I'd look at the method you're going to use to connect the two wires and what your lights can take. Many aftermarket lights come with full wiring harnesses, so using that wire can be convenient. Others just have ground and positive wires, but it can all be simplified in picking an appropriate guage wire that allows you to safely tie into the factory 8awg wire. I.e. twisting a thin strand wire and thicker wire together, then pinching it with electrical tape is just a headache waiting to happen.

For my Auxiliary lights, I have them tied to the common ground in the engine bay and the two 10awg wires combined (one for each light) into a nice single connector. That then pairs in a secure connection to the factory 8awg connection. It's then protected via heartshrink.

The larger Guage will get you less resistance over a larger distance. As an example, if you were running main wires for an Auxiliary battery system in the rear of your vehicle from the engine bay all the way back; you'd want to use a thicker wire such as a 6awg or 4awg to make sure your resistance is minimal and you don't get voltage drop or overheat your wires if running a high current/amps.

I'm sure there are others here who can provide a more comprehensive answer for you. I'm self taught from building out a couple of Auxiliary Battery systems, and I've learned to over engineer when possible. Extreme Terrain did put out a video a while back. It may help as a partial reference
 

Woodynj

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Just installed some 8” Primelux lights on the front bumper. The great info in this thread made it as easy as it could be. Figuring out the path for the wire was the hardest part.
These lights are SO freaking bright. I thought the factory LEDs were good but they are leaps and bounds brighter than the high beams. We will see how they hold up long term. But for $200 I can buy a few pairs before I get close to the cost of some of the other ones out there. I’ll try to take pics tomorrow when I can go somewhere open and really dark.
 

galvezm22

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I’ve recently installed the auxiliary switch bank in my 2020 Jeep. I had the dealership flash the computer and the Jeep recognizes the switches are there but the switches do NOT light up. Now I see this chart and I do not have fuses in F93, F92, F103 and F108. Do I need to buy a new Power Distribution Center (PDC)?
 

redsyphon

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I’ve recently installed the auxiliary switch bank in my 2020 Jeep. I had the dealership flash the computer and the Jeep recognizes the switches are there but the switches do NOT light up. Now I see this chart and I do not have fuses in F93, F92, F103 and F108. Do I need to buy a new Power Distribution Center (PDC)?
If you added these via the Mopar Kit as I did, then you won't have the fuses in the same location as your other factory fuses. Essentially, they are part of the kit and built into the harness that comes with it.

After kit installation and having the dealer flash your Jeep, it can take a bit of time for the switches to fully activate. This is where I hate the Mopar solution as it seems to be tied to the head unit.

It took 24hours for my head unit to recognize that the AUX Switches had been added to my VIN (i.e. dealer "flash"). You should see them listed on you vehicles profile on the Mopar site post flash.

Only then would the switches operate and the AUX menu show in settings.
 

galvezm22

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If you added these via the Mopar Kit as I did, then you won't have the fuses in the same location as your other factory fuses. Essentially, they are part of the kit and built into the harness that comes with it.

After kit installation and having the dealer flash your Jeep, it can take a bit of time for the switches to fully activate. This is where I hate the Mopar solution as it seems to be tied to the head unit.

It took 24hours for my head unit to recognize that the AUX Switches had been added to my VIN (i.e. dealer "flash"). You should see them listed on you vehicles profile on the Mopar site post flash.

Only then would the switches operate and the AUX menu show in settings.
Jeep Wrangler JL Auxiliary (AUX) Switches Configuration/Installation DIY 09D494CE-57A3-4B86-82F0-944AFDA06304
The auxiliary switches do show up on the Mopar site. I forgot to mention but my ESS is also flashing on the dash. I also checked the Orange wire I relocated and that was I pushed all the way in.
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