Finally Put Cab Lights on my 2012

[ceking35]

After researching and reading all of the threads and web sites I could, I finally decided to tackle the "Cab Marker Light" install myself. I'll try to detail out the things I couldn't or didn't find on other threads.....and I will post pictures shortly. I am a noo-b to the forums, so bear with me if I make a mistake or break some unwritten rule!!

First off I am not new to Ford PSDs. This is my fourth and I love it. I bought a 2012 Crew Cab, Tri Coat White, Lariat FX4, 4x4. My 350 had the factory marker lights and I liked the look so well I wanted them on this truck.

I researched and researched all of the different names out there and I decided to go with OEM lights and the wiring harness. Not saying that OEM is
better, just my own personal preference and these intructions are for using the factory harness and factory lights.

I gave my VIN number to my parts guy where I bought the truck and got the lights wiring harness for my truck. The harness I bought came with the Sat. Antenna and wiring plug on one end and the air bags, Sat antenna, and light plugs on the other end. It totally replaces the origenal that was on the truck.


The first thing I did was to remove both "oh s@!T" handles on the front driver and passenger pillars. Just pop the caps off and (i believe they were hex head) unscrew. They just slide right off. I laid them on the back floorboard behind the respective seats.

Next (i have an overhead console with the two flip down holders, sliding rear glass controller, and map lights) grab the out edge of the console and pull down. It is onlt held in by clips so it comes down fairly easily. There is a white plastic "housing" that is screwed to the top of the cab by two phillips head screws. Remove those and then unclip the map light connector and sliding rear window connector and wiggle the white house through the opening in the headliner.

IF YOU HAVE A CREW CAB ---- You will need to unscrew and pull off the to rear "oh s@!t" handles that are directly behind the driver and passenger seat. If you don't do this, when you remove the visors, the headliner will bind up on the plastic and crease the headliner. I learned the hard way!!!

Next, you will need a torx head driver to remove the visors. I unscrewed the visors and let them hang. Then standing on my running board I was able to reach into the top of the headliner and peel back the VERY sticky foam covering over the quick connect for the visor vanity lights. Do this on both sides. you will need a longer tip to reach the torx head were the visor clips on when in it's resting position. It was a little more difficult to get to.

When both visors are removed and lights unclipped, the headliner should drop down enough to get your hands up in it. You can see where the satellite antenna is plugged in, unplug it and then the air bags on each side. I turned my key off, but did not undo my batteries as others have done. I then used a very small screw driver to pry back on the clips that are, on the side facing the front of the truck, on the airbag actuators.

Everything is now "unplugged" from above the headliner. I took a pair of long need-nosed pliers and pried all of the wire "clips" out of their holes. The things that are easy to push and but a bear to pull out. The new wire harness will have them already attached and at the correct locations so don't worry about tearing them up.

Now, here is where the fun began. I have read on other threads and forums of people not knowing which side the wiring harness and plug are on. On my 2012 it was on the driver's side. The way I found it (the plug) was to pull and wiggle on the wires until I found where they plugged in, waaayyyy up behind the brake pedal and facing the front of the truck. I had to lay on my back with a flashlight to find it. The plug for the antenna was closer down and next to the steering column. When I tried to pull the old wiring up and out, the Sat. antenna portion was ziptied somwhere, so I just clipped the plug end off and pulled everything up and out.

I did just the opposite to fish the new wires down and plugged them in. Then, clip the new harness onto the pillar where the old one was and ran the wires up to the headliner. I left everything laying there and moved to the outside of the truck.

To me, the taping off with blue tape, measuring, drilling, blah blah blah, was the easy part. I did use the 13---8-8-8---13 measurements to the center of each light and used the 5 1/2" back from the window weather stripping for each light. And i did stand back from every angle to check center. I marked everything with pencil and then set the lights on the top of the truck to make sure I had them in the right place. The OEM lights did not come with a template for the light itself so I made one. I used a 1/8" bit for all of the holes as pilots, then a 1/4" for the bolts and a 1"step bit for the centers.

I did run a bead of silicone around the base of the lights and the bolts. Again, this was my preference. Some people say to use it and some say not too.

Plug in the lights, air bags, visors, ect, in the reverse order from above, and button everything back up.

I hope to get pictures up tomorrow or the next day. My computer savy is limited though!! I hope this post helps someone in the future. This was a project that took about 4 hours to complete, but I did it alone with no help. All in all it was worth though as the lights make our teuck look bad a$$ (IMHO)!!!!!

Good luck and if I can help in any way, lemme know!!

[Nissankidd]

Nice write up. I've been thinking about this myself still undecided.

[ceking35]

Here are some pics of the finshed product.

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