Cargo Light Switch Project - info and pics:
Transit folks, this solves the very first world problem of not having a convenient way to keep the interior cargo lights from coming on when the doors open and waking your sorry ass up in the middle of the night when your daughter or son or wife goes outside to take a leak.
Pics below.
Sorry if should be posted elsewhere.
1. Locate empty dummy switch/accessory socket on dash. Mine was top right.
2. Run 2 16 gauge wires from hole at empty socket to fuse box under/right of steering column. (You can just carefully pull the plastic panel off there, exposing the fuse box etc inside.) Use a coat hanger to find the route for the wires and tape the wires to the coat hanger to get them through. Cut to size-ish.
3. Attach switch to wires with appropriate size connectors. Buy the switch here:
https://m.ebay.com/itm/Ford-Transit-...anner=1&_rdt=1
4. Identify the fuse that controls the rear interior lights. See manual or google your manual - found at ford website. On my 2018 3.5 EB it was F32. Remove the fuse and keep it for later step.
5. In one of the black wires you just ran, cut 4-5 inches off and replace that length you removed with a fuse holder. Buy fuse holder here: 3 Pack -12V Water-resistant Add-A-Circuit Blade Type Inline Fuse holder with Cap16 Gauge (Larger)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018W2T7XS..._uSDEBbY91PK8W
Note: to do step 5 you will have to cut the loop of red wire in the middle of the loop of the fuse holder so the fuse holder then has two wire ends. Connect one wire from fuse holder to the black wire you just shortened. I used a wire nut because it’s still 1977 where I live.
6. Now you have two bare wire ends (one running all the way to switch, one running to the fuse holder). Both these wires go on the upper end to the switch. As for the bottom, bare ends, now connect those to a fuse extender using normal connectors like you purchased and used to connect the wires to the switch. Purchase fuse extender here:
https://www.google.com/shopping/prod...0447?prds=cs:1
In the pic I failed to get the yellow fuse extender fully in the frame. It’s on the left and you can see the wires attached to it.
7. Push the fuse connector carefully into the socket from which you took the fuse in earlier steps. Then, open the black fuse holder and get the fuse you removed in earlier steps and install that fuse in there.
8. Test the switch a few times. If it works and the light times out/shuts off as it did before, and the van does not burst into flames, re-affix the big plastic panel covering fuse box area. If the van bursts into flames, vacate the van, notify loves ones who may be nearby, and contact emergency personnel.
Now you have a kill switch for those lights. Think of off position as “I want to sleep and stay asleep” mode. And on position is just normal mode.
Enjoy! —- YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY AND BE CAREFUL WITH ELECTRIC STUFF SO YOU DON’T GET HURT OR BURN DOWN YOUR VAN——
-SD
Pics: