Gen 3 Raptor Auxiliary (Upfitter) Switch Wiring (2021+)
The circuits moved behind the battery tray on this generation — expect to pull the battery before you find the wires this guide is pointing you at.
Video: Gen 3 Raptor / F-150 Auxiliary Up-fitter Switch info wiring by Camburg Racing on YouTube.
RaptorCentral isn't affiliated with the creator; the steps below are our own write-up.
Who this is for
This is for the Gen 3 Raptor's six overhead AUX1–AUX6 upfitter switches, 2021 and newer. The wiring location changed from the Gen 2 truck — the circuits sit under the hood behind the battery tray rather than near the power distribution box in the same spot as before, so expect to pull the battery and its tray for access. That one difference is what makes this a bigger afternoon than the Gen 2 version of the same job: you're not just finding a taped bundle, you're disconnecting and removing a battery to get to it, which pulls the battery management system's relearn into a job that was supposed to be about wiring a light bar. Plan for that rather than discovering it halfway through. The second difference is that Ford marks the circuit sets with colored spot tape on this generation, and only one of the two sets is actually live — wiring to the wrong one is the single most common way to end up with a switch that does nothing and no obvious reason why. The table below is from the 2022 manual, and we don't have a verified table covering the 2024+ refresh, so if your truck is from that later update, confirm the colors in your own manual before relying on it.
Tools
- Socket set for the battery hold-down and battery tray fasteners
- Wire strippers and crimp connectors or a soldering iron
- Heat shrink tubing
- A multimeter to confirm circuit identity before cutting
- A relay for anything beyond a small load
Parts
- Sealed connectors and heat-shrink butt splices for the blunt-cut circuit wires
Steps
Get oriented before you start cutting anything
Take a minute with the engine bay open to understand the general layout before committing to any wire — on this generation, the circuits you're after are tucked behind the battery, not out in the open near the fuse box the way some other trucks route them.
Jump to 0:00 in the video →Pull up your truck's wiring diagram
Find the aux-switch wiring diagram in your own service information before you start — don't work from memory or from a different model year's diagram. The locating marks described below (red vs. white spot tape) are what Ford uses to distinguish the circuit sets once you're looking at the actual harness.
Jump to 0:47 in the video →Understand which circuits are actually powered
Only the circuits from the under-hood fuse box — the set marked with red spot tape — are powered at both ends. The pass-through set, marked with white spot tape, isn't connected at either end until you wire it yourself. Mixing these up means wiring an accessory to a circuit that was never live in the first place.
Jump to 2:08 in the video →Remove the battery and battery tray for access
The powered and pass-through circuit sets are both located under the hood behind the battery tray. Disconnect the negative terminal first, then the positive, and remove the battery and its tray to get at the wiring — there's no shortcut around this on the Gen 3.
Jump to 2:40 in the video →Identify your circuit by spot-tape color and confirm against Ford's table
AUX1 is Violet/Green (1.0 mm²) at 10A and operates the off-road lamps when the truck has that option; AUX2 is Green/Brown (1.0 mm²) at 15A; AUX3 is Green/Blue (1.0 mm²) at 15A; AUX4 is Brown (1.0 mm²) at 10A; AUX5 is Blue/Orange (1.0 mm²) at 5A; AUX6 is Yellow/Orange (1.0 mm²) at 5A. These are individually fused and work only with the ignition on, with Ford recommending the engine run for long or high-draw use.
Access the interior end at the kick panel
The pass-through circuit's interior end is taped by the passenger footwell, marked with the same white spot tape as its under-hood end — remove the fuse panel access door in the kick panel to reach it.
Make sealed, heat-shrunk connections and use a relay for bigger loads
Crimp or solder every splice and seal it with heat shrink rather than tape alone — this location sees plenty of engine-bay heat and moisture. For anything beyond a small accessory, wire in a relay so the switch circuit itself stays well under its fuse rating.
Reconnect the battery and relearn the BMS
Reinstall the battery tray and battery, connecting positive first and negative last. Reconnecting the battery triggers the same relearn window Ford describes for any battery disconnection — see the 12V battery replacement guide for the eight-hour sleep relearn before you consider the truck back to normal.
Confirm your year's colors before trusting this table on a refreshed truck
The 2024+ Gen 3 refresh isn't covered by the manual we're working from here. If your truck is from that later update and anything about the wiring doesn't match what's described above, confirm the colors in your own owner's manual rather than assuming the earlier Gen 3 table carries over.
Specs
| AUX1–AUX6 (Gen 3, 2022) | AUX1 Violet/Green 1.0 mm² 10A (off-road lamps, if equipped); AUX2 Green/Brown 1.0 mm² 15A; AUX3 Green/Blue 1.0 mm² 15A; AUX4 Brown 1.0 mm² 10A; AUX5 Blue/Orange 1.0 mm² 5A; AUX6 Yellow/Orange 1.0 mm² 5A Source: Ford 2022 F-150 Owner's Manual |
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Safety notes
- Disconnect the negative battery terminal first, then the positive, before working near these circuits.
- Confirm which circuit set is actually powered (red spot tape) versus pass-through only (white spot tape) before wiring anything to it.
- Ground accessories to the chassis, never the battery's negative post.
- Seal and heat-shrink every splice.
- Plan a BMS relearn after reconnecting the battery — see the 12V battery replacement guide.
- 2024+ refresh colors aren't verified here — confirm your own manual if your truck is from that update.
Owner questions
- Where are the Gen 3's aux switch wiring circuits?
- Under the hood, behind the battery tray — you'll need to remove the battery and tray to reach them, unlike some other trucks where the circuits sit out in the open near the fuse box.
- Which switch controls the off-road lamps?
- AUX1, when the truck is equipped with that option.
- How do I tell the powered circuits from the pass-through ones?
- By spot-tape color — red marks the powered set from the under-hood fuse box, white marks the pass-through set that isn't connected at either end until you wire it.
- Do I need to do anything after reconnecting the battery?
- Yes — plan for the battery management system's relearn window. See the 12V battery replacement and BMS relearn guide for the details.
- Is this table accurate for the 2024+ refreshed Gen 3?
- We don't have a verified source covering that update. If your truck is from the 2024+ refresh, confirm the wire colors in your own manual before relying on this table.
- How is this different from the Gen 2 aux switch job?
- Two things, both of which make the Gen 3 version more work. The circuits moved behind the battery tray, so the battery and tray have to come out rather than you simply finding a taped bundle near the power distribution box. And Ford switched to marking the sets with colored spot tape — red for the powered set, white for the pass-through — rather than the arrangement the Gen 2 supplements describe. The wire colors and amp ratings themselves are different too, so don't carry a Gen 2 table over to a Gen 3 truck.