# 2011 Ignition Activated wire under steering wheel?



## dirt digger (Feb 27, 2005)

Hey Guys I am installing my wire harness in a 2011 F-250. Everything is in I just need to find a hot wire in the cab that is turned on and off by the ignition to splice into for my plow controller.

Any ideas which wire and where is the best one to tap? There is a maze of wires under there and without poking everyone while turning the key on and off I have no idea what they all do and where they all go

If anyone can give me advice I would appreciate it

Thanks
-Bryan


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## Too Stroked (Jan 1, 2010)

Do NOT simply poke a test probe into wires to find a suitable candidate. Besides, you want to tap into a fuse (more in a minute) and not into a wire. The best way to find a suitable fuse is to check your Owner's Manual to see which fuses are for which parts of the truck. You want to avoid what I call "mission critical" circuits like airbags, ECM / PCM's, brake lights, etc. Good candidates are things like lighters, unused accessories, etc. 

Once you find a good candidate, stop by the local auto parts store and buy an Add-A-Fuse or similar fuse tap. These allow you to safely tap into the circuit you selected. This nifty little device also inlcudes a fuse for the thing you just tapped in for. 

Try that and I think you'll be a whole lot happier. Remember, folks trying to hack into wiring harnesses on Super Duty's incorrectly was what led Ford to start offering the Upfitter Switch Panel option a few years ago. It saved them a ton in warranty claims.


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## dirt digger (Feb 27, 2005)

yea...I was reading the manual a little later today and found out the power distribution box under the hood is separate from the fuse box in the passenger side foot well...

I'll tell you they did not make access on this truck easy with cramming that engine under the hood...I will run a tap into the fuse box...my Dodge I tapped out of the power window fuse so that seems like a good one this go around

now i just need to figure out how to get the wire from the drivers side, through the console and into the passenger side


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