F-150 Emergency Lighting and 12V Upfit
Emergency lighting, siren and 12V build on a 2017 F-150 Lariat SuperCrew, run from one Whelen CanTrol WC controller with a 21-button head.
Legal notice
Emergency lighting and siren use is regulated by state law and permits. This page documents a personal build and is not legal guidance.
Build a clean, serviceable warning light and siren package on a daily-driven truck. Every circuit is fused and documented, and everything is controlled from one control head. Done means every component is mounted, bench-tested on 12V first, verified in the truck, and documented on its own page.
Constraints
Section titled “Constraints”- Vehicle: 2017 Ford F-150 Lariat SuperCrew with bucket seats, the factory flow-through center console and a floor shifter. There is no equipment console.
- Roof: panoramic roof, so nothing mounts on the roof. The control head goes in the factory overhead console, in place of the sunglasses holder.
- Front: a Steelcraft HD Grille Guard (50-1420C) carries the whole front package. The bumper and factory grille are not modified.
- Factory electrical: the factory lamps are flashed by a Speed Turtle Engineering EFM 3.0 installed inline at the BCM. There are no taps on factory lamp or BCM circuits beyond that.
- Grounds: nothing is ever grounded to the battery negative post, because the Ford battery monitoring sensor on that post must see all current. Grounds go to a Ford factory ground point or a steel frame rail.
- Radio: amateur radio gets its own battery feed and ground, never shared with the CanTrol or its fuse block.
- Airbags: all mounting and wire routing stays clear of airbag zones, including the curtain airbags along the roof rails.
Vehicle baseline
Section titled “Vehicle baseline”| Item | Detail | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle | 2017 Ford F-150 Lariat SuperCrew | Confirmed |
| Roof | Panoramic roof (the project document says sunroof). The control head goes in the overhead console’s sunglasses holder opening | Confirmed |
| Seating and console | Bucket seats, factory flow-through center console (armrest bin), floor shifter, front media tray with USB ports ahead of the shifter | Confirmed |
| Equipment console | None. The “no console” in my config sheet means no equipment console or console base. A Gamber-Johnson faceplate is on hand but not used | Confirmed |
| Factory lamps (for the EFM 3.0) | Low/high beam, front turn, fog, front LED accent (only with LED signature headlamps, so not this truck), rear turn, stop, center brake, reverse, bed lamp | Confirmed |
| Grille guard | Steelcraft HD 50-1420C, 2015–2017 fitment. Center punch plate between two center vertical tubes, top tube, lower horizontal tube, headlight guards | Confirmed 22 Oct |
| Lower tube | 1.91 in OD (6 in around), under 1/16 in gap to the punch plate, center verticals 13.5 in apart | Measured 7 Oct |
| Battery | Optima Yellow Top DH7, H7, 880 CCA AGM | Bought. Tray fit to confirm |
Workstreams
Section titled “Workstreams”| Workstream | Plan | State |
|---|---|---|
| Whelen CanTrol WC | Complete used set programmed over USB | Bought 16 Oct ($425.00 shipped). Bench test next. Main power 2 x 40A at the battery |
| Control head mount | Ben3DBuild overhead mount in the sunglasses holder opening | Received 5 Nov; head fitted in it. Cable route to the module next |
| Grille guard package | 2 speakers, Color Flood bar, 2 U-Lites | Parts bought, mounts decided 7 Oct. Touch-up done 23 Oct (in-progress photos added 6 Nov). Shop install to book |
| Other warning lights | Visor bar, BooYu (to be replaced by the E68Xtreme stick), rocker bars via relay, Putco Work Blade, rear plate Z-6 heads | Visor and BooYu installed. Putco and Z-6 bought. E68Xtreme, its Federal Signal bracket and rocker bars to buy |
| Factory lamps | EFM 3.0 and F150LEDs CREE bulbs | Installed and flashing clean 8 Oct. Voltage input harness to buy |
| Power and wiring | Full wire schedule, two fuse blocks, amp under the rear seat | Planned. Parts to buy |
| Laptop | Toughbook CF-33 programs both modules; passenger-seat mount planned | Laptop on hand. Mount waiting on a used RAM setup |
Photos and diagrams
Section titled “Photos and diagrams”
Architecture
Section titled “Architecture”Everything is switched by the Whelen CanTrol WC. Each light makes its own flash patterns, so every CanTrol output is set to steady on/off. Loads go on the 10A J1 outputs, and trigger wires go on the 2.5A LED outputs.
Battery (Optima Yellow Top) ── 2 x 40A fuses at battery ── Whelen CanTrol WC module (under driver-side rear seat) │ 21-button WeCan control head (overhead console) ── RJ-45 ──┤ ├── Siren amp ── 2 x UBL 100W speakers (parallel, 5.5 Ω) ├── J1-1/J1-6 + LED outputs ── UBL Color Flood 2.0 20" bar ├── J1-2 ── SpeedTech Grand Control Box ── Raptor visor bar ├── J1-3 ── BooYu rear traffic advisor controller (until the E68Xtreme) ├── LED out 6–8, 27–31 ── E68Xtreme rear stick, one output per head (planned) ├── J1-4 ── 2 x UBL U-Lite grille lights ├── J1-5 ── Putco 60" Work Blade (tailgate) ├── LED out 3 / J1-7 ── relays A and B ── 2 x UBL rocker panel bars (Mode 1 / Mode 2) ├── LED out 4/5 ── Speed Turtle EFM 3.0 ── BCM ── factory lamps ├── LED out 12/13 ── 2 x SpeedTech Z-6 heads (rear plate) └── OBDII CANport (CC5K1) ── brake signal for brake popThe full output assignment is on the CanTrol output plan page. Since 31 Oct 2026 that plan is generated from Upfit Studio, the offline app that now holds every part, circuit, wire and the control plan for this build, checks the 12V design and simulates the control head. It also holds the Whelen Command CANport setup: eight vehicle signals (brake, reverse, doors, hazards, Park, parking brake and Drive) that the CanTrol reads through the CC5K1 kit.
Component pages
Section titled “Component pages”| Page | What it covers | Status |
|---|---|---|
| CanTrol output plan | Every output, what it feeds and which control turns it on | In progress |
| Whelen CanTrol WC controller | The used set, full pinout, power and grounding on an aluminum-body F-150, programming rules, CANport brake pop | In progress |
| Power, grounds and wire schedule | Every wire end to end, main power, fuse table, load budget, amp mount under the rear seat | Planned |
| CanTrol bench test plan | Ten-stage bench test with every product, and the results sheet | Planned |
| Install order and test plan | Phases 0 to 4, bench kit and bench wiring for each product | In progress |
| Install parts and shopping list | Everything bought and still to buy, install quantities, tools | In progress |
| All-lights five modes plan | Proposal for five one-press modes across every light | Planned |
| Steelcraft HD grille guard and front package | Final mounts, measured tube, hardware, wire storage, touch-up, shop install | In progress |
| Siren speakers | Two UBL 100W speakers on their own center bolts, parallel 5.5 Ω wiring | In progress |
| UBL Color Flood 2.0 light bar | Wire-by-wire plan for all eight leads, CanTrol programming, bench results | Bench-tested |
| UBL U-Lite grille lights | Two amber/white lights on J1-4, synced and alternating | Bench-tested |
| Visor light bar | SpeedTech Raptor split bar and Grand Control Box on J1-2 | Installed |
| Rear window light | BooYu 8-head amber bar on J1-3 today; planned Strobes N’ More E68Xtreme stick (R/A/W/W/W/W/A/R) on a Federal Signal SLB-FRD15ND bracket, flashed head by head from LED Outputs 6–8 and 27–31 | Installed (E68Xtreme planned) |
| Rocker panel lights | Two UBL 60” bars on a 30A relay, sync steps | Planned |
| Putco Work Blade (tailgate) | 60” amber/white bar on J1-5 with the Putco remote | In progress |
| Rear plate Z-6 and brake pop | Plate bracket, two Z-6 heads, brake over OBD-II, front plate option | In progress |
| Factory lamps (EFM 3.0) | Speed Turtle EFM 3.0 config and the F150LEDs bulbs | Installed |
| Control head mount | Locations considered and the overhead console mount | In progress |
| CF-33 laptop mount | The programming laptop and the planned passenger-seat mount | Planned |
| Decisions, revisions and sources | Source conflicts, superseded plans, revision history, every source | In progress |
| Upfit Studio | The offline Windows app that holds this build as one config file, checks it, simulates the CCTL7 head and publishes the output plan here | In progress |
| Mobile Ham Radio Install | The radio in the same truck, kept on its own power and ground | Installed |
Controller
Section titled “Controller”Whelen CanTrol WC
- Power
- 12V DC ±20%, negative ground
- Main input
- 80A max, 2 red leads each fused 40A at battery
- High-current outputs
- J1: 8 x 10A
- LED outputs
- J2 + J4: 32 x 2.5A, 20A group fuses
- Total output limit
- 40A combined
- Traffic advisor
- J10: TA 1–8, 20A fuse
- Siren load
- 5.5 Ω minimum
- Programming
- USB to Windows PC, Whelen Command
Source: Whelen CanTrol WC Installation/Operating Guide, form 14580G
Parts list
Section titled “Parts list”Prices are what I paid, before tax and shipping unless noted.
| Part | SKU | Price | Key specs | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whelen CanTrol WC, complete used set (module, 21-button WeCan head, mic, cables) | TBD | $425.00 shipped | See spec box above | TBD | In progress |
| Ben3DBuild Ford Overhead Mount for Whelen CCTL 6/7 (F-150 2015–2020) | TBD | $120.00 shipped | 3D printed, fits sunglasses holder opening. Received 5 Nov; head fitted | TBD | In progress |
| Whelen Carbide CanTrol OBDII CANport Kit (CC5K1 - Ford) | CC5K1 | $52.98 | Reads 8 vehicle signals over OBDII (brake pop, reverse, doors, hazards, Park, parking brake, Drive). Arrived 26 Oct; set up in Command 31 Oct, not bench-tested | TBD | In progress |
| SpeedTech Lights Super Takedown Raptor Elite Striker-TIR Split LED Visor Light Bar (Dual Memory), amber/amber | B-RTXE8 | $150.00 | Draws under 2.4A | TBD | Installed |
| SpeedTech Lights Raptor visor brackets | Q-RVF15 | $49.99 | TBD | TBD | Installed |
| SpeedTech Lights Grand Control Box | TBD | $39.99 | Required for visor bar patterns | TBD | Installed |
| BooYu Rear LED TIR Amber Warning Light & Traffic Advisor | TBD | $39.99 | 8 heads, all amber; manual power button | TBD | Installed |
| SpeedTech Lights headrest rear mounting brackets (2-pack) | TBD | $19.99 | TBD | TBD | Installed |
| Strobes N' More E68Xtreme LED Stick (8 Module), R/A/W/W/W/W/A/R | E68XTREMECUSTOM | $291.08 (cart, 27 Oct) | 35.5 in, 8 heads, 12V, 44 in cable; needs an external flasher (the CanTrol). Replaces the BooYu | Source | Planned |
| Federal Signal SLB-FRD15ND No-Drill Mount Kit (F-150 2015+, Super Duty 2017+) | SLB-FRD15ND | $49.00 | Rear headliner brackets for the E68Xtreme; stick bracket fit unconfirmed | Source | Planned |
| Speed Turtle Engineering Easy Flash Module 3.0 (EFM 3.0), Ford | TBD | $200.00 | Inline at BCM; firmware v3.36 | Source | Installed |
| Speed Turtle Engineering EFM 2.0 / 3.0 Voltage Input Harness | TBD | $15.00 | 5–17V trigger inputs, no load | Source | Planned |
| Steelcraft HD Grille Guard | 50-1420C | $450.00 (used) | 2015–2017 F-150 fitment | TBD | In progress |
| UBL 100W Large Siren Speaker (x2) | TBD | $171.00 pair | 100W, 11 Ω each | TBD | In progress |
| UBL Color Flood 2.0 20" Amber/White LED Light Bar | TBD | $152.00 | 3.3A max (108W), 10–30V | TBD | Bench-tested |
| UBL U-Lite Surface Mount LED Grille Light, Amber/White (x2) | UBL-UL2-SM | $85.50 pair | 350 mA max each, 12V | TBD | In progress |
| UBL LED Running Board Rocker Panel Lights (x2) | UBL-TGB-AW2 | TBD | 60", 12–24V DC, SAE J595 Class 1; draw not listed | TBD | Planned |
| Putco Amber & White Work Blade LED Lights, 60", with Putco Wireless Remote Kit V3 | TBD | $253.37 shipped | Tailgate, 3M tape mount | TBD | In progress |
| SpeedTech Lights License Plate Bracket | Q-LPB | $19.99 | TBD | TBD | In progress |
| SpeedTech Lights Brake Light (Secondary Red) Z-6 TIR Surface Mount Heads, Amber Clear (x2) | TBD | $119.98 pair | Red brake wire for brake pop | TBD | In progress |
| F150LEDs CREE LED headlight bulbs, low and high beam | TBD | $296.10 | TBD | TBD | Installed |
| F150LEDs CREE front running and turn LED bulbs | TBD | $89.10 | No hyperflash | TBD | Installed |
| F150LEDs front marker LED bulbs | TBD | $35.10 | TBD | TBD | Installed |
| Optima Yellow Top battery, H7 | DH7 | $379.99 | 880 CCA, AGM deep cycle | TBD | In progress |
Unverified
The CanTrol module model has not been read off its label yet. Brake pop through the CANport needs the CANport-capable module, which will be confirmed when the unit is on the bench.
Wiring and configuration
Section titled “Wiring and configuration”- Main power: two red leads, each fused 40A within 2 ft of the battery, on 8 AWG. That size comes from the guide’s gauge chart for runs up to 15.5 ft, and the planned runs are about 12 ft. Two black leads of the same gauge go to a factory ground point or the frame. The fuses go in last.
- Ignition sense: J17-7 (red/white) through a fuse tap to an ignition-switched source.
- Siren: orange (speaker high) to speaker white and brown (speaker low) to speaker black. Both speakers are wired in parallel with matched polarity.
- Fuse blocks: two ATC blade blocks near the battery, one for the CanTrol group and one for accessories.
- Pass-throughs: an existing factory firewall grommet or a new rubber grommet, never bare sheet metal. Drip loops, heat shrink and dielectric grease on exposed joints.
Every output, with its trigger wire and button, is on the CanTrol output plan. Every wire in the build, end to end, is on the power, grounds and wire schedule page, and each device has its own wire-by-wire table on its component page.
Build steps
Section titled “Build steps”- Bench test every product on its own on a 12V supply, including the light bar’s modes and arrow wires, the Putco bar and remote, and the Z-6 heads.
- Mock up the grille guard package hand-tight, with no threadlocker.
- Mount the UBL products on the guard permanently, then have a shop bolt the guard to the truck.
- Store the guard wiring in loom until wiring day.
- Install the control head in the overhead console on the Ben3DBuild mount.
- Wiring day: mount the CanTrol module under the driver-side rear seat, then run power, fuses and every circuit.
- Program the CanTrol in Whelen Command, save the program file and keep a backup.
- Verify every function in the truck and update each component’s status.
Testing and verification
Section titled “Testing and verification”| Item | Bench-tested | Verified in truck |
|---|---|---|
| UBL Color Flood 2.0 light bar: modes, arrows, pattern wire | Yes (2026-10-11) | Not yet |
| F150LEDs bulbs flashing on the EFM 3.0 | n/a | Yes (2026-10-08): clean flashing, no hyperflash |
| UBL U-Lites alternate white and amber on their own | Yes (2026-10-10) | Not yet |
| BooYu power-on behavior | Yes (2026-10-10): needs its button every time | Installed |
| Visor bar, EFM 3.0 | Visor not documented; EFM can’t be benched | Installed. CanTrol control not yet tested |
| CanTrol WC, speakers, Putco, Z-6 heads, rocker bars | Not yet | Not yet |
Build video of the upfit. Reviewed 27 Oct 2026 for privacy: no VIN or location details; the plate shown is my vanity plate.
If the player doesn’t load, watch the video on Google Drive.
Safety notes
Section titled “Safety notes”- Fuse every feed within 2 ft of its source.
- Never ground to the battery negative post on this truck.
- Grommet every pass-through and loom every run.
- Route the control head cable above or behind the curtain airbags and their clips, never across the deployment path. Reinstall pillar trim airbag clips the way Ford designed them.
- Keep coax away from CanTrol power, speaker and light wiring. Cross at right angles where needed. After install, key the radio with lights and siren running and listen for noise.
- Lights and sirens while driving are regulated by state. Confirm what is authorized for this vehicle before enabling any pattern or tone on the road. Forward-facing amber and white flashing lights are restricted in many states, so check each state on a route and consider leaving warning modes off outside an authorized area.
- Whelen certifies SAE, California Title 13 and NFPA compliance with Whelen speakers. Third-party speakers may not carry it.
- Don’t mount or route wires in airbag deployment areas (rocker bars, head mount, visor items). Keep the head clear of the driver’s knee.
- Siren testing: low volume, people at least 5 ft from the speaker.
- Drilling: check under the floor and seats for harnesses, airbag wiring and fuel and brake lines first.
- Painting: spray outdoors and upwind. N95 for sanding dust (it doesn’t filter paint fumes), nitrile gloves, safety glasses.
Lessons learned
Section titled “Lessons learned”- The UBL Color Flood 2.0 bar needs its red power lead on its own output. Red alone does nothing, and it must never be joined to a mode wire.
- The UBL manual says three taps on the yellow wire switch the color, but a quick double tap is what worked on the bench.
- The BooYu traffic advisor does not power on by itself when it gets 12V. Its power button has to be pressed every time.
- The CanTrol guide lists different colors for LED Outputs 11 and 12 on different pages. Identify those leads by pin and with a meter, not by color.
Open items
Section titled “Open items”Measurements
- Siren speaker bolt: confirm a 1/4”-28 nut spins on and two threads show past it; confirm each speaker fits its punch plate bay.
- U-Lites: confirm #6-32 screws, exact spots in the upper corners, each centered over a plate hole.
- Head cable length from the overhead console to the module under the driver-side rear seat.
- Wire runs: battery to under the rear seat, battery to the grille, rear seat to the visor.
Decisions
- All-lights five modes: A. head layout option 1, 2 or 3; B. visor bar direct or kept on its Grand Control Box; C. rocker bars on J1-7/J1-8 or kept on the relay; D. Putco white on the CanTrol only, or with remote button A through diodes.
- Toughbook CF-33 mount and hardwired power: base, arm, dock and power supply models, fuse and wire from their manuals.
- When programming: whether blank button 1 stays latched after a restart, and how long the system stays on after the key is off.
Confirmations
- The CanTrol set’s parts against the photos.
- The module label reads CANWCT3 (needed for brake pop), and Whelen Command lists Brake for the 2017 F-150.
- Each rocker bar’s draw, and the momentary switch for their yellow wires.
- The Color Flood bar’s IP rating and in-line fuse rating.
- Optima DH7 tray fit and terminal orientation.
Purchases and records
- Order the rocker bars, the EFM Voltage Input Harness ($15), the relay, fuse blocks and wire.
- Order the Strobes N’ More E68Xtreme stick and the Federal Signal SLB-FRD15ND kit (1–3 week lead time). Then confirm its wire colors, ground and per-head draw on the bench, the bracket fit at the mock-up, and program LED Outputs 6–8 and 27–31 with flash patterns only.
- Control head: route the head cable from the overhead console to the module (mount received and head fitted 5 Nov).
- Book the shop install of the grille guard.
Troubleshooting
Section titled “Troubleshooting”| Symptom | Likely cause and fix |
|---|---|
| Slide position 3 also makes a wail | A tone is assigned to position 3. Remove it and re-save |
| Position 3 lights fewer outputs than expected | Assignments incomplete, or an output fuse blown (check its LED) |
| Blank button 1 releases the lights when let go | Still momentary. Set it to latch |
| EFM shows all-lights with only position 3 | Input 2 also getting voltage. Check LED Output 5, and that LED Output 4 isn’t tied to green |
| EFM does nothing | White/green not seeing 5–17V, module not seated at J3/J7, a fuse, or not configured |
| Factory lights flash oddly or fail | Headlamp, brake or turn overrides not on. Re-seat J3/J7 |
| BooYu doesn’t light | Controller not switched on, in-line fuse, or a poor ground |
| Rocker bars off in position 3 | Relay coil not getting LED Output 3, pin 85 open, or a bar’s black not grounded |
| Rocker bars won’t sync | Not both on steady burn before joining the yellows, yellows not joined, or not advanced twice for P1/P2 |
| Visor bar flashes but patterns won’t change | The Grand Control Box isn’t in the chain |
| Siren low or distorted | Impedance below 5.5 Ω total, a weak feed, or a speaker facing a blocked surface |
| CanTrol won’t connect to the laptop | Another USB cable or port, reinstall the software, power the module first |
Changelog
Section titled “Changelog”Control head mount received and the head fitted (5 Nov); bench and wiring tools bought 6 Nov; touch-up in-progress photos; Upfit Studio to 0.8.14. (build log)
Rollback: Revert the commit that added the 6 Nov upfit update.
Linked the Whelen Command CANport setup (eight CAN inputs) in Upfit Studio and the output plan.
Rollback: Revert the commit that added the CANport section.
Linked Upfit Studio, which now generates the output plan; rocker bars shown on relays A and B (LED Output 3 and J1 Output 7) per the 31 Oct approved wiring; rocker and U-Lite pages given the 31 Oct wiring. (build log)
Rollback: Revert the commit that added Upfit Studio.
Build video reviewed for privacy (no VIN or location details; the plate is a vanity plate) and captioned. Start date set to Spring 2026.
Rollback: Revert the commit that made this change.
Updated from the 27 October project files: planned Strobes N' More E68Xtreme rear stick on a Federal Signal SLB-FRD15ND bracket replaces the BooYu and the dropped Whelen Dominator option (LED Outputs 6–8 and 27–31, wires K1–K10); CC5K1 arrived 26 Oct. (build log)
Rollback: Revert the commit that added the E68Xtreme.
F-150 section rebuilt from the 23 October project files: thirteen new pages (power and wire schedule, install plan, parts list, siren speakers, U-Lites, visor bar, rear traffic advisor, rocker bars, Putco, rear plate Z-6 and brake pop, factory lamps, CF-33 mount, decisions and sources), the grille guard page rewritten to the final mounts, and the overview given the vehicle baseline, workstreams, full open items and troubleshooting. (build log)
Rollback: Revert the commit that rebuilt the F-150 section.
Replaced the header image with the front grille guard setup photo.
Rollback: Revert the commit that changed the header image.
Added the build video under Testing and verification.
Rollback: Revert the commit that added the video.
Linked the first component page, the UBL Color Flood 2.0 grille light bar. (build log)
Rollback: Revert the commit that added the link.
Overview rebuilt from the project document (revision 10): real parts list, prices, statuses, output plan and test results.
Rollback: Revert the commit that changed this page.
Overview page published with the component list from the site plan.
Rollback: Revert the commit that added this page.