Skip to Content

What is Ford F150 Headlight Wiring Color Code?

What is Ford F150 Headlight Wiring Color Code?

Many people ask about the Ford F150 headlight wiring color code. Ford F-150 trucks have various headlights from halogen, HID to the latest LED designs varying according to their model and manufacturing year.

Furthermore, each light has multiple functions like a high beam, low beam, and daytime running lamp (DRL).

What is Ford F150 Headlight Wiring Color Code? For the left/driver side headlight on a Ford F150, dark blue wire with white stripes provides power for the low beam and light green/black wire for the high beam. Similarly, dark green wire with orange stripes provides +12V to the low beam and light green/black to the high beam on the right/passenger side. The black wire is ground for both sides.

Therefore, it helps to make connections without developing any faulty circuits in Ford F-150.

What is Ford F150 Headlight Wiring Color Code?

Wires of different colors originate from BCM to both side headlights, and each has a specific function.

In addition, there are relays or solid-state switches and fuses in the module’s junction box to control the desired headlights operation: low beam, high beam, and DRL.

As a result, the color code on the driver’s or left side and passenger’s or right side will be different.

Ground Wire

The ground wire will be standard for both side headlights, and black is the universal color to distinguish it from other cables.

You will find it tied with the truck’s a body/chassis at some point and the same wire running throughout its periphery to provide a return path in each of the circuits. 

Driver Side Headlight

You will find 2-3 wires running from BCM to the driver side headlight for low beam, high beam, and DRL. Dark blue with white-colored stripes wire provides power for the low beam.

This code provides voltage to the high beam on the driver side headlight is light green/black.

The same high beam will also work as DRL with the help of a module or controller.

They will glow dimly because the module sends a pulsating power supply to LEDs for high beams to reduce average voltage. 

Passenger Side Headlight

The number of wires will be the same for the passenger sidelights. However, these codes will be different from those of driver-side lamps.

For example, dark green with orange stripes is the power for low beam while wire for high beam and DRL power is light green/black.     

Color codes of Wires for different types of lights

Older models of Ford F150 have halogen lamps of various designs, shapes, and efficiencies.

In comparison, recent models have highly efficient HID lights and economical LED lights in slim and sleek designs.

Color codes from the Body Control Module (BCM) of the truck do not depend on the type of lights installed.

If you want to change the light like halogen design with a better version or improved type like the latest LED lights, conversion kits and harnesses are available.

They have the necessary connections and interconnection of wires of desired colors, and you have to make a plug and play kind of arrangement between BCM and new light.

However, you will need to tamper with specific colored wires to make necessary connections by doing it yourself. 

Wiring of headlights

You won’t require various codes for upgrading them because the compatible lights available in the market have specific connectors for plug-and-play arrangements.

In that case, you need the wire color information to connect with specific colored wires.

You will get this information specific to your vehicle in the service manual or set of wiring diagrams.

Other ways to identify headlights wires without color codes

Besides wires codes, you can identify the function of each wire going to the headlights.

The first and the simplest method is to differentiate among 2-3 connectors going to the low beam, high beam, and DRL parts of a headlight.

The next step is to turn the vehicle ON and check the voltage level on each wire by turning a specific function from the selector switch.

Next, note down the color of the wire with a particular connection on a page. Repeat this procedure until you check all the cables in the connectors. 

The most accurate and proper method to identify the color or function of different wires is by reading wiring diagrams.

You can find wiring diagrams online at various truck forums for the specific model of your truck. They are also available for purchase by spending a few dollars.

Ford also provides a service or repair manual to its authorized dealers and workshops containing the wiring diagrams.

Wiring diagrams have detailed information of their circuit and each wire mentioned with its color and specific function.

They will also be helpful because a single wire can have multiple purposes, and wrong color wiring can lead to disabling some function or burning of lamps.   

Is the headlight wiring color code different for various models of Ford F-150?

Color-code information for Ford F-150 headlights can vary among different models because of upgrades and new features. However, models launched in adjacent years will not have significant differences. 

With modern LED and HID lights and added functionality like DRL, wiring complexity and schematic diagrams have increased.

Therefore, more wires and interlocks amongst multiple functions demand detailed wiring diagrams instead of just color codes. 

If you don’t find any information regarding the color of wires, especially for the latest truck models, consult an expert mechanic as they have detailed information and wiring diagrams available.

Moreover, it isn’t easy to find the wiring information of Ford F-150 trucks as Ford Motor Company doesn’t provide the service manuals and other technical data free of cost.

You have to purchase it from their service department. That is the appropriate way to get authentic and genuine wiring data regarding the specific model of your truck.

Related Articles:

How to turn off the daytime running lights on a Ford F50?

How do you reset the compass on a Ford F150?