Install Guide: 2004-2008 F150 Recon Smoked LED Third Brake Light Install on our 2007 F150 5.4L!

Like a huge amount of our customers, we here at Stage 3 are big fans of LED third brake lights. While not super extravagant, they are a nice touch to just about any F150, and since we're going for a blacked-out and orange styling theme on our 2007 F150 5.4L, we looked to our friends over at Recon for a little help. Their answer was to send us an entire 2004 to 2008 F150 Complete Lighting Package, which includes one of their F150 LED Smoked Third Brake Lights. Recon's brake light comes with a lightly smoked lens with a black housing that makes it perfect for replacing the boring stock third brake light with something a bit more aggressive and stylish. What's even better is that Recon's third brake light is extremely easy to install.

2004-2008 F150 Recon Third Brake Light Install

Because we needed our paws free to operate various camera equipment, we took our truck, Recon lighting package, and a few other goodies to our friends over at Extreme Performance down in Goodyear, Arizona, for a little assistance. We rolled into the garage, where Jay was ready to help get our brake light up and running. Needless to say, it didn't take very long and we were finished up in practically no time.

Step one was to remove the factory third brake light. He started by removing the two screws that held it to the cab.

2004-2008 F150 Recon Third Brake Light Install

2004-2008 F150 Recon Third Brake Light Install

With both screws removed, Jay popped the brake light from the cab and then went fishing for the connector for the wiring harness, which go shoved back pretty far.

2004-2008 F150 Recon Third Brake Light Install

Jay disconnected the wiring plug for the factory light, and then connected the harness for the Recon brake light.

2004-2008 F150 Recon Third Brake Light Install

Once Jay connected the wiring, he screwed the Recon third brake light to the cab using the factory screws.

2004-2008 F150 Recon Third Brake Light Install

2004-2008 F150 Recon Third Brake Light Install

After Jay got the screws tight, our third brake light install was complete.

2004-2008 F150 Recon Third Brake Light Install

8 Comments

Dj

Date 9/4/2014

I have the exact same recon light and same truck (04) I unplugged the factory wire harness and even punched out the plastic screws to give me more wiring. Once I pulled the wore out it was not the same hookup to the factory wiring harness to the third brake light. What's the deal? Is there another wire that I need to pull out?

Rob

Date 6/12/2015

Finding the same situation as DJ. We have an '06 FX4 supercrew. And it has a differnt OEM plug than on the light supplied.

Shawn

Date 11/30/2016

I am having the same problem as DJ and Rob. The wire harness I found is bigger and not compatible with the third brake light plug. What am I missing? Is there another wire harness there somewhere or am I missing an extension? What's going on here?

Shawn

Date 11/30/2016

I am having the same problem as DJ and Rob. The wire harness I found is bigger and not compatible with the third brake light plug. What am I missing? Is there another wire harness there somewhere or am I missing an extension? What's going on here?

Jeff

Date 1/5/2018

I am having the same issue as above for my 2008 f150. The new plug doesn’t seem to fit.... like it’s too big. Help please.

Jeff

Date 1/5/2018

I am having the same issue as above for my 2008 f150. The new plug doesn’t seem to fit.... like it’s too big. Help please.

Alec Schwertfeger

Date 10/13/2018

I’m have the same issue as the above comments. Wire harness is completely different and does not have an adapter housing. 2006 F150 lariat

Marvin Green

Date 12/4/2018

Hello guys, it really is not hard at all. So earlier today I picked up my new lamp and lo and behold, nothing matches. Three branches of the harness to match one harness on the new lamp. But I came to this very forum like 15-20 minutes ago, checked a few YouTube vids and then I saw a spare harness and it was only about 8-10 inches long. This tells me the single main harness is not very far from the three branches. So I just screwed the new lamp in unconnected. So I went back to my truck after looking closely at the 4th photo above and noted that he was using a screwdriver to detach the plug that was holding the harness back under the hood. You have to be very careful so You don't get a cut on your hand (safety first). But once you can undo the fasteners under the hood to the right of the opening, you will be able to pull out the extra slack and unplug the three way harness and plug the new lamp right into the single harness and bang! SO it is plug and play but only if you know what to look for, the only thing I risked was slicing open my hand trying to get the fasteners loosed. A nice long flat screwdriver will be of great help with this. Just hold the tension with the left hand and push against the harness through the hole to undo the fasteners. Your single harness will be right there for you. Sorry it was so long, I'm a little excited to get it done! ??

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