Tesla Can Install Your Cybertruck Lightbar, But Can’t Plug It In

The Tesla Cybertruck is an interesting creation. It looks weird, and it’s not exactly the most capable truck on the road, although they have improved it since the launch. Plenty of people do try to take it off-road. Sometimes that goes well. Sometimes it results in YouTube fame. One thing that will make your chances of a successful adventure better, aside from trying it in a more capable truck, is a lightbar, which you can now buy and have installed by Tesla. They will not, however, plug in that lightbar.

It seems a little odd, but this is Tesla and odd is almost their brand. This time around, there is a reason that, if not a good one, does at least explain why techs simply cannot plug in your lightbar. Unsurprisingly, it all comes down to what’s legal. Turns out the lightbar itself is perfectly legal, but only for off-road use. It’s for that reason that the technicians are explicitly prohibited from fully connecting it to your vehicle.

You Can Have A Lightbar, But You Have to Connect It

It’s even called an Off-Road Lightbar in the Tesla Cybertruck Service Manual, reinforcing the idea that you are not supposed to turn this on when you’re driving down the highway where there is a good chance you’ll blind any oncoming traffic. Once you connect the lightbar, you could do exactly that, but this seems to be a preventative measure to ensure you know that’s not allowed. It’s the same reason many off-road vehicles, like the Jeep Wrangler, have covers on their aftermarket lights. If they’re covered on the road, there’s no chance of accidentally turning them on.

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According to the Tesla Service Manual, “Tesla employees are not permitted to connect or assist with the connection of the Cybertruck off road lightbar harness to the roof accessory jumper harness. You are responsible for using these instructions to complete the lightbar harness connection yourself.” Let’s hope you are a little tech-savvy or friends with someone who is if you expect to use your lightbar.

Connecting The Lightbar May Be The Easy Part

The service manual gives step-by-step instructions for the entire installation process, right up until the point where you need to connect it to the wiring, but that might not be the tricky part of the process anyway. The lightbar installation is a 20-step process that involves gluing it to the roof with urethane and the assistance of an inflatable airbag.

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If you want the lightbar, having Tesla technicians install the thing is probably the right way to go. Connecting it to the harness for power isn’t as tricky and, yes, there are instructions for that, too. In one last attempt to ensure you use the lightbar properly, Tesla technicians even have to add blackout film on the lightbar. That’s a lot of effort to be sure you know that it’s not for highway driving. Now let’s just hope everyone plays by the rules and doesn’t use one on the road anyway.