The INEOS Grenadier ships with one of the most thoughtfully engineered auxiliary power systems in any production vehicle. Five dedicated EXT circuits, pre-wired with weatherproof DTP connectors, routed to the roof, bumper, and under-hood locations — all waiting for accessories that the vehicle doesn't actually come with.
That's not an oversight. It's an invitation.
INEOS built the electrical infrastructure. The lighting decisions are yours. And those decisions matter more than most owners realize, because how you plan your lighting build determines whether you end up with a clean, integrated system or a tangled mess of aftermarket wiring harnesses and fuse taps.
This guide covers everything: the three lighting zones on the Grenadier, what circuits power them, which products work (and which require compromises), and how to plan a lighting build that actually makes sense.
The Grenadier's Lighting Circuits: A Quick Summary
We covered the full EXT/INT port system in detail in our Power On Demand article. Here's the lighting-relevant summary:
Roof Lighting
Single DTP connector on the roof. Purpose-built for a high-output roof light bar.
Roof Rack Distribution
Three DTP ports across the roof rack — driver front, driver rear, passenger rear.
Bumper Lighting
Under-hood pigtail connectors for forward-facing lights, winches, or compressors.
Every Grenadier with the Trailmaster Edition (or the optional EXT wiring package) has these circuits pre-installed. The connectors are capped and waiting behind panels and under the hood. No dealer activation required.
The Three Lighting Zones
A well-planned Grenadier lighting build covers three distinct zones, each serving a different purpose:
Roof
High-mounted flood or scene lighting for trail navigation, camp illumination, and recovery operations
Bumper
Forward-facing driving lights for night trail use and poor-weather visibility
Side
Lateral flood or spot lights for trail edges, camp areas, and work lighting
You don't need all three on day one. But understanding how they work together — and which circuits power each zone — lets you build incrementally without painting yourself into a wiring corner.
Zone 1: Roof Lighting
The roof is the highest mounting point on the vehicle, which makes it ideal for wide-area flood lighting. The tradeoff is glare — roof-mounted lights bounce off your own hood at close range, so they're best used at trail speeds or while stationary, not highway driving.
The Circuit: EXT2
EXT2 delivers 25A through a single DTP port on the roof. At 14V nominal, that's 350W of available power. A typical roof light bar draws 100–250W, so you'll never come close to the limit. This is the correct circuit for roof lighting — it's isolated from your other accessories and purpose-built for high-draw illumination.
"FYI, EXT1 is only 10 A if you're going to use it for the light bar. For routing: take off the load bar panel and you should see two holes behind where it mounts to the roof, with direct access to the headliner. You can run it from the engine bay, through the firewall, up the A-pillar to the headliner."
DVA LED Roof Light Bar
The DVA Flush-Mount LED Roof Light Bar was designed around two problems that plague most Grenadier roof light installs: aesthetics and wiring.
The aesthetics problem: Most aftermarket light bars look like aftermarket light bars. They bolt on top of the roof with exposed brackets, creating visual bulk and wind noise. The DVA bar uses a precision-molded ABS body that matches the factory roof contour and mounts flush above the windshield with high-strength automotive adhesive. No drilling. No exposed brackets. From ten feet away, it looks factory.
The wiring problem: The bar includes a DTP adapter cable that plugs directly into the EXT2 rooftop port. No wiring harness to run through the firewall. No relay to mount. No fuse tap. Connect the DTP plug, route the cable along the A-pillar or roof gutter, and you're live.
DVA Flush-Mount LED Roof Light Bar
The Bluetooth fob is a subtle but important detail. Most roof light bars require a switch panel or a dash-mounted toggle. The DVA bar works with a wireless key fob you can keep in your pocket, center console, or clip to your visor. Press it from inside the cab, or press it while you're standing outside setting up camp.
How It Compares
| Feature | DVA Roof Light Bar | Premium Universal LED Bar | Budget LED Bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Output | 160W / ~7,000 lm | 150W / 10,800 lm | 100–300W / varies |
| Mounting | Flush adhesive, OEM contour | Universal bolt-on brackets | Universal bolt-on |
| DTP Plug-in | Yes (adapter included) | No (separate harness) | No |
| Control | Bluetooth key fob | Wired switch or controller | Wired switch |
| Grenadier-Specific | Yes | No | No |
| Price | $899 | $1,200+ | $50–200 |
A premium universal bar is a genuinely excellent light — optically superior, with more raw lumens and a refined beam pattern. But it requires a separate wiring harness ($80–150), a relay, and a switch. It also mounts with universal brackets that sit on top of the roof, not flush with it. If absolute maximum light output is your priority regardless of integration, a premium bar is hard to beat. For everyone else, the DVA bar delivers serious illumination with a dramatically cleaner install.
Generic budget bars are tempting at $50–100, but you get what you pay for: inconsistent beam patterns, questionable waterproofing, no DTP compatibility, and brackets that require drilling or awkward clamping. They also require full wiring harness runs from the roof to under the hood.
Zone 2: Bumper Lighting
Forward-facing bumper lights serve a different purpose than roof lights. Where roof-mounted floods illuminate a wide area from above, bumper lights throw a focused beam down the trail ahead of you. They're your primary tool for night driving on trails, fire roads, and unlit rural highways.
The Circuit: EXT1 / EXT5
Bumper lights wire into the under-hood pigtail connectors on EXT1 or EXT5, each rated at 25A. These aren't DTP ports — they're standard pigtails designed for direct connection. The DVA bumper light system includes two harness options: one for direct connection to the factory under-hood auxiliary power, and one for integration with a centralized lighting controller if you're running one.
"The light bar is on EXT1 and the Bajas are on EXT5 and I have an aluminium momentary switch that is brushed aluminium to change modes. That goes on the lower panel by the driver's right knee."
DVA Front Bumper Light System
The bumper lighting solution is a two-part system:
Front Bumper Light Mount — A precision-engineered bracket system that positions a light bar inside the factory bumper opening. Uses existing factory mounting points for a true bolt-on install. No trimming of the bumper, grille, or plastics. No drilling. Maintains full radiator airflow and preserves the factory crash bar.
This matters because the Grenadier's bumper isn't just a cosmetic piece — it's a structural component with integrated crash protection and sensor mounts. The DVA mount works within that structure rather than modifying it.
Two regional variants exist. The U.S./Global bumper has integrated amber marker lights and a wider center opening. The European bumper has a narrower center slot and different parking sensor positions. Select the correct version for your vehicle. (Note: the mount is not compatible with the European bumper with integrated winch.)
Front Bumper 3-Light LED Bar — Three Cree LED units, each running 4 × 10W chips, for a combined ~110W and ~13,200 lumens of forward-focused illumination. The bar is engineered specifically for the DVA mount — no universal brackets, no misalignment, no visual clutter.
DVA Front Bumper Light System
The mount is also compatible with other light brands — Rigid, Baja Designs, Diode Dynamics — if you want to run premium third-party lights on the DVA bracket system. But only the DVA 3-Light Bar is specifically dimensioned for a seamless fit inside the bumper opening.
Amber Covers for Adverse Conditions
The Amber Snap-On Light Covers ($39, set of 3) are impact-resistant polycarbonate lenses that snap over the DVA bumper lights without tools. Amber filtering reduces glare and backscatter in fog, rain, dust, and snow — a meaningful improvement over white light in conditions where you're dealing with particulates in the air. They snap on and off in seconds.
How It Compares
The main alternative for bumper light mounting is a universal bumper bar, which mounts across the top of the bumper opening rather than inside it. It's a solid product, but it changes the bumper's visual profile significantly — you're adding a visible bar across the front of the vehicle. The DVA mount tucks lights inside the existing opening for a stealthier result that preserves the factory look.
Zone 3: Side Lighting
Side lights fill the gap between forward illumination and overhead flood. Mounted on the roof bars, they throw light laterally — useful for illuminating trail edges, camp areas beside the vehicle, or work zones during recovery operations.
The Circuit: EXT3
Side lights plug into the EXT3 DTP ports distributed across the roof rack. Three ports are available: driver-side front, driver-side rear, and passenger-side rear. Each side light draws 30W (~2.1A at 14V), so you can run multiple lights on the shared 15A circuit without issue.
"It shouldn't overload the pre-wired system. A Lazer Linear 42 draws 147 watts — current draw at 14.4 V is 10.2 amps. But check your circuit rating carefully before committing."
Two Options: Spot vs. Flood
💡 LED Side Light (Spot)
- Focused spot beam
- Best for trail obstacles
- Camp kitchen lighting
- Work zone illumination
- Includes yellow snap-on lens
🔆 LED Side Flood Light
- Wide flood beam
- General scene lighting
- Broad area illumination
- Camp perimeter lighting
- Same mount & DTP connector
Both lights share the same specs and mounting system:
DVA LED Side Lights
Aluminum housing with cooling fins. Precision-machined roof bar clamp — no drilling. Pre-installed DTP connector.
The choice between spot and flood depends on how you use your vehicle. Trail runners who need to see obstacles and trail edges tend to prefer spot beams. Overlanders who camp beside the vehicle and need broad area lighting prefer flood. Many owners run one of each — flood on the camp side, spot on the trail side.
The DTP Advantage
This is worth calling out explicitly, because it's the single biggest difference between Grenadier-specific lighting and generic off-road lights.
Every DVA rooftop light arrives with a pre-installed DTP connector. You plug it into the Grenadier's factory DTP port. Done. No wiring harness. No relay. No fuse tap. No running wires through the firewall. No crimping connectors in your driveway.
"EXT2 exists for one primary purpose: powering a rooftop light bar with a dedicated, unshared 25-amp circuit. A high-output 40–50 inch LED bar typically draws 15–22 amps. On EXT2, that load runs on its own fused circuit with no competition from other accessories."
✓ DVA DTP Install
- Plug into factory DTP port
- Done
✗ Generic Light Install
- Wiring harness ($80–150)
- Relay and fuse holder
- Switch or switch panel
- Wire routing through firewall
- Weatherproof every connection
That's not a criticism of generic products — they're designed to fit any vehicle, which means they can't assume any specific wiring infrastructure. But the Grenadier has specific wiring infrastructure, and ignoring it means duplicating work that INEOS already did.
The DTP Splitter ($29) extends this advantage further: plug it into any DTP port, and you get two DTP outputs. Run two side lights from a single EXT3 port. No splicing, no wire nuts, no electrical tape.
Complete DVA Lighting Product Specs
| Product | Wattage | Lumens | Beam | Mount | Circuit | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LED Roof Light Bar | 160W | ~7,000 | Wide flood | Flush adhesive | EXT2 DTP | $899 |
| Front Bumper Mount | — | — | — | Bolt-on | — | $499 |
| Bumper 3-Light Bar | ~110W | ~13,200 | Forward driving | DVA mount | EXT1/EXT5 | $399 |
| Bumper Light Kit | ~110W | ~13,200 | Forward driving | Bolt-on | EXT1/EXT5 | $799 |
| LED Side Light | 30W | 2,400 | Spot | Roof bar clamp | EXT3 DTP | $169 / $299 |
| LED Side Flood | 30W | 2,400 | Flood | Roof bar clamp | EXT3 DTP | $169 / $299 |
| Amber Covers | — | — | — | Snap-on | — | $39 |
| DTP Splitter | — | — | — | DTP plug-in | Any DTP | $29 |
Planning Your Lighting Build
Budget Build
The two most impactful zones — forward driving and lateral scene lighting.
- Front Bumper Light Kit$799
- 2× Side Flood Lights (dual kit)$299
Full Build
Every zone covered, every circuit used. Over 25,000 lumens total.
- LED Roof Light Bar$899
- Front Bumper Light Kit$799
- Side Light (Spot)$169
- Side Flood Light$169
- DTP Splitter$29
- Amber Bumper Covers$39
Circuit Allocation — Full Build
| Circuit | Fuse | Load | Headroom |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXT2 25A / 350W | Roof Light Bar | 160W | 190W available |
| EXT3 15A / 210W | 2× Side Lights | 60W | 150W available |
| EXT1 25A / 350W | Bumper 3-Light Bar | 110W | 240W available |
| EXT5 25A / 350W | Available | 0W | 350W available |
Notice how much headroom remains on every circuit. You could add a second pair of side lights, a rear scene light, or auxiliary accessories without approaching any fuse limit. The Grenadier's electrical system was designed with expansion in mind — the lighting build just uses a fraction of what's available.
The Full-Build Example
Here's what a complete three-zone lighting build looks like in practice:
DVA Flush-Mount LED Roof Light Bar, adhesive-mounted above the windshield, DTP-connected to EXT2. Controlled via Bluetooth fob clipped to the sun visor. Used for trail navigation at low speed and camp scene lighting. Install time: ~60 minutes plus 12-hour adhesive cure.
DVA Front Bumper Light Kit (mount + 3-light bar), bolted into factory bumper mounting points, wired to EXT1 under-hood pigtail. Amber snap-on covers stowed in the glovebox for fog and dust conditions. Used for night driving, fire roads, and trail approach. Install time: ~45–60 minutes.
One DVA LED Side Light (spot) on the driver-side front roof bar position, one DVA LED Side Flood Light on the passenger-side rear position. Both DTP-connected to EXT3 via a splitter on the driver-side front port. Used for lateral trail visibility and camp area lighting. Install time: ~20 minutes per light.
Under 3 hours of active work (plus the 12-hour adhesive cure for the roof bar). No drilling. No wiring harnesses. No relays. No fuse taps. Every light either plugs into a DTP port or connects to a factory under-hood pigtail.
That's the Grenadier lighting build, done right.
Beam Patterns Explained: Spot vs. Flood vs. Combo
Choosing the right beam pattern is as important as choosing the right light. The wrong pattern in the wrong position creates glare, blind spots, or wasted lumens.
Spot Beam (8–15° spread)
A tight, focused beam that throws light the farthest distance. Spot beams are ideal for high-speed driving on open roads and trails where you need to see hazards 300+ metres ahead. The tradeoff: minimal side illumination. Running spots alone on a winding trail means you see what's straight ahead but nothing on the edges where obstacles (rocks, ditches, animals) appear.
Flood Beam (40–120° spread)
A wide, dispersed beam that illuminates the area immediately around the vehicle. Flood beams excel at camp lighting, work lighting, and slow-speed trail driving where peripheral vision matters more than distance. DVA's side-mount flood pods on the EXT3 circuit are specifically designed for this — illuminating the ground beside the truck during campsite setup or trail-side repairs.
Combo Beam (mixed spot + flood)
Most LED light bars use a combination: spot LEDs in the center for distance, flood LEDs on the outer edges for width. This gives you the best of both worlds for general driving. DVA's LED Roof Light Bar uses a combo pattern optimized for the Grenadier's driving height, with a center spot throw of approximately 400 metres and flood coverage spanning roughly 60° on each side.
Matching Beam to Position
- Roof-mounted light bar: Combo beam — you need distance and width from the highest point
- Front bumper pods: Spot beam for driving, flood for ditch lights. Running one of each (spot + flood) on opposite sides is a popular configuration
- Side-mounted pods: Flood beam — these are scene/work lights, not driving lights
- Rear-mounted: Flood beam — reverse and campsite illumination only
EXT Circuit Assignments for Lighting: The Complete Picture
The Grenadier's factory EXT circuits were designed with auxiliary lighting as a primary use case. Here's how the amperage breaks down for a full lighting build:
| Circuit | Rating | Lighting Use | Typical Draw | Headroom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXT1 | 10A (120W) | Small LED pods, bumper lights | 3–6A (40–70W) | 4–7A spare |
| EXT2 | 25A (300W) | Roof light bar | 10–18A (120–220W) | 7–15A spare |
| EXT3 | 25A (300W) | Side scene lights, rear work lights | 4–10A (50–120W) | 15–21A spare |
| EXT5 | 25A (300W) | High-output forward driving lights | 8–15A (100–180W) | 10–17A spare |
Note the headroom column. Even a full DVA lighting build — roof bar on EXT2, bumper pods on EXT1, side pods on EXT3, and driving lights on EXT5 — leaves significant amperage on every circuit. This means you can add non-lighting accessories (compressor, Starlink, etc.) to circuits with spare capacity without overloading anything.
Forum-Sourced Lighting Issues and Solutions
The Grenadier community has documented several recurring lighting issues. These aren't design flaws — they're configuration and installation mistakes that are entirely avoidable.
Issue: Auxiliary Lights Turn On Then Immediately Shut Off
One of the most common forum complaints. Owners install aftermarket lights on the factory aux circuit, the lights illuminate for 2–3 seconds, then the BCM (Body Control Module) shuts them down. The cause: the BCM monitors current draw on each circuit. If the draw doesn't match the expected load profile (too low for a bulb, wrong signature for an LED), the BCM interprets it as a fault and cuts power. The solution: ensure your LED lights include a compatible load resistor or CAN-bus adapter. DVA's lighting products are pre-configured for the Grenadier's BCM, so this issue doesn't arise.
Issue: Flickering at Low RPM or Idle
Some aftermarket LED pods flicker when the engine is at idle, particularly when other high-draw accessories are running simultaneously. This is a voltage regulation issue — at idle, the alternator output drops slightly, and cheap LED drivers can't handle the voltage variance. Quality LED pods with integrated constant-current drivers (like DVA's) maintain stable output across the 11.5–14.8V range the Grenadier's dual-battery system produces.
Issue: Water Ingress After Installation
Drilling into the roof or bumper for light mounting creates penetrations that must be sealed. Forum posts show corrosion around mounting holes within months of installation. DVA's mounting systems use factory-existing mounting points wherever possible, and when new penetrations are required, the hardware includes proper gaskets and sealant to maintain the factory corrosion protection standard.
Issue: DOT/NHTSA Compliance Confusion
Forward-facing auxiliary lights in North America must be wired to only operate with high beams (DOT/NHTSA requirement). Some owners wire them to an independent switch for low-speed off-road use, which is fine off-road but illegal on public roads. The Grenadier's factory aux lighting circuit already handles this correctly — EXT1 and EXT5 forward lights can be configured through the overhead switch to activate only with high beams, maintaining compliance. Using the factory circuit rather than independent wiring keeps you legal.
