Pop & Lock Automatic 05+ Dbl Cab Mod

I took this project on this weekend and had a hard time finding a write-up for it. I found lots of bits and pieces on this site, but no comprehensive directions. I finally found a great write-up on another site, and I wanted to put it here with some of my thoughts added. So here it is:

I bought the Pop & Lock Power Tailgate Lock part# PL8520. I got mine from RealTruck.com at http://www.realtruck.com/pop_lock_power_tailgate_lock/R1457P1C1T.html

The instructions from Pop & Lock are worthless, in my opinion.

The instructions I found with pictures are located at:
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=258651&highlight=pop+lock+wire+tacoma&page=2

The best instructions on there are from user adpinc:

1) Lower tailgate. Using Torx 30 bit, remove the 15 bolts on tailgate panel to expose metal structure beneath. Find weep holes along bottom edge. Using a small griding tool, pliers, or some other device, grind open one of the weep holes to about double its original size. THERE IS NO WAY AROUND THIS STEP UNLESS YOU SIMPLY SNIP OFF THE CONNECTORS AND THEN REATTACH THEM. BE CAREFUL - THE EXTERIOR SHEET METAL IS THIN AND EASILY DINGED FROM THE INSIDE!

2) Unscrew the 10mm bolts holding in the tailgate handle assembly, pop off the two metal locking bars, and drop in the Pop-n-lock. Screw the pop-n-lock back against the door handle assembly using the original bolts. Then stap the two metal locking bars back into place. THIS IS THE EASY PART.

NOTE: I SUGGEST YOU MANUALLY OPERATE THE LOCKING MECHANISM BY PUSHING IT SIDE TO SIDE TO MAKE SURE IT SLIPS BEHIND THE LOCKING ASSEMBLY. IF IT DOESN'T, YOU MAY NEED TO MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT. MINE WORKED PERFECTLY THE FIRST TIME.

3) Take the short wire provided with pop-n-lock (with green and brown leads) and feed them through your newly hogged out hole and neatly dress the cable up to pop-n-lock assembly and connect the wires. Green-to-green and brown-to-blue.

4) Open driver's side door and pop off sill trim exposing wire bundles

5) In driver's leg area, to left of brake pedal, pop off foot rest and unscrew black nut. This nut holds the driver's kick plate in place. Once removed, pop off the kick plate exposing all the wiring.

6) Go into the engine compartment on the driverside, against the firewall, you will find a big rubber grommet. You can either punch through the grommet, or do what I did and peel back the grommet and push the LONG WIRE provided by pop-n-lock through the opening into the interior of the cab. DON'T PUSH THE GROMMET BACK INTO PLACE UNTIL YOU ARE DONE. MAKE SURE TO FEED THE LOOSE WIRED END OF THE CABLE THROUGH, NOT THE CONNECTORED END.

7) Go inside the cab and pull about 6 feet of wire in to the cab. Dress the wire neatly around the kick panel area and then run the wire through the area where the other cables dress through the door sill (you removed this cover in step 4 above).

8) Locate the large wire bundle closest to the B-pillar (at the rear of the front seat) in the sill area. With a knife GENTLY cut the electrical tape that holds the plastic strain relief closed. Inside you will find a bundle of control wires.

9) Locate the BLUE WIRE WITH PINK STRIPE (blue/pink) and the BLUE WIRE WITH BLACK STRIP (blue/black). IGNORE THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN BY POP-N-LOCK. THEY ARE WRONG (thanks clear4dep!).

10) Using wire cutters, snip off the connectors from the two wires from the cable provided by pop-n-lock. They are WORTHLESS. Then cut off about about 6 inches of wire. You need this extra length of wire for a later step. Cut back the excess strain relief and strip off the ends of the wires.

11) Take your cutters, and cut the two wires identified in step 9. Yes, cut them!! Then strip both ends of the wires. Then take the extra pieces of wire you cut from the pop-n-lock cable, strip both ends, and using electrical tape connect the extra length of wire to each of the wires you just cut. In other words, you need to make the blue/pink and blue/black wires LONGER so you have room to work.

12) Now, twist in the pop-n-lock wires to the the remaining wire ends. I know this may sound a bit confusing. Basically, you need to "splice in" the pop-n-lock wires to the blue/pink and blue/black wires. The easiest way I found to do this was to cut the blue/pink and blue/black wires, extend their lengths, and then splice in the new wires. SPLICE IN EITHER NEW WIRE TO EITHER OLD WIRE. WE'LL TEST THE LOCK LATER.

NOTE: MAKE SURE WHEN WIRING EVERYTHING, THAT THE BLUE/PINK CUT WIRE GOES BACK TO THE BLUE/PINK (and blue/black to blue/black). IN OTHER WORDS, DON'T CROSS THE WIRES BY MISTAKE OR THE REAR DOOR WILL OPERATE BACKWARDS FROM THE FRONT DOOR WHEN OPERATING THE LOCK.

13) Using electrical tape, tie everything together nice and neat. Embed the wires in the sill area neatly. Pull back any extra wire you have towards the driver's cabin. Pull any slack back through the firewall gromment.

14) Replace the toe kick, foot rest, and sill plate

15) Go into the engine compartment and tuck the grommet back into place. I cut a neat little "half moon" out of the grommet to allow the new cable to to pass through and then I siliconed it to keep it water tight.

16) Drop the cable down through the engine compartment neatly. Make sure not to interfere with any components.

17) Dress the wire from the front of the car to the back of the car along the driver's side frame being careful not to tangle it. Use the wire ties supplied with the p-n-l to periodically attach the new wire to existing wire bundles.

18) At the rear of the truck, dress the short p-n-l wire (previously installed) along the bottom edge of the tail gate towards the driver's side. I used black Gorilla tape (like duct tape) to keep the wire along the bottom edge of the tailgate. If you don't do this, when the door is closed, you'll see the wire peeking out from beneath.

19) Dress the short wire around the corner of the bumper into the driver's side rear wheel well and dress the long wire from underneath the chassis into the same location. Connect the pair of connectors. Use wire ties to make the final dressing of the wires.

20) Open and close the tailgate to make sure you are happy with its operation and appearance. Adjust the wiring as necessary.

21) CLOSE YOUR DOORS!! The locks don't operate if the doors are open. Stand by the rear tailgate and operate the "lock" button on your keyfob. The key fob will open the tailgate on the second press of the unlock button, not the first, if everything is wired correctly. It will lock on the first press of the lock button.

22) IF THE P-N-L operates backwards (relative to the lock/unlock) button, simply reverse the two wires going to the p-n-l assembly and try again. That's it!!

23) Replace the plastic cover over the tailgate.

WARNING: THIS INSTRUCTION GUIDE IS FOR INFORMATI0N ONLY. I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL INSTALLER!!! BUT I AM 99% CONFIDENT IN THIS INFORMATION, AND I KNOW IT IS WORKING ON MY TRUCK PERFECTLY.


I have a 2007 dbl cab and the wiring I tapped into was under the driver's door kick panel. The CORRECT wires for this year are Blue/Pink and Blue/Black. I think the instructions say Blue/White and this is WRONG.

I took some needlenose pliers and bent the tailgate lock mechanism up so that the lock would slide under it. Took me some time to get this to work properly, but after some work it slides under the lock like a charm.

This is a fairly easy mod to do. Took me about two hours total to install this, and most of that time was under the truck fishing the wire along the top of the frame on the driver's side. I wasted a lot of time looking for the proper wiring instructions as well. Once, I found the above write up though it went very quickly.

This is a great mod and worth the effort. I am a novice at doing electrical stuff or mods for that matter. You should not be afraid of this mod, as it is fairly simple and straight forward with the above instructions.

 

Nice write up. How does the wiring go into the tailgate, and can the tailgate still be removed?

 

The instructions for the Pop and Lock were correct for my 03 Tacoma. I think the wiring colors changed with the introduction of the 2nd generation trucks.

As for instalation, I fished the wires into the cab through the wire bundle gromet under the drivers seat.
I took the cover off the door post between the front and back door to access the wiring. This allowed better access. I also carefully took a half inch of insulation off, with out cutting the wires. Then, wrap the tail gate wire around the bare wire and soldier it together. Several wraps of electrical tape and you are done.