DO NOT order bed lights for Tacoma Access Cab!

Have my Tacoma about a month now. Purchased a 2016 4x4 Off Road model ACCESS cab. When I purchased the truck ordered the rear bed lights listed under options at Toyota.com for the access cab. THEY ARE USELESS! They are NOT tied to any switch including the overhead switch in the cab. As such after 30 seconds max the lights switch off after all doors are closed even when the interior light are set to always on!! I guess Toyota figures that Access Cab owners do not need load their cabs at night (no standard bed lights) and are stupid enough purchase an expensive dealer installed lights that are useless for all practical purposes. The four door comes with lights. Additionally the light are very glaring to eyes. RIPOFF!

 

umm...

 

Rig a separate switch on one of the unused blanks using Air On Board's "bed lights" labeled switch without a timer. Problem solved.

 

No can do... Dealer advised that it will void electrical new car warranty even if they do it. They are getting with the factory and will play out. Also when you pay +$35k for a new car getting it jimmy rigged to make factory equipment work properly sucks!

 

Hardly "jimmy rigged". Everything I did is wired up safely and looks and functions as if it came that way. Frankly...the way the instructions said to wire them up seemed more half-ass to me than the way I did it. That's why I went a different route. Besides...I wanted complete control over the lights to have them on or off whenever I wanted them.

 

Very nicely executed! I would give you 100% kudos on that but the switch is a little less than desirable on the eyes. Either way though, great work! I almost contemplated getting those lights at one point. Still somewhat am.

It's not "jimmy-rigged" if you wire it and make the electrical runs properly. Then again, you are driving a 3rd gen, and I have seen a few horror stories on bad wiring which caused the vehicle to go apeshit which in turn made the dealer offer the owners buybacks. So I think retaining your warranty on this particular gen is more paramount than anything else right now.

 

Those are not factory lights. They are a Southeast Toyota accessory that is a port installed option. They wired and spliced into the harness just as someone at home would have. The install instructions are at this link, says Tundra but its the same setup for Tacoma, just different wiring. http://trdsparks.com/install/00016-34089inst.pdf , Id just wire it to constant power and put a waterproof switch in the bed.

 

does that work at brothels?

 

Thanks. Yeah...I already had the switch for a project years ago that I never got around to. It's actually an older OEM fog light switch from the mid to late '90's RAV4 and 4Runner. Just figured I'd use it. And I'm VERY anal about electrical work. All of the wiring and connections look factory and are hidden in black loom and/or shrink-wrap. The circuit is powered directly from the battery and is isolated from the rest of the electrical system and is also protected by a 5 amp fuse.

 

You're right...not officially "factory"...but backed by the 3/36 bumper to bumper warranty when installed by a participating dealer. I'm not in that region...so I bought them from North Miami Lexus from here on TW and did the install myself....with a couple of modifications.

 

THat should be plenty (the fuse rating for the circuitry). I can't really see those lights pulling more than 2.5amps at most.

Ahh that makes sense!

I can be the same way about electrical. Other times I don't really care as long as it works and is run correctly. Lol. I do make sure they are zip tied and protected from any potential rubbing situations or whatever.

 

Yeah...I figured 5 amp was more than enough. Though very bright....they are LED and can't be pulling much juice.

 

I'll say it, thanks for the info & welcome to TW. I've done the on-line build & have to admit, it looks as if it may be an attractive option...as presented through the www.toyota.com web site. That said, I've not seen those lights and specific set up in person so really wouldn't have had any actual reference other than on the www.Toyota.com web site.

 

really, so to understand this fully you have factory option bed lights installed with no switch, but they do turn on when the doors open? and stay on for 30 sec max after the doors are closed? how much did you pay for that option? Do you not have that nice little switch on the left lower side of your dash for the bed light?

Maybe some pics are in order or take the truck back to the dealer and get in their face....

 

Someone asked if I asked about the lights before purchase. Of course I did... no one seemed to know as it was a 2016 model and this was an access cab. No, on an access cab there is no switch like on the 4-door. Saw the switch on the dash in the product brochure and on Toyota.com with the bed lights shown. Figured they would install the switch with the lights. Who knew. Now I know.. Still the bottom line is Toyota does not put any bed lights on this truck and when an option is ordered it is crap. Why would Toyota or their dealers want a bed light that is tied to door opening and closing????

Oh... to be sure the dealer knows I am unhappy and they are looking into it.

 

That's odd. Dealer threw in the bed lights with mine. They are tied right into the bedlight switch to the left of the steering wheel immediately next to my bed power outlet switch. I turn the switch to "on" and they stay on. Forever. I can drive down the road with the lights on. I turn the lights to "door" and they shut off with the door. I don't have the same experience at all.