1. Welcome to Tacoma World!

    You are currently viewing as a guest! To get full-access, you need to register for a FREE account.

    As a registered member, you’ll be able to:
    • Participate in all Tacoma discussion topics
    • Communicate privately with other Tacoma owners from around the world
    • Post your own photos in our Members Gallery
    • Access all special features of the site

Center console tear down with "OEM LIKE" USB charging ports

Discussion in '3rd Gen. Tacomas (2016-2023)' started by Peanut83, Feb 3, 2017.

  1. Feb 3, 2017 at 9:43 AM
    #1
    Peanut83

    Peanut83 [OP] Member

    Joined:
    Jul 21, 2016
    Member:
    #192551
    Messages:
    17
    First Name:
    Joe
    Vehicle:
    Your truck is better
    I have tires
    I installed dual USB charging outlets in my center console and wanted to share.

    Not a fan of clutter and cables all over the place so I opted for the center storage bin instead of the dash.

    The part:

    Foxnovo Dual USB Charger Outlet easily found on Amazon for $8.99

    Center console tear down:

    1. Pushing the shifter boot down away from the knob releases the knob to be unscrewed.

    2. Pulling up from the edge of the center storage bin will release the clips holding the entire top assembly to the lower.

    3. Gently pull the parking brake boot towards the release button, it is not held in place by any retention system to the lever handle.

    4. Disconnect the gear selection indicator lights wiring harness before you try to remove the top assembly.

    5. Disconnect Cigarette lighter power and release the lighter compressing inwards on the top and bottom tabs.

    6. You will have to modify the existing lighter opening but only buy a little bit, I used a dremel but you can easily use a utility knife.

    7. Release the existing tang lock terminals on the oem wiring by prying open the small stops that hold them in place withing the housing.

    8. Tested with a multi-meter the yellow and black wire is the positive + on my truck, Please test with either multi-meter or light tester to verify on your own truck.

    I shrink wrapped the tang connectors on my installation just because i had it available. 1/4 " heat shrink.

    Enjoy.

    IMG_3361.jpg
    IMG_3360.jpg
    IMG_3359.jpg
    IMG_3364.jpg
    IMG_3353.jpg
    IMG_3357.jpg
    IMG_3356.jpg
     
  2. Feb 3, 2017 at 9:46 AM
    #2
    rtzx9r

    rtzx9r Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 5, 2016
    Member:
    #174071
    Messages:
    1,736
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Bueller
    34997
    Vehicle:
    2016 TRD Sport
    LS1 swap with nitros.
  3. Feb 3, 2017 at 9:46 AM
    #3
    Siblue

    Siblue Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2014
    Member:
    #143489
    Messages:
    3,077
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Ryan
    So Cal
    Vehicle:
    22 Tundra
    Great work. I was thinking the same and relocating the console 12V outlet in the rear cupholder panel
     
  4. Feb 3, 2017 at 10:00 AM
    #4
    Siblue

    Siblue Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2014
    Member:
    #143489
    Messages:
    3,077
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Ryan
    So Cal
    Vehicle:
    22 Tundra
    We love mods here. You get a thumbs up for using a DMM. Most want to tap wire via colors without properly testing with a multi-meter.
    Welcome.
     
    GPsevinSixx and gpb like this.
  5. Feb 28, 2017 at 8:42 PM
    #5
    skybolt

    skybolt Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2017
    Member:
    #211936
    Messages:
    29
    Gender:
    Male
    Has anyone done something like this, outlet in the center console, but tapping the USB from the dash so a portable USB hard drive can be used?
     
  6. Mar 1, 2017 at 4:51 AM
    #6
    gpb

    gpb Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 24, 2016
    Member:
    #195408
    Messages:
    6,069
    Gender:
    Male
    Atlanta
    Vehicle:
    2017 White DCSB TRDOR 4x4
    @skybolt I've not done so yet but it's on my to-do list. I'll use this USB/AUX extension to reroute the dash plug and free up the switch slot for something else. Still haven't decided if I'll route it to the console or to the glove box.

    Either way, I'd recommend you ensure the head unit can power a USB hard drive and also handle the capacity before you make any mods. I'm sure it'll handle a thumb drive's power needs, but hard drives may be stretching it.

    @rtzx9r I use this low profile unit instead, but props to the OP for a good mod and excellent pictures.
     
  7. Mar 1, 2017 at 5:33 AM
    #7
    skybolt

    skybolt Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2017
    Member:
    #211936
    Messages:
    29
    Gender:
    Male
    gpb,

    My wife drives a BMW x3 28i and in the center console, cubby, it has an aux jack and a USB as well as 12 power via a cigarette lighter style jack. I use an external hard drive made from an old laptop drive in a case, I bought it as a kit that came with a cable that runs one USB connector to data and power, but if that isn't enough it has a secondary USB plug on the same cable to boost power. What I would do to the Tacoma is the same. Run an aux jack, a USB jack and then run a 12 power cigarette style outlet, all inside the cubby, just because its easy to do it then than that later. Using a cigarette jack style double usb plug in adapter solves the lack of power for the hard drive and also allows charging of non Q style charging, my phone sits on the Q charger pad and connects via bluetooth.

    For future reference: Don't throw those old laptop HDD's away. Buy a case that can plug into USB and have anywhere for a few hundred to a terabyte or two for storage.

    Note: I have not, as yet, tried the portable HHD in the TAcoma so when it comes back from the service department, warranty issue, I will update this post.
     
  8. Mar 1, 2017 at 6:00 AM
    #8
    gpb

    gpb Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 24, 2016
    Member:
    #195408
    Messages:
    6,069
    Gender:
    Male
    Atlanta
    Vehicle:
    2017 White DCSB TRDOR 4x4
  9. Mar 1, 2017 at 6:10 AM
    #9
    Istan

    Istan Leave it stock they said

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2017
    Member:
    #206502
    Messages:
    2,344
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Stan
    Vegas and Yuma
    Vehicle:
    03 Xtra Cab 5Speed 4*4
    If you're just driving on pavement, an old hdd should be OK but offloading I probably wouldn't use it. The thumb nail sized thumb drive like gpb posted should be great for any case and they are pretty inexpensive.
     
  10. Mar 1, 2017 at 7:39 PM
    #10
    skybolt

    skybolt Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2017
    Member:
    #211936
    Messages:
    29
    Gender:
    Male
    I guess so with the HDD using discs. I used to use thumb drives until I had a laptop drive with larger capacity sitting around. Now I will look into larger USB thumb drives and having a few of those could hold plenty for trips.
     
  11. Mar 2, 2017 at 4:27 AM
    #11
    gpb

    gpb Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 24, 2016
    Member:
    #195408
    Messages:
    6,069
    Gender:
    Male
    Atlanta
    Vehicle:
    2017 White DCSB TRDOR 4x4
    How long are your trips? The $32 flash drive above would hold over 830 hours of 320kbps mp3 files. At 12 hours per day you get nearly 70 days listening time before you have to hear something a second time. :D
     
    tomwil likes this.
  12. Mar 2, 2017 at 5:48 AM
    #12
    skybolt

    skybolt Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2017
    Member:
    #211936
    Messages:
    29
    Gender:
    Male
    As mentioned before I used to work in remote areas of Australia and that would be months at a time before I got back home. With safety becoming more of a concern to larger mining companies we sometimes had work on a short rotation of 12 weeks on and two weeks off. If not working for those companies we would work until the job was done 7 days a week, could be six months straight with a few days down days for rain or moving camp. We prayed for rain so we could have some down time.

    Nowadays, the past 16 years, I work for the Los Angeles county and am home each work day 10 minutes after I finish work. Easy peasy. I am now starting to explore the USA and take long drives. In a few weeks I will be driving to Arches National Park, as I did Zion and Bryce last year and the year before, respectively. Then on to Mesa Verde, Sedona and back home. Yellowstone, and what ever lays in between, will be later in the year. I want to shift back a gear and spend more time outside and in the bush.

    I have an extensive and eclectic music collection and store most of it on external drives. I lost 100's of GB's of music once when my laptop crashed and died. I like to keep it all on external drives but I ran out of storage on my 1T drive. I could not carry the CD's I have and it would be too dangerous to try and drive and find what piques my interest at the time. Now I have it split up over a few externals. On long trips I like to carry stuff I might or might not listen to. There many times I listen to music and others I listen to some lectures or audio books.

    After a few posts ago I started looking for the larger USB drives and see the price for 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1T, 2T are within a price range that is now affordable. These would also be lighter, smaller, and no fear of damage from movement or dust. I will get a 128GB then as the prices drop get a larger one. I just have to work out the max GB that the eTune system will handle without any trouble. Anyone, anyone...

    Thanks gpb for reminding me.
     
  13. Mar 2, 2017 at 4:56 PM
    #13
    Istan

    Istan Leave it stock they said

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2017
    Member:
    #206502
    Messages:
    2,344
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Stan
    Vegas and Yuma
    Vehicle:
    03 Xtra Cab 5Speed 4*4
    I can't remember the gb limit, but there is a 9999 file limit.
     
  14. Mar 2, 2017 at 9:20 PM
    #14
    skybolt

    skybolt Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2017
    Member:
    #211936
    Messages:
    29
    Gender:
    Male
    Does that mean all files? Could there be 9999 folders and then 9999 folders inside each folder and then 9999 files inside each of those? Given there is enough room on the stick.

    Just asking.
     
  15. Mar 2, 2017 at 9:26 PM
    #15
    Istan

    Istan Leave it stock they said

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2017
    Member:
    #206502
    Messages:
    2,344
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Stan
    Vegas and Yuma
    Vehicle:
    03 Xtra Cab 5Speed 4*4
    9999 total. Given a 10mb per song size for mp3, a 128gb should get you there.

    Screenshot_20170302-222431.jpg
     
  16. Mar 2, 2017 at 9:45 PM
    #16
    the_dau

    the_dau Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2016
    Member:
    #192803
    Messages:
    1,165
    Gender:
    Male
    Vancouver BC
    Vehicle:
    2017 Inferno TRD OR DCSB
    my truck came with a 12v outlet in my center console...I just got a usb adapter that sits almost flush..does the same thing a lot less work
     
  17. Mar 9, 2017 at 5:34 AM
    #17
    skybolt

    skybolt Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2017
    Member:
    #211936
    Messages:
    29
    Gender:
    Male
    Got a 128GB USB thumb drive from eBay for $8, it arrived yesterday, and it will hold far more than I will listen to on a trip and so I can pick and choose to make sure I get all my music on a couple of them. I should fill it up this weekend as it does take some time to load certain discographies.
    After this revelation I am going to swap all me files from the external HDD to thumb drives. Less power consumption (my wife always asks if the HDD is unplugged in her X3 as it stays powered after the rest of her car is powered down, she doesn't want it to flatten her battery or cause a fire), smaller footprint and no cords.

    Once I got my Tacoma back I realised it did come with a center console 12v power outlet and I had already put in a double USB charging plug. As mentioned in another post https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/transfer-case-actuator.478065/ I had my truck for 3 days and then it went in for warrenty work. After 2 weeks I got it back yesterday.

    Now I'm playing with it again and the next item from the interior that strikes me as needing improvement it the sound system. I will look for other threads for ideas.
     
    This site contains affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
    #17
  18. Mar 9, 2017 at 5:40 AM
    #18
    ramonortiz55

    ramonortiz55 Not A Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 28, 2012
    Member:
    #92013
    Messages:
    34,647
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Ramon
    Texas
    Vehicle:
    2015 DCSB Offroad 4x4
    stock
    Good job OP!

    I did this:



    and this:

     
    gpb likes this.
  19. Mar 9, 2017 at 9:46 AM
    #19
    CudaRavage

    CudaRavage Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 18, 2016
    Member:
    #197555
    Messages:
    81
    Gender:
    Male
    Parma, Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2017 SR 4x4
    I want to pop that rear cover off to mount a power inverter. I tried prying at it a bit but don't want to tear it up. How does it come off? Did you have to remove other parts first? Does it open from the top or bottom? or does that not matter? Thanks :)

     
  20. Mar 9, 2017 at 9:55 AM
    #20
    ramonortiz55

    ramonortiz55 Not A Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 28, 2012
    Member:
    #92013
    Messages:
    34,647
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Ramon
    Texas
    Vehicle:
    2015 DCSB Offroad 4x4
    stock
    take the console out.

    the whole thing.

    It then pops out from the bottom.

    I had to play w it to get it off w out breaking tabs.
     
    CudaRavage[QUOTED] likes this.

Products Discussed in

To Top