Mod Day. Mod 2. Installing power point in center console -clean look, LOTS OF PICS-

Awesome write up OP! Been searching for a thread on this. I have an led light bar switch to go in the blanks. I installed it fine without removing but I want to tap in to something so the light comes on with other interior lights. Still not exactly sure how to wire it up. Dash is half apart now though.

 

when you figure it out, can you post pictures and be specific for future reference?

 

Thanks for the write up...this will help me replace mine.

 

If I remeber correctly when I did this. The outlets have a slot in them so you can only insert them in one direction.

 

I’ve been trying for weeks to figure out how to remove the 12v socket from my truck so that I could put in a dual USB port. It was kicking my ass! Thankfully, you did a very good write up on how to get it done in your truck and it worked perfectly in mine, too.

Thank you!

 

I signed up to this forum specifically to thank you, OP! Wanted to replace my cigarette lighter with USB's, as they didn't come stock. Hours of searching and this was the only place I found helpful info on removing the panel below the climate controls. Thank you!!!!

For anyone looking at this thread and thinking it's a giant undertaking getting at these power ports or switches, the detailed documentation by OP makes it seem like a lot more work than it really is. Takes about 15 minutes.

 

Thanks for the instructions, OP! It made the job easy.

 

glad to hear!

 

So I'm working on a project right now whereby I'm replacing the cigarette lighters / powerpoints with some different gauges that are about the same size (and rounded). Just so I don't start tearing into this unnecessarily, did I read correctly that just to remove the little piece that has the cigarette / powerpoint and the few switch blanks on it (one of mine has an aux input, for example), that I actually have to remove ALL of the pieces in this instructional? Man, that seems like so many things to have to remove just to get into that one little spot.

I was hoping that perhaps I misread it and that the extra pieces were removed for some other purposes. Amazing write-up!

 

Yup, that's how it is on second gens. That particular panel is completely surrounded by other panels that are overlapped by yet other panels. The good news is that with the radio and instrument gauge cover removed you can run wires over the top instead of underneath and avoid the pedals.

 

Wow. That's so much work just to get into that little area! I can't say I'm excited to take everything apart, but I'm certain it's going to look great once it's done. It's just unfortunate that I can't wiggle my hand into there some other way. I can easily drill out the holes I need from the front (and have), but unfortunately in order to get the lock ring on it, I need to go from the inside.

Anyway, thanks for confirming that for me!

 

This is one of those jobs where it is a bit of a PITA the first time you do it but if you need to do the removal a second time it would take you a quarter of the time as it took you the first time. And if someone asked you "How bad is it really to take everything apart", you would answer with, "It is a bit of a pain in the ass but not nearly as bad as it seems." I say give it a shot, you might find it isn't as bad as it seems it will be.

 

I waited until I had several things ready to accomplish there and did them all at once. It is a bit annoying but in reality doesn't take all that long. I ran an add-a-fuse wire over the top from the in-cab fuse panel along with front camera wires through the main grommet and over the top to behind the HU, bolted my phone mount to the HU bezel as well as tapped into the dash light circuit at the black AC controls plug. A lot of ducks to line up and harness work to do but worth it.

 

Yea, you're no doubt right and I was actually thinking about that today when I was considering removing it all. I'm waiting for one more component to arrive at my house and then I'm going to do it just to get the process started with the first two gauges/devices.

 

Yea, I'm definitely going to do that. Unfortunately some of the bigger parts that I'm really looking forward to doing require a bit more research on my part first before I purchase them. Fortunately most of the switches I'm going to install will be in the switch panel left of the steering wheel, so I think that will be much easier to get to.

 

It is. When you do get to running wires across to the center do yourself a favor and run them above and behind the cluster, there's plenty of space and a gap leading to the space behind the HU and from there all the way down to the shifter space in the center console. No lying on your back or trying to zip tie split loom to hold your harness up to prevent it from gettimg tangled in the pedals moving parts.

 

Ahh - very good advice. Thanks for that. I do a lot of wiring at my home in general so I'm probably going to get some plastic tubing for wiring so that I can have all of them grouped together inside of that and then I'll just zip-tie the whole bundle to components in there. But that's great to know that there is a better space for all of it! Thanks again

 

I like either split loom or expandable mesh loom w/ heat shrink for that, both come in a variety of diameters.

 

Good suggestions. I'd be much more likely to use one of the mesh looms that don't need to be heated. For some reason I always dislike doing the heat shrinking. Maybe just because I change my mind enough and just assume that at some point in the not-so-distant future I'll want to change something and they're kind of a pain to undo.

But I'll definitely be super anal about it and make them especially well-organized

 

Hey guys. I got my new bull guard with LED lights finally installed just yesterday. I'd written a little post on it, but wound up figuring most of it out on my own. It wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be.

Anyway, after I got it working, I just held the wires to my battery and flipped the switch to see what it would look like. Looks really cool. I've ordered some custom Tacoma switches to replace the blanks left of the steering wheel, but they haven't arrived yet. Still though, since this thread has been all about wiring the truck, I thought I would run this question by the group.

So I realize that I can just hookup the wires directly to the battery (as the instructions suggest) and then run the switch through the firewall and voila, I should have a working light.

But this would also mean that I can turn it on at any time thus just using the battery directly. So two quick questions:

1) Is it advised that I connect directly to the battery, or is there a different/better way that I could/should hook it up so that the light can only work whenever the truck is actually turned on?

The switches that I ordered are from CH4x4. I liked the idea that I could get them back lit any color that I wanted to. As it happens, I'm going with a blue interior for lighting. I even ordered some new switches to replace the ones that came factory installed since they are backlit white.

Anyway, the other question I have is wondering how those are wired so that when the lights are turned on in the truck, the backlights come on. I know the switches all have two sets of lights inside of them. One of them backlights the lights just so you can read them in the dark. And then when you actually push them on, a brighter light comes on letting you know that you have the switch turned on. But AFAIK, the first backlight ONLY comes on whenever I physically turn on the lights to the truck.

2) Is there some specific fuse that I will have to route all of my switches through in order to keep that same lighting effect?

Thanks so much for any basic advice / suggestions anyone can give me here.