Looking to purchase a Taco... can you retrofit auto lights?

Hello guys,

Great community you have here.

I am looking at a Tacoma from my dealer that I can get a great discount, the only thing that bothers me it that it does not have automatic lights... can this feature be added easily? And has it been done?

Thanks!
JC

 

Mine has automatic lights but I have a pro

 

Mine doesn’t have it, i thought it would be annoying, but when i shut the truck off it automatically turns the lights off so it’s not so bad. If your job has you working sunrise to sunset, you never have to move the switch!

 

I know that there is a sensor on the dashboard for the auto lights. So i'm not sure if the wiring already is there on the lower trims. I would ask the dealer and see what they say.

 

I would imagine its not going to be very easy, besides the different switch there is a light sensor in the right tweeter speaker grill.

 

https://www.toyota.com/tacoma/features/options_packages/7594/7544/7582

 

Isn't the wiring already there but there's no way to program it in the ECU to actually work?

 

You mean auto-dimming high beams or auto on-off headlights? The premium package has auto mode for turning the headlights on/off when it senses daylight conditions. It also turns all power accessories off after the ignition is turned off to prevent battery drain. The premium package is worth the money IMO. EDIT for clarity: Auto-dimming high beams were added as a feature in 2018.

 

My 2018 SR5 has auto dimming high beams so I would imagine that they are standard for the SR5 trim level and everything above. I do not have auto on/off headlights but for me it's not really an issue, I just leave 'em on all the time since the truck turns 'em off when I lock it anyway. Georgia, like a lot of states, has a law requiring headlights when it's raining so it just keeps me legal without having to think about turning them on when I turn on the wipers.

 

Auto-dimming high beams must have been added as a feature in 2018.

 

They were...it's part of the TSS

 

If you are referring to the auto on/off and not the auto high beams. No, it can't be added with OEM parts, I've tried. The switches for (off/DRL/Park/Head) vs (DRL off/Auto/Park/Head) are electrically identical, the difference is in the programming and wiring. I went through every option in TechStream and could not find a way to reprogram to enable the auto lights. Neither my 2016 SR5 or my current 2017 TRDOR had the wiring for the sensor, on my 2016 I installed the sensor and the wiring and all it affected was the dash dimming. I did figure out an aftermarket way of doing it though.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/automatic-headlights-dei-545t-install.489115/