What's this thing?

So this is pretty much all correct (alarm). Could also be a remote start. Or both.Took me a while to find it, but decided to try Google Lens which took me here:
https://www.tundras.com/threads/things-your-tundra-does-that-you-didnt-know.8834/page-4#post-510062

It's a Viper Control Center. The clear lens is for a blue LED that blinks, but it's primarily an antenna it looks like. If the original owner removed the alarm / remote start module(s), great. I will have to crawl thru the truck to find if there are any other leftover components anywhere else.

Why install an alarm in a truck that has one from the factory? Alarm systems are products I know virtually nothing about since most vehicles have some semblance of an alarm already, right from the factory (including passive anti-theft keys). I'm sure I'm missing something. I get the remote start thing, but if this was for an alarm... not totally seeing the why here.

 

Why do people put on rims and tires and bumpers? It comes from the factory with those things.

 

Too bad doesn’t have option to come with turbboezzz from factory.

 

Fair point. I was really trying to see if there was additional functionality I wasn't seeing.

 

Maybe for a more sensitive alarm, or one with a motion/bump sensor. I don't know what triggers the factory alarm, maybe just opening a door without hitting the unlock button on the fob, but I have unlocked and opened the tailgate, climbed in the bed to remove a toolbox, and closed the tailgate back while the truck was locked, and the alarm never sounded. So, in theory, someone could get your wheels and your factory alarm would never go off.

Just found in the manual how the factory alarm gets triggered. So yes, an aftermarket alarm would give the option of having a shock sensor, where the factory alarm is only an intrusion sensor.

 

Ok, so ^^ this makes a ton of sense to me now. The tailgate locking is new to me coming from a 2nd gen. And with a tonneau cover (which the new truck also has) I could see why someone would want additional functionality of an aftermarket alarm. Thank you for this!

 

^This^

With the factory alarm, someone could bust out the windows and alarm will not sound. Have to open the door. The oem is hardly an alarm. More just keyless entry.

Merry Christmas!

 

It's the receiver module for a Viper remote start. It will have a flashing blue LED at the end of it when your vehicle is locked.

 

Thanks @Fixxxer.

I will tear into the lower dash panel this coming weekend. I'm not sure if any additional alarm / remote start hardware (modules, etc.) are still in the truck or not. I'm slightly worried I'll find a rats nest of wiring, we'll see. From the Christmas day Google searches I've done (not much) it looks like a pretty extensive install on one of these systems. Hoping if it was removed, it was done as cleanly as possible.

 

Great point. I get it now - factory alarm blows.

Merry Christmas to all you as well!

 

I recently bought a used Tacoma as well. Previous owner surrendered the fobs for it (You can buy replacement fobs and program them to your unit, they're around 100 bucks on Amazon, new). Its pretty handy and the range is insane. A quirk I am still trying to learn, which i know its purpose as a theft deterrent, I'll start it and when I open the door it turns right off. I dont know if there's a way or a button combo on the fob that will let it continue to run. I am trying to figure out myself is if it has any alarm features I need to be aware of. Furthermore, I want to know if the previous owners activated any smart start services. One service costs money and you can control security and start the car pretty much anywhere, the other is free and works through bluetooth. Dealership didnt even know it had remote start when I was purchasing it, so I doubt they would be any help.

 

That’s just a normal quirk with remote start on Toyota’s. No way around it that I know of. You are correct in assuming it is an anti theft issue.