Which Switch is Which?

All considered, it might actually make sense for me to change the plate on the left side. Having an Access Cab, I don't have a cargo lamp switch but I have the lights ready to go. The switch is $70 CAD from the local dealer, and I just received a call from a local wrecker quoting $95 CAD ... ?? WTF

Seems like it would make more sense to do my own switch configuration afterall. Sigh...

 

Was the wrecker quote for both the panel and the switch?

 

I only asked for the switch. When I told the guy the price I just received from the dealer, he said it wasn't the price he got from his own local dealer (about an hour away). He didn't seem interested in offering a different price so I thanked him for looking and that was that.

 

Somewhere around here is a thread for that panel with different options for switches. One of the more useful mods for an AC is a power rear window since it’s awkward at best. That mod requires a reversing switch.

 

Seems to be a number of them on Etsy. https://www.etsy.com/listing/1109110743/3rd-gen-tacoma-left-side-switch-panel

 

Oh, thanks! Another new one I hadn't yet heard of that may now go on my long list...

Actually, I'm a pretty tall guy and don't find the reach to be that bad. Plus I rarely use it, especially with the soft top on.

 

I just worked up the approximate price for me to have driven to pick up the switch from the wrecker - $36 CAD round trip. I mean, had he told me the switch was $40 I'd have probably forgone the math and just driven there to get it. I'd probably have spent slightly more, but I'd have felt like I got a good deal.

What is this world coming to? Or "Shit. I'm getting old." LOL

 

Exactly why I switched. I was tired of looking at relays and wiring

 

I can reach them but can’t see them other than the top left which I used for fogs since mine wasn’t prewired. For that reason I only use the others for switches I operate before driving(heated mirrors, etc). Things I want to see are in the center panel. I modded my second gen to have 7 switch slots there instead of the stock 4 + 2 power ports. Another panel in the lower cubby has 2-pressure gauges, 4 switch slots, and a regulator knob for my OBA stuff. Some replace one of the overhead sunglasses cubbies with a switch panel and others with auto trans mount switches in a panel behind the shifter. Lots of places that let you keep a stock look.

 

sounds like a junk yard that's soon going to be out of business.

 

Just a quick follow up on this...

I opted for an aftermarket dual switch that will control the cargo lights and some front lights. Pulling together information from threads here plus my own knowledge and testing, I ended up with a very clean install.

I bought a connector shell and crimp terminals that mates with the OEM cargo switch connector so that I didn't need to cut OEM wiring. I avoid that whenever possible.

The switch diagram/instructions are poor to say the least. What I figured out is that black is ground (bonus points there) and yellow is backlight illumination positive. Red is the dual switch COMMON, and isn't connected to anything other that the two switch contacts. Green and blue are the top and bottom switch outputs.

So, what this means is that polarity on the switch wires doesn't matter (contrary to the crappy wiring diagram from the switch seller). I wired the common to ground, and was left with two ground-switched outputs. One of these went back through the connector to control the cargo lamps. The other will ground a relay that supplies power to my front light circuit.

 

I was disappointed with the vendor also. My switch did not have any information with it. I did make a very amateurish sketch. Can't even call it a schematic. But it shows what is going on.

 

Yup, looks about what I found.

I was testing in daylight. Later when it became dark, I found the the switch to be significantly brighter than the others. I usually run my dash lights very dim to preserve night vision. I suspect the illumination is controlled on the negative side, and if so it will always be full brightness the way it's wired.

The potential solution is to disconnect the black wire from the white/black (GND) and connect it to the ILL- (need to check colour).

Otherwise, everything is working nicely.

 

So you did a Ty Webb...

(See my next amateurish MS paint rendition below)

 

Each switch led has an associated resistor that determines the maximum brightness. Grounding the black wire keeps it at that level whenever the switch has power. An additional resistor on the black wire can dim them more and/or get them in line with your dash leds if you connect the black to dash lights negative. On all of these switches the black wire is for the switch leds only and doesn’t affect the switch operation.

 

I get that the illumination circuit is separated from the switch circuits. I wish this was made more obvious by the sellers by providing a clear internal schematic.

Looking at the factory wiring diagram for panel
Illumination, power to switch illumination comes directly through a fuse. The negative goes through a module, leading me to believe that it's doing ground side PWM to control brightness.

...at least, I assume the OEM switch backlighting is dimmable... I'll have to confirm this next time I'm in the truck with darkness. Shouldn't be too long from now this time of year!

If so, I'm going to move my black wire to test this theory and try to get the switch illumination to dim variably like the others.

On the other hand, I do sort of like how it stands out... but maybe too much and causes a distraction.

 

I go in and replace the resistors as needed to match oem switch brightness so they dim correspondingly. Some are close but some need to be much dimmer like on the door switches. Doing it at the black wire is less invasive but not as clean even if you don’t see it after install. Since I sometimes change led color as well it works for me to do it all on the pcb.