Map Lights on with Dome light

I know this has been posted and talked about before but all the threads that I've found were a bit confusing, I explained it a bit more in this one in more step by step.

Tools needed:
Flat head screwdriver
Phillips screw
Knife (or other sharp tool)
Soldering tools
Electrical tape

These pictures were taken off other users threads. I am just using them for the purpose of explaining.

The very first step that I wish I had done was to remove the fuse before I blew it. Lol


First you need to remove the panel with the map lights on them.
To do this you need to first unscrew the Philips head screw from inside of the sunglasses holder. (That is the only one)
Now you need to pull on the plastic panel from the front closest to the windshield. Some pressure will need to be applied in the downward motion to get the metal clips holding it to release. (Make sure not to lose the clips, as you will need them to reassemble at the end)
Now you need to unclip the wiring that connects to the panel. Once that is off take the clip that controlled the map lights and take off the plastic tab.



I used my knife to pry off that piece. (Make sure not to lose that either)
Now when looking at the top of the clip where you just removed the tab. Use
the knife again to pull up on the plastic tabs that are holding the wire in the case. (Don’t try to pull the wires out because they won’t come out.)
Once you have removed the wires simply swap their position and reassemble
the clip.


Take the map light panel and find the clip holder that the wiring clip fit into.


Look at the position that the clip would fit into and you are going to need to
bend the metal prong that is farthest left (as the pictures shows)

Before you do anything else with that take off the dome light. The cover plate
pops off by an indention on the driver side that a flat head
screwdriver fits into. Then you need to unclip it from the ceiling.
There are two metal prong clips on either side of the light in the
corners. The wiring is on the driver side so pull from the passenger
side first. One you get the housing off let it hang.

You now need to run a wire through the ceiling to the front where the map
lights are. Leave enough slack to work with and to be sure that the
plastic panel will fit with out a problem.

No take the panel again and with that metal prong bent up you need to solder
or somehow securely attach the wire that you ran through the ceiling to
the dome light.

It will look something like this.

Now on the dome light side you need to put that wire you ran into the clip that goes to the dome light. Connect the wire to the hole on the dome lights that is farthest away from the wires that are coming in. (see picture) To fasten it you can use a screw and nut to hold the wire in place. (make sure that proper connection is reached with this wire).

Now with those parts done reconnect the plastic map light panel to the wire
clips like it was done when you took it out.

Now is the best part. Before reassembling it altogether. Test it out! (Put back
the fuse that you took out the fuse box if you have done so)
If running with LEDs then you may need to flip them as polarity is pertinent.

If everything works when you try it out by closing and opening the doors. Reassemble everything like it was before and you are ready to go.


Watch my lights on YouTube
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ptnnyeS-VaA

New Video of Lights working.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIhKN9EEgSU&feature=g-crec-u

Problems? Pm me or ask in thread and I'll try my best to help with an answer.

 

Now this is a write up. Thank you

 

In the other write ups they used a diode so when you turn on the map light you don't turn on the dome light , what happens in you scenario

 

I had bought a diode and tried it like previous write-ups suggested but it was a no go. So I took it out and it worked fine. Map lights came on individually and the dome light work independent also. So No diode.

 

Hello all. I've been a member for a while but this is my 1st post. I was originally a member of the fjcruiserforums for about a year and a half and I found the information there indispensable so when I traded my FJC for a Tacoma I knew I would need to find a forum for this truck.
Anyway, I've performed the Map Lights on with Dome Light mod and I would first like to thank DR007 not only for a nice write up but for responding to a PM I sent asking about a particular part of this mod.

A few items I would like to share:

① The "tab" in photo 3 of this write up is misleading (I realize DR007 used photos from other threads--this one in particular I had seen before so this is in no way a "slam" on DR007's write up). The pic shows some plastic piece at an angle from the main clip for the map lights. It is labeled as a tab but I'm not sure this is really the best descriptive word for this little plastic piece. Also the pic states to pop out the tab. My initial impression was that the longer end of this piece needed to be cut off. Even though that is not what the pic says that's the impression it gives with how the word connector points to a specific spot on that little plastic piece. *The entire 'tab' (little plastic piece) needs to be separated from the main clip.

② Swapping the wires in the map light clip was a BI#%H! I finally got it done after much cussing but if someone out there has an easier way to do it I'm sure a lot of people would really appreciate it.

③ Pic 5 depicts the little metal tongs the map lights main clip slides onto. DR007 soldered a wire to that bent tong. No doubt that is probably the most secure way to attach a wire but since I don't know how to solder I used a 3/16" female spade quick-connect. Although the quick-connect was just a touch wider than the metal tong it held very securely and I'm confident it wouldn't come lose short of a catastrophic car wreck.

④ On the dome light side I did as DR007 did. I just jammed the wire into the clip next to the middle wire. I used stranded wire so mine is not a very secure connection and I am going to use a quick splicer at some point in the future as suggested in the OP. If you use solid wire for the map light to dome light connection you could probably get away with jamming the wire into the middle wire of the done light clip with no worries.

⑤ Last but certainly not least. When I was finished I tested everything. My dome light worked fine but my map lights would not work at all. After some more cussing I was getting ready to throw in the towel when I remembered reading that LED map lights would need to be rotated for polarity reasons. I did this and...voila...everything worked as it should.

Once again my hat goes off to DR007 for a good write up and for helping me figure out one particular part of this mod. I would rate this mod as simple and highly recommend it for additional light in the Double Cabs.

 

Any model, or this model specific?

 

I did mine 06 PreRunner. Don't think that it'll be any different.

 

Nice

 

Sub'd

 

Doing this tomorrow

 

Just a quick question. Could those silver clips in the map light pig tail be put on the wire from the dome. So no tab is up.

 

CLynch, if I understand your question correctly the answer would be yes. If you had the correct size female connector that would fit into the map light plug then you would be able to simply insert the map light plug without bending up the tab to attach a wire to it since the wire would already be inserted into the plug with the correct size connector.
If this is your question it is actually a good idea and I believe I will look into what size the OEM female connector (and if it's even available) would be. It would definitely give this mod a more "OEM" look and any OEM female connector would attach to the tab very well.
I hope this answers your question.

And for t4daddy: FWIW I performed this mod on a 2012 DC Sport SB 4x4.

 

I'm a '08. Gonna give it whirl tomorrow.

 

Doin this on the weekend... Btw, rep for you OP... And thanks!

 

RedinKS,
The third pic has the pigtail. The metal on the wires inside that pigtail. I imagine that would be a male end. I may even see if I can go to junkyard and then butt splice the connection I already have unless you cone up with an answer that makes my life real easy. Thanks for the answer. hope this helps everyone get a real clean look. I was a bit disappointed with the way mine looked. Thanks again.

Charlie

 

Just did it and I like it! However my only problem is the map lights now always run with the door, regardless of if the dome light switch is set to off. Not a big deal though.

 

So you're saying to not attach the wire coming from the map light to the blue wire at the dome light?

 

Dont get it...

 

Me either. I kinda understand what hes saying with it doesn't tap into the blue wire. Other than that

 

Chad & Chepo,

I was confused by this statement also: "The wire coming from the map lamp gets attached to hole (open crimp) at the silver/negative side of the cab lamp. [crimp a ring connector to wire and insert a small bolt and tighten nut]. Not the blue BECU dimmer wire"

All I know is on my 2012 I directly connected a wire from the bent tab (photo #5) to the blue wire in the dome light assembly (photo #7) and this mod works exactly as advertised. FYI the blue wire at the dome light inserts into the middle of the dome light tab.

Hope this helps answer whether or not wiring this mod like in the OP will work (it will).