Custom switch illumination harness

As a side project to the 2LM in my signature, I made up some samples of a plug and play option for tying into the illumination circuit on our trucks for your custom switches. The purpose of these harnesses is to allow you to power the leds in your switches from the vehicles factory illumination circuit.

What that means:
1. The lights on the switch will be off when your headlights are off (just like the stock switches).
2. They will come on when you turn you headlights on.
3. They will dim with the instrument cluster just like the stock switches.

The harness will have the typical green 5 pin plug found on many/most aftermarket custom switches available from a variety of vendors. There are two options currently. One for tapping into the 4x4 mode switch for additional switches mounted in the center console. Another for tapping into the cargo light switch harness left of the steering wheel for switches mounted there. Even if you don't have the cargo light on your truck, the plug for it is still there and can be used.

As an example, this one is for switches mounted to the left of the steering wheel.


As of now, one harness can power one switch. It would be possible to add bullet or spade connectors to this harness to allow you to power additional switches from the same PNP illumination tap. The additional switch harness would look something like this:


What I have settled on for options is basicall a la carte. You can buy whatever quantity of each you need.

1. Main PnP switch harness with daisy-chain capability. - This is what you would use if you have a 2LM harness and want to add stock illumination. It can also be used to add more switches to give them stock illumination by daisy chaining. This must be used with one of the other options below in order to get the illumination power. Only one of the options below is required.

2. Center console - This is a male/female harness that taps into the 4wd selector to get the illumination wiring. It will plug into #1.

3. Left of steering wheel - Connects inline with the cargo light switch (if you have one), otherwise you just plug it into the connector that is behind the cubby.

4. Overhead console - I need to get a sample of this made and see if this is even realisitic. There isn't much room up there, but I have a male/femal harness drawn up to get illumination wiring to a switch mounted up there.

I am going to try to get samples made of all options to take pictures.

Spoiler: Out of date info.

Pricing: IS HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON ORDER QUANTITY/INTEREST! Pricing below is tentative and dependent on any changes. These prices are for the harness with no provisions for adding additional switches. The minimum number of orders I need to make this happen is 10 each of the left and center version. The ratio of left to center orders will affect the price a bit because there is an NRE charge divided between the two. Regardless, the more orders I have, the lower the price becomes (to a point).

With the minimum number ordered:
Left: $45
Center: $50

With 20 ordered of each:
Left: $22
Center: $25

With 50 ordered of each:
Left: $14
Center: $16
I am looking for feedback on these things:
1. Where you want the switch mounted (left/center)
2. Do you want to be able to add switches later

 

I am liking the 20 person price with a daisy chain and right side opinion.

 

I'd be in at the 20 person price for a center console harness, personally I'd be fine with single switch for simplicity but I don't mind if the ability to add more is there.

 

Thanks guys. I realize the 10 piece price is hard to swallow. Unfortunately the vendor needs to make tooling for cutting/crimping, so the more the merrier. Just so we're clear, the 20 piece price is with 20 pieces of each (or for 40 of one plus/minus a few $). Again these are just ballpark at the moment.

NRE (Non-refundable engineering) charges are pretty typical for stuff like this.

 

I totally understand that, amazingly.

 

I forgot to mention... The one pictured (for left of the steering wheel), also works for new Tundras as far as I know. Tell 'yer friends....

 

Adding this here, because it's as good a place as any....

This mod, by @caribe makaira:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-added-lamps-to-cargo-sw.587660/#post-20356024

...is essentially the same harness, except all the wires broken out. I have pricing for that if anyone is interested you can check out that thread. I will post info there in a bit.

 

Dood! My really good friend, who is an IT guy, just bought a used Tundy. I told him that I can change dealer settings for him and gave him some examples. He denied me twice. Either he doesn't trust me (valid!) or is happy stock (WTF!?).

 

Daisy chain is the only option worth doing. That gives each person the ability to run 1 or more light switches as they see fit. There is a need so people don’t have to splice the cargo light for dim and illum/no illum capability. If you didn’t do the daisy option, I’d just have to cut your harness to meet any needs I’d have.

 

Dood x2! That guy's posts confuse the shit out of me. I can somewhat read schematics, but dayum! I don't even know if that is a CHMSL light or aux?

 

Agreed. The added cost would be minimal.

 

Interested In both with the ability to add extra switches.

 

Is that price with shipping? I would like to play the lowest price possible, haha.

One switch left of the steering wheel.

 

Interested in daisy chain option and for the switches in the center below the AC controls. Obviously the 20 person price is more appealing but I’d pay the extra $30 happily if there doesn’t turn out to be enough people. Awesome idea, thanks!

 

OP- post a request for a group buy with the caveat that you need at least 60 to sign up. That keeps the price easy to swallow and gets people on a list. Unless it’s a 3 month wait, no one would care. We buy shit here all the time with a wait.

 

Fuck it. I'll change this to a GB post. I'm can see what terminals/connectors my vendor has and have these re-quoted. The PNP base harness will have 2 connection points. The additional switch harnesses will also have 2 connection points so they can be daisy chained. I'm thinking insulated female spade terminals on the PNP side with labels, and female spade on the switch side. The only question is length.

 

I’m in for a harness at any price.

I don’t think you’ll have any issue selling a boatload of these lol.

 

I’d say just a few inches. The harness is just a solution to one problem. Anyone that gets one, knows they still need to run wires so keeping it semi short it would still work in the left cubby or right side locations. Leave it up to us to run the necessary lengths. Keep it simple, less work for you. People will still buy it.

 

Personally I'd like to buy it ready to go without having to run extra wires until I need to daisy chain

 

Eh, that may not be that accurate of a statement though. There are a bunch of people on here that aren't comfortable with the electrons. i can get the switch side harnesses made at a fixed length though and then crimp on ends to order, that's not a big deal. There seems to be a big interest in truly plug and play unless I am completely off in reading the room here. I'm currently envisioning three components. PNP Left, PNP Center, and PNP Switch. The first two would have short wires with some kind of terminals. The third would be CTO for length.

***Edit***

See @MGMSangTaco above.... He's not the only one.