2012+ Heater/ A/C controls in pre-2012 Tacoma?

Hey guys,

I've got a 2012 OEM touch screen sound system in my 2008 Tacoma. For those of you that have seen both the 2012+ and pre-2012 Tacomas, you know that the head units and HVAC controls are painted differently. In the pre-2012 Tacomas, its that ugly silver patterned face, where as with the 2012+ Tacomas, its that gloss black paint with the small silver specks. That being said, my HVAC controls are still that silver pattern, but I want it to match up with my 2012 head unit.

I want to put a 2012+ HVAC control panel in my 2008 Tacoma, but after doing a bit of research I found out that one of the multipin connectors is slightly different in my 2008 Tacoma. Apparently, if you have the pin, you can rewire it and it becomes plug and play. However, after tons of research, I still can't find the pin anywhere. Is there anyone on here who has put in a 2012+ HVAC control panel into their pre-2012 and can steer me in the right direction?

 

easiest thing is to buy the controls with the wire plug pigtail cut off and still in the back of the unit. some auto salvage yards do this and sell it that way. you can cut your plug and its a direct color to color solider job. however your hot/cold may be backwards being an 08, and will require further modifications that I cant help you with.

 

Seems like a lot of headache for just a color, but I'm not to judge what people can and can't do

 

Is there a way to combat the backwards hot and cold? If it's too much of a hassle, do you know what kind of paint I can use to match my current control panel to the 2012?

 

these are the threads you are looking for:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...ng-and-cold-when-on-hot-setting.292370/page-2
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2012-climate-control-in-2011-and-under-tacoma.259754/

good luck!