Official 4runner side mirror swap and write up!

I’m very electrically unskilled, but reading this thread of how easy it appears to be, and I really would love to have heated mirrors for our winters has me really wanting to try this. What i’ve heard is the OEM 4Runner mirrors are the way to go. I have an 09 Taco, does it matter what year of 4Runner mirrors I should be calling the junkyards for?

If I get brave enough I will be in touch with up2nogood for a harness then cross my fingers!

Great thread, very educational and thorough.

 

This actually caught me by surprise when installing the Highlander switch that I got from @Up2NoGood. Why is a momentary push more ideal than the latching design?

 

So the heat doesn't stay on indefinitely.

 

This whole process as described is really better than most modifications I've run into described! I just received the harness from Jaimes. Excellent to deal with. I have an 06 in case someone wants to know. I've taken the colored covers off my used 4Runner mirrors and am going to paint them. Then pop them back on and I think change the mounts from the 4 Runner mirrors and attach my Tacoma mirror mounts...if I read correctly!!

 

Did you ever get this done? Going to get on ordering the parts for my 06... How much was the harness?

 

Jaimes just asked me the same question. My daughter actually is wanting that Tacoma and I'm buying an 09. The mirrors will go on the 09. The harness is really a work of art. Instructions are excellent. I would contact Jaimes directly as the prices vary in terms of what you are looking for and what you need him to do!

 

When transfering 4runner mirrors to Tacoma mount, the tape that seals the harness around the opening needs to be removed.

What kind of tape would you recommend there? The OEM stuff looked like very thin vinyl tape with a very strong adhesive. I doubt vanilla electrical tape would seal as well.

 

@nazlax10 should update the 1st post. @Up2NoGood noted he no loner offers the 4runner wiring harness. =( Just the heated mirror version.

 

I'll make the change. I don't own a Tacoma anymore so I only check the site when I get an email for a PM.

 

The Highlander/Sienna Toyota OEM Mirror Control Switch that has the "mirror fold" button in the upper right hand corner is a four position circuit card switch. It has four terminals in the back of the mirror housing. When you press on the mirror fold button, and it latches, two copper bars inside the switch close two circuits that activate pins 1&2, and then 3&4. As it was designed, this engages the mirror fold motor and brings the mirrors in, as long as the button is held in. When you press the mirror fold button again, and release it, it pops out, and the circuit opens and the mirror fold motor opens the mirrors. That's how it was designed to work.

For this application, the 4runner heater mirror/blinker/puddle upgrade, we need to convert this always on/always off mirror fold button to a momentary on switch, and we do this by removing the metal bar in the switch mechanism that holds it closed. Now that it won't stay locked in the "fold mirrors" position, it just pops back out after a quick push. The next thing we need to do is clip the connections at the rear of this switch, and leave just the four upper pins isolated from each other, and from the rest of the mirror control switch.

Why?

Because after you've removed the metal locking bar, when you press the mirror fold button, only pins 1 and 4 momentarily contact, and this is what we will use to activate the timer for the heater mirrors. The heated mirror relay timer needs to be "activated" by a 12V switched source, and pins 1 and 4 now provide that switching connection. So, to complete the mod on the push button, solder a wire on pin 1, and a wire on pin 4 and use these wires in series as a switch between your 12V switched source and the timer/relay.

Here is a photo of the rear of my modded mirror control switch (but note that I removed my mirror fold button and used a SPST momentary micro switch on mine because I destroyed my mirror fold push button in figuring all this out):











As an FYI, I understand the original timer that uptonogood offered is no longer in production, I used a Hella Relay timer I got off of Amazon:

Hella Relay, Variable timer, 0 to 900 seconds:

$55 HELLA 996152131 12V Delay-On-Release, Time Delay Relay, Black

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003C508XO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And here is my mirror fold switch modded to accept a mico push button momentary switch instead of using the mirror fold button:






Here is a pic of my mirror control switch after I finished the mods. Also pictures are the micro push button momentary on (Normally open) switches that I used. The yellow ones are just spares I made. I preferred the look of the black cap vs. the yellow one.

 

** FOR THE HEATED MIRRORS **

If anyone is interested, here is some additional info from my mod.

Here is my wiring diagram using the Hella Timer Relay, a SPST on/off switch with build in LED. This is the schematic of the timing circuit that I used. This is only FOR THE HEATED MIRRORS part of the mod. This circuit provides a way to have a heated mirror circuit, and also allows you to CANCEL the mirror heat at any time by using the SPST/LED on/Off switch to break the 12V power going to the Hella Timer. Why did I do it this way? The other circuit that I found here did not provide a way to cancel power to the mirrors once the timer was activated. The only way to turn off ( or reset) the Hella timer is to break the 12V BATTERY connector, which is labeled as #30 on the Hella Relay. But putting a on/off switch in the middle of the wiring coming from #30, you stop the mirror heat, and reset the relay.

So, here is how my circuit works:

(Please note, that this circuit requires that your ignition source (12V) be on. This circuit will not work with your 12V ignition off. In other words, this only works when you have the ignition in the "ON" position, or the engine is running. It will not work if the ignition is OFF, or in the ACC position.)

Sequence Start:

1. Press the black capped micro switch button** on the mirror control. This turns on the Hella Timer/Relay.
2. Power flows from the Hella relay to both mirrors, and also the LED on the SPST switch. The LED on the SPST switch is now illuminated, letting us know that the mirrors are heating.
3. My Hella timer/relay, now activated, starts counting down from eight minutes (or 480 seconds) which is where I have it set.
4. After 8 minutes, the timer stops, cuts off power to the mirror heat, and the LED goes off on my SPST switch.
5. The sequence is now complete. I may elect to start it again by going to #1.
6. Note that I did not touch the SPST switch in this sequence.

**If you have the mirror fold switch successfully modded to a momentary on switch, then you would be pressing the mirror fold switch vs. the micro switch as I have.

Alternate Sequence:

1. Press the micro switch button on the mirror control. This turns on the Hella Timer/Relay.
2. Power flows from the Hella relay to both mirrors, and also the LED on the SPST switch. The LED on the SPST switch is now illuminated, letting me know that the mirrors are heating.
3. My Hella timer/relay, now activated, starts counting down from eight minutes (or 480 seconds) which is where I have it set.
4. After 4 minutes, I notice the mirrors have completely defrosted and now I want to stop the mirror heat.
5. Since the Hella timer is set for 8 minutes, and I still have 4 minutes to go, I flip the SPST switch, breaking 12V battery power to the circuit, the Hella timer turns off, mirror heat turns off, the SPST LED goes dark, and the circuit is dead.
6. I return the SPST switch to its original position, and the sequence is again ready to begin with #1.

Schematic of my circuit:




And here are pictures of the SPST with built in (wired separately) LED switch that I used:

 

Still want to do this mod, I’m not sure if i trust my skills in making a wiring harness for the puddle lights and turn signals heater ect.

 

Some say I am beyond help, but i'm asking anyway.
I'm trying to gather parts required to get my heated, puddle lights, and turn signal mirrors installed.
I have mirrors, I have factory switch with momentary latch (will do mod to it). Need info on the Wolstem-MC relay. Two available - Positive switching or negative switching. I'm thinking I need positive switching. If anyone has done this using this relay do you remember the part number?
Thanks so much to all.

 

See if you can contact @Up2NoGood . He was the person who was supplying the kits originally and worked out the details with Wolsten Tech. I am not sure if he is still active or still selling kits any longer but he is a good place to start.

 

I did get in touch with @No Shoes Nation to answer a number of questions. I'm not on here as often as I used to be but if you guys have any questions just tag me and I'll be happy to help where I can

 

So I’m a little late to the party and don’t have time at the moment to read through this entire thread…. Is there still a wiring harness out there for sale or would I have to put one together on my own?

https://youtu.be/MRISd-e72O4

 

I did this last year and everything works as should, looks much better than the crap black mirrors. Once I found the male and female connectors off a wrecked 4runner it is now plug an play.

 

I dig the black mirrors. It’s what I have currently,and sort of goes with the theme.

 

I'd like to know, too.

 

Awesome write up man! Sorry for reviving an old post, but if I already own some 4Runner mirrors that have the power folding, heater glass, and turn signal features does that mean I only need to worry about the switch and wiring the two wires (one yellow, one black)?