Irrelevance

2016 TRD OR 4x4 V6 DCSB MGM MT

I bought this truck on Mother's day weekend 2020 mid-COVID19 after spending about 3 years hunting for a MT. I originally wanted RC but I have a wife who hangs out with me once in a while and 2 small boys (5, 2.5) who are really into trucks of all kinds. I decided to listen to my wife (just this one time) about how anti-family a RC is. I considered the AC but my wife is my height and the boys are tracking on the large side plus AC in MT is near impossible to find anyway. I really would have preferred to have the 6' bed but I also have a short driveway and a lot of foot traffic so this truck seemed like the best all-around compromise for the next 20-ish years. I really want my boys to be at least competent driving a manual transmission.

At 45, I'm an older dad, but this is actually my 5th truck. I took a bit of a break after I sold my 2002 4x4 RC Tundra (so many memories) to a good friend about 10 years ago. He has been able to put it to better use in retirement than I could at this phase of life, though I've missed it a lot. He would have almost certainly sold it back to me if I asked but I just couldn't, that's the kind of pal he is. Since then, I racked up 170k on a gutless 2006 corolla and another 40 on my 2013 prius. I really cannot justify owning a truck for any reason, but having kids has brought me out of eco mode and getting older has cemented in my preferences some as well. I can't go ride my bike for 6 hours anymore without hell to pay for ditching the family, but I can drive the boys to get bagels in in the truck, it's a reasonable alternative. For some inexplicable reason, I felt the need for a MT despite horrible so-cal traffic (pre-covid). I've done a lot of car stereo in my younger days, had most of it stolen, and now I'm just happy to have a toy / hobby combo which might someday open doors to outdoor adventures once the boys stop pooping their pants.

I've decided to start a build thread because my memory is piss-poor and I want to document my work as I go so I can refer back to it later on. Also, because so much of what I do will be based on help and instructions from others, this seems like a good spot to keep links to the posts I found most helpful. I'm happy to provide further detail on anything I've done if anyone else is interested. I'm hoping this is a 20+ year truck but if the boys learn to drive on it, I might be looking at getting something newer in 10 years.

Completed:

$14 JDMCAR Center Console Organizer Tray Compatible with Toyota Tacoma Accessories 2016-2022 2023, Armrest Insert Container ABS Material Secondary Storage Box

JDMCAR center console tray

$14 JDMCAR Center Console Organizer Divider Compatible with Toyota Tacoma Accessories 2016-2023

JDMCAR center console organizers
TRD Pro knockoff Grille (eBay) * arrived without letters *
TRD Pro Grille Letters in black * had to drill to mount these but it looks ok *
Amber led grille lights (eBay)
AC drip reroute (O'Reillys)
TRD pro shift knob (eBay)
Optima yellow top D35 (O'Reillys) * should have bought D31 Northstar *
Off Grid Engineering battery tie down
OEM Bed mat DCSB PT58035050SB (Cobb County Toyota)
Lomax urethane tonneau cover (GotExhaust)
LED interior lighting kit
2LM 2wd low harness
2LM 2wd low switch
Germes Lab Front camera kit (from ) Install photos
OEM Tailgate Lock DCSB PK3B635JS0 (Cobb County Toyota)
Mountain Hatch tailgate panel
Read seat molle panel (plan to use it for amp racks)
Accumulator Delete Kit (Trident904)
Diode Dynamics SS3 Sport fog lights (memario1214)
400w anytime mod and in-cab 120v off rear of center console
Swaped steel spare with OEM OffRoad wheel & TPMS sensor for 5 tire rotation
SDHQ Battery Terminal Kit
MESO vent ring kit (MGM)
MESO 4x4 selector ring (MGM)
MESO climate control rings (MGM)
MESO door handle covers (MGM)
MESO gasshole
DRL Grille Light Harness
Remove factory KARR alarm
Dechrome and paint MT cupholder trim ring
Pioneer DMH-WC6600NEX & maestro MRR2 flush mounted
Dechrome and paint MT shift boot collar
MESO overhead 6 switch panel
Garage Door Opener switches (solder)
Bed Molle panel (driver and passenger side)

$18 ProCase Tactical Admin Molle Pouch, Military MOLLE Pouch Horizontal Multi-Purpose Utility Gadget Gear Tool Bag for Magazine, Flashlight, Map and Other Small Tools for Outdoor Activities -Black

Molle pouches for tiedown and bungee storage
Rotopax water container x2
KTJO 4x4 door bowl lighting kit
In cab usb power x3 using trailer brake controller (blue sea x1, toyota usb x2)
Power distribution in cab using a high current relay and blue sea compact fuse block

$25 Tekonsha Trailer Brake Controller Harness, Compatible with Select Toyota Tacoma, Tundra

Tekonsha brake controller harness for tapping interior power
2 extra USB charging outlets (00016-00225)
MESO Total Tail 1
Painted wheel center cap logos barcelona red
OEM LED Headlights
LED headlight conversion harness
Headlight trim panels (tacomabeast.com)
MESO Ultimate map lights (white)
Custom @Puppypunter license plate light DIR (delete in reverse) harness
Bed Stiffeners (small size aka mini stiffy from @Tttacodan)
Custom T harness off hazard connector from @kmorgan3 for lower switch illumination
PnP T harness for 2Low dimmed switch illumination off sample from @lapoltba
Black mirror adjuster (my chrome delete issues are a bit of a problem) from eBay - $26
MESO steering wheel logo cover (MGM)
DSIM domerock module
Rear seat window switch disable (depin terminal 2 in ktjo T harness)
Glove box letters
MESO Puddle light switch
Switch-Pros 9100 with SDHQ switchpros mount and custom tray from @AY_ARONTRD
MESO driver side custom switch panel for switchpros 9100
DSIM A pillar harness (thanks to caribe makaira for this suggestion)
RedArc trailer brake controller
Clazzio leather seat covers in grey (eBay)
Seat heaters (eBay) pending switch mods
Added 3x OEM black steel spare from local SD TW guys + my unused rim + Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3 (simpletire) + DT TPMS = go anywhere in the (nonexistent in so-cal) snow
Tailgate theft prevention (christian06)
Shift knob from 7r41lbr34k3r

$45 HIGH FLYING Car Accessories LED Side Mirrors, Sequential Dynamic Turn Signal Lights Indicator, Pair for Toyota Tacoma 2016-2023, RAV4 XA50 2019-2024, Highlander XU70 2020-2024, Set of 2, Smoked Black

Sequential mirror signal lights video
Black plastic rear bumper caps (I bought in at $45, they show as $50 now)
Taco Garage DMM dashtop multi mount
Direct battery feed for switch power in the center console (vs trailer brake controller)
Door and tailgate blackout emblem overlay kit (eBay)
Leer 100XQ b/c Johnny and my wife told me to
Summer tires (Firestone Destination) and SR5 anthracite wheels from @Integerdy

In Progress:
MESO Puddle Pods
SDHQ battery kit - finish negative terminal
GTFO arb mount for capacitor and high current power distribution
OEM seat heater switches
Expedition Essentials bedside compressor mount in driver side cubby

Received:
Dynamat extreme sound deadening (eBay)
MESO lower 8 switch panel
KC cyclone (4 white, 2 red) for bed dome lighting and hood lighting
Tombit microphone adapter for aftermarket head unit and OEM mic
Mr Marv sub box, amps, speakers (audiofrog)

Ordered:
SoundSkins

Contemplating:
OEM roof racks? (have cargo box for the minivan, might be nice to use it on the truck too, otherwise don't need roof racks for much of anything so OEM foldaways seem nice despite lousy payload)
ARB twin in driver side bed cubby
Slimline front bumper perhaps from Greenlane Offroad
Smittybilt winch 98695 or 98612
Might do hidden front hitch (RRW?) and hitch winch + aux power w cutoff switch instead
UpTopOverland Under Hood Light or mattgecko or BD rock light w switch or custom
Factor55 HitchLink 2.0
Bubba soft shackle and recovery rope
Suspension, skids, etc (once my boys are ready for real adventures)
SDHQ alternator

Removed / Canceled / Retired / Paused:
Powertrays
Pelfreybilt MT blank and bussman trays
OEM Audio Plus system
Radio knobs (tacoweide) as I decided to go with the Pioneer
Front seat molle panel

Before I die:
EV conversion (pipe dream until kids are off the balance sheet)

 

Sub’d for the 6MT EV conversion...

 

I just finished up the the OEM Tailgate lock install (also installed a Mountain Hatch panel which arrived today at the end). My thoughts from this post still stand, I think the harness was probably manufactured somewhere other than the US/Japan and the manufacturer put the plugs on backwards at the tailgate disconnect. Boy is the entire package first class in all other ways though, even the tape is just meticulously well done.

So, here are my revisions to the excellent instructions.

1. Do the body wire harness first, starting at the passenger kick panel. This seems like a no-brainer and I'm befuddled as to why the instructions start at the tailgate. It's much smarter to test the tailgate functionality at the end with the panel off and it's a pretty quick finish inside the tailgate once the panel is removed, so I don't understand doing that part first. It seems silly if not stupid to have all the tailgate bolts sitting around while doing the body harness, especially if moving the truck to/from a lift.

2. Swap the connectors between body and tailgate harness once you've fished the body harness through the grommet when you have tons of slack to work with. I have not done this step yet but fortunately I have enough slack to do it after the fact, I'll just have to lie down under the truck to splice and tape. It took me a while to get enough harness tape removed to expose 6-8" of wire back from the connectors. Tomorrow I will cut, swap, and splice the connectors on opposite ends. Then I'll tape everything back up, snap the body plug onto the plastic tab next to the camera connector, and tape that body harnesses to the plastic tab as it was before.

One thing I thought of doing but didn't was feeding the lock wires inside the camera loom. While working inside the tailgate it became clear that the wires feed in different paths and there isn't any extra length to work with. Also, the camera loom is small and I didn't think it would be all that easy to smash 2 more wires inside, even for just the exposed section. A single larger loom might work but the grommets are very size-specific. Having two sections of loom visible in the trough isn't visually as pleasant as one but it's not too bad since they stack one on top of the other. And you are always stuck with 2 connectors on the body side anyway. The most annoying part is removing/replacing the plastic piece which secures the looms as they enter the body, positioning the double version is more challenging than the single and that could get annoying for someone who removes their tailgate a lot (a friend of mine has a bed mounted camper so he does this frequently).

A single 6-wire tailgate harness replacement would have been nicer, likely could have re-used the grommets, avoided the need for 3m corrosion prevention, and re-used the camera harness routing along with its mounting points. One connector to tee off for the camera and final short run to the actuator. Even better with a combo adapter / mount plate which secures to the vehicle, accepts camera and lock harness on the body side, and translates to a single 6 pin connector for the tailgate run. I wonder what the net cost difference might have been or if it was even considered.

 

If you keep the radio, strongly consider fellow TWer Tacowiede’s knobs
It is a mod that makes a huge difference and is inexpensive for quality.

 

Quick update

1. Got my OEM tailgate lock plugs swapped. It's perfect now. I fully recommend just doing this immediately when opening the box upon receipt. I used heat shrink solder connectors, it was my first time using them, bungled the first one, got the next 4 dialed in. If anyone attempts this, maybe practice on one or two first. Post is here.

2. In progress on 400w anytime mod. Taking my sweet time with the center console cutting. I made a template, stuck it on the back of the console piece with blue tape, and I'm water for a moment of clarity to start the cut.

3. Ordered a literal s-ton of parts for switchpros setup in the engine bay as I await the arrival of MESO driver's cubby. Don't even own the 9100 yet. But I've got parts from powertrays, and ordered stuff from sdhq and also Pelfreybilt. I for sure have no idea at all what I'm doing with this but it's fun to buy stuff and if I burn a few $$'s unnecessarily, so be it. Pretty sure I could give it away to someone I like on this forum if I hate it.

4. Oh yeah, got the desert does it rear of front seat molle panels in. They are great, especially with my 5 and 3 year old kids who don't come close to touching the floor in their booster seats. Gotta figure out how to turn them into amp racks b/c they are the perfect height and totally solid. If only they made a plate to mount under the sat which we could use to attach an amp of choice to. Hint hint, wink wink...

5. Seriously considering an ARB twin b/c I've always wanted a compressor but hated burning garage space. That and the wife owns the garage as her personal office these days. Despite my epoxy floor and distressed wood cabinetry. I'm stuck in the guest room with floral print comforter in the background. This covid life has us all upside down doesn't it?

Ironically, I can't think of a single thing I need an air compressor or 120v in-vehicle plug for. But, we need things to do to keep the mind from wandering, don't we?

 

Got the accumulator delete kit installed today. It went just about as expected. I planned more than I probably needed to, picked an afternoon when I had stacked the deck in my favor, and finished up a tiny bit after it got a little too dark to see super well under the truck.

Steps here
Driving impressions here

 

Progressed further with the center console last night during some indoor mod time. Waiting for the JB to fully cure and arrival of the USB plug before I re-assemble everything. I may run an extra power lead under the center console for future seat heaters while I've got things open, but I also want to rattle-can my cupholder trim ring before I re-install the cupholder trim piece so I'm taking my sweet time on closing it all back up.

EDIT: It was my first time using JB on plastic and my first cut in the truck. And I don't have the best fine motor skills. There's a bit of a gap on left and right sides where the trim panel curves. I also had seepage of JB on one side and didn't hop on cleaning it up fast enough, seen in the last photo. And I think I'm a mm or two lower than I needed to be to clear the plastic bits which connect to the console cupholders so that was another imperfection. So, quite a bit of room for improvement on this, but I didn't see a better alternative than the brute force mod and I guess I need to get my skills up on this stuff if I'm going to attempt lower or overhead switch panels.

 

Nice, how about a rear view of the bezel on the console panel?

 

I snapped the back of the console back on tonight. Apparently I do not have any small blade crimp on connectors. So I cut a spade lug and shoved it into the OEM 12v connector for power for now. At least the 120v stuff is all clean and tidy.

 

@caribe makaira might you know of a campanion male plug for 10760? I’m guessing no since it’s meant to snap onto the socket directly but maybe you have some smart ideas?
Looking for a secure way to attach to the USB plug which won’t jiggle loose and can quickly revert back to the socket. I’m guessing I’ll just use harness tape or maybe it’ll fit well if I have two of these connected assuming I can shove the male spades in back to back. It's a bit loose right now, slight tug and the spade lugs slip out.

 

No I do not...Maybe remove them from the connector and use heat shrink. No harm to terminals for a return to OEM later.

 

I played around with them last night. Your suggestion is the best option as expected. I’m also considering a new wire from the fuse box. Is the best option to do an add a fuse? Or is that guy removable and is it possible to access the pins? Looks like I have one empty fuse.

I’m also curious if the seat heater circuit is accessible somewhere? I don’t have OEM heaters but I did want to add some down the road.

 

Verify that you have the pins in the relay position. You do have the fuse for the seat heater, but it might not be wired entirely.

As for a adding a cab circuit, how about you repurpose the towing brake circuit? Unless you do use it. It's an always hot fuse (40A) and the harness to attach to it is like $15.00. You snip the connector that goes to the towing brake module and add a relay. Then branch out to a multi-fuse holder. The fuse holder can be divided with hot and switched circuits.

 

T7 Towing Brake T harness info

 

Or this:

 

Thanks for all this. I am thinking of using the brake harness for seat heaters if I can’t track down the factory seat heater relays when I get to that project. I greatly appreciate your guidance on that.

For 12v power I’m still leaning towards add a fuse so that everything is compact. I’ll remove the Oem 7.5 amp fuse and leave the factory 12v plug disconnected then run 16 gauge from the add a fuse to my USB sockets and add a quick disconnect to the socket end. Revert would be quick, unplug the add a fuse, replace the Oem socket and connect it, replace the Oem fuse.

If anything I think increasing wire gauge and decreasing max current draw should be safer than before. Only concern I have is if picking a new grounding point changes anything as I haven’t yet located where the ground is for the driver side fuse box.

 

Sunday night I got the DRL grille light harness installed. I needed 2 conductor waterproof plugs which I used heat shrink solderless no crump dealios on. Then I taped up the T harness and the LED side inside loom and zip tied to the grille and tried to obscure behind the letters. Overall it seems nicer than add a fuse to INJ but functionally the only difference is that they can be turned off if desired and aren’t on when parking brake is engaged.

Today I ripped out what I assume was a dealer installed alarm. I left the T taps. I didn’t see a starter kill relay nor any cut wires, just the taps. I will try my best to pretend to un-see that. It was falsing at night, perhaps due to heating / cooling cycles, not really sure.

Next up are 3x usb power harnesses off the in cab fuse block using add-a-fuse for now. And finish the pioneer wiring harness. Cup holder surround has just a tiny fleck of chrome left, so it’s still in the bleach bath.

While I was typing this up, look what arrived.

 

Today wound up being cupholder trim day. I'm letting the topcoat cure and then I'll get one more final photo tomorrow of it installed. I think it came out great, though it was a long wait. I didn't really think the dechromed post-bleach-bath look was good enough so I wound up painting it after all. There were splotches of bronze/copper streaks and a few chrome bits went deeper than others so I scratched it up a little trying to scrub it clean while it was busy bleaching. Hopefully the bleach bath ensures the paint sticks really well, otherwise it was a giant waste of time and chemicals. I used an adhesive promoter, mgm duplicolor, and duplicolor topcoat.




Here are the specific products I used for painting:

 

Tested out the add a fuse plan tonight. The spare fuse slot is +12v rather than switched. The two poutlets are on opposite sides so they interfere with each other and that requires mounting one backwards to use both. I could just run all three USB’s off a single 15 amp 16 gauge tap. But I think I’m going to go the route of the trailer harness. I can use one add a fuse on poutlet for the relay input since I’m not using either (seriously no switched power in the trailer harness?) It’s a lot of extra parts though and I don’t know where I’m going to stash everything. Thinking maybe just all under the cup holders but the fuses won’t be terribly accessible there.

I can’t think of anything I want constant hot for so I figure make the entire fuse block switched and it can serve usb and seat heaters when the time comes.

 

Brakes gotta work "always"...