Getting ready to replace vallace (black piece behind license plate)

Hey all - it’s your most annoying member here again to ask another series of questions that may seem trivial to some but are important to me.

I’m getting set up to replace my vallace (someone backed into it) and saw that it is easiest to do when removing the grill to get to everything. That’s ok but I need to disconnect the wires going to the Toyota emblum in the grill first. Do I need to disconnect battery prior to due to the wire disconnect and if so which one should I remove first? Negative or positive?

im also concerned that if I do disconnect battery that it will reset my driving habits/lose data because by golly the thing is just barely driving the way I’d like it to after 1,500 miles or pre owned break in happy happy joy joyness.

 

Yes, you will need to disconnect the sensor in the grill. Don't worry about losing the driving habits, etc by disconnecting the battery. I have done this a couple of times, when I replaced the grill with a TRD Pro grill [like everyone else does!], when I swapped out my OEM headlights for chrome deleted LED headlights, and again, when I ALSO replaced the vallace, as you referred to it as, in the front. I replaced mine because as I have a TRD Sport, it came with color matching vallace. I liked that, but, I had done a lot of highway driving during the first year I had the truck, and the rocks, etc, did a number on the vallace, as it was pretty soft material. So I obtained an aftermarket one, that was black in color, already primed, and it was of a much harder plastic. It is actually better than the OEM one! I did decide to paint it also, although I painted it black, because I liked the black better as it provided balance, color-wise for the front of the truck, since I have a hood protector that is black. Now, having the black vallace on the bottom well, it makes it just look better to me, at least! But I will tell you that replacing the vallace, is not a hard thing, it is actually easy to do, once you have taken the front end off the truck, so you can more easily get to everything! I have taken things off so for me, I am just used to it and can do it, quickly now. Watch some youtube videos on this, and it will make you feel better about it! Good luck!

 

Thank you!! do you think I should disconnect battery?

 

Definitely, although I am not an electrician, but from what I read, it is always a good idea to disconnect the battery on a vehicle whenever working on something electrical. I have always disconnected the battery during the three times I removed my front grill which is connected to the sensor, and because I was to disconnect the sensor, I disconnected the battery with no effects on anything, other than my radio needing to be reset to my favorite channel!

 

All done!

 

Disconnected battery multiple times doing anything electrical (added lights), something about not risking airbags from going off - only thing that reset for me was the MPG readout on the dash display, everything else is fine

 

Great job OP! Was the grill easy to get out without breaking anything?

 

Thank you It truly disassembled very well. No trouble. Once one tab pops the rest follow suit. It all came off and went back on without a hitch!

 

hm?

 

Seinfeld 'Bubble Boy' episode. Moops = Moors. Vallace = valance.

 

Here is the front of my 2019 TRD Sport with my replaced vallance. The OEM one was the same color as the truck, Quicksand, but the material was very soft and quickly became chipped and pitted from road rocks, etc. This one was made of a much harder material, and while I could have painted it to match, I actually wanted it to be black, because I just think it fits the color coordination of my front end, a little better!