Adding Factory Cruise on a 1996 Tacoma

I am determined to add factory cruise control to my 1996 Tacoma! I have scoured the internet for months, doing research as to how to do it, what I would need, etc. I have all the parts! The hardest and last part I needed, was a plug and wiring set that actually plugged into the cruise control module, located behind the right side passenger kick board. I found a tacoma in the junk yard, and pulled the entire wiring harness out, or at least, as much as I could get to. I actually cut the wiring harness about 1/3 of the way across the top of the dashboard. I figured that would be enough. Anyway, in pulling out that harness, I left intact everything to that point, which included the wire/cable connection that goes through a rubber grommet in the area that separates the inside passenger compartment and the engine compartment, under the right dash, just in front of where the cruise control module is. I got the whole thing to pass through from the engine compartment to the interior. Anyway, the only difference i noticed from that wiring harness, and what I already have on my tacoma, is the additional wiring that comes off of the harness, and plugs into the actuator. SO, since that is the only difference, I was thinking that I only need to worry about connecting the wires from the plug that plugs between the cruise control module and the actuator. I would leave the rest of the wires coming out of the plug intact, but only worry about those going to the actuator. Am I right on that?

 

@mechanicjon

 

let me research it a bit. Do you have pictures of were it plugs into. IE: module and were ever else. Also what brand of C.C. there's a ford and a denso.

 

Hey, thanks for responding. I just got back home. i will take some pictures tomorrow morning and upload them for ya'. I probably should have done that in the first place! Sorry about that! Thanks!

 

OK, here are pics I took this morning of what I have so far, inside of the compartment. The control module is a "Denso" OEM Toyota part. This is the wireharness from the cruise control module to the acuator. This is the cruise control module mounted with the partial wire harness plugged in. This is the cruise control wire plugged into the cruise control module. This is the engine compartment as it came from the factory. The only wire missing would be the one coming into the engine compartment from the cruise control module wire and going to the actuator. This is the "cut" end of the wiring harness that comes from the cruise control module. I cut this about 1/3 across the dashboard from the module. I am not sure of how many, if any, of these wires I need to splice in. Here is a link to a Youtube Video I am posting as I write this. It will be "live" in a few minutes. https://youtu.be/hLAQsbtcAYE This shows in video form, the same thing as the pictures I just posted, but I think it gives a little better explanation. Thanks for any help from anyone on this!

 

I added a cruise control unit from a 99 Tacoma to my 96. Really, if you follow the wiring diagram it should be pretty straight forward.....

 

Thanks, COMAtized99, for that reassurance. I have a pretty good analytical mind, so I am able to figure things out. But I admit that I am not good at reading wiring schematics! I have them in service manuals, but they mean nothing to me. So I have been trying to just "look" at it logically, as evidenced in the video. Right now, I am figuring that the existing wiring coming through into the engine compartment, is the same as that I obtained from the donor truck, with the exception of the wiring harness part going to the actuator, which is nonexistent in my truck. So I was trying to think logically, and figured that the only thing I need to run is the wiring related to the actuator? I figure to splice that into the main wiring harness just inside of the passenger compartment, as done in the donor cable. But my question now is really about the wiring coming out of the plug that plugs into the cruise control module; what, of all those wires, do I actually have to splice in to my original wiring harness?

 

I made a completely new harness for my Tacoma. My truck was a base and didn't have hardly anything prewired. You need to tap power and ground, speed, and tps. I can't remember what else.

 

It's not impossible especially if you have the wiring schematics in front of you and a wiring harness.

I put power doors into my truck, and I had to create a harness to adapt to the Toyota OEM harnesses in the doors. It's a lot easier if you have something to go off of (in this case a almost complete wiring harness)

 

COMAtized99; regarding your comment above, can you be a little more specific by "power and ground, speed, and tps", specifically what is "tps"? Sorry for being ignorant here! I thank you, humbly!

 

If I recall correctly, TPS is the Throttle Position Sensor.

 

Thanks, BartMaster1234!

 

Correct.

I assume you are trying to wire up a 96 Tacoma cruise control. Here is the diagram.



Pin 21 goes to ik1-17, which is a plug mounted to the top of the glovebox. You can tap that signal there.

 

BartMaster1234; thanks! That is a big help, as I spent the morning on Sunday, halfway upsidedown, trying to finagle my way into being able to find and see the wiring harness under the dash! I finally found it, but figuring out which wires I have to splice into, is going to be hard. Let me see if I can easily explain; Everything on my truck works well. I only want to add cruise control. I have all the parts. In looking at the cruise control module that is located under the right side passenger compartment kick panel, I found and plugged in, a wire plug into the module. I tried to get as many and as long of a wiring harness as I could, and it is about 2ft long. It also contains the wiring that goes from the module connector wire, and through the engine compartment, to the actuator. Since everything else on the truck already works without being connected to the cruise control module, in looking at this logically, I figure that I only need to hook [or connect] up the wires that come out of the cruise control module plug connector, that have to do with cruise control. I know I have to run the part of those wires that go with and to the cruise control actuator, through the rubber grommet under the right side of the underside of the dashboard, under the hood, but as for the rest of the wiring coming out of the cruise control module, do I ONLY have to connect the wires stated above in a quote by "COMAtized99", when he said "power and ground, speed, and tps"?

 

Ok couple of things.

1. What year Tacoma did your cruise control come from?

2. Can you see the wiring diagram I posted above?

3. Can you read wiring diagrams?

4. On my 96 base model 5lug Tacoma, nothing was pre wired. Are you saying that the plug for the cruise ecu was already on you truck?

 

COMAtized99; I obtained the cruise control parts from various Tacomas. The Cruise control module itself came from a 96. The actuator [I actually got 2 actuators!] came from a 96 and a 95, both are identical with the same part numbers on them. The rest of the parts, I either got new with part numbers obtained by and from Toyota dealers, with the exception of the new brake switch, which is a Beck-Arnley aftermarket switch. I CAN see the wiring diagram, but as for understanding it, that is another question! I am pretty mechanically inclined, but as for electronics, that is another matter! That is why I have been approaching this in a logical way, regarding the wire connections. And as for my tacoma, I found out that it was not prewired, at least, not that I have found so far. The first thing I did was to install the steering column cruise control switch, after reading somewhere online that a lot of the earlier 1st generation tacomas came prewired. The gist was that if yours was prewired, then all you had to do was to install the cruise control switch, hook the battery back up, and then press the button on the end of the cruise control switch. If your green "cruise" light then came on, then you were prewired for cruise. Of course, I guess I was SO hopeful, that I went ahead and cut the side of the steering column where the switch sticks out. It looks good, but my green cruise light did not come on. Of course, I later found out about the cruise control module, and looked under the right front passenger kick panel where it was supposed to be located, and it was not there. If I had known that, I would not have cut a hole in the side of my steering wheel column for the switch, until I had all the other parts installed! I digress though, on that one! But NO, the plug for the cruise module was NOT on my truck. I got that a couple of weeks ago, off of a 95 tacoma that I found in a local "Pick 'N Pull" in Newark CA. I went there, not even knowing if the Tacoma they showed online, even had cruise. But upon finding the truck, it actually still had the cruise control module too, along with the plug and wires still plugged into it! I already had the module, but I was careful to unplug the wire plug, and the started trying to get out as much of the wire harness as I could, for as far along the dashboard, as I could. I got about 1/3 across the top of the dash, before the sun and heat got to me. By then, I was pretty sure I had enough. But as you can see in the pictures I posted above, of the wire harness that I harvested, it does include the side wiring that runs from the module, through a rubber grommet that is under the dashboard, and into the engine compartment, where it plugs into the actuator. In fact, if you look closely at my picture, you can see two actual wires that are after the rubber grommet, which I also harvested, as I didn't want to cut anything in that area. One of the side wire harnesses plugs into the actuator, and the other plugs into the windshield wiper motor, or at least, I think that is what it is. This is why I am trying to think logically, as since my windshield wiper motor is already clearly working, and has been now for 21 years, I don't need to do anything with that. Since it is already working, I only need to "fish" the wire that runs off of the cruise module and comes out of the plug, through the rubber grommet, and then connect it to the actuator, once I bolt that on. But then, is where my question comes in. I want to know, of the rest of the wires that come out of the wire harness plug that plugs into the cruise control module, which wires do I now have to really and actually connect, or "splice" in somewhere, in order to make the cruise control system work? Above, you said "power and ground, speed, and tps". Now, with my further description, can you tell if that is correct? If so, then I have to figure out which wires go to the power, ground, speed, and tps, and then find the corresponding wires somewhere under the right side of the dash, so I can splice them in. At least, that is how I figure it logically? Am I close on that assumption? Let me know if you need or would like more pictures. Thanks so much! I DO appreciate your knowledge levels!

 

You need to look at the wiring diagram I posted. It is the correct one you need.

In the center of that diagram, you see the square that says " C-17, cruise control ecu" that represents the cruise ecu. Black line represents a wire. Each one of those wires need to be connected. If you have a manual transmission, you can leave the the ECT and OD wires out.

 

COMAtized99; OK, I will look at that diagram again later this morning. I just looked at it, and initially I am confused! But, I will look deeper and get back to you. Thanks so much! This looks helpful!

 

If it where me, I would strip that piece of Harness you cut down to what you need and get rid of the other crap.

 

COMAtized99; NOW you get it! That is exactly what I WANT to do, which is why I am just trying to find out and to make sure, of exactly WHAT wires that are coming out of the module plug, are the ones that I absolutely have to connect in order to make the cruise control work. Since everything else on the truck is already working fine, all I need are wires pertaining to the cruise control, at least, that is what my mind logically tells me! What I will do though, is try hooking up the wires you pointed out, and if everything works, then I will just get rid of the other wires coming out of the plug by taping them up and hiding them inside of the kick panel. I won't completely cut them off though, because "ya' never know"! Thanks man!