Pop & Lock 8521 Installation Question

I read here that the Pop & Lock Power Tailgate can be wired to the passenger side door. I bought this for my 2013 Tacoma, and set out to install it today. However I don't see any wiring on the passenger side of the truck! Everything is on the driver's side. WTF? Any advice??

 

Anyone???

 

Are you saying there is no wiring harness underneath the truck on the passenger's side? Because the wires you would need to tap are located inside the truck. You would run the wiring along the passenger side frame rail and into the truck through a rubber plug in the floor, then into the passenger kick panel and located the proper wires coming out of the passenger door.

 

Thanks for your reply! I thought I was all alone out here...

Yes, I was under the impression the wires were on the exterior, under the truck. I do see a bundle of wires on the driver's side, but none on the passenger's side. So you're saying I should run the wire under the truck (on the exterior) until I get to the plug below the passenger seat? The kick plate is basically like the door sill, right? And that just pops off?

Sorry for all the stupid questions--I've never done anything like this before (obviously!).

 

You've got the right idea. The kick panel is the plastic piece next to the front passenger's right foot. You need to pull the door sill covers off first. Be very careful, I cracked my driver's kick panel by pulling the door sill cover off too fast. Hard to explain, but just take your time and be gentle and not in a hurry.

Edit: the door lock wire might be under the sill cover, since your truck is a double cab. If not, just follow the wires out of the door (inside the rubber accordian style boot.

 

here's a write up that'll help you out big time if you haven't read it yet.

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2n...l8521-power-tailgate-install-2012-tacoma.html

 

Thanks to both of you.

I had read the writeup before buying the lock, and thought I had a good mental picture of what to do.

Probably won't get the time/daylight to tackle it again until this coming weekend. Keep your fingers crossed!

 

Well, I tackled the installation of myPop & Lock 8521 yesterday and it turned out great! I took my time (lots of time!) and double-checked myself at every step. For a 51-year-old gal who has NEVER messed withautomotive wiring before, I gotta say I’m pretty damned proud of myself!

I held my breath when I removed the door sill and kick plate(thanks to Joes06Tacoma’s warning to be gentle), but they came off without muchtrouble at all. Disassembling thetailgate was a breeze. I had to futzwith some of the clips holding various wires in place till I learned how theyworked. And the wire taps were new to me—Ithought “wtf do I do with these?” ThankGod for YouTube—I found a video that made it a piece of cake.

I inserted the wires for the Pop & Lock into the sameplastic conduit stuff as the rear view camera wires where they exit thetailgate—a step that might not have been necessary, but I thought it made thingsneat and tidy. I had a couple of falsestarts in deciding exactly where to strap the wires to the frame so as to keepthem as far from the exhaust system as possible. Hopefully I made the right choices, but I’lldouble check in a month or so to see if anything is melting! I also doubt the integrity of the wire ties, basedon past experience with them. I plan tokeep an eye on them over time to make sure they’re still holding.

I decided to coil most of the excess wire and tuck it under the carpet beneath the passenger's seat. I also left a loop at the other end where the plug is.

I’m sure the job took me four times longer than it wouldhave someone who has experience with cars and wiring. But I’m really thrilled that I conquered it,and so far I love how the lock works. It’sa shame Toyota cut corners and eliminated the tailgate lock in the first place,but this is a nifty solution.

 

Pop and lock rules! Thanks for the write up, I couldn't have done it without it. Mine is an 09' and the wires on the passenger side are indeed blue with pink stripe and blue with black stripe. I went through one of the rubber stopper thingies under the passenger seat and underside of cab. Added the bakflip fibermax tonneau cover and could not be happier. Being able to do this has instilled confidence in doing other mods as well. Thanks!