Retrofit Highlander Steering Wheel and Controls with AVIC W8500NEX?

So.... I have a 2006 Tacoma OR withOUT steering wheel controls. I have read the 2008 and 2014 steering wheel control updates and other threads and thank you kindly for those.

To do a retrofit of steering wheel controls, I need to obtain a clock spring, left and right controls, ribbon cable to connect the controls, and an airbag that supports/fits the controls. If I go with a 2012-15 approach, I also need a steering wheel. 2005-11, 2012-15 Tacoma replacement parts are expensive, even from Car-parts.com, local salvage yards, FB Marketplace and E-Bay.

I found this 2013 Highlander leather wheel, with airbag and controls, on E-bay.


on E-bay; https://www.ebay.com/itm/Toyota-201...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 . The seller offered me a much lower price, and I accepted. So... for less than the price of a Sport airbag / airbag that fits with Tacoma

a really neat substitute for OEM Tacoma or​

,I might have a

blind ​

pig in a poke, with NO RETURNS.

I'm wondering if anyone has tried to integrate a Highlander steering wheel. Does anyone know of any physical reasons why it wouldn't work? Wheel too big, connector bolt/nuts not compatible? The clock spring part numbers are the same. I understand that the S8 pin to R15 28 pin (in my case, 20 pin) sub-harness will need at least one other wire lead added to it. There are other wires that may or may not be needed. I'd like assistance on that part. The mode, seek/scan, voice control, and volume up/down SHOULD be similar, in both message format and connection (s8 plug at steering wheel and 20/R15 28pin in back of radio)

I'm pretty sure I won't get any climate control support, but would invite any discussion on it. The Head Unit/Maestro Rr/TO1 harness currently shows climate control greyed out on he HU display.

So, here's the integration parts. I currently have installed;

1. Pioneer AVIC W8500NEX https://www.crutchfield.com/S-NhdyD...5219&msclkid=8598e8548aab1d2c10e7b670e8ce2540

2. idat-alink Maestro Rr( https://maestro.idatalink.com/product/product/product_id/102)

3. idat-alink TO1 harness ( https://maestro.idatalink.com/accessories/category/product_id/444 )

4. Aftermarket rear view camera ( https://camera-source.com/automotive-cams/rear-surface-mounted-backup-camera.html) installed in the Tacoma tailgate handle and Pioneer NDBC6 (https://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Car/Accessories/Rear-View-Cameras/ND-BC6) front (but since NDBC6 is a mirrored camera the image is reversed. I have a Boyo VTK100N ( https://www.qualitymobilevideo.com/vtk100n.html) that is a non-reversed camera that I have set up a temporary mount up for my ARB front bumper for initial check out to possibly replace the NDBC6 (which I then might sell) . Both cameras are powered by ignition/accessory wires (NOT , grounded, and feed the AVIC W8500NEX by standard RCA video cable/pins. The rear view turns on automatically when you put the transmission into reverse and both camera can be chosen to be shown and switched between, on the video screen. You can adjust simple aspects of the camera, such as brightness, on screen. The Maestro Rr/T01 system also supports the OEM camera system, but my truck wasn't wired to support the OEM camera, so no harness. The Maestro unit also obtains the reverse switch without the operator running a purple/white wire from the reverse sensor. It also provides the reverse signal to turn on the rear view camera without additional wires, or tapping into the red/white reverse power wire BUT, I digress, just some info in case people are researching aspects of similar systems.

Back to the Highlander Challenge. Both my Tacoma (and others up through 2015) use the same clock spring.
Description: Clockspring. Sensor.
Part Number: 843060E010
Quantity:1
Price:$225.64

Scion XB 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
Scion XD 2008, 2009, 2010
TOYOTA AVALON 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
TOYOTA CAMRY 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
TOYOTA COROLLA 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
TOYOTA LAND CRUISER 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
TOYOTA MATRIX 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
TOYOTA PRIUS 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
TOYOTA RAV 4 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
TOYOTA TACOMA 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
TOYOTA TUNDRA 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018

https://parts.lakelandtoyota.com/p/__/4063496/843060E010.html (BTW, this is the Toyota Overstock web page, and offers good to great pricing, and it is local to me, so no re-shipping fees.)

The Maestro T01 adaptor harness provides seperate/alternative jumper harness selection to support older twenty pin plugs, as well as the newer, ubiquitous 28 pin connector. Here's a pic of the two adapter harnesses, and my 20 pin connected to the three wires from the steering wheel. This is an either/or proposition. You either plug in the adaptor for the 20 pin, or the 28 pin, not both. I am sure, given my wiring, that I could upgrade to a twenty-eight MALE pin on my vehicle harness to mate with the T01 sub-harness assembly. Not sure there is any advantage for me right now, but it is up for further investigation/research/discussion.



The Maestro harness can be selectively loaded with different firmware for different vehicle assignments. When I choose my 2006 Tacoma, it offered a version with either a single Right hand steering wheel control or a version for both left and right hand wheel - up to 2011, I believe. I also could choose a later 2012 Tacoma version with the newer wheel and controls.

The 2006 OBD link/connector from Maestro does provide some limited gauges, speedometer, tachometer, intake temperature and the like, as well as TPMS data of temperature and/or tire pressure on the video screen. Neat, but I don't know how well that appears compared to ScanGauge or UltraGauge. You can selectively disable the OBD data/gauge display if other OBD readers are connected, either automatically or "manually" on the video screen.