Upgraded E-Locker axle

I am brand new to the Tacoma world forum and looking for help in wiring a locker into my truck I have a 4x4 sport but just upgraded to a 4x4 Offroad axle with a locker and do not have a harness to actuate the locker could you help me? Does anyone have a DIY harness I can buy or get?

 

Nope, I've not heard of a manufactured harness produced. There was work on an anytime rear locker but haven't heard much about that recently. In the stock configuration the E-locker could only be activated in 4LO.

You will need the female connector that goes to the locker coil, plus a 12vdc source to drive the coil. Are you aware the stock ECU puts out a PWM source to the locker. There is debate as to if it is needed though.

This should get this thread started for others to join in.

 

shoulda researched more. the oem e locker isnt as simple as sending it switched 12v power. it uses 12v to engage then drops down coil voltage to 8v to maintain engagement.

 

I know a couple people have tried to make this work, but I don’t know if anyone has been successful. You’ll need to do some research. Searching for “site:tacomaworld.com anytime locker” or “site:tacomaworld axle swap locker” on google will get you started.

Here is one hit for you:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/full-axle-swap-for-rear-locker.783479/

You might be better off swapping back to the old axle and installing an aftermarket locker. Sorry to be the bringer of bad news.

 

This should help.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...on-a-2nd-gen-tacoma-or-non-or-3rd-gen.842862/

 

Careful with that. The 3rd gen locker is very different from the 2nd gen locker.

 

Read the title.

 

The thread contains useful info

 

read through this thread. it can be done but a little more complicated. i actually ordered everything to do myself to lock my oem diff anytime but ended up buying a locker anytime module.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/rear-diff-lock-anytime-mod-3rd-gen-development.537810/

 

I misread the title and failed at skimming the post for important points. The key is this:

“This swap was made much easier by Joshua Peace at ExperiMental Designs, maker of the Freedom Locker for 2nd and 3rd Gen Tacomas, working with me to develop a prototype wiring harness, to allow me to swap a 3rd Gen OR axle assembly into my 2nd Gen Tacoma.”

He appears to have proven wrong those in the thread I posted that said it was too complicated to be worth doing, but I don’t understand all the details.

 

This part has absolutely nothing to do with wiring the Locker. But AT and MT have different gear ratios so hopefully the donor truck had the same Transmission as your Sport.

 

the experimental designs guy is an electrical engineer is he not. to mimic function of oem 4x4 ecu its not an average joes task. what many people do is just send 8 volts to the locker but it doesn't engage as easily

 

I wonder if it just needs 12v to engage then it holds the locker engaged with 8v. To prevent overheating of the electromagnet. I think Cummins shut down solenoids work in a similar way

 

I don’t know who he is, but I have read some pretty in-depth discussion of the problem on here, more in depth than you describe.

 

From my memory of reading of the old threads the lock voltage was indeed something like 12V and then reduced to 8V, but it was PWM. So the frequency of the PWM could have been what was being measured rather than the true voltage.

 

Per service manual, diff locked above 3.5V
Unlocked 3.5V or below.
PWM is on CAN lines to provides status to ecu for locked and unlocked positions

 

Nope, I’ve measured it with a scope meter. Definitely PWM. Floating not grounded.

Locked and unlocked condition was a simple switch closure reported to the 4x4 ECU.

 

Measured at the coil or ECU?
per service manual the coil output is PWM

 

this is how it works from what i remember reading. it doesn't seem to need the full 12 volts though. it will engage with just 8. i actually ordered everything to do a standalone switched setup myself and still have in my garage somewhere.

 

I did my measurement at the diff coil input and it was PWM, the output from the ECU would be the same with some waveform degradation at the diff. Voltage is input to the coil to energize it. It is not an output at the coil.

Your attached chart shows the output at F12 (the 4x4 ECU). Curious that they show no measurement test between pins 1&5 of F12; that is where the real power is put to the diff coil. You didn’t include the “Waveform 1&2” detail, they probably show reverse polarity. The test seems to be testing each side of the FET output from the ECU. Making sure both FETs are conducting. If one FET was not conducting properly it might seem like the locker was working but not reliably.