Wiring mystery: What were they doing?

First, Hello! This is my first TW post! I'm looking for a little help...

I have a 2017 double cab long bed TRD Sport - with tech and convenience packages - that I believe was some sort of fleet vehicle before I bought it. When I went behind the driver's kick panel to install a trailer brake controller (the braided bundle of wires in the pics), I found that several wires had been tapped, but whatever was connected is gone. I wonder if anyone would be able to tell me what those wires are (so I can tell if they may be useful for something I'd like to do) and maybe pose a guess as to what the previous owner was doing? I'd appreciate the help.

The pictures are a bit busy, so here's some clarification:

The blue, black and white wires (blue and yellow taps) are off the left-most harness in that row.

The yellow wire (red tap) is on the white connector.

The blue and teal? wires (black taps) are on the right-most harness in that row.

Thanks in advance...

 

Well, at least they used taps that take terminals instead of cutting and splicing wires.

 

Possible that the previous owner had lighting accessories installed and took them out before it was traded in?

 

If it was a fleet vehicle it might have been for a GPS or tracking system. My daily-driver is a company owned F550 which had a tracker installed on it a couple of months after I got the truck. Mine is installed in a similar fashion.

Could also have been for an aftermarket alarm system.

 

Yeah, my first thought was GPS monitoring or that it could have been an escort truck for oversized loads with extra lighting and such.

I wish I knew what those wires are for. That might help solve the mystery...

 

No kidding.

 

I think that harness leads into the door, so that makes me think its a aftermarket keyless entry/alarm system.

 

Welcome to The Forum!

 

The port option work is that janky. Mine has the garbage scotch locks in a few places. I'll get around to doing it right one day.

 

Looks like it could be something to trigger/respond to electronic door locks based on the OEM tailgate installation instructions (page 14, figures 6-1 and 6-2).

I haven't personally seen the schematics for that plug posted here but I'd be willing to wager that it's already in several threads, perhaps search on driver kick panel harness or plug or connector if you're truly interested in what each wire is doing.

I would expect speed, gear, etc harnesses up in the dash but I wouldn't think there's any reason to send those signals to the doors or rear of the vehicle so I wouldn't expect them in the kick panels.

If I had to totally guess, blue/black wires with blue taps would be lock/unlock pulses, the yellow tap is for +12v and the bottom red tap is IGN switched?
^^ regarding the wires, see post from caribe makaira below, my guess was clearly wrong Funny part is, I even mention doors open/closed below but didn't think that you'd likely want to know if the door is open or not for anything which is monitoring or controlling the door locks.

if you have a multi-meter, since the taps are already there, you can see for yourself, test all 4 with vehicle off and doors closed, test with doors opened, test pressing lock, test pressing unlock, test turning acc on.

 

Connector IE1 - Yellow wire is Driver's Door close/open switch.

 

T-Taps are clean and simple. I have to agree....at least it's not a hack job.

Pull them off and cover the insulation slice with a bit of electrical tape. Call it a day

 

Thanks for the information!

I guess fleet vehicles might get configured to have the same key as others in the fleet? That would explain the door locks, but the power window is odd to me. Eh, well... at least I know what they are. Thanks again.

 

Definitely alarm installer T-taps. Most likely an alarm that was installed previously and then pulled at the dealership before selling as a used truck. Dealers want no part of reselling a vehicle with an aftermarket alarm that will give them headaches....

Although much better than cut and butt connections, a T-tap often severs some strands of the wire. I wouldn't lose sleep over it at all though.

 

I wouldn’t pull the t-taps off unless I was going to repair the wire replacing the section the t-tap was. They cut into the sides of the wire and removing them will remove the support the tap gives, leaving you with a weakened copper wire notched on the sides. Removing them could also cause more damage cutting into the copper more.
A butt splice or even a twist lock connector is superior to a t-tap. Having said that I have used t-taps they just have to be secured and not messed with.

 

Thanks for the info.

I'll probably just leave them alone. I'm about to add bed lights, rear lights, anytime front/backup cam, and maybe a lower grille light bar. I don't think any of these taps will be useful for any of that. I'll just go to the fuse box for switch signals (to a relay) and the battery for power as needed.