map light mod for limiteds with running board lights
 

i was asked to do a write up so here is one.

NOTE: do this at your own risk

VIDEO at bottom

when doing the map light mod i followed J.A.'s My version of the Maplight Mod and disassembled the dash.

wiring for the map light unit i used 16 gauge wire(what i had at the time) and Fully Insulated Quick Disconnects 14-16 gauge from radioshack($3).

run one wire from the non used whole on each switch as shown in J.A.'s write up to drivers side and use connector(ran wire under home link to keep it out of the way). i then wrapped the wire and mic wire in electrical tape

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then run wire through headliner over to A-pillar and down along existing wiring harness and use zip ties loosely.

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after that you can wire the lights as shown in J.A.'s thread or as i have if you have a limited with running board lights.

i ran the wire down beside the AC vent, fuse panel, and into the side kick panel. on drivers side.

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i then pulled the wires that were for my running boards out of the rubber boot and pluged the boot with the end of a bic pen. then all you have to do is tap into the negative lead


(wire will be coming out of main harness right near the b pillar)
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Nice Job! How about the Toyota 4Runner Key Reminder Disable Buzzer Mod mod next? :)

im going to stay away from that because i have left my keys in my truck 2 times now from when i was cleaning the interior or doing a mod. '

your write up really helped me in the disassembly of my dash. as far as wiring i went as simple as possible by wiring to the running boards, i just took a chance and it worked.

Good job!

When the doors are shut, do you still retain the ability to push the map light switches to turn them on manually?

Yes. All the mod does is add a negative lead for when the door is open. Works as normal when door is closed but can not be turned off when door is open

Thanks for the write up and even more so for the quick video. I would love to do it like @J.A. had done his, with the switch, but even with his detailed write up i can't get my head wrapped around it. Hopefully i can get some free time to do this, as well as about 15 other projects.....lol

Its a simple mod after you know what to do. The hard part is finding where you are going to wire it in. You can wire it into the a pillar, behind the fuse panel, like I did, and many more

Thanks for posting this! I just sold my Nissan Titan LE for this 4Runner, and my Titan's map lights came on when the doors were open. I though there was something wrong with the 4Runner until I learned that Toyota didn't design them to come on with the doors open. It's the little things.

does anyone know what color wire in the A pillar I have to tap into I don't want to go to the running boards because the lights wont come on when you shut the ignition off the running board lights work a little different 03 limited with sunroof

The a pillar is hard to tap into, some people run a wire in the headliner to the middle dome light or wire it like in J.A.'s thread

So instead of tapping into the light circuit you just tapped into the ground on the running board lights?

Doing this mod this week, i hate how everything lights up but the map lights. This seems like a very easy mod.

just wire it up like i did and it works great. only difference is that they stay on longer then the dome lights just like the running board light you had. they will stay on for a few seconds or turn off when put in drive

I tapped just the A piller wire with a 3M in-line tap. Within the wire bundle is another bundle of three white wires. They are wide and bound side by side. The middle one is the wire you want to tap.