Electrical issue after tapping wires for CB

[wtn11]

I have a 2005 Toyota 4Runner SR5 v8. Last night I tapped the wires to the plug in my center console to power my CB (a Uniden pro505xl). I've wired it right, solded it, and taped it off. The CB powers on just fine.

After doing it, I noticed two issues:

1. The DAC button in the center console does not light up. It still activates the DAC if pressed, but it no longer lights up when the lights are turned on.

2. My driver's side automatic window button flickers on and off, and it will not activate the automatic feature of the window. It will roll the window up and down if pressed, but it will not do so automatically.

I'm not sure how tapping the plug in the center console would do this, but I'm open to the idea. It's the only thing I did to the vehicle last night, and the features in question were working fine before I did it. Post hoc ergo propter hoc, as they say.

Right now, I'm considering two options.

1. Cutting the wires and re-connecting all of it to see if I've just made some sort of bad connection.

2. Cutting the wires and re-connecting the power somewhere else. I had read that there is another plug underneath the center console that is unused, but may be utilized to power other features. I believe that I saw it last night. I did not use it because I was not sure which wire was the positive and which wire was the negative. If someone has a little insight on this plug, I may re-assess, cut the wires, and tap out of there.

Thanks for any help!

 

[cordrayj1]

I would recommend blue sea systems fuse block. Don't tap into stuff like that.

 

[CookieRoe]

I agree. I had a professional shop install lighted LED door sills on my civic. Turned out great. 4 years later, airbag light goes on and the dealer tells me the passenger side airbag module is fried. Turns out, the "professional" installer tapped the passenger airbag for power. F**ING idiot!! Anyway, $500 later, my airbag is fine, but the LED sills just sit there.

cordrayj1 is right. If you are going to have accessories like a CB, get one of those fuse boxes. If you have an issue, you won't be frying the wire harness of your truck or slowing frying something expensive down the road!

 

[Bucket81]

Take pics of what you did this is really the only way your going to get help. Check and make sure all your your pins are pushed in and you didn't pull a wire out of a plug. Some times things just need to rest, I have worked on newer 4runners but its been a while.

on a second note. The "Professionals" at dealers constantly lie about after market installs. You can't get power from an airbag, if they taped into an airbag wire you most likely would have know the first time those lights turned on in a bad way. They could have messed up the way the wires where ran and chafed a wire... not a $500 fix.

 

[SV_Dude]

I agree with bucket. I find it hard to believe that a shop tapped into the airbag power wire. Those wire looms are seperate from all other wire harnesses and wrapped in yellow tape or yellow split loom to identify them as the airbag harness.

OP: Do you know what power wire you tapped into? You don't have to run another fuse block for your CB. I installed mine and tapped into the constant 12v power wire for the stereo. In newer vehicles you have to be careful with the wiring. A lot of the newer vehicles use the same wire for multiple things in order to cut back on the amount of wires ran in a vehicle. I would cut that wire that you put in and either run your CB off of your stereo wire harness or just run the CB power wire straight to your battery.

 

[CookieRoe]

Memory is coming back..............

on a second note. The "Professionals" at dealers constantly lie about after market installs. You can't get power from an airbag, if they taped into an airbag wire you most likely would have know the first time those lights turned on in a bad way. They could have messed up the way the wires where ran and chafed a wire... not a $500 fix.

Professions: a place called High End Stereo in Philadelphia. I'm not a tech, but they tried to tap the airbag wires, when they saw what they did, they didn't properly tape/seal it up or something. A short was found in the harness. They obviously suck and will never see me there again.

I agree with bucket. I find it hard to believe that a shop tapped into the airbag power wire. Those wire looms are seperate from all other wire harnesses and wrapped in yellow tape or yellow split loom to identify them as the airbag harness.
.

This was in a Honda, not a 4Runner. Anyway, I paid $500 (approx, original price was $800 but I was good-willed by Honda) to get the wire harness replaced NOT the sensor.

I'm not a big fan of "tapping" wires for power. Having a separate "box" certainly is more work, but it will (should) save you trouble in case something happens.

 

[SV_Dude]

This was in a Honda, not a 4Runner.

The make doesn't matter in this case. ALL vehicles airbag wire harnesses are yellow. It's an industry standard.

 

[imadude2]

I use the "add-a-circuit" wires from Advance Auto Parts (your preferred parts store should have them too) and just tap into the fuse box with a 5A fuse for the CB and the right fuse for the stereo. Hasn't failed me yet and everything works fine. I just hooked mine up today after doing some work on the hubs. Works like a charm. Check to make sure you grounded everything properly. When I first started messing with circuits in vehicles, that was a common problem I had. Good luck. You can also try switching out fuses for the circuits you tapped into, seeing as you're probably drawing more amperage from those circuits now, but I don't recommend it, as you're likely going to fry something. It's better and easier just to tap into the fuse box.

 

[Bucket81]

I'm a firm believer against those. They can cause arcing in the fuse block witch can case it to melt.

On an install like this the best thing to do is a military splice at a cigaret/ power outlet.

I think I'll put together a write up on proper wiring.