FS: 96-98 4Runner Interior Lighting Upgrade Wiring Harness Kit - $26, $28, $30
EDIT: '99-'02 guys please reply to post #19 if interested in the wiring harness upgrade.
EDIT: Unfortunately for those still wanting to purchase a harness, I lost my "hookup" on the custom screw machining. This has forced me to raise the price of the harnesses in order to still source the screws in the small quantities that I use.
For those of us that own a 3rd Gen I think it is safe to say that the factory 3rd gen interior lighting leaves a lot to be desired. It appears a lot of guys will install brighter LEDs in place of the factory bulbs, these LEDs help quite a bit but they still don’t provide overhead lighting in the front seat area or the cargo area when a passenger door is open, this always annoyed me. I would also frequently get annoyed by having to switch on multiple lights when trying to quickly find something in the cargo area of the 4Runner during car camping ventures. Out of frustration I came up with a wiring harness with three end goals in mind.
-My first goal was to create a wiring harness that turns on all lights (both map lights, dome light and cargo area light) when any door or the hatch is opened. Basically all lights mimic the behavior of the dome light depending on its setting, i.e. DOOR, OFF or ON. Having the cargo light and the map lights mimic the dome light was important to me because I still wanted to be able to manually turn on all lights or shut off all lights if I didn’t need them on but I still wanted my doors open. An example of this would be when listening to the stereo with the doors open while outside of the vehicle.
-My second goal was to retain independent control over the map lights.
- My last goal I had was to NOT cut into ANY factory wiring as I am a sucker for stock appearing clean installs and durable wire connections. This took some thought but I was able to do it.
It works!-----> YouTube<-----
(Unfortunately in the video I forgot to show how the map lights can be operated independently)
After implementing and sharing my solution with other T4R.org members it seems others are interested in performing the upgrade. The interest has prompted me to offer interior lighting upgrade harness kits for sale. The kits contain a fully soldered and heat shrunk wiring harness (no crimp connectors to worry about coming undone), two custom machined bulb contacts, two jam nuts, two sheet metal screws and depending on the harness either zero, one or two fully protected diodes. All hardware is 18-8 stainless steel.
20150117_192637 by xcmtb83, on Flickr
20150117_193014 by xcmtb83, on Flickr
20150117_193207 by xcmtb83, on Flickr
20150117_193156 by xcmtb83, on Flickr
Whether you want more evenly distributed lighting from your factory bulbs or you want to make the most of your aftermarket LEDs this harness kit will work. The first step is deciding which harness kit is best for you. I am offering three different kits.
Available Kits:
Version 1 Kit: ALL lights come on when any door or the hatch is opened, when the dome light is manually turned on, when the cargo light is manually turned on or when either of the map lights are turned on. When just one map light is turned on the other turns on along with the dome light and the cargo light. Price is $21.00 shipped per kit EDIT: PRICE IS $26 PER KIT
Version 2 Kit: ALL lights come on when any door or the hatch is opened, when the dome light is manually turned on or when the cargo light is manually turned on, the map light assembly acts as one light now and can be turned on by itself but BOTH left and right will come on even if only the left or right button is depressed. This is what I have installed on my 4Runner. I like the instant max (dual) brightness when using just the map lights. Price is $23.00 shipped per kit EDIT: PRICE IS $28 PER KIT
Version 3 Kit: ALL lights come on when any door or the hatch is opened, when the dome light is manually turned on or when the cargo light is manually turned on, the map lights can be individually controlled (left/right)like factory. Price is $25.00 shipped per kit EDIT: PRICE IS $30 PER KIT
If interested in a kit I accept Paypal. I also have a solid reputation for selling on here that I gained from selling my 3rd Gen headrest storage brackets. PM me for payment details or questions and thanks for your interest.
*Currently these kits are limited to 96-98 4Runners simply because I am not familiar with the map light construction on 99-02 4Runners. If I should I get my hands on a 99-02 map light assembly in the future I may offer something for those years as well.
Tools required for installation:
Pick or small flat screwdriver
Phillips screwdriver
14mm socket or wrench
3/32” drill bit
Drill
Needle nose or tweezers
Two 7mm wrenches or small crescent wrench and pliers
Razor blade or exacto knife
Metal clothes hanger or similar stiffness wire to fish the harness through the headliner
Tape – electrical or duct tape
Installation steps:
1. Disconnect battery
2. Remove the center U-shaped piece of plastic that surrounds the arm that extends from the rearview mirror base to the actual mirror. Looking at it from the windshield side will offer a better view. Stick a small screwdriver in between the arm and the U-shaped piece and gently pry.
3. Remove the plastic covering the map light. Pull down from the back side while pulling out towards the windshield. Once the front is free pull the cover towards the back of the vehicle while it is still dangling by the back edge. It helps a little to have the map light buttons depressed for slightly more clearance.
4. Remove the four phillips head screws. Take note that two are sheetmetal type screws and two are machine type screws
5. Unplug the wires from the base
6. Remove the driver side sun visor via two phillips screws.
7. Remove the driver side grab handle. Gently remove the plastic screw covers with a pick or a small flat screwdriver. Make sure to apply a lot of inward force while unscrewing the phillips head screws as to not strip out the heads. Mine had blue lock-tite on them from the factory but I was still able to remove them with a properly fitted screwdriver.
8. Remove the seatbelt bolt cover. This is the trapezoid shaped piece that covers the seatbelt bolt and adjustable height mechanism. I pried in between the button and the cover. Keep the cover relatively parallel to the button while prying off whatever edge (top or bottom) is the last to disconnect.
9. Remove the seatbelt mount using 14mm wrench or socket. This bolt will be quite tight.
10. Pull back on the plastic piece that the belt goes down in behind towards the floor. This will expose a phillips head screw.
11. Remove the phillips head screw being careful not to drop it down in behind the lower trim piece.
12. The L-shaped piece of trim that is above the rear driver side door and seatbelt pillar can now be removed. This is done by getting in behind the piece with something and pulling or prying straight out. Something broad like a putty knife works well for this as it distributes the force better and doesn’t dent the plastic as easily. Start on an edge and work around. The metal U-shaped pieces may or may not come with the trim piece. If they do not come off with the trim piece that is, OK. Just remove them from the slots by squeezing them together and pulling them out. Once they are removed from the body insert them back on to the trim piece. This last step will make assembly a lot easier.
13. Remove just enough of the trim behind the driver front grab handle to gain access to the headliner edge. Complete removal of the trim isn’t necessary.
14. Remove the driver side rear passenger grab handle just like the front one.
15. Remove the dome light. First remove the lens by inserting a small flat screwdriver in behind the lens adjacent to the switch arm and pry down. Remove the two phillips head screws holding the dome light. Unplug the dome light.
16. Remove the cargo light. First remove the lens by inserting a small flat screwdriver into a small cutout found on the passenger side edge of lens and pry down. Remove the two phillips head screws holding the dome light. Unplug the dome light.
17. Gently bend the more rigid bulb contact tab in on both sides of the map light assembly. This will allow for the bulb, the new contact and ring terminal all to fit. Bend the tab enough so that the nut on the other contact does not make contact with the metal housing during final assembly. If it makes contact with the housing your light will be on constantly. The tab should be bent to match the one I have pictured.
20150109_235701 by xcmtb83, on Flickr
20150109_235639 by xcmtb83, on Flickr
20150110_000613 by xcmtb83, on Flickr
18. Using a razor blade or exacto knife cut off one plastic stud/retainer on the dome light and the cargo light. It is imperative that you cut off the correct one on each assembly. Make sure the stud/retainer is cut off flush so that your drill bit doesn’t “walk” around. Notice the blade placement in the pictures and how I used half of a razor blade to gain access to the last stud.
20150109_233205 by xcmtb83, on Flickr
20150109_234520 by xcmtb83, on Flickr
19. Drill through each assembly with a 3/32” drill bit where the plastic stud was just removed. The second picture below shows where the screws end up being located.
20150109_234706 by xcmtb83, on Flickr
20150109_234938 by xcmtb83, on Flickr
20. Insert a straightened metal coat hanger or similar piece of material into the dome light hole and push it towards the driver side. Gently pull down on the headliner edge until you can see the end of the hanger. You may have to manually pull the coat hanger down alongside the edge of the headliner with a needle nose as it may not easily make the bend. If you can’t see it keep moving it around until it appears. A lot of force is not required.
21. Tape the 24” section of the harness to the end of the coat hanger and gently pull it back out of the dome light opening. There should be enough length to hang out of the opening a couple of inches. Remove the hanger from the harness.
22. Repeat the previous step for the map lights except pull the hanger end down through the hole that the sun visor mounts to. Before taping the double ended end to the hanger first pass the harness in behind the headliner and out through the opening in the headliner for the sun visor mount. Tape the double ended end of the harness to the end of the hanger and gently pull the harness through the sun visor mount hole. There should be enough length to hang out of the opening a couple of inches. There is a notched out area for orientating the sun visor mount. I found that the notch is larger than it needs to be, that is where I ran my wire.
23. Route the harness up alongside the back of the headliner working away from the driver side sun visor. Be sure that the wire won’t interfere with the clips that hold the trim on.
24. Route the last part of the harness back to the cargo light. Do this by just tucking the wire in behind the trim. When you reach the large rectangular piece that that runs alongside the entire back of the headliner it will get more difficult to tuck the wire in behind the trim. I found gently pulling down on the corner afforded me the room I needed to route the wire around the corner and finally to the cargo light opening. There should be enough wire for a couple of inches to hang out of the opening here as well.
25. Attach the ring terminals to the cargo light and the dome light via the included phillips head screws into the 3/32” drilled holes. This is done by running the wire through the opening in the top of the dome light assembly (The pictures below are only for a visual aid in identifying the screw locations and to show the proper orientation of the ring terminals so they do not come into contact with anything else). Plug both lights back into the factory wiring and reinstall.
20150109_234843 by xcmtb83, on Flickr
26. Attach the two larger ring terminals to the map light assembly. Pass the ring terminals through the two openings in the top of the map light assembly. It is important that you attach the ring terminal to the more flexible bulb contact (NOT the one that you already bent) with the included screws and nuts. Putting the side of the ring terminal with the wire towards the bulb will allow for slightly easier wiring routing. Route the wires out of the bulb area similar to the factory wires. Plug the map lights back into the factory wiring and reinstall. Notice how the wires are routed in the last picture below.
20150110_000105 by xcmtb83, on Flickr
20150110_000412 by xcmtb83, on Flickr
20150110_180216 by xcmtb83, on Flickr
27. Before putting any trim or lenses back on first hook the battery up and test everything. Remember, all three light assemblies need to be completely installed (minus the lenses) for testing as they rely on the body for a ground.
28. If everything functions correctly reinstall all parts in reverse order of removal and enjoy your upgraded lighting.
EDIT: '99-'02 guys please reply to post #19 if interested in the wiring harness upgrade.
EDIT: Unfortunately for those still wanting to purchase a harness, I lost my "hookup" on the custom screw machining. This has forced me to raise the price of the harnesses in order to still source the screws in the small quantities that I use.
For those of us that own a 3rd Gen I think it is safe to say that the factory 3rd gen interior lighting leaves a lot to be desired. It appears a lot of guys will install brighter LEDs in place of the factory bulbs, these LEDs help quite a bit but they still don’t provide overhead lighting in the front seat area or the cargo area when a passenger door is open, this always annoyed me. I would also frequently get annoyed by having to switch on multiple lights when trying to quickly find something in the cargo area of the 4Runner during car camping ventures. Out of frustration I came up with a wiring harness with three end goals in mind.
-My first goal was to create a wiring harness that turns on all lights (both map lights, dome light and cargo area light) when any door or the hatch is opened. Basically all lights mimic the behavior of the dome light depending on its setting, i.e. DOOR, OFF or ON. Having the cargo light and the map lights mimic the dome light was important to me because I still wanted to be able to manually turn on all lights or shut off all lights if I didn’t need them on but I still wanted my doors open. An example of this would be when listening to the stereo with the doors open while outside of the vehicle.
-My second goal was to retain independent control over the map lights.
- My last goal I had was to NOT cut into ANY factory wiring as I am a sucker for stock appearing clean installs and durable wire connections. This took some thought but I was able to do it.
It works!-----> YouTube<-----
(Unfortunately in the video I forgot to show how the map lights can be operated independently)
After implementing and sharing my solution with other T4R.org members it seems others are interested in performing the upgrade. The interest has prompted me to offer interior lighting upgrade harness kits for sale. The kits contain a fully soldered and heat shrunk wiring harness (no crimp connectors to worry about coming undone), two custom machined bulb contacts, two jam nuts, two sheet metal screws and depending on the harness either zero, one or two fully protected diodes. All hardware is 18-8 stainless steel.
20150117_192637 by xcmtb83, on Flickr20150117_193014 by xcmtb83, on Flickr20150117_193207 by xcmtb83, on Flickr20150117_193156 by xcmtb83, on FlickrWhether you want more evenly distributed lighting from your factory bulbs or you want to make the most of your aftermarket LEDs this harness kit will work. The first step is deciding which harness kit is best for you. I am offering three different kits.
Available Kits:
Version 1 Kit: ALL lights come on when any door or the hatch is opened, when the dome light is manually turned on, when the cargo light is manually turned on or when either of the map lights are turned on. When just one map light is turned on the other turns on along with the dome light and the cargo light. Price is $21.00 shipped per kit EDIT: PRICE IS $26 PER KIT
Version 2 Kit: ALL lights come on when any door or the hatch is opened, when the dome light is manually turned on or when the cargo light is manually turned on, the map light assembly acts as one light now and can be turned on by itself but BOTH left and right will come on even if only the left or right button is depressed. This is what I have installed on my 4Runner. I like the instant max (dual) brightness when using just the map lights. Price is $23.00 shipped per kit EDIT: PRICE IS $28 PER KIT
Version 3 Kit: ALL lights come on when any door or the hatch is opened, when the dome light is manually turned on or when the cargo light is manually turned on, the map lights can be individually controlled (left/right)like factory. Price is $25.00 shipped per kit EDIT: PRICE IS $30 PER KIT
If interested in a kit I accept Paypal. I also have a solid reputation for selling on here that I gained from selling my 3rd Gen headrest storage brackets. PM me for payment details or questions and thanks for your interest.
*Currently these kits are limited to 96-98 4Runners simply because I am not familiar with the map light construction on 99-02 4Runners. If I should I get my hands on a 99-02 map light assembly in the future I may offer something for those years as well.
Tools required for installation:
Pick or small flat screwdriver
Phillips screwdriver
14mm socket or wrench
3/32” drill bit
Drill
Needle nose or tweezers
Two 7mm wrenches or small crescent wrench and pliers
Razor blade or exacto knife
Metal clothes hanger or similar stiffness wire to fish the harness through the headliner
Tape – electrical or duct tape
Installation steps:
1. Disconnect battery
2. Remove the center U-shaped piece of plastic that surrounds the arm that extends from the rearview mirror base to the actual mirror. Looking at it from the windshield side will offer a better view. Stick a small screwdriver in between the arm and the U-shaped piece and gently pry.
3. Remove the plastic covering the map light. Pull down from the back side while pulling out towards the windshield. Once the front is free pull the cover towards the back of the vehicle while it is still dangling by the back edge. It helps a little to have the map light buttons depressed for slightly more clearance.
4. Remove the four phillips head screws. Take note that two are sheetmetal type screws and two are machine type screws
5. Unplug the wires from the base
6. Remove the driver side sun visor via two phillips screws.
7. Remove the driver side grab handle. Gently remove the plastic screw covers with a pick or a small flat screwdriver. Make sure to apply a lot of inward force while unscrewing the phillips head screws as to not strip out the heads. Mine had blue lock-tite on them from the factory but I was still able to remove them with a properly fitted screwdriver.
8. Remove the seatbelt bolt cover. This is the trapezoid shaped piece that covers the seatbelt bolt and adjustable height mechanism. I pried in between the button and the cover. Keep the cover relatively parallel to the button while prying off whatever edge (top or bottom) is the last to disconnect.
9. Remove the seatbelt mount using 14mm wrench or socket. This bolt will be quite tight.
10. Pull back on the plastic piece that the belt goes down in behind towards the floor. This will expose a phillips head screw.
11. Remove the phillips head screw being careful not to drop it down in behind the lower trim piece.
12. The L-shaped piece of trim that is above the rear driver side door and seatbelt pillar can now be removed. This is done by getting in behind the piece with something and pulling or prying straight out. Something broad like a putty knife works well for this as it distributes the force better and doesn’t dent the plastic as easily. Start on an edge and work around. The metal U-shaped pieces may or may not come with the trim piece. If they do not come off with the trim piece that is, OK. Just remove them from the slots by squeezing them together and pulling them out. Once they are removed from the body insert them back on to the trim piece. This last step will make assembly a lot easier.
13. Remove just enough of the trim behind the driver front grab handle to gain access to the headliner edge. Complete removal of the trim isn’t necessary.
14. Remove the driver side rear passenger grab handle just like the front one.
15. Remove the dome light. First remove the lens by inserting a small flat screwdriver in behind the lens adjacent to the switch arm and pry down. Remove the two phillips head screws holding the dome light. Unplug the dome light.
16. Remove the cargo light. First remove the lens by inserting a small flat screwdriver into a small cutout found on the passenger side edge of lens and pry down. Remove the two phillips head screws holding the dome light. Unplug the dome light.
17. Gently bend the more rigid bulb contact tab in on both sides of the map light assembly. This will allow for the bulb, the new contact and ring terminal all to fit. Bend the tab enough so that the nut on the other contact does not make contact with the metal housing during final assembly. If it makes contact with the housing your light will be on constantly. The tab should be bent to match the one I have pictured.
20150109_235701 by xcmtb83, on Flickr20150109_235639 by xcmtb83, on Flickr20150110_000613 by xcmtb83, on Flickr18. Using a razor blade or exacto knife cut off one plastic stud/retainer on the dome light and the cargo light. It is imperative that you cut off the correct one on each assembly. Make sure the stud/retainer is cut off flush so that your drill bit doesn’t “walk” around. Notice the blade placement in the pictures and how I used half of a razor blade to gain access to the last stud.
20150109_233205 by xcmtb83, on Flickr20150109_234520 by xcmtb83, on Flickr19. Drill through each assembly with a 3/32” drill bit where the plastic stud was just removed. The second picture below shows where the screws end up being located.
20150109_234706 by xcmtb83, on Flickr20150109_234938 by xcmtb83, on Flickr20. Insert a straightened metal coat hanger or similar piece of material into the dome light hole and push it towards the driver side. Gently pull down on the headliner edge until you can see the end of the hanger. You may have to manually pull the coat hanger down alongside the edge of the headliner with a needle nose as it may not easily make the bend. If you can’t see it keep moving it around until it appears. A lot of force is not required.
21. Tape the 24” section of the harness to the end of the coat hanger and gently pull it back out of the dome light opening. There should be enough length to hang out of the opening a couple of inches. Remove the hanger from the harness.
22. Repeat the previous step for the map lights except pull the hanger end down through the hole that the sun visor mounts to. Before taping the double ended end to the hanger first pass the harness in behind the headliner and out through the opening in the headliner for the sun visor mount. Tape the double ended end of the harness to the end of the hanger and gently pull the harness through the sun visor mount hole. There should be enough length to hang out of the opening a couple of inches. There is a notched out area for orientating the sun visor mount. I found that the notch is larger than it needs to be, that is where I ran my wire.
23. Route the harness up alongside the back of the headliner working away from the driver side sun visor. Be sure that the wire won’t interfere with the clips that hold the trim on.
24. Route the last part of the harness back to the cargo light. Do this by just tucking the wire in behind the trim. When you reach the large rectangular piece that that runs alongside the entire back of the headliner it will get more difficult to tuck the wire in behind the trim. I found gently pulling down on the corner afforded me the room I needed to route the wire around the corner and finally to the cargo light opening. There should be enough wire for a couple of inches to hang out of the opening here as well.
25. Attach the ring terminals to the cargo light and the dome light via the included phillips head screws into the 3/32” drilled holes. This is done by running the wire through the opening in the top of the dome light assembly (The pictures below are only for a visual aid in identifying the screw locations and to show the proper orientation of the ring terminals so they do not come into contact with anything else). Plug both lights back into the factory wiring and reinstall.
20150109_234843 by xcmtb83, on Flickr26. Attach the two larger ring terminals to the map light assembly. Pass the ring terminals through the two openings in the top of the map light assembly. It is important that you attach the ring terminal to the more flexible bulb contact (NOT the one that you already bent) with the included screws and nuts. Putting the side of the ring terminal with the wire towards the bulb will allow for slightly easier wiring routing. Route the wires out of the bulb area similar to the factory wires. Plug the map lights back into the factory wiring and reinstall. Notice how the wires are routed in the last picture below.
20150110_000105 by xcmtb83, on Flickr20150110_000412 by xcmtb83, on Flickr20150110_180216 by xcmtb83, on Flickr27. Before putting any trim or lenses back on first hook the battery up and test everything. Remember, all three light assemblies need to be completely installed (minus the lenses) for testing as they rely on the body for a ground.
28. If everything functions correctly reinstall all parts in reverse order of removal and enjoy your upgraded lighting.
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