Help Pls -- Electrical Problem -- Lost Door On Map Lights

[webby]

I bought a perfect condition used Auto Dim, Homelink, and Compass Rear View Mirror with Amber Lights, along with the Toyota wiring harness. I installed it following the excellent write-up on a recent thread here by one of our posters, 4RunnERD, thread is here: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/85593-auto-dimming-mirror-install-w-pictures.html

Everything on the mirror works perfectly: the Auto Dim, Homelink, and the Compass. But the problem came as I discovered that in the process of installing it in my 2009 T4R, I lost the soft fade on and off door-activated Map Lights in the process. However, oddly, if you push to turn on the (bright) Map Lights, they both work perfectly.

I troubleshot this problem, and here are my results:

1) There might be a fuse out, but I can't seem to locate it if there is -- all the fuses under the hood and in the dash panel I checked (didn't check quite, all, just the ones that looked like they might be logical) and so far are OK. But if it was a fuse, why would the push on Map Lights still work?

2) Yes, I checked, and the button on the Cargo area dome light is still in the correct position, so that the Cargo Dome light still comes on when you open the Cargo hatch.

3) I pulled down the overhead console with the map lights and the sunglass holder where I tapped into power and ground per the T4R.org write-up (I have the sunroof) I checked carefully and everything looks good, no short outs or anything suspicious.

4) I checked continuity on the three wires I tapped, Constant Hot, Switched Power, and Ground, and I did NOT break continuity when I tapped into those wires.

Does anyone have a clue where to go next? Like what fuse those door-activated Map Lights would be on, or any idea how I could have lost those by my wiring mod? I need to get those working again somehow. Thanks much for any assistance!

 

[Kmvreter]

Are you sure you had the map lights active on the door switch? Did this change during the 4th Gen mid-model refresh? My '04 didn't have it so I did the mod (check the link in my signature to find the thread.)

 

[webby]

Are you sure you had the map lights active on the door switch? Did this change during the 4th Gen mid-model refresh? My '04 didn't have it so I did the mod (check the link in my signature to find the thread.)

Absolutely I did have map lights active on the door switches. That's why I'm really missing it at night now. But it was a much softer light than the regular map lights (which are very bright on my '09 -- maybe LED's?), plus they faded in and faded in and faded out gradually as you opened or closed the door.

I'll check the mod link in your sig. Thanks.

 

[Krazynative]

Mine came stock with this home link, auto dim and compass piece. It does not come on when the doors are opened. I don't belive any of these do as I've seen a few threads on how to mod them to dim on n off.

do a search on it and you'll see what I''m talking about.

 

[webby]

Mine came stock with this home link, auto dim and compass piece. It does not come on when the doors are opened. I don't belive any of these do as I've seen a few threads on how to mod them to dim on n off.

do a search on it and you'll see what I''m talking about.

Thanks, but I have already read that some or perhaps most years of 4th Gen 4Runner didn't have that feature. But I am here to inform you that my 2009 had it before I added this mirror. I drive it every day and evenings too.

I know what features my vehicle has and what features it doesn't have. As I stated, it is an absolute fact that my 2009 SR5 had the map lights coming on (softly, not as bright as the push on map lights, with fade in and fade out) when the doors were opened.

 

[Kmvreter]

Thanks, but I have already read that some or perhaps most years of 4th Gen 4Runner didn't have that feature. But I am here to inform you that my 2009 had it before I added this mirror. I drive it every day and evenings too.

I know what features my vehicle has and what features it doesn't have. As I stated, it is an absolute fact that my 2009 SR5 had the map lights coming on (softly, not as bright as the push on map lights, with fade in and fade out) when the doors were opened.

Any other '09 owners want to verify this? Are you the original owner (any chance a previous owner did the mod?)
Regardless, your addition of the new mirror and harness changed something. Not sure how to help you get it back. Can't be a blown fuse if the light works manually. Mine (with mod) fade in/out but are the same brightness as when manually activated.

 

[webby]

Any other '09 owners want to verify this? Are you the original owner (any chance a previous owner did the mod?)
Regardless, your addition of the new mirror and harness changed something. Not sure how to help you get it back. Can't be a blown fuse if the light works manually. Mine (with mod) fade in/out but are the same brightness as when manually activated.

No, not original owner. First owner, it was a rental for 20K. We all know there is no way a rental company would ever bother to do mods. Second owner, bought it from a Toyota stealer as a fully Certified Toyota used car yada yada, but it doesn't look like they even rotated the tires the short time they owned it before trading it in, they put a lot of miles in a relatively short time, and I see no evidence of any mods, so given the evidence, I highly doubt that they were the type to do any mods.

Further, as I said, my door linked map lights were much softer, probably say 20-25% brightness at max fade-in compared to the regular map lights, which are so bright, that I use the right side one instead of the left side one, so it doesn't hurt my eyes. The extreme brightness of them is what leads me to believe that the regular map lights are LED's, but I don't know that for a fact. So if a previous owner had done the mod, wouldn't the door activated map lights be the same brightness as the regular map lights?

Since my regular map lights, and my door activated map lights, were two radically different brightnesses, couldn't they be two different bulbs contained within the same light fixture, wired on two different circuits? If that were so, then maybe I have blown a fuse on the circuit that solely serves the door activated bulbs. -- I'm just speculating here, trying to find a way to further troubleshoot this.