Mystery object and wiring

[az4runnerfan]

Hi all,

Just picked up a 2008 Sport last week. At the dealer, I noticed this black squarish object on the drivers side panel near the fuse box area. I asked them what it was, but they had no idea. Fast forward to today when I was digging around some more and popped the fuse panel cover off an noticed some additional wiring that was tapped at several of the wires in the fuse panel. I can't tell for certain if this object is related to the tapped wiring, but it appears the tapped wiring is bundled up and wrapped in electrical tape.

Has anyone seen this object before and know what it is? How about the tapped wiring?

Thanks in advance,
Phil

 

[gaterose]

My guess would be that they're part of trailer brakes or an alarm but I couldn't say much more without doing some digging... and those may be wrong.

 

[asahi4runner]

I'm 90% sure its trailer brake cause I have one .

 

[having fun]

Not sure exactly what it is, but, it's not electric brakes, electric brake has a larger box with a adjustable nob for adjustment.

Edit: Electric controller box would look something similar to this one and usually has 4 wires to connect it up. It usually has a wiring harnest to hard wire to the box, and plugs into the factory wiring harnest under the dash.

 

[hearno]

Looks like an old school aftermarket transponder key hole. Dealers would install them as an anti theft device and you'd be given an extra "key" that you had to insert or the engine wouldn't start.

 

[az4runnerfan]

Maybe a separate controller attaches to it? It does have the 7-pin socket at the hitch and there are separate fuses under the hood for a battery charging circuit.

Do you think the tapped wires are related? I've never seen those style of wire taps before. Do the taps look like something a dealer would do vs. aftermarket shop?

 

[az4runnerfan]

Hearno - come to think of it, I remember seeing something like that years ago too. I wasn't given anything when I got it and it starts right up, so if it is something like that, maybe the dealer bypassed it??

 

[az4runnerfan]

Gaterose, as far as I know, no alarm system.

 

[Jester4kicks]

Ha! I know what that is! I only know because they installed it on mine, I told them I didn't want it, but I had to practically fight with em to get rid of it.

It's part of an aftermarket alarm system. Couldn't tell you the name of it, but the Toyota dealership I got my runner from installed it on a bunch of their used vehicles and then tried to get customers to pay for it as an add-on option.

I also can't tell you how to get rid of it. My fight ended with them unscrewing it and tucking it up and under the dash.

 

[az4runnerfan]

Thanks! That makes sense - I don't if this dealer or a previous one installed it, but no one brought it up during the sale... Hard to believe the sales guys didn't know what it was. Definitely not the best wiring job. Really don't want it there, but I'm scared to find out if the taps did any damage to the factory wiring and what's involved in removing the whole thing (not sure where the module is hiding).