Yosmany

:cry: The limited stalk is on back order, so it won't be in until mid week. Unfortunately, I won't be able to do this mod until next weekend, but I will keep you posted as soon as I know.

toybox

Thanks for the update!

Yosmany

Parts are in, picking them up tomorrow (Sunday) I should be able to so the install tomorrow, so I'll let you know how it goes.

Yosmany

:wtf: So it didn't work!

Swtiching the stalk is easy, and the 3 different stalks work the same. But the light sensor is another story...

There are 2 sensor holes. If your're sitting in your truck, the right one, with the hole cover on it is the one for the light sensor. I know this because the hole for the left one is much smaller than the right one. So the is no way you can put the light sensor in the wrong hole. The left one is wired into a socket on the instrunment panel and is much smaller. That's why if you look at the left sensor, it seems to have ring around it to hold it in place. The plug that goes into the left one is small as well. The connector plug won't fit the light sensor (right one), it's too small. I could not find any other loose plugs or loose wires. So we're definitely missing a wire and plug. Even if there was an extra plug, I don't know where to plug it into since there were no vacant sockets on the instument panel.

The only thing I can imagine is this, you have to have both sensors, and a different wire. Something that would resenble a "Y", Where 2 plugs on one end would connect to the 2 sensors, and the one plug on the other end would go into the instrument panel.

Hope it's not confusing.

I have 2 questions though...

1) What is the left sensor for?

2) Is there anyone out there that may have seen the back of their instrument panel and actually seen the plugs for the light sensor?

toybox

Thanks Yosmany,

I'll take a look at my truck at lunch and also I have to go to the dealer so I will try to look at a limited and see if I see anything different.

crmartin9

I may be wrong, but isn't the smaller left sensor the thermometer for the air conditioner/heater?

Yosmany

Do you mean it is a sensor for the temp. gauge on the on borad computer?

crmartin9

I was working on a project on the truck yesterday using the shop repair manual when I passed the page on the disassembly of the dash. One of the two sensors was labeled "light sensor" and the other "thermometer". What it connected to wasn't shown; I just assumed it was the thermometer that measures the inside cabin air to feed back to the climate controls. I would guess that the outside temperature that you see on the on board computer is measured by a different thermometer mounted on the exterior of the vehicle somewhere.

I better stop speculating now before I really start digging myself a hole...

Yosmany

Did you manage to see what cable I was missing for the light sensor, and where it may be connected to?

crmartin9

I didn't get a chance to check the book again last night. Unfortunately, I don't have the supplemental volume with electrical wiring diagrams, so I doubt I'll be able to answer your question.

crmartin9

Okay, I remembered to check the service manual at home last night. The part you asked about is labeled as "cooler (solar sensor) thermistor". It doesn't show any wiring information since that would be in the electrical supplement that I don't own. Hope that answers your question.

Yosmany

Cool, maybe someone with the electrical supplement will chime in with a response.

-thank you

rando

looked this idea over last week and was discussing it at t4r.org before someone just referred me to the discussion here.

The sensor on the left is the solar sensor for the air conditioning unit. All 4runners are equipped with this sensor.

The sensor on the right is the light sensor and is used by the Light Control System (i.e. Auto/On headlights). If you follow the 2 wire harness from the solar sensor, you'll find that it terminates in a 6 pin "harness to harness" connector. This connector is behind the top right of the instrument cluster. If you look closely, you'll notice that the solar sensor only uses 2 of the pins on this connector but that the other side of the connector has 5 wires. The extra 3 wires are the ones that connect to the light sensor. One is a ground, one is your 12v connection, and the other is the sensor output.

To enable the auto/on feature you will need the sensor and the 4 position (off, running lights, head lights, automatic) dimmer switch from the limited. What i cannot confirm is if the SR5 or Sport ECU has the programming to implement the auto/on feature and/or if it can be enabled/disabled with the OEM scan tool.

Assuming you have the light sensor installed, you just need to short pins 16 and 12 on the dimmer switch connector with the existing switch in the off position.

To get DRLs working you just need the DRL flasher relay. The relay just replaces the non DRL flasher relay. It plugs into the junction block on the left of the dash. You don't need the upgraded dimmer switch nor the light sensor. The DRLs are on when the dimmer switch is in the off position, the ignition switch is on and your parking break has been released.

Let me know if this helps or not. I'm planning to try this soon. BTW, did you have any issues removing and reinstalling your steering wheel to replace the dimmer switch?

rando

BTW, I believe the link below is the correct sensor. Ignore the fact that it appears in the DRL category. It is the light sensor for the head lights.

http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...03&catalogid=2

And this is the correct dimmer switch (for 2004 or 03 w/ foglights).

http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...03&catalogid=2

Yosmany

Lets just call them the left and right sensors for right now. And the right sensor controls the auto lights.

Those are the right parts. I have both of those parts. The harness has 2 connectors. One that goes into the the solar sensor and the other that goes into the instrument cluster. I see what your saying about the pins on the sensors. The left sensor has only two pins, the right sensor has five. There are no other sockets on the instrument panel. The only socket available has the harness for the left sensor attached to it. The plug that goes into the left sensor is much smaller than the one that would fit into the right sensor. So the current harness from the left sensor can not fit the right sensor.

I would know, I disconnected left sensor, and tried to make it fit into the right sensor.

There must be a different type of harness, that plugs into the right sensor. It needs to be bigger and it needs to connect to some other spot in the dash since the only available socket is being used for the left sensor harness.


Taking the dash apart is very easy.

1) Take the lower panel off. There are only 2 screws by the hood release, and the rest snaps off.

2) The instrument cluster covers has no screws, It just snaps directly out. pull towards you.

3) Remove the instrument cluster. 3 screws.

4) Remove the plugs attached to the cluster. Unscrew the 2 goldish screws. these screws will not come off. They will just turn until the plugs in the back are released.


Removing the Dimmer.

1) Remove the cover from the steering column. 3 screws. 1 underneath, and turn the steering wheel to see the other 2 screws. Snaps apart after that.

2) Remove the dimmer/stalk. Unplug the connector that is plugged into the switch. Then remove the 2 visible screws that attach the switch. Then it slide out.

All the different stalks work with the same plug. So just plug it in.

I hope this helps.

I guess the only real way to know if there is a different harness if to find someone with the electrical supplement.

rando

I have the wiring manual and have taken apart the dash and seen the connectors too. The left sensor IS the solar sensor. It's a 2 pin device and associated with the air conditioning system. The right sensor IS the light sensor, it's a 3 pin device (at least only 3 pins are used according to the wiring manual). These are the names from the wiring manual, I didn't make them up.

The harness to harness connector (IG1) at the top right and behind the instrument cluster is where the two sensors connect. IIRC, the side of the connector coming from the dash has 5 wires. Currently, two of the wires are used by the connector on the opposite side to hook up the solar sensor. The other 3(unused) wires are for the light sensor.

I haven't seen the light sensor assembly. Can you provide a picture? Are you saying it came with it's own harness? If that's true I'd guess that harness has 3 connectors. One connector with 3 wires for the light sensor itself, one connector with 2 wires that connects to the current solar sensor plug, and 1 connector with 5 wires that connects to IG1.

Does that make sense?

Thanks for the info on getting to the dimmer switch. I was unaware that you could rotate the steering wheel to reach the two screws underneath. The service manual clearly indicates that you must remove the wheel to reach those screws. This is great news and even though a wheel puller is fairly inexpensive, I was dreading the thought of messing with it.

BTW, does your 'friend' have access to any more cheap parts?

toybox

rando, I'm not sure that is the right sensor that you have listed above. Aren't the drl's and auto headlight totally separate here.

I HAVE the drl's but don't have auto headlights. One of the spaces has a sensor the other is blank. Which sensor do I need, light or solar?

rando

It's the correct sensor! There are two sensors on the top of the dash. ALL 4runners come shipped with the one on the left. It's the solar sensor and is used by the climate control system only. The other sensor is the light sensor. I originally believed the light sensor was used by the DRL system AND the auto/on head light system. I now know believe (having re-read the shop manuals -- see below) it is used only for the latter. This sensor is only installed on the Limited models.

You are correct, they are totally seperate systems, but they are both implemented by the Body ECU. The light sensor has 3 wires which go directly to the body ECU.

To get DRLs, you just need the flasher relay.

To get auto/on head lights you need the light sensor AND the dimmer switch with the auto setting (i.e., the one that comes with the Limited trim).

I can say for sure that these are the only components (give or take some wiring) missing from an SR5/Sport to enable these features. At this point, I can neither confirm nor deny if adding these components will actually enable the above functions. That's because it's possible that some programming is either missing or disabled in the SR5/Sport Body ECU such that these features wont work even with the components installed. I tend to believe that such a scenario is unlikely. But that's just my guess.

Can someone with DRLs on an SR5 or Sport verify that they DO NOT have the light sensor?

rando

Toybox: I think you're right. The DRLs do not use the light sensor. If you only have 1 sensor, it's for sure the solar sensor since that is needed by the climate control system.

Tell me this, if you leave the headlight switch in the off position at night (or with the truck in darkness), are your DRLs still on or do they only work in the daytime when your headlights are off?

rando

Here is how the light sensor hooks up according to the wiring diagram.

Light Sensor -> A39 connector (4 pins)
Solar Sendor -> A20 connector (2 pins) *SR5 and Sport only

A39 (Battery) Pin 1 -> B-Y wire -> female IG1 Pin 3
A39 (Earth) Pin 3 -> G-W wire -> female IG1 Pin 2
A39 (Signal) Pin 4 -> Y wire -> female IG1 Pin 1
A20 (Cathode) Pin 1 -> P wire -> female IG1 Pin 6
A20 (Anode) Pin 2 -> V-G wire -> female IG1 Pin 5

Female IG1 -> Male IG1
Male IG1 -> Instrument Panel Wire Harness
* Male IG1 Pins 1,2,3 (same wire colors as above) -> Body ECU

Color Codes
-----------------
B-Y - Blue wire with Yellow stripe
G-W - Green wire with White stripe
Y - Yellow wire
P - Pink
V-G - Violet wire with Green stripe

Instrument Panel Wire No.2 Harness
-----------------------------------------------
IG1 - female 6 pin harness to harness connector. Connects the Instrument Panel Wire No.2 Harness to the Instrument Panel Wire Harness. Located behind the instrument cluster.

A39 - 4 pin Light sensor connector.

A20 - 2 pin Solar sensor connector (SR5 and Sport, single zone climate control)

A21 - 3 pin Solar sensor connector (Limited, dual zone climate control)

* On my SR5, only 2 connectors are on this harness, IG1 and A20.


Instrument Panel Wire Harness
-----------------------------------------------
IG1 - male 6 pin harness to harness connector. Connects the Instrument Panel Wire Harness to the Instrument Panel Wire No.2 Harness. Located behind the instrument cluster

* Many other connections including the Body ECU and A/C control Assembly.