I have a 1st gen 4runner. I have an extra window lock switch that I would like to use as an on/off pushbutton (if possible) for interior LED's. I removed all 4 wires from the plastic connector that housed all 4 wires. What I'm left with is 4 wires with thin male ends already attached to them.

I want to try this because I want the stock look and I could use the extra spot on my radio dash bezel by removing the pop-in insert. No cutting or drilling and I get a stock look.

The door lock switch has 4 wires coming out of it, red, yellow, green, blue. But from my search it only seems like I need 3 wires. One to go to a fuse tap (I will be tapping into the cigarette lighter fuse using a fuse tap, I am assuming the red wire.) One to ground (green I'm assuming but I could be wrong), and one used as accessory power to the LED switch that leads to the LED strips. This window lock switch has an indicator lamp in it that I do not need to use but don't know what wire it corresponds to.

Has anyone ever tried anything like this? Would this be possible?

Does anyone know what each wire corresponds to?

Which wire do I use for power, ground, accessory power and which wire to cap off?

I am totally lost when it comes to electrical!......

 

Just what year ??

just what switch is this the one for the hatch window ??

Or the one in the master switch on the door panel??

Do you own a Multimeter??With a meter simple to figure out just how the switch works.

What will be the load on the circuit??

Time to learn some basic DC circuits so you can understand what your trying to do.

A switch just breaks the circuit do you plan to break the positive or the ground??

 

OK, it took we awhile to figure out what you were talking about. For future reference If a particular component or in this case a switch plugs directly into a Toyota wiring harness the corresponding toyota wiring diagrams will show the proper wire colors and the pin configuration, but if the component (Switch) has a small pigtail with a connector on it and that connector plugs into the Toyota wiring harness the wiring diagrams will only show the wire and pin configuration of the wires on the harness side of that connector.
Luckily I have a partial harness and one of those window lock switches lying around.
Mine has the following wires, Red/Blue, Green, Yellow and Blue.
Red/Blue is power from the tailight fuse for the illumination light.
Green is to the dashlight rheostat for adjusting the light intensity.
Yellow and Blue are the two wires that go to the switch itself. Just to be sure do a continuity check with an ohmeter across these two wires, this will also tell you if the switch you have is still good.
As far as wiring it up, if you are going to use switched power, your yellow or blue wire(doesn't matter which) will come from the fuse, the other wire (yellow or blue) will go the the LED strip and the other end of the strip will be wired to ground.
If you are going to use switched ground your power from the fuse will go to the LED strip, the other end of the LED strip will be wired to the switch (Yellow or blue) and the remaining wire on the switch (yellow or blue) will go to ground.

 

Thanks HadMatt!

I do not have my 4runner with me right now. I'm waiting for a donor engine cause mine is done now. The guy I'm getting it from is out of town until this weekend.

When I get it back in my possession I will give it a go. It may be a week or two until I reply but I will keep you posted with my progress.

Thanks!

 

Hmm I have lots of factory switches. And Im going to make them all work!

 

Since I'm not gonna need the illumination lamp can I just cap off the red and green wires?

This might be a stupid question but what is the difference between switched ground and switched power?

On top of that I want the LED strips to to turn on and off when I open and close the doors. And from your explanation does that mean I should be using "switched ground?" Grounding either the yellow or blue wire with the door lamp switch in the door jamb?

Or "switched power" grounding the black wire from the LED switch to the door lamp switch?

 

[QUOTESince I'm not gonna need the illumination lamp can I just cap off the red and green wires?

][/QUOTE] Yes!
Switched power:- power comes from the fuse to one side of the switch. Other side of the switch is tied to one side of the led(s), then the other side of the led(s) is tied to ground. When switch contacts make (switch turned on) power flows through the switch, through the led(s) and then to ground.
Switched Ground:- power from fuse goes to one side of the led(s), then from led(s) to one side of the switch. Other side of the switch is tied to ground. When switch is made the circuit is completed to ground.

Switched ground or switched power?
Depends on how you want the circuit to work. If you want the on/off window switch to be a master switch and the door switch to control the led strips then you would wire it as switched power and the door switch as switched ground. That way the led lights would only come on with the master switch on.
If you want the lights to come on either with the the window switch or the door switch, then wire the circuit as switched ground and the feed from the led strip would split. One to the on/off switch, the other to the door switch.