Rock Slide

iTrader: (1)

I felt the below information was of relevant importance, thus the reason I have revived this thread.

I recently replaced my OEM taillights with a pair of Eagle Eye LED Taillights I purchased from Burtman Industries. Upon completion of the installation, I noticed my Field Monitor’s display was not as bright as it once was before the install. (Let me point out, I did not replace my turn signal bulbs or my reverse bulbs in these new LED tails with LED bulbs. These particular bulbs remained halogen.)

To test, I turned my vehicle’s parking lights ON (both LED tails were installed). The FM did in fact dim just like it was designed to. However, when I turned my vehicle’s parking lights OFF, the FM attempted to brighten. It flickered once very quickly, but it never did brighten? Every time I turned my parking lights ON and then OFF, the FM display would dim and then flicker once, but it still remained dim.

(To give you some background on the installation of my FM, one of the FM wires itself is tapped into the vehicle’s dash clock. By tapping the appropriate wire in this manner, it allows the FM’s display to operate exactly like that of the dash clock’s display. The FM’s display is as bright as the dash clock when the vehicle’s parking lights are turned OFF. Once the vehicle’s parking lights are turned ON, the clock’s display dims, thus the FM’s display dims. Also to point out, the dimming/brightness feature of the vehicle’s dash clock never did fail. It operated the way it was designed to, even with the LED tails installed. Only had the display of my FM changed.)

To further test, I first uninstalled just the driver side LED tail and reinstalled the OEM tail in its place. I checked the display of the FM and to my amazement, the FM’s display was now as bright as it was before I had installed both LED tails. I thought this was odd, that with one LED tail installed and one OEM tail installed, the FM’s display operated correctly. Go figure.

Next, I removed the driver side OEM tail, yet did NOT reinstall the driver side LED tail. I simply left only the passenger side LED tail installed and nothing in the driver side slot. I checked the FM’s display again and found that the display was operating poorly just like it did when both LED tails were installed.

Therefore, the FM’s display did NOT operate correctly under these 2 conditions:

1. If both LED tails were installed or
2. If just the passenger side LED tail was installed and nothing was installed on the driver’s side.


The FM’s display DID operate properly as long as the driver side OEM tail was installed in conjunction with the passenger side LED tail installed.

Third and final test…I remembered I had installed a set of LED bulbs in my front corner lights about 2 weeks prior. At that time, the display of the FM still operated correctly. Well, just for grins, I removed both of these LED corner bulbs and installed a pair of halogen bulbs in their place. I went to the rear of the vehicle and made sure both driver and passenger side LED tails were installed. I then checked the display of the FM again. To my surprise, the FM was now operating correctly! Apparently, installing a pair of halogen bulbs in the corner lights corrected the brightness issue I was having with the FM with also having a pair of LED tails installed.

I understand the electrical draw from LEDs is very low compared to that of halogens, but I had no idea that installing exterior LEDs would affect the illumination of my Overhead Field Monitor. And not just affect it, but only it. Everything else that illuminates within the cabin remained unchanged.

So to sum things up, if you currently have a Hilux Surf Overhead Field Monitor Console installed in your 4Runner and you then decide to install a pair of LED taillights and multiple LED bulbs in other areas of your vehicle, be sure to NOT over do it. Otherwise, you will have an issue with your FM’s display being very dim at all times. I’m sure there is a work around solution to allow you to have multiple LED bulbs installed in conjunction with LED taillights installed, but for me, it was much easier to just replace my corner bulbs with a pair of halogen bulbs and keep my new LED taillights installed.

blarchitect

Will keep this in mind when I go down the LED road.
Didn't I read somewhere about a resistor being required to stop the ABS warning light flashing on some models. Do you think this might help?

Rock Slide

iTrader: (1)

It is very possible that a resistor may indeed help. Guess we'll have to wait and see

aviator

Very well done report brother rock slide, the bright/dim problem is definitely related to a low draw situation caused by the switch to LEDs. Strange that it seems to stick in dim mode though... it is almost like dim is the default setting for the display and bright is the "option", as for the clock still working I'd guess that the electronics in it are less sensitive to current draw changes.

Strange that the GPS would not function to tell you where you are globally Lat./Long. wise... I can understand why it would not tell you where you are [road/city] because that info is a function of the unit's database which in this install is probably very small. Some electronics wiz/nerd could probably hook up an SD card reader which would allow for a variable database ie [Mex./US/Can., Europe and so forth] you'd still never get turn by turn directions though...

edit just reread the GPS FM post, if an external GPS like a Lawrence 600 or Garmin ? could be connected to it then the unit like the post says is posible would it not be functioning solely as a display then? It should be able to give you basic location/direction/distance info right?

Rock Slide

iTrader: (1)

That does seem possible.

These Field Monitors (like the basic model I have) are hard enough to come by and well, the GPS Field Monitors are even harder. You have a better chance of hitting the lottery than finding a GPS FM in good working condition.

With that said, if you ever come across a GPS FM, let me know. Maybe we could run some tests on it and find out if it is possible to getting working here in North America

Pearce951

I just bought a field monitor for my truck and I am getting ready to install. I have a problem since I'm no longer using the stock transmission or engine or gauge cluster for that matter. Is there any way I can trick the speed sensor wire(wire something else to it some certain voltage) so that I can make the compass work? I don't care about the green lights that move.

SoCalPaul

I had a similar unit (same manufacturer) from a Subaru installed in my 4Runner. The speed sensor did not need to be connected for the compass to work. I suspect the same to be true of the Toyota unit. It must be put through the compass calibration process for it to work.

Pearce951

So should I just hook it to the 12 volt ignition would that work?.. I don't want to burn it up by over powering.

SoCalPaul

I did not connect the speed sensor on my Subaru unit, just the 12V, Acc, Ground & Illumination. I believe the Illumination could also be optional. My compass did not work until I ran it through the calibration process.

bobzworld

oh man thats the sweetest mod ever. I want one!

skrassow

I would LOVE to have one of these! Where did you find it?

moebiius

wow.....jason....where r you man? any updates w/ your contacts...?please hook us up!

Jason B

I can these brand new, but they are around $600 it seems.

moebiius

do you have any in stock? any links to what type of features they have...ie GPS and other model.

aviator

Factory GPS model does not work outside of JDM area... Software does not support for some reason... other area databases not available... non-GPS models are good to go however

Jason B

6 weeks after you'd order from Japan to you. It's the same one that is shown in this thread.

EDIT:

I've created a special order link for this item:

http://www.burtmanindustries.com/ord...=special_43757

skrassow

Jason, can we have some more specifics on this? How much exactly, how to order, etc.

24x4runnersport

600$? somebody has to have them for cheaper right? man you can pick up some nice suspension for this price, i dont mind spending 600$ on something, but this isnt one of them.

aviator

That is the price for a new FMU from the factory. Which looking at the prices for dealer parts is not out of line for these things. I do agree though it is expensive. You'll just have to save your allowance for a few months to pay for it... or let the wife buy those Jimmy Chu's she's been drooling over then you can get it without a lot of guilt... maybe...

Rock Slide

iTrader: (1)

Personally, I would not pay $600 for one of these. Yes, they're a cool accessory to have, but not $600 cool. There are plenty of other things I could put $600 towards.



EDIT: My new Pioneer HU is drawing more power than my stock HU, thus causing my Field Monitor's display to always be in "night" mode. (i.e. It's not displaying at full brightness during the day when my headlights are off.) Check it out here: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/f...-other-193601/