What to do with this switch......

Tony5150RN · 11-05-2006, 10:49 AM

I recently had a Manik Brush Guard and a pair of KC Offroad lights installed on my rig.

http://www.fjcruiserforums.com/forum...-facelift.html

All, in all, I am thrilled with the results and love the agressive look this mod added. However, there's on feature that I am not too thrilled with and that's the switch that the installer used:

On the downside, It's too easy to hit, and turn on, when I tilt the wheel up. It lacks any type of indicator, except the position of the switch, to remind you the lights are on. Finally, it looks out of place when compared to the factory switches.

On the other hand, it was the switch that KC provided and recommends for this lighting kit. The installer did do a nice job of using an existing switch location and making it look good. Finally, having dabbled in vehicle electronics myself, many moons ago, I know that trying to reinvent the wheel can sometimes lead to ten more problems.

I'm torn between upgrading to a factory switch and leaving well enough alone. So, I thought I'd come to the experts for input. What would I need to replace the switch and how hard would it be?

HOTumps · 11-05-2006, 11:21 AM

Neither.....get a better looking aftermarket switch and install it.....anything would look better than that 35 cent piece of .............

fjtribe · 11-05-2006, 11:28 AM

that was the worst kind of solution in one of the worst locations. I guess that's why the factory uses the flush mount push button switches. You can still apply another small rocker switch in the place of the one you have which is what someone on the forum did when installing their lights. Or just relocate the present toggle switch to the center console location. I just can't bring myself to pay $50 bucks for a $1.50 switch. As an alternative, you can use some of these
Carling Tech: Sealed Rocker Switch
or some of these
Rocker Switches - Offroad Rockers
but I am not certain about the qualilty of the second selection. I do know that the Carling Contura switches are good.

Hwtrader · 11-05-2006, 11:32 AM

For some reason, cheap switches don't work there. It will always be an eyesore and unless you put a rocker or stock looking switch there, it will always look like a kludge.

Mike Grasso · 11-05-2006, 11:34 AM

Replace it with the factory switch (Tacoma), I believe Man-A-Fre and other supporting vendors have them here...

Mg

Bang Bang · 11-05-2006, 12:22 PM

Replace it with the Tacoma switch. As far as trying to re-invent the wheel...just "mod" it!! Save the switch the tech installed and label everything so that if you do run into some snafu (which you shouldn't) then you can put it back the way it was installed. It will drive you nuts evey time you get in your rig until you fix it.

Tony5150RN · 11-05-2006, 02:17 PM

Quote:

fjtribe previously said:

that was the worst kind of solution in one of the worst locations. I guess that's why the factory uses the flush mount push button switches.

I actually really don't mind the location. Being Left Handed, it is close at hand, easy to get to, and right by the existing headlight controls. I think it would be a pain to be bouncing down a trail in the dark, discovering you need extra lighting, and then trying to reach down, and to the right, to try to find your Auxillary Lighting Buttons. Hit the wrong one and you could accidentally turn the Atrac / Rear locker on or off due to the close proximity to those switches.

In addition, I do plan on adding the roof Air Dam / lighting kit when Toyota releases it in 2020, LOL. If there was only one switch insert, by the steering wheel, I might consider relocating the switch. however, there are two mounting points for switches and I'll be able to keep both my lighting switches close at hand.

Quote:

Bang Bang previously said:

Replace it with the Tacoma switch. As far as trying to re-invent the wheel...just "mod" it!!

I haven't seen the Tacoma switches, what do they look like? If I'm going to risk pulling it apart, I'd really like to find switches like those pictured below on the left side of the center console. One looks like an auxillary light button and one looks like a roof mounted light button. However, I don't think that these have been released yet.

BTW, do you know I'll need to "Mod" to do this? I have yet to pull the switch out and see if the wires are actually soldered to the switch or if they're connected by crimped clips. If it is soldered I'd have even more reservations.

Joe Lech III · 11-05-2006, 02:25 PM

get a new switch! that one looks good for what it is but it looks bad

Bang Bang · 11-05-2006, 02:37 PM

The Taco switch looks like the ones you are referring to in the pic without the indicator light above the "light" symbol. TRDSource has them for about $35 if memory serves me. As far as having to mod the existing switch, I don't know but along with the switch you can get the pigtail to match from TRDSource. If yours is soldered, just cut the wires and splice in to the new pigtail, plug it in to the switch and you're in business.

Chek out this thread.

Tony5150RN · 11-06-2006, 07:33 PM

OK, I've had enough feed back to know what I have to do so I ordered the "FJ Cruiser fog light switch conversion" kit from TRDparts4U.com last evening. Now, I'm going to be asking a heck of a lot of annoying questions as the other thread, that Bang Bang linked to, is mostly about adding this switch to the ARB Bumper and not a basic foglight setup. So, I hope you guys will bear with me, especially since this "kit" doesn't include instructions.

The installer did a direct wire to the Positive Battery Terminal and used a relay. I haven't pulled the switch out yet because I don't have the Factory switch to replace it so I'm speculating here. Going back to my past experience with 12 volt Fog Lamp Systems, the switch I currently have should only have two wires since it does not illunminate. A 12 volt power in, from the battery or other power source, and a wire that goes to the relay.

The Toyota switch, on the other hand has 4 wires and if everything I've read about it is correct one lead is a power in, another is a power out to the relay, one is a body ground lead, and the final one is a power in from the wires that are powered, when the vehicles headlight switch is turned, to illuminate the switch. Do I have this right so far?? If I do, my big question is what to splice into to make the switch itself illuminate when I turn just the regular headlights on? The rest seems pretty cut and dry.

All help is appreciated as I'm a little rusty when it comes to 12 volt systems.