Article by: RobRed
Applicable Models: 1998-2007 Land Cruiser or LX 470
Tools Needed: Interior Trim Removal tools, Philips screwdriver, drill, drill bit sized for rocker switch, painters tape, Rotozip or other hole saw sized for recessed lamps, wire fish (I use a 3′ long zip tie), wire stripper, terminal crimper, 1/2″ drive and 14mm socket (to remove LH Shoulder belt anchors), Soldering Iron, 3M Super33+
Related Discussion Thread: http://forum.tlcfaq.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=139
Concept: Have you ever opened up the rear hatch of your Land Cruiser at night and not been able to see a thing? Sure you upgraded the rear dome light to a mega LED bulb but that’s still not cutting it at the tail gate. Maybe you like to camp and use your tailgate for food prep? You’ve probably installed a drawer system… wouldn’t it be nice to see what’s actually in those drawers. Lets fix this problem by installing some nice surface or flush mount LED lights to our hatch so when it’s open it, it illuminates the back area and tail gate of our cruiser.
Back in 2009 I read a build thread on Expedition Portal by 02TahoeMD that showed this mod and more recently on iH8mud some members did a similar mod installing some OEM dome lights or flush mount LEDs. In each of these threads the common theme has been two lights with a manual on/off switch. Simple and effective, just not convenient. I want lights that will come on and shut off automatically when I open or close the hatch. Who wants to worry about shutting them off when the hatch closes? I dont want to worry about them being turned on accidentally either. I want “factory” like operation. So in my setup the hatch lights come on when the hatch is opened and shut off when the hatch is closed. The selector switch can override the “on” behavior by selecting the middle “off” position. I should note that when wired “factory” like, the hatch lights will come on if a rear door is opened. Also the 30 minute timeout of the other courtesy/dome lights does not effect the new hatch lights – no timeout function.
For my installation (2000 Land Cruiser) I choose a recessed mount lamp with red and white LED bulbs. These lamps have 12 white and 9 red LED’s each giving the flexibility of bright white light or “tactical” red illumination. The lamps have a single ground and two positive leads (triggers), one for each color bulb. I also picked up a generic 3 position rocker switch (on-off-on) to control which color LEDs light up. Other types of lamps (Whelen red/white for example) have a single positive connector and two grounds (triggers) for each color diode in the lamps. I have included two additional diagrams at the bootom of the page for “positive trigger no-relay” and “ground trigger ” installations.
Before you begin any modification to your vehicle you should fully understand what you are doing and make sure you have the skills to complete the job. TLCFAQ nor it’s authors, commentors or contributors accept any responsibility, or liability for any mishap or problems from any materials posted on the website. Any and all of this can cause serious damage to you or your vehicle. Always consult a qualified professional. I’m Serious. Do this at your own risk.
What I used:
Recessed or surface mount (Red/White) LED lamp x2 (positive trigger is this example)- Surface Mount 20″ LED light bars (30 LED ea) x2 (one red / one warm white) See Below
- Generic 3 position rocker switch to activate the new lights
- Bosch relay (optional, see diagrams)
- 18ga Wire (red/white/green/black/blue/yellow)
- Scotch-loks
- Male Disconnect Terminals
- Female Disconnect Terminals
- Solder and 3m Super 33+ (for lock Courtesy Switch trigger wire)
The lamps i used connect electrically using a constant ground feed and the positives get switched, one positive for red bulbs, one positive for white. Using an on-off-on rocker switch I tied in lamp 1 and 2 “white” positives to the “hi” position on the switch and “red” positives to the rocker switch “Lo” position. In my installation I used a Bosch type relay as a ground trigger from the factory Courtesy Switch in the tailgate. By using this relay configuration the lights will only function if the hatch is open and shutoff when the hatch is closed. Relay pin #86 gets a constant positive from the aux battery circuit. Pin #85 is tied to the output of the factory Courtesy Switch (ground trigger). The output of that relay (#87) will feed the center pin of the rocker switch. When the hatch is open the Courtesy Switch connects to ground and the relay energizes, connecting pin #30 to pin#87 – thus powering the input of our selector (rocker) switch. It’s not necessary to use a relay as you could simply ground your lamps with a tap on the courtesy switch however I prefer to use the relay so I have future options with the wiring I ran in the hatch. I will be mounting my rocker next to the rear cargo 12 volt outlet. This location gives access even with the hatch up and you sitting/sleeping in the cargo area.
I have previously wired my rear cargo 12 volt outlet to my aux battery so I will be tapping 12 volts for the lamps from this area. If you haven’t done the same you will need to source a constant 12 volt source:
- Run a 18AWg wire from the Main battery to the outlet location with a fuse at the battery end
- Complete the Make Your Power Outlets ALWAYS On mod
- If you have an Aux battery / fuse box, run a wire from there to the outlet/relay/switch location
- You can still do this without any of the above but your lamps will only work if the key is in the ACC postion
Execution:
Open Hatch and remove Center Back Door Garnish (upper trim) and Back Door Garnish (lower trim)
- REMOVE ASSIST GRIP
- (a) Using a trim removal tool, remove the 2 assist grip plugs.
- (b) Remove the 2 screws and assist grip.
- REMOVE INSIDE HANDLE BEZEL
- REMOVE CENTER BACK DOOR GARNISH
Using a trim removal tool, remove the center back door garnish. : 9 Clips - REMOVE BACK DOOR GARNISH : 10 Clips
Using a trim removal tool, remove the back door garnish. - Remove the Rear Roof Headlining Trim.
- Unseat the rubber boot connecting the hatch to the body at both ends (wiring boot).
Since we will be doing some wiring behind the rear cargo 12 volt outlet you may need to remove the LH Quarter Trim Panel.
- If you have the third row seats in, remove them.
- Using your 15mm socket remove the third row LH shoulder belt anchor bolt on the floor.
- Remove the shoulder belt anchor trim piece and set aside
- Using your 15mm socket remove the 2nd row LH shoulder belt anchor bolt on the floor.
- Remove Quarter Trim Panel
- Remove the Quarter Trim Jack Cover
- Using a Trim tool/clip remover, remove the two clip
- Gently pull the quarter panel trim toward the center of the cargo area, releasing clips as you pull (diagram
- Disconnect any electrical connectors.
Preparing the hatch trim:
- Decide where you want to place your new camping lamps on the Back Door Garnish.
- Evaluate and consider the location for depth an any wiring needs.
- Cover the area where you will be cutting your holes with blue painters tape.
- Stencil out the edge of the hole you need to cut.
- Using a Rotozip, Dremel or other suitable cutting tool make the holes.
- Debur the edges of the new lamp holes and remove painters tape.
- Using supplied or other hardware, mount the lamps.
- Set garnish aside.
Preparing the LH Quarter Trim Panel:
- Mark the postion for your rocker switch.
- Confirm you have enough space behind your intended location for the switch and wiring.
- Drill the hole sized appropriately for your rocker switch (3/4″ in my case).
- Debur the edges of the new switch hole.
- Using supplied hardware mount switch.
- Set garnish aside if you previously removed it.
Wiring the Hatch:
- Pull a length of each color 18 AWG wire from their spools; red, black, white and green.
- Route each of these wires from the hatch door lock area to the LH Quarter Trim Panel location for your switch leaving about 12″ on each end.
- Reinstall the rubber wire boot into its resting postion.
- Locate the Red-Blue wire on the Back Door Courtesy Switch.
- Attach an appropriate size Scotch-Lok terminal tap to the Red-Blue wire.
- Terminate a male connector to the end of your black and plug into the Scotch-Lok.
- Optional: If you want to solder the connection, Strip a 1/4″ of the red-blue wire jacket about 1.25 inches from the connector.
- Strip a 1/4″ from your green wires jacket and it’s end.
- Solder your green wire to the red-blue wire and insulate with 3M Super 33+.
- Extend the wires on each lamp so they reach the wires you just pulled through the hatch. Use like colors (red,black,white).
- Combine like wires on the lamps and terminate with male bullet connectors;
- Ground with ground.
- Red bulb positives with red bulb positives.
- White bulb positives with white bulb positives.
- Terminate your red, black and white wires with a female bullet connectors.
- Position the Rear Door Garnish near it’s position on the hatch and connect your wires;
- Red wire to the red bulb positives.
- White wire to the white bulb positives.
- Black wire to the lamps ground.
- Install Rear Door Garnish into place.
- Install Center Back Door Garnish into place.
- Install Roof Headliner Trim
Wiring the Switch and Relay
Wire Color Legend for positive trigger with relay installation:
- Black = (-) Chassis ground from Lamps
- Red = (+) Power for red bulbs
- White = (+) Power for white bulbs
- Green = (-) Ground trigger from Courtesy Switch
- Blue = (+) Output of relay to power selector switch
- Yellow = (+) Connects from main power source to energize the relay and power the lamps
- Locate your Relay in a convenient postion near where your wires are coming down the “D” pillar.
- Trim your wires to length needed to reach your switch and relay.
- Terminate your green, red and white wires with a female disconnect terminal connectors.
- Connect the green wire to pin#85 of the relay.
- Using a short length of yellow wire strip each end and terminate one end with a female disconnect terminal connector.
- Connect the newly terminated short yellow wire to pin#86 of your relay.
- Using a another short length of yellow wire strip each end and terminate one end with a female disconnect terminal connector.
- Connect this second terminated short yellow wire to pin#30 of your relay.
- Take both free ends of the yellow wires and twist together, terminate twisted ends with a female disconnect terminal connector.
- Attach an appropriate size Scotch-Lok or male disconnect terminal to the Green-White wire on your 12 volt outlet wire harness or other 12 volt source wire (aux fuse box/main battery tap).
- Using a short length of blue wire strip each end and terminate with a female disconnect terminal connector (connects rocker switch to relay).
- Locate a suitable ground point and terminate your black wire using a ring connector (connects lamps to chassis ground). There are several ground lugs on the “D” pillar or create your own with an available bolt.
- Connect your combined yellow wire to the green-white power outlet harness or other 12 volt source.
- Move the LH Quarter Trim Panel close to it’s normal postion.
- Connect your first short blue wire to the centerpin of your rocker switch and the other end to the relay pin#87.
- Connect your red wire to the “Lo” position of your rocker switch.
- Connect your white wire to the “Hi” position of your rocker switch.
- Test your lamp operation – If it’s all good move ahead.
- Reconnect any electrical connectors you disconnected on the LH Quarter Trim Panel and install it if you removed it previously.
- Install your LH Quarter Trim Panel.
- Install your 2nd row LH shoulder belt anchor with it’s trim piece.
- Install your 3rd row LH shoulder belt anchor with it’s trim piece.
- Install third row seats if previously removed
- Marvel at all you have accomplished.
Updated Light Fixtures
I was never happy with the look of the round lights so in 2014 I bought some LED light bars from SuperbrightLEDs and replaced the round lights. I have attached the strips with 3M VHB tape and after 2 hard seasons of use the mounting has been rock solid. I chose warm white and red for the light color. The images above are representative of the results but frankly the strips provide a much broader, more even throw across the tail gate and cargo area.
Alternate wiring plans for ground trigger and no-relay installs
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