Will Van
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- #481
I have a small update on my interior and A/C install. As most of you know, I purchased @joekatana's awesome A/C kit for the 1HZ. Although a perfectly acceptable kit right out of the box, I wanted to make the install a bit more elegant. You have seen most of the recent updates which focused on the hard-line plubming in the engine bay. But another area I wanted to focus on was the interior.
The OEM control panel for trucks with factory A/C includes a dual knob for the A/C compressor controls. The front portion of the knob controls the fan, and the rear portion of the knob controls the A/C compressor. You can see an example here from a RHD truck with factory A/C controls.
The non-A/C trucks do not have this feature. It is simply a single knob to control the fan speed.
Joe's kit resolves this issue with a universal "on/off" A/C switch. On Joe's kit, the A/C compressor is simply engaged or disengaged via the push-button switch, and you control the desired temperature by adjusting the fan speed, or adding heat to the A/C mix. The architecture is perfectly acceptable, I was just hoping to install a switch that better matched the interior.
The HVAC controls also have a switch blank that is typically used for the "Security" indicator on models equipped with that option.
My truck was bare-bones spec and didn't include the indicator, just a switch blank. I thought this would be the perfect location for an OEM-looking switch.
The switch-blank is the same dimensions as the 1st gen 4Runner "Deck Lamp" switches. These are perfect because they are readily available on EBay for a few bucks, and they include an indicator lamp to illuminate when the switch is in the "On" position (presumably when the A/C compressor is engaged). But I wasn't crazy about the "Deck Lamp" script.
Luckily, member @63FST sells dry-transfer decals in any script you can imagine. Mo was kind enough to make a custom script for my application, and the results are fantastic. I just followed the instructions he included, and the results came out great!
I expect I will continue to use these Deck Lamp switches for various other auxiliary items like lights or OBA. Mo offers tons of options for the script, and wiring is simple as long as you include a relay. I still need to finish wiring my A/C switch, but I am waiting on other components to come in before I can finish install.
The OEM control panel for trucks with factory A/C includes a dual knob for the A/C compressor controls. The front portion of the knob controls the fan, and the rear portion of the knob controls the A/C compressor. You can see an example here from a RHD truck with factory A/C controls.
The non-A/C trucks do not have this feature. It is simply a single knob to control the fan speed.
Joe's kit resolves this issue with a universal "on/off" A/C switch. On Joe's kit, the A/C compressor is simply engaged or disengaged via the push-button switch, and you control the desired temperature by adjusting the fan speed, or adding heat to the A/C mix. The architecture is perfectly acceptable, I was just hoping to install a switch that better matched the interior.
The HVAC controls also have a switch blank that is typically used for the "Security" indicator on models equipped with that option.
My truck was bare-bones spec and didn't include the indicator, just a switch blank. I thought this would be the perfect location for an OEM-looking switch.
The switch-blank is the same dimensions as the 1st gen 4Runner "Deck Lamp" switches. These are perfect because they are readily available on EBay for a few bucks, and they include an indicator lamp to illuminate when the switch is in the "On" position (presumably when the A/C compressor is engaged). But I wasn't crazy about the "Deck Lamp" script.
Luckily, member @63FST sells dry-transfer decals in any script you can imagine. Mo was kind enough to make a custom script for my application, and the results are fantastic. I just followed the instructions he included, and the results came out great!
I expect I will continue to use these Deck Lamp switches for various other auxiliary items like lights or OBA. Mo offers tons of options for the script, and wiring is simple as long as you include a relay. I still need to finish wiring my A/C switch, but I am waiting on other components to come in before I can finish install.
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