Cleaning up Trailer Socket Wiring (2 Viewers)

[florida95fzj]

Hello, I've been reading the EWD for a while and searching past threads but unable to connect the dots to what I see under my 80. None of what I see matches the wire colors in the EWD.

Can anyone tell me if either of these connectors is from the factory?

I need to clean this up so I can wire in brake/turn signal lights into my bumper because my spare tire obstructs the right tail light entirely.

#1

I have a flat four trailer connector with Toyota molded on the connector. White (ground), Black, Yellow, Green. This seems to be functional despite the PO's hacked up wiring job. It goes to a harness on the passenger side and this part doesn't look like an OEM wiring job. Maybe dealer or port installed?

#2

On the driver's side rear, I also have a black connector that looks like a flat four trailer connector although the ground pin is really small. *Five* wires are used here with different colors. This connector goes to wiring loom that looks factory and through a grommet to no obvious destination. I couldn't verify power here because I couldn't get a good connection to the ground. Red (ground), Green, Yellow, White, Black

 

[greentruck]

Not sure about that one on the drivers side. The passenger side one is likely dealer installed. I found a similar one at that location marked Lexus on the new to me 450, even though there was no sign a hitch was ever installed. Plus, when it was hooked up a pin was bent in one of the connectors so that the right turn signals were inop.

Note that you should find a plug or two under the cargo area that you can plug an aftermarket harness into. That's how I did it on my old 80.

 

[florida95fzj]

Thanks. After breaking out the paper copy of the EWD, I realized there’s not just one OEM connector I need to look for. It appears there’s one (T4) for the parking, brake, and reverse. And two (T5/T6) others for the turn signals. I will hunt them down or find where they might have been cut.

This will give me more lights than I have with a flat 4 tow connector.

 

[lp2k]

I hated this when I did my locker axle swap. When I looked at the rear harness, the crimps and sloppiness made me want to hurl. I did not want to hack up the wires any more. I undid all of the splices and slipped some heat shrink to seal them up. I still want to tow a trailer so I got this slick kit from amazon (

Hopkins 43405 Plug-In Simple Vehicle Wiring Kit) which was all plug and play. Never have to worry about a short or something janky looking. Amazon product ASIN B0002RNSH8​

 

[NorCalFJ100]

I hated this when I did my locker axle swap. When I looked at the rear harness, the crimps and sloppiness made me want to hurl. I did not want to hack up the wires any more. I undid all of the splices and slipped some heat shrink to seal them up. I still want to tow a trailer so I got this slick kit from amazon (

Hopkins 43405 Plug-In Simple Vehicle Wiring Kit) which was all plug and play. Never have to worry about a short or something janky looking. Amazon product ASIN B0002RNSH8​

This kit uses connectors that you run in line with both DS and PS lights, right? How did you run the connector to the lights?

 

[greentruck]

I hated this when I did my locker axle swap. When I looked at the rear harness, the crimps and sloppiness made me want to hurl. I did not want to hack up the wires any more. I undid all of the splices and slipped some heat shrink to seal them up. I still want to tow a trailer so I got this slick kit from amazon (

Hopkins 43405 Plug-In Simple Vehicle Wiring Kit) which was all plug and play. Never have to worry about a short or something janky looking. Amazon product ASIN B0002RNSH8​

This is what I used on my 80. Look for the plugs that match up to the one in the Hopkins product pic. You'll probably need to clean the mud, etc out of them, but once that's done, it's plug and play.

I will note that I had to replace the Hopkins apparatus at least once, as the black box failed and caused strange issues with the tail lights and IIRC this was when the trailer was NOT hooked up. Still a good route to go if you keep in mind this is possible and not part of the EWD warning prompts. Diagnosis is simple, simply unplug it from the harness back there and if that fixes your gremlins, then it's the culprit.

 

[lp2k]

Literally unplug the harness and plug this in between. Think of it as a middle man plug. Google this and YouTube it. You will love it.

PSA for all of you out there with some splice. Splice is so ugly. This is so neat and clean. Just do it

 

[florida95fzj]

Literally unplug the harness and plug this in between. Think of it as a middle man plug. Google this and YouTube it. You will love it.

PSA for all of you out there with some splice. Splice is so ugly. This is so neat and clean. Just do it

Appreciate the lead on this. Looking at the directions, this gives you the brake/stop lights and turn signals, right? Four wire connector it says.

The EWD leads me to assume the tail lights are some kind of combo device and this wire also has constant power on for the license plate bulb and regular rear tail/parking lights.

 

[greentruck]

Appreciate the lead on this. Looking at the directions, this gives you the brake/stop lights and turn signals, right? Four wire connector it says.

The EWD leads me to assume the tail lights are some kind of combo device and this wire also has constant power on for the license plate bulb and regular rear tail/parking lights.

Yep, does all that neatly so that the trailer lighting is on when you turn it on in your truck, and whenever you step on the brakes or use the turn signal.

 

[florida95fzj]

Looks like the Hoppy 43405 connects to this Toyota connector on the later year 80s:

R8 - Tail Left and R9 - Tail Right

Pin 1 is Back-Up Light
Pin 2 is Turn Signal
Pin 3 is Tail Light
Pin 4 is not used
Pin 5 is Ground
Pin 6 is Stop Light

My Hoppy hasn't been delivered yet but I assume they don't pass the reverse/back-up light wire on to their converter box. My bumper's tail lights have all of these functions on separate wires so I'll need to do some testing and possibly splice into the Hoppy to get access to that reverse light. I didn't realize the 4 flat trailer plug standard combines the brake and turn signal on a single wire.

 

[TomH]

I don't think a trailer harness is the best choice for what you are trying to do.

Check the diagrams for T4 connector. It provides brake/tail/backup signals. T4 is unused so you could find a mating connector and get the signals for everything but turn signals.

Turn signals are in the T5/T6 connectors so you could get those signals there.

These three connectors are all located together. The Draw-tite 118357 uses those connectors for it's trailer harness.

 

[florida95fzj]

I don't think a trailer harness is the best choice for what you are trying to do.

Check the diagrams for T4 connector. It provides brake/tail/backup signals. T4 is unused so you could find a mating connector and get the signals for everything but turn signals.

Turn signals are in the T5/T6 connectors so you could get those signals there.

These three connectors are all located together. The Draw-tite 118357 uses those connectors for it's trailer harness.

Yeah, I would have to buy something to split the brakes and signals, when they weren't combined in the first place.

I am going to hunt for T4 and T5/6 again. Thanks

 

[florida95fzj]

Finally found where T4 and T5+T6 were tucked away.

I also found an old thread from 2004 that explains that T5 and T6 are grouped together, although the pictures were missing. I think they are connected to each other from the factory. Here is a picture of mine.

I am going to figure out which pig tail part numbers and connectors are needed. The female T4 has seen better days and I don't want to splice into T5/T6 assuming that would impact my existing turn signals as well.

 

[TomH]

I'm sure Toyota designed T4/T5/T6 for a trailer connector which is why they are referred to a "trailer socket" on the EWD.

Yes, the wires from T5 and T6 need to remain connected for the turn signals to work. You can see how it is done on the Draw-Tite harness where T5 and T6 mate with new connectors but the original connections stay in place. Two new wires are pulled from the harness for the turn signals. You could do something similar for your bumper lights.

Draw-Tite 118357

I would also highly recommend cleaning up the existing trailer connectors you show in your first post. Probably removing would be the best choice but you need to know if they are being used for anything.

 

[florida95fzj]

I'm sure Toyota designed T4/T5/T6 for a trailer connector which is why they are referred to a "trailer socket" on the EWD.

Yes, the wires from T5 and T6 need to remain connected for the turn signals to work. You can see how it is done on the Draw-Tite harness where T5 and T6 mate with new connectors but the original connections stay in place. Two new wires are pulled from the harness for the turn signals. You could do something similar for your bumper lights.

Draw-Tite 118357

I would also highly recommend cleaning up the existing trailer connectors you show in your first post. Probably removing would be the best choice but you need to know if they are being used for anything.

I am going to replace that dirt filled T4 female connector for sure. Although the male side I need is NLA. T5 and T6 are available fortunately. I expect those tabs to break.

Given the prices of the Toyota connectors and pigtails, it might be cheaper to buy the Draw-Tite 118357 for the non-factory side of my connections. Plus that solves the NLA problem for the T4 male connector. Appreciate the tip on Draw-Tite.

 

[jwbc84]

Resurecting this thread. I want to build a wiring harness to control lights in my rear bumper. Does anyone know where to order the T4 and T5 style connectors and pins? I'm searching but am not finding anything that I'm confident is a match.