Hi, as I've posted in a few threads, i'm installing a TRD supercharger on my 2001, and it's turned into an ordeal finding parts, time to do it, etc. Anyway, after trying unsuccessfully for weeks to get the the supplemental installation manual for the TRD piggyback ECU, I gave up and just went with the Unichip with their "Plug and Play" PnP harness. But, as it turns out, their directions are all oriented to a Tundra or Sequoia too (which are completely different in how and where the ECU mounts), and I can't for the life of me figure out how this thing is supposed to fit in there. So this is really a post hoping someone has successfully done this and can tell me what i'm doing wrong.
First, here's how the PnP sits as the instructions state. In this position, it sits well into the space the glove box would occupy. I could make this work, but I'll need to cut out the back of the glove box and i guess rebuild it with fiberglass.
So then I tried mounting it on the back of the ECU, as below. In further conversations with them, this is what Unichip is also recommending. The problem is, again there's just no room, because it hits the main ECU harness, and the heater core and impeller fan behind it. In this orientation it sits even farther into the glove box space and even into the hinge area. I wouldn't even be able to put the glove box on with the thing here:
This gives a little more perspective on the trouble i'm having mounting it on the back of the ECU. It has to sit exactly here, because its position is dependent on the factory connectors. And in this position, you can see it hits the heater hardware and the whole thing sits proud of the mounting bosses for the ECU. As I'm seeing it, there's just no way to make this work unless I spacer the mounts, which puts me in the glove box anyway:
So then I tried just sort of letting it float in there, as far to the left of the ECU as possible. This doesn't really work either, though, because again the position is dictated by the factory connectors, and there's maybe a half inch or less of play left and right.
And when I tried this I threw in the towel, because I realized even if I could locate the PnP head somewhere, I was never going to get the glove box to close on those long black leads from the unit back to the factory ECU.
All of which leads me to believe either a) the space behind the glove box in my 2001 is somehow different than others b) no one has tried to do this with the PnP head in a 2001 Land Cruiser, or c) I'm making some sort of boneheaded mistake and going about it all wrong. Definitely wouldn't be the first time, so I'm 100% leaving that option open as the most likely, lol.
So, has anyone installed one of these, with that 5-plug PnP head, in their 100 Series? How did you fit it? And does anyone have any ideas I'm not thinking of to make this work? I have so little time every week to work on this thing, and now I'm stuck on this nearly final step, pretty frustrating, so I'm open to any and all thoughts. Thanks!
First, here's how the PnP sits as the instructions state. In this position, it sits well into the space the glove box would occupy. I could make this work, but I'll need to cut out the back of the glove box and i guess rebuild it with fiberglass.
So then I tried mounting it on the back of the ECU, as below. In further conversations with them, this is what Unichip is also recommending. The problem is, again there's just no room, because it hits the main ECU harness, and the heater core and impeller fan behind it. In this orientation it sits even farther into the glove box space and even into the hinge area. I wouldn't even be able to put the glove box on with the thing here:
This gives a little more perspective on the trouble i'm having mounting it on the back of the ECU. It has to sit exactly here, because its position is dependent on the factory connectors. And in this position, you can see it hits the heater hardware and the whole thing sits proud of the mounting bosses for the ECU. As I'm seeing it, there's just no way to make this work unless I spacer the mounts, which puts me in the glove box anyway:
So then I tried just sort of letting it float in there, as far to the left of the ECU as possible. This doesn't really work either, though, because again the position is dictated by the factory connectors, and there's maybe a half inch or less of play left and right.
And when I tried this I threw in the towel, because I realized even if I could locate the PnP head somewhere, I was never going to get the glove box to close on those long black leads from the unit back to the factory ECU.
All of which leads me to believe either a) the space behind the glove box in my 2001 is somehow different than others b) no one has tried to do this with the PnP head in a 2001 Land Cruiser, or c) I'm making some sort of boneheaded mistake and going about it all wrong. Definitely wouldn't be the first time, so I'm 100% leaving that option open as the most likely, lol.
So, has anyone installed one of these, with that 5-plug PnP head, in their 100 Series? How did you fit it? And does anyone have any ideas I'm not thinking of to make this work? I have so little time every week to work on this thing, and now I'm stuck on this nearly final step, pretty frustrating, so I'm open to any and all thoughts. Thanks!
Last edited:
