JDM/aftermarket LED fj80/fzj80 cargo light install (1 Viewer)

[91FJ80Super44]

Parts needed:
#1. O'Reilly's part #: 23804 (led innovation 12in led light strips (these are a 2 pack) $24.99
#2. wire strippers
#3. Small flathead screw driver
#4. Electrical tape
#5. (Optional) trim removal tool
#6. A safety pin
#7. A wire coat hanger

This guide is going to be a how to on installing a rear door actuated/controlled cargo light, the install is actually really simple and very inexpensive, (it only cost 25 bucks) I installed this on a 1991 Fj80, but this should work on most other years if not all of them, I am going to ask the 93-97 (hard headliner) guys and girls if they could post pictures of their install, this guide is finished, it's still a work in progress, I need someone with the hard/ molded headliner to post some pictures from their install to completely finish this guide, so please bear with me as I get the rest of the pictures and information together.

Step #1. First you are going to start by opening just the top half of the rear door and start in the top right corner and pull the door seal all the way out around, until you get the seal pulled off to the top of the tailgate, (see pictures 1 and 2)
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[OffRoadNoob69]

Cool idea man, will be watching and more than likely doing this to my 93’.

 

[tacocat]

What part of this mod is in reference to the JDM?

 

[91FJ80Super44]

What part of this mod is in reference to the JDM?

Because the wiring is hidden on U.S 80 series, and you have the option to purchase a JDM rear cargo light and install it instead of the LEDs

 

[91FJ80Super44]

Part 2.
After you have pulled the door seal off pull out on the plastic cover a little (see picture1) and then start removing the rubber headliner retainer/lip (see picture 2) next very carefully pull the rubber trim off, all the way, (pics 3-4-5)

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[91FJ80Super44]

Part 3.
Carefully unclip the headliner from the from the rear door lip (pics 1-2) all the way across, next, on both sides take a hair dryer and heat up the portion of the headliner that is glued to the truck, and carefully peel it back (pictures 3-4-5)
(Drivers side shown but passenger is the same)

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[Rwhat]

So there is a existing wire already there?

 

[91FJ80Super44]

Part 4.
Next you are going to want to locate the wire, it is on the driver's side back corner, the wire is crammed up in that square hole in the lower roof panel (see pictures 1 and 2) you might have to get a metal clothes hanger and make a hook with it too reach the wire. Next step is to unclip the side panels on each side (see picture 3) and leave it for the moment. Next take a rag with some rubbing alcohol on it and clean the rubber seal where are you are going to attach the light, then take the light strips and attach them to the rear window seal (see picture 4) I aligned mine with the headliner seam in the middle of the rear grab handles and the middle cut line on the LED strip, and also made the top of the LED strip and the window seal level with each other (see picture 5)

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[91FJ80Super44]

Part 5.
Fish the wire from the led strips behind the rear window seals (see picture 1) and the wire is going to cross over in the corner of the rear side panels and the window seal (see picture 2), next feed the wire behind the plastic panel and then bring it up behind the headliner (see pictures 3 and 4) next carefullyr re-tensionthe head liner and push it back into the seal lip (see picture 5 and #6 in the next post)

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[91FJ80Super44]

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[91FJ80Super44]

Part 6
Next take the wire/plug that you pulled out of the ceiling and take your safety pin and push/pry downwards on the little plastic clip that is holding the wire in, and lightly pull on the wire to remove it, you might have to take the small flat-head screwdriver and push a little bit on the terminal inside the plug to get it out once you have cleared the plastic tab inside the plug(see pictures 1 and 2) you will have to do each one, but I recommend doing them separately just to make sure nothing touches together and shorts out. Next step is to strip the wires on the LED lights, not the main wires/plug that are physically attached to the LED strips, there is a plug that comes with the LED strips that plugs into the main plug on the LED strips, take the two wires that come out of this plug and then strip off about three quarters of an inch of the wire's sheathing (see picture 3) this is going to be a good point to test the polarity on the lights, all of the wires, on the truck and on the light strips are color coded, so figure out which ones work exactly for your model year and then feed the respective wire through the plug (see picture 4) (side note the solid black wire on the LED strips, and the red wire on the truck was the correct polarity for my model year, but just double-check to make sure) and then take the stripped wire and feed it through the hole in the terminal and wrap it around the terminal (see picture 5)

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[91FJ80Super44]

Part 7.
Push the terminals back into the plug until they lock in and wrap them in electrical tape (picture 1) (side note, the terminal might be slightly difficult to get back into the plug, so you might have to take a pair of pliers and clamp down onto the plug and wire to force it back in, you will have one jaw of the pliers on top of the wire and the other jaw on the bottom side of the plug and squeeze it back in) next take all the wires and tape them together in 2 spots (see picture 2) and then carefully push the wires back up into the headliner (see picture 3)(side note, keep them very spread out or else you will see them pushing against the headliner) next start
re-attaching/re-clipping the the headliner to the lip around the back door (see picture 4) (side note be sure to push the wires up into the roof as you clip the headliner back on or else you will see a wire sandwiched between the headliner and the rear lip) and then start to put the rubber trim/headliner protector back on its lip (see picture 5)

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[91FJ80Super44]

Part 8
Carefully Re-clip/snap in the plastic side panels, you will have to put a little bit of pressure on the panel to get it to go back over the rubber trim piece (see picture 1) be extremely careful with the plastic side panels, next put the rear door seal back on, it goes over the lip on the plastic side panels (see picture 2) and then step back and look at the goodness (see picture 3), there are a couple things in the guide that you will have to do to both sides of the truck (as attaching the lights, and feeding the wiring) but everything is pretty much self-explanatory, thank you so much for reading this guide and hopefully this will help you to get some lighting in the cargo area of your Land Cruiser, if anyone finds a better way or shortcut to anything I had listed please post it below, and also as I said in the first post, I need 80 series owners who have the hard headliner that want to do this lighting mod to post pictures of their install,
Thanks everyone,
Happy Cruisin'
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[91FJ80Super44]

So there is a existing wire already there?

Yes!

 

[ERG80]

Do these turn off and on with the dome lights or are they controlled by another switch?

 

[91FJ80Super44]

Do these turn off and on with the dome lights or are they controlled by another switch?

They are controlled by the stock rear door/hatch open warning switch, (it's phisically in the rear upper door's latch) (when the door open warning light is lit on the dash that's when these lights turn on, but only when the rear door is opened,) the wiring harness I pulled out of the ceiling/headliner is what controls the lights, it's a JDM only option (cargo lamps) but the harness is still there

 

[91FJ80Super44]

Cool idea man, will be watching and more than likely doing this to my 93’.

Let me know how it goes, wouldn't mind seeing some pictures of your install!

 

[80t0ylc]

Let me know how it goes, wouldn't mind seeing some pictures of your install!

Thanks for posting your project! It motivated me to get around to doing mine. I think the most helpful parts were showing taking the weather stripping and trim out of the way and the location of the harness. Mine was tucked and taped into that square hole you mentioned. Dug out my FSM for wire colors and connections - a multi-meter helps confirm what's on the schematic. I'm jazzed that it's wired for a 3 position switch on your light fixture. I got mine on Amazon for less than $10. It's not as jazzy or bright as yours, but is just what I need. It simplifies it to have one center mounted fixture. I just cut off the connector and spliced my wiring to the OEM harness. The ground was easy since the fixture bracket mounts to the body and I utilized one of the screws for the ground. I also like the way Mr. T wired it so the light (when set to the door position) only comes on if you open the hatch. Here's a couple pics (oops....I need to tuck the ground wire back under fixture...)

 

[91FJ80Super44]

Thanks for posting your project! It motivated me to get around to doing mine. I think the most helpful parts were showing taking the weather stripping and trim out of the way and the location of the harness. Mine was tucked and taped into that square hole you mentioned. Dug out my FSM for wire colors and connections - a multi-meter helps confirm what's on the schematic. I'm jazzed that it's wired for a 3 position switch on your light fixture. I got mine on Amazon for less than $10. It's not as jazzy or bright as yours, but is just what I need. It simplifies it to have one center mounted fixture. I just cut off the connector and spliced my wiring to the OEM harness. The ground was easy since the fixture bracket mounts to the body and I utilized one of the screws for the ground. I also like the way Mr. T wired it so the light (when set to the door position) only comes on if you open the hatch. Here's a couple pics (oops....I need to tuck the ground wire back under fixture...)

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That's awesome!!!!! I'm glad that helped, but as for how you wired it, how did you do it, did you just utilize 1 of the wires from the harness?
Also my lights only light up when the hatch is opened and turn off when I close it, I hooked up the positive led wire to the red truck harness, and the negative LED wire to the blue truck wire, I didn't have to ground mine, I see that you said you did/had to ground yours, but either way that looks awesome!!!! I kinda like the single center light honestly

 

[80t0ylc]

That's awesome!!!!! I'm glad that helped, but as for how you wired it, how did you do it, did you just utilize 1 of the wires from the harness?
Also my lights only light up when the hatch is opened and turn off when I close it, I hooked up the positive led wire to the red truck harness, and the negative LED wire to the blue truck wire, I didn't have to ground mine, I see that you said you did/had to ground yours, but either way that looks awesome!!!! I kinda like the single center light honestly

The FSM shows how the factory light fixture is wired (if installed) and that's how I wired it. The instructions that came with the Amazon light were a little confusing, but I eventually figured it out. There's 2 wires in the OEM harness/connector. The blue wire is a constant +12v. The red wire is the door switch line. So if you wired your lights to the two wires in the OEM harness, you're right - you don't need to ground it. The hatch switch will turn it on and off. But if you have a 3 way switch on the fixture, you need a ground connection so the "on" position will turn on the light with the hatch closed - like if you were sleeping in it.