OEM Tail light / Lamp Electrical Connector Differences / Types FJ40 1/75 - 10/ 84 ( 8/26/2019 Final OEM TOYOTA Parts Solution Updates )

[ToyotaMatt]

OEM Tail Light / Lamp

Electrical Connector Differences / Types

FJ40

9/73 - 10/ 84

i would like to Dedicate this Thread to my Friend & fellow member @Coolerman


note: if anyone sees a factual error or has input to add please send me a PM so i can't EDIT any errors with a correction

thanks




​

 

[ToyotaMatt]

1st Generation 9/73 - 8/76

This is the smaller Un-Sealed 6.3mm 4 Terminal Bay profile Connector

initially , TOYOTA used NON-Locking Connector Housings , but a parts suppression changed them at one point to the Latching / locking Type shown in Succession Below

There was also NO Ground wire & the Rear Lamps relied exclusively on Chassis Mounting machine screws as the needed Negative Ground side circuit

 

[ToyotaMatt]

These are the smaller 6.3mm NON-Sealed Updated Locking / Latching
Connector Housings TOYOTA eventually integrated with the

First Generation 9/76-8/76 Rear FJ40 Tail Lamps

 

[ToyotaMatt]

2nd Generation 8/76-1/79

This is the Larger First Generation Sealed 6.3mm 4 Terminal Bay profile Connector
w/ Orange gasket to keep water out

These have a Double Latching / Locking mechanism on each side witch make getting them apart for service a pain in the A#S !

There was also NO Ground wire on this generation either , TOYOTA had NOT Wised Up yet for Some Un-Known reason & the Rear Lamps relied exclusively on Chassis Mounting machine screws as the needed Negative Ground side circuit as well


The Gauge of the wire was also Bumped up 1 Size


@TapRackNGo

 

[ToyotaMatt]

 

[ToyotaMatt]

3rd Generation 1/79 - 10/84

- This is the final update and revision's / refinements to the 40 Series VAN body style .Rear Tail Lamp Assemblies


Increasing to a 6 Terminals Bay Ultra Water-Proof Orange Silicon O-Ring sealed

type Thick Thick UV Rated Nylon Connector Housings & Chrome Plated reduced

size 2.9mm First Generation Micro Spade Terminals that are Extremely Corrosion

Resistant

These have a Double Latching / Locking mechanism on each side that also has been updated to make Servicing the Harness or Lamp assy. a Easy Task most Humans can perform on there own without a second set of hands like the
77-79 " CRAP SH#T " design connector housings ( IMO )


There was also a Major Leap Forward in thinking by Toyota engineers
Lets Now in 1979 decide after many thousands of Man Hours Wasted

finally ADD a 5th Needed stand alone Ground Circuit Wire that came in directly

from the tail lamp harness and was then Riveted or Spot-welded to the Gold Zinc
Lamp Housing itself both conductors traveling through the Newly updated 6 Bay 5 terminals Oval shape Connectors .

u will note : a white nylon plastic Delete plug in my photos showing the 6th terminals bay not needed in the outer rubber boots

I always wondered why TOYOTA used a 6 bay and not simply a 5 Bay connector ?

years later , while reading one of @Coolerman 's many selfless write up's

discovered the answer , ( I think )

the 6th wire or terminal bay is used in several European Countries as a Rear FOG lamp , i have a example of this below via a Columbia Spec. aftermarket Rear
FJ43L-KC Tail Lamp housing

- another major update was the addition of Rubber weather and water Boots on the rear connectors to keep out well .............................water and other contaminants that would short out the electrical signal



The Gauge of the wire remains the same as 1978 , but is now SUMITOMO

Brand , a move away From the YAZAKI Maker of years past ,

u can always identify SUMITOMO company because of the Paint Dash's or Marks

every few inches along the strand


The Lamps were first made by KOITO co. back in 9/73 - and continued to be until
10/1985 on the BJ46 and BJ42 Models

- In summery , and IMO , that 1/79-10/85 versions are the best option to choose from and install on your FJ40 9/73 - 10/ 1985 and the the two earlier Versions are simply outdated Technology and Limited Thought Process designs of a by- gone era and Poor Decision Making and design Format By TOYOTA in general

to simply ADD the 5th ground wire and Rubber Boots to keep out water and make lamps reliable with a contestant NEG- Side signal was Long Overdue and a over-site By TOYOTA i feel that they both were Not Implemented Sooner

- i am NOT often critical of TOYOTA back in the day , but this is one Focus Point
I will be



After all NASA put a Man on the Moon way before that , so what took so long ?



- I don't know the answer to this question , maybe someone can chime-in ,

what pro-date were Tail Lamp Stone Guards added ?

 

[ToyotaMatt]

 

[ToyotaMatt]

 

[TimeIsMoney]

Holy cow Matt. Awesome.

 

[ToyotaMatt]

Holy cow Matt. Awesome.

i think i fully opened Pandora's Rear Lamps BOX for u ? Or that WAS my intention anyway



only thing i did not touch on yet is How to Adapt or Modify The Various Years Wiring and Connectors to all the other

Various Years wiring and connectors if need be

like u find a 74 Drivers side and a 84 passenger side ones



its ALL Indeed Very Doable using ALL OEM Toyota Parts , but in the end it is still a Modification

but some of the necessary steps can be VERY complex and time consuming to text type out ,


i will try to get to it here this weekend





if i recall u need the 2nd Generation Right ? 8/76 - 1/79

 

[TimeIsMoney]

Yes, mine is a 78. But I haven't pulled the light yet to double check against your photos.

 

[Coolerman]

Well thank you Matt! There is another thread on MUD where I posted some of this information but this is pretty complete!

To summarize the connector issue:
The 4 terminal un-sealed connectors for Generation One tail lights are available in both latching and non-latching. Both male (tail light side) and female (rear chassis harness side) are available. Also the terminals are available for both.

The 4 terminal sealed connectors for Generation Two tail lights, male or female, are NOT available anywhere except for used ones or NOS. The terminals used in these are the same as the non-latching connectors. So if your OEM connector housings are in good shape, they can be cleaned and re-used.

The 6 terminal sealed connectors for Generation Three tail light connectors are available in MALE only (with a limited supply). The female housings cannot be found new, but I do have a VERY limited supply of the female terminals. So if your OEM connector housings are in good shape, they can be cleaned and re-used.

FYI these 6 terminal female connectors were used on the Emissions VSV, voltage regulators and the main cowl harness side connector for the rear chassis harness on later model FJ40's. I get harnesses all the time where someone has robbed these connectors to fix their rear chassis harness.

Another thing of note: Toyota rear chassis harnesses, built after 1976 with the 4 terminal sealed connectors, sometimes used solid color wires instead of the striped wire like shown on the schematics. This can get REALLY confusing when you are trying to troubleshoot an issue.

I created a cross reference to make it easy:
Rear Harness Color.... Schematic Color... Function
Solid Red = Red/Blue = Reverse lights
Solid Green = Green = Park lights
Solid Black = White/Black = Ground
Solid White = Green/White = Brake Lights

 

[Coolerman]

Now, since the tail lights available today either have no connectors on them, have the older 4 terminal non-sealed connectors or have the 6 terminal sealed connectors, you end up with the wrong connectors on the tail lights to match your rear chassis harness. The best solution is to use aftermarket waterproof connectors like the Metri-Pak, Weather-Pack, Deutsch, or Amphenol type connectors and replace the rear chassis harness side connectors (female) and the tail light side connectors (male) with those. Be aware that all those connector types require crimp tools designed for that family of connectors if you want to do it right. I have always preferred the Metri-Pak 150 series of connectors. They are available in 2,3,4,6 terminal configurations. I would use the 6 terminal connectors. That way you can easily add the ground wire to the rear lights and still have one terminal left for something else like a third brake light or high powered reverse lights.

Speaking of the ground wire: If you have a soldering iron of 300 watts or more, a butane micro torch or even a plumbers propane torch you can solder the ground wire to the rear light housing. No torch? Get a cheap rivet tool then you can rivet a wire with a small ring terminal to the housing to provide ground. Just make sure to use STEEL rivets not aluminum so you don't get the dissimilar metal corrosion. cover the rivet inside and out with Flex-Seal, liquid tape or anything you have on hand to seal out the water.

A third really cheap way is to drill a 1/8 hole in the tail light housing and insert a 6-32 small screw through it from the inside so the threads are sticking out. Use a star lock washer on the inside and outside for a good bite into the tail light housing metal, and a nut and tighten it tight. Now use a small ring terminal with your ground wire over the "stud" and another nut to secure the ring terminal.

 

[ToyotaMatt]

8/26/19 OEM Parts Solution Update ...............


So , necessity is the mother of invention i have been told ?

well TOYOTA Discontinuing needed part#'s , well this Really is starting to Piss me off more and

more as of lately , they Superseded the Ignition lock Cylinder of a 81-87 FJ60 to a Cressida thats

takes a different profile Key , so Re-Coding & Re-keying the Ignition locks to the doors alike with

OEM parts is no longer possible ?

this along with a few other Poor Choices , Ignoring There Past Heritage etc. prompted me to

Engineer a Final Solution to a age old problem :



if you have not Read the the entire Thread back history Please start there and do so now ,

,or none of what im about Discuss will make Much sense ...............

-

 

[ToyotaMatt]

Picking Up Where we Left off above @Coolerman gave his valued input that a only real solution was to install

a New Set Of aftermarket Metri-pak Connectors water proofs on both the lamps and the harness side since

the OEM 6 pin Ovals harness sides are no Longer available .

another example of toyota discontinuing a needed part #



So , i was thinking about 2 weeks ago over some Cold Ones , the day My local dealer told me about the FJ60

ignition Lock B/S , and it simply came to me that i can Source a Unique ALL OEM TOYOTA Needed Parts

Solution at My JAPAN Parts Supply House i mail order from



So , I put a comprehensive needed parts List on paper , double checked it twice and then Inter-Webed

up My order .

My Plan was as follows :

- 2 NEW OEM Tail Lamps assy's

- ALL the Correct Color Coded Tracer Stripe Wire 1 size up in guage then stock

- and Most important , a 100% Sealed Water proof 5pin OEM TOYOTA parts maker Connector kit of some kind

this was the big Grey area because I was Creating My own Design and Engineering a Solution

with a Factory Focus Point Mind Set Approach i was Taught at T-TEN

That Had To be and Must be 100% Period Correct , or the whole concept vision was not woth spending time on ,

so i concluded , it must be Over Engineered To Succeed and be Good Value for the Average MUD Member

as well .

I can't stand PO CHEEZE factor issues , so i go in the opposite direction


after some back and forth Emailing with by guy Benji , at JDM parts house , He sends me the PDF on


- a set of SUMITOMO OEM parts maker Brand 5 pin Sealed 250 Series Locking Latching Housings

there Uv Rated , 100% water proof via a neoprin O-Ring , the Nylon is 2 time thicker guage then

the 6 pin YAZAKIES that the Lamps come with , and use a Terminal 3 times a Big , and have total

water proof features front and rear , and most of all 100% Period Correct ,


Toyota Used SUMITOMO 250 series sealed and un-sealed starting in 8/80 all the way through the 1990's

​

so Presto


All My Spec's have Been MET , it seamed almost like a Miriacial

i had no idea there was a 5pin version but was aware of the 4pin used starting in 8/80 on Windshield

Wipers Motors on FJ60's , so if you are wondering about a Comparison u can see and relate to that

is a Very Exact Example in every way shape and form ...........

​

since what i am Proposing and will end up Creating all comes down to the Period Correct 250 series

SUMITOMO OEM Parts maker Connector Housings and Terminals Being the Modern Day 2019

Update And Final Solution to the 40 Series Tail Lamp Various Discontinued and Non Compatibility issue

of the 3 Production Date Time Lines outlined above

& i Bitch about TOYOTA being responsible For as well ...........

i better Darn well Have My Ducks in a Row and have Supporting Scientific facts to back up My

Opinions so to speak ...


so ,i came up with how to do that a bit , i think ?


Remember i mentioned above the New Updated SUMINOTO Connectors are twice as thick NYLON UV rated

Housings / Shells , well here are the results and also visual size comparisons side by sides for you to study

and make your own conclusions as the end product potential user .

 

[ToyotaMatt]

The 2 times as thick Heavy Duty Factor over engineered Lab Test results ............

Twice the amount of UV Rated Nylon materiel cast into the connector Housing Shell

same general rubber grommets size and weight

here are the Terminals comparisons side by side

the New Updated SUMINOTO ones are the wider one on left

the old outdated 6 pins ovals connectors is then skinny silver tinned one on the right


does a Bigger terminal mean MORE Electrical AMPERAGE CURRENT FLOW and is it Better ?

i would say the answer is in the Yes range , but im NOT a Rocket Scientist or a Electrical engineer either


i can say for a fact there is More surface area contact with the 250 SERIES wider ones

thats Why TOYOTA Kept them on The FJ60 Wiper Motors after 8/80 ,

and only updated to a SUMINOTO Sealed Series Connector Housing

just Like Im Doing to The Tail lamps Kits your about to see .......

​

 

[ToyotaMatt]

I won't be shy in saying i Consulted my T-TEN Wire harness Repair Manual several times to make sure

ALL OEM TOYOTA Technices were being applied correctly During the Entire Conversion process ...

 

[ToyotaMatt]

I use my Trusty Press-Master DENSO Crimping SST's to Make OEM Type Factory Crimps Profiles ........

 

[ToyotaMatt]

 

[ToyotaMatt]