[SOLVED] How to wire Toyota factory 80 series LC - "Rotato Potato" OEM Locker Switch to ARB F&R lockers?

[fourleggedfish]

Has anyone wired this up in a GX for ARB air lockers yet? The cutout for the switch is there already, under a switch cover. I'd love to use this OEM switch and also have it isolated so that the compressor must be turned on before allowing the switch to activate the locker(s). Some sort of indicator lighting would be trick also, but optional. Bonus for anyone with a wiring diagram.

 

[iwantoffroad]

yes it has been done before. i dont have a write up to share with you

 

[fourleggedfish]

I found the answer. After much searching, I found this harness at Wit's End. It was out of stock (and pricey!), but the web page includes a wiring diagram and the advice that if you need a solution sooner than they are back in stock to use the diagram and figure out your own solution. Well, after a lot of trial and error, and one burned up OEM locker switch and LED indicator light (doh!) I finally figured out how to get this to work properly, along with adding two LED indicator lights that light when the Rear and Front locker(s) are selected.

The diagram is exactly how you need to wire this up, with one omission. If you wire this exactly as is diagrammed, your locker switch will work, and the LED(s) will light when each locker is engaged, but when you turn the compressor off, both locker LED indicators turn back on. If you turn the compressor on, they will go out, until you again activate the lockers with the OEM switch. The fix to the LED indicator issue is to wire a diode between the solid red wire and the black wire that you have to snip (with the direction of current flow being from red to black) as indicated on the wiring diagram and on the instructions on the Wit's End page. I've indicated on the edited diagram below where the diode needs to go and the direction of current flow.

I used a 3 amp diode for this, but I ain't no electrical engineer, so this may or may not be the best choice for this application. That said, do this mod at your own risk and consult someone much smarter than me for advice.

One thing to note: on the diagram it indicates that there needs to be a diode on each of the: red/yellow wire running from pin 2 on the ARB compressor isolation switch to ignition power, and the blue/white wire running from pin 6 on the isolation switch to dash illumination. If you use the ARB wiring harness, the diodes are already wired in to the ARB wiring harness; no need to add anything additional.

It's also worth pointing out that this is only to be used with the ARB twin compressor as is indicated on the instructions on Wit's End site. Props to the folks at Wit's End for the inspiration and the mostly-complete wiring diagram. Go buy something from them, they've got lots of great parts and specialized tools.

I'm into this for about $100, which is a reasonable deal for me to be able to keep an OEM look for the compressor and locker switches.

Parts needed:
-I got the OEM switch (84725-60020) from Partsouq for about $47 IIR
-I got some really small, unobtrusive 12 Volt LEDs from Amazon (since we obviously don't have indicator slots for lockers in the dash cluster of the GX, I skipped the OEM lightbulbs and dash pigtail terminal parts listed in the Wit's End site). $6.50 ea.
-(1) OEM harness connector (90980-10631) - $18 from McGeorge Toyota
-(3) OEM switch terminal pigtails (82998-12170) - $4.50 from McGeorge Toyota
- This diode from Amazon - 7.50 for 20-pack
-CH4x4 Twin Compressor OEM-style switch -$20
-Mini ATM add-a-circuit harness - $6.50

Here's a pic of where i put this diode:

The wiring diagram with my diode edit:

And, just for your entertainment - the rat's nest of my working test setup. Yep, that's painter's tape - don't judge:

Now to get this all prettied up and run in the truck, and throw those three ugly ARB locker rocker switches in the lake.

 

[ArBrnSnpr]

Golf clap!
Well done!

 

[fourleggedfish]

Finally got this finished up. I used this OEM-style switch to replace the ARB compressor isolation switch, which really provides a nice, finished factory look to the entire setup. It comes in various LED colors to match your lighting scheme. I didn’t wire up the dash illumination power, because I don’t need the switch lit whenever dash light are on. I placed it in the slot where the AC 115V inverter switch used to live, because I don’t ever use that switch. I tucked the inverter switch down behind the dash panel, and can activate it by reaching under the panel if it’s ever needed.

I’m not sure why Toyota put the cutout in the dash for the OEM locker switch because the GX never had an elocker option (maybe the Prado 120 does?), but there is some modification required to make the switch fit. There’s some metal structure that will need to be cut out for the back side of the switch to fit. After cutting, it was still plenty strong, so no worries there.

I grounded the switches on a screw on the lower left of the dash panel. I used a mini ATM add-a-circuit (3 amp) to power everything. I added it to the 10 amp cigarette lighter circuit, so that if something gets shorted and the circuit blows, it’s not something important like tail lights, etc.

The switch manufacturer, CH4x4 says that you must use a relay, but I’m running it without. The switch circuit draws less than an amp per my cheapo Chinese clamp meter, so I think it will be fine. The switch is rated for 3 amps. Do this at your own risk, and all that.

I drilled a couple holes in the dash cluster bezel and glued in the two locker LED indicator lights. I wanted it to be in a visible location, yet they’re small enough to be fairly unobtrusive.

I added some pics of the final wiring all tidied up, to help those who may want to do this mod also.

I’m really happy with how this turned out, and am stoked that I didn’t have to take up any dash real estate with those clunky ARB switches.

 

[fourleggedfish]

More pics

 

[fourleggedfish]

Pics

 

[jiggletits]

The wiring is much simpler for e-lockers. Mine is a simple switch that cuts power to the relays.