EV Installed--a warning

I got my EV button installed today. I took pictures of each step along the way and intend to do a full write up similar to the one I did for the NAV override switch a little while back.

First of all, I read all the stories of how it took 30 min. or 1 hour for someone to do including travel time to Radio Shack. For me, doing it by myself, it took about 3 1/2 hours including travel time to Radio Shack.

The MAJOR factor in the time was difficulty with the connector pin. And this is my warning. It is NOT easy to get to the plug and once you do there isn't a lot of room to work. The connector pin accepts a 24 guage wire easily, but just the little wiggling I did with the first pin frayed those wires. I highly recommend using a 22 guage wire--I ultimately used some speaker wire I had sitting around.

Getting that little weird connector pin all the way into the slot is NOT easy, getting the locking mechanism out of the way was a pain and if the pin isn't all the way in the locking mechanism won't go all the way down and you can't get the plug back in properly, and if you force it then it's hard as hell to get back out in the confined space. There is probably a nice little tool that makes this process easier, or maybe it's just a technique issue that those who fiddle with this stuff all the time know. But for an electronics novice who was working with an accelerated heart rate and nearly gave up at one point when I got the first pin wedge in the plug with a broken off wire and couldn't get the pin out.

Threading the wire behind the dash takes patience and thin fingers too.

But, once it's done, it works, well!! It's amazing how hard you can be on the accelerator without the ICE kicking in. I've just gone up the street about 1/4 mile at a max. 22mph so far, but the battery drain was pretty minimal for the little run I did.

I still haven't figured out if I have any REAL use for this button or under what circumstances it's going to be truely advantageous for me to use it, but I wanted to have access to the full features that this car is capable of.

Good luck all. And, if anyone reading this DOES know how to more easily get that damn pin in the plug let me know.

 

A good tip that would have helped with the initial effort. The speaker wire I ultimately used was already soldered at the tip. The first wire, however, did not fray at the tip, it was easy enough to just twist the wires, insert into the connector pin and then solder in place. The problem was that the back and forth bending of the wire at the end of the connector pin caused the smaller guage wire to fatigue and the individual wires broke off until there were only 2 strands still connecting the wire proper with the pin.
--evan

 

I don't have the OEM button, just used one from RS temporarily, but it looks good. I hope to replace it with my OEM in the next month or so when it comes from Japan. Hopefully with the nice illumination wire as well.

 

It's an interesting idea, but I don't think a certified Toyota dealer would do it. Hell, they probably don't know how since it wouldn't be in their wiring diagrams or tech guides. Plus, the same issues that kept Toyota from doing it in the first place would come into play.

You probably COULD get a good stereo installation place to do it. They'd be comfortable with the general concepts and maybe even with the specific pins used and such.

Listen, I just wrote up my article and forwarded it along with the pix to Danny. Hopefully he'll get it up today or tomorrow and you can read through it, check the pictures and make up your own mind.

You are not tearing apart the instrument panel, you take a couple (5 counting everything) plastic parts off of the dash that are held on by simple clips, you deal with only a couple simple no charge electrical contacts. It isn't a big deal...assuming everything goes OK with getting that pin all the way in the hole.

 

Thanks Tosh, I'm giddy!!! Do you actually have them in your possession or are they still enroute?
--evan

 

Tosh,
I don't see any LED on the button, is it a little bit different version than some of the other pictures we've seen or is there a light and I just can't see it in the shots you posted?

Also, it's not evident in the photos exactly where the wires are connected or what that extra white thing is for. Maybe this isn't the best place to post all this, but post what you think appropriate and e-mail or PM the rest to me.

 

thanks Rick, do keep us updated...I expect my button today or Monday and I, too, would like the most "factory" install possible. Interesting that it's a bulb in there, I figured they'd be LEDs, that seems like the better option, but maybe not.

Let us know exactly what RS parts #s are as well.