Liftgate Lights On/Off?

[Goldie]

Hi everyone.

I took delivery of my 2025 LC Last weekend. It's been an adjustment coming from my 4Runner.

One of the only additions to my LC is the lift gate lights. Does anyone know if they can be turned off? Or are they on a timer?

Thanks in advance.

 

[ultane]

Welcome to the asylum Goldie.

 

[Goldie]

Welcome to the asylum Goldie.

thanks Ultane, much appreciated.

 

[Alpha Puppy]

If you are talking about the 2 little square lights that used to come only in the first edition, they never go off while the hatch is open...
@EOD Guy has a mod on his build page where he added a switch to turn them off.

 

[EOD Guy]

If the hatch is open, they're on.

 

[Goldie]

If the hatch is open, they're on.

Thanks. Sounds like you have switch mod?

 

[EOD Guy]

Thanks. Sounds like you have switch mod?

It's on my build page. Basically put a push button switch next to the closer buttons.

 

[Mikie]

This is CRAZY!!! I can't believe that Toyota did not provide an on/off switch, or at least, make these lights go off automatically after 20 minutes (like the small LED lights in the cargo compartment do). I use my car for TONS of car camping, and I always have the rear liftgate open during the day, so this is a huge deal for me.

The carabiner work around works great, but, it's still entirely incumbent on me to remember to set the biner when I have the liftgate open for extended periods during the day (presumably I will notice that the lights are on when it's dark!) I've been car camping regularly for more than 4 decades, so it will be tough to change my ways at this point and always remember to set the carabiner!!

Interestingly, I haven't had this issue for a long, long time with other cars -- my Cherokee which preceded the LC, and my Xterra before that, my Forester before that, and my Outback before that all had automatic shutoff features for the cargo lights!!! This makes me especially mad, in that the cargo lights were a $190 factory installed option on my LC, and they didn't bother to deal with this (when they know that the small battery is an issue on this vehicle).

Now I have to decide whether I feel confident doing the switch installation mod that EOD Guy did (he's waaay more skilled than me with this stuff), and I'm worried about being able to find the correct wire to splice in to. Alternatively, plan B would be to just cut the wires to the existing two lights, and then install an after-market LED center light (mounted on the liftgate), that has a built-in light on/off/intensity switch, and is more straight-forward to install (no wire splicing required).

Ack!

 

[EOD Guy]

This is CRAZY!!! I can't believe that Toyota did not provide an on/off switch, or at least, make these lights go off automatically after 20 minutes (like the small LED lights in the cargo compartment do). I use my car for TONS of car camping, and I always have the rear liftgate open during the day, so this is a huge deal for me.

The carabiner work around works great, but, it's still entirely incumbent on me to remember to set the biner when I have the liftgate open for extended periods during the day (presumably I will notice that the lights are on when it's dark!) I've been car camping regularly for more than 4 decades, so it will be tough to change my ways at this point and always remember to set the carabiner!!

Interestingly, I haven't had this issue for a long, long time with other cars -- my Cherokee which preceded the LC, and my Xterra before that, my Forester before that, and my Outback before that all had automatic shutoff features for the cargo lights!!! This makes me especially mad, in that the cargo lights were a $190 factory installed option on my LC, and they didn't bother to deal with this (when they know that the small battery is an issue on this vehicle).

Now I have to decide whether I feel confident doing the switch installation mod that EOD Guy did (he's waaay more skilled than me with this stuff), and I'm worried about being able to find the correct wire to splice in to. Alternatively, plan B would be to just cut the wires to the existing two lights, and then install an after-market LED center light (mounted on the liftgate), that has a built-in light on/off/intensity switch, and is more straight-forward to install (no wire splicing required).

Ack!

If you can drill a hole you can do a switch mod.....LOL I opted to have a lighted switch but totally unnecessary. The wire hook up is super easy with posi-taps.

I assume there are two hatch lights...........
Basically run two wires from a switch to one of the OEM wires (before the factory "Y" connector). Cut one leg of the OEM light wires, attach one of the switch wires to each side of OEM wire you just cut.

 

[thurchik]

Could someone please post a photo of FE tailgate lights?

 

[Noctilucent]

I've thought about pop'n out the two Led liftgate lights on my 2025, waiting for someone else to do it first lol

 

[EOD Guy]

Could someone please post a photo of FE tailgate lights?

If you go to my build page, there are lots of pictures of the lights and switch mod.........

 

[Bad1975]

You could always wire them to the side LED circuit so they will turn off.

 

[thurchik]

If you go to my build page, there are lots of pictures of the lights and switch mod.........

I follow it from the first post. But this is the only photo where I can spot some stock light from FE. Is this it?

 

[EOD Guy]

I follow it from the first post. But this is the only photo where I can spot some stock light from FE. Is this it?

There was a pic of both lights along with the light removed and taken apart...... I must have deleted them to make room for other pictures.

 

[Mikie]

Could someone please post a photo of FE tailgate lights?

These are the two lights in the liftgate (sorry for the bad photo). The are not only on the FE, but also a factory-installed option on the LC LC (as is the case for me).

 

[Noctilucent]

These are the two lights in the liftgate (sorry for the bad photo). The are not only on the FE, but also a factory-installed option on the LC LC (as is the case for me).

I'm with you, Im not a fan. I like having the ability to turn on and off tailgate lights and I'm not skilled at wiring

 

[Mikie]

If you can drill a hole you can do a switch mod.....LOL I opted to have a lighted switch but totally unnecessary. The wire hook up is super easy with posi-taps.

I assume there are two hatch lights...........
Basically run two wires from a switch to one of the OEM wires (before the factory "Y" connector). Cut one leg of the OEM light wires, attach one of the switch wires to each side of OEM wire you just cut.View attachment 29901

This is great stuff -- thanks!!!

I've been doing a bunch of research, and at this point I don't like the idea of installing the new center light in the liftgate. Problem is, the light has an electronic (vs. mechanical) switch, so it always defaults to light on, at brightest intensity, when the liftgate is opened. So I need to always remember to turn it off when I open (and leave open) the liftgate during the day. (And not just me -- if I'm camping with friends or my girlfriend, they also need to be careful to always turn off the light.)

But on the positive side -- the center light seems to work great, it's easy to turn on or off (just touch it), and has full intensity range control. AND -- per BoredomFestival, the liftgate is pre-wired for the light -- no need to run any wire. (Not sure if this is for LC LC only, or for the 1958 as well). I'm guessing that the plug that he used was pre-wired to support the optional factory-installed liftgate lights. If so, then there won't be any automatic timed shut off (which is the problem with the factory-installed lights). Alternatively, if you install the center light using the supplied wiring harness, it sources the power at the driver's side cargo light, and I think that is on a timer to turn off after 20 minutes.

So far as my situation is concerned, even if I decide to install the center light, I still need to remove the liftgate interior panel in order to disable the OEM lights. Given that, I think that overall, the switch installation is the best bet. I'll never have any reason (that I can foresee) to turn the light on during the day, and thus, I needn't have any concerns about remembering to turn it off during the day. Generally, I would always keep the light switched off, and I'd only use it occasionally at night (usually I wouldn't even need it since I'm wearing my headlamp). So (relatively) no worries.

Regarding your recommendations for the switch installation...
- I agree, I will only do a simple switch on/off function (and not hook up the switch light). In this case, the ground wire to the switch should not be necessary, right?
- One of my main concerns was finding the correct splice point, but it sounds like this should be pretty straight forward, since my understanding is that there is a simple two-wire run that is upstream of the factory Y connector (that splits the circuit out to the two lights), and I just need to connect the switch in just upstream of that. In that I'm not powering the light on the switch, presumably it shouldn't even make any difference which of the two wires I cut and route to/from the switch.
- My other concern was how hard it might be to remove the liftgate interior panel. Since it's large and overhead, it will for sure be more awkward and difficult than removing something like a door panel. Were there any gotcha's or lessons learned from when you pulled yours off?

One thing I am still confused about -- I do not understand the usage of the Positaps that you mentioned (nor did I understand their apparent use (circled) in the photo you provided). My understanding is that, per your wiring diagram, I'm just going to cut one of the two wires upstream of the Y connector, and then route that wire to and from the switch. So rather than tapping into anything, I need to make two wire connections (i.e. the red wire to the green wire that runs to the switch, and the other side of the red wire to the green wire that returns from the switch). A Positap allows you to tap into an existing wire (thus making a T connection) -- but I don't see any use for that here. Am I missing something?

Sorry for the long response here! I really appreciate your help, this is a pretty important problem for me to rectify. I think this info may be useful to others as well, as I know that there are a bunch of folks trying to sort out the optimal cargo area lighting solution.

 

[Mikie]

I'm with you, Im not a fan. I like having the ability to turn on and off tailgate lights and I'm not skilled at wiring

Check out the continuing discussion (on this thread) with EOD Guy re the wiring, it looks like it may be pretty simple...

 

[PDPete]

The carabiner work around works great

What is this work-around?

I don't think I'm concerned enough to mess with wiring or add a switch, but may be worth keeping a carabiner in the truck just in case I need it.