DRL lights on 2023 4 runner limited

I installed some LEDs to replace the halogen DRLs, based on a Youtube video that I watched that showed it to be a simple bulb swap, no wire harnesses or anything else needed. Of course they don't work, so that made me question whether or not LEDs will work strictly as DRLs without any add'l wiring needed (answer appears to be "no"). Guess I'll replace the yellow-ish halogen DRLs with something like Sylvania Silverstar Ultra halogens, to try and get that whiter light color, without swapping to LEDs. Why Toyota makes this difficult, like the driving lights, is frustrating...

 

The internal designs of LED bulbs vary, so one might work where another didn't. There are a zillion threads on lighting replacements here, so there might be a better bulb choice buried in the archives.

 

Thanks for the advice, appreciate it. I'm definitely a plug and play type, so I think I'll just look for the whitest halogen bulbs I can find, which will probably be the Sylvania Silverstar Ultras.

 

Bronzstar, don't take this the wrong way but the harness is almost truly plug and play. Wait for someone to have an extra one available here if you don't want to make the harness yourself. With the harness it really is plug and play with the exception of loosening a nut to ground it.
If you lived close by, I'd even put it in for you! I too was annoyed by the yellow halogens, and this update makes all the difference in the world in making the 4 runner look complete. If your like me, you won't be happy with any alternative. This is a legitimate upgrade that is easy to do.

 

Yeah, I looked thru that one guy's thread who made the harness, it looks simple enough. I went ahead and ordered the pigtails and the different bulb connectors that he showed in his thread, should have them in a couple of days. My only question is about the wiring. It looks like he spliced the two wires together on the pigtail that goes into the harness, then connected that single wire to the "positive" on the other end of the pigtail that connects to the bulb, with the other wire going to ground?

 

No. This is not true on the 2022+. It is for the 2014-2020. 2021 if you have a Limited or Pro it is wired like a 2022+. All other 2021 trims are wired with PWM like the 2014-2020. For the select 2021 trims and all 2022+, the DRL and high beam is divorced and the DRL is run with a steady voltage instead of PWM. The DRLs are run in series though which means each bulb gets 6V instead of 12V. Most automotive LEDs need at least 9V. Making the harness that has been mentioned here converts the DRLs from series to parallel and gives the full 12V to both sides

 

Yeah, connect the two from the vehicle side together and run a new ground wire. Changes the wiring from series to parallel. You’re not getting the LEDs to light up because the voltage is essentially split right now and too low to light up the LEDs

 

Perfect, thanks man! Oh, and this wiring change only needs to be done on the passenger side DRL, yes?

 

Yeah. If you do it on the driver’s side, you’ll be connecting the positive to ground

 

@bronzestar1

The harness is real plug and play. You don't change anything on the truck side, and if you want you can always remove it and revert back to original design.

You may have seen the thread below. Post 28 has a schematic that helps you understand the wiring and the function of the harness.

https://www.4runners.com/threads/my-2022-t4r.25781/

Note: Any 12V 9005 LED bulb would work after the retrofit, but it's best to use DD HP48. This one has 250 lumens that is perfect for DRL. Other LEDs are intended for fog lights have high lumens and are too bright for DRL. They would annoy other drivers and also dangerous.

 

Oops, you're right.

 

Received my wire harnesses, and before I cut one up, I just want to make sure of what I'm doing. So the red and black wires coming out of the harness end (right side of the pic) get spliced together, then they are connected to the red wire on the bulb end (left side), and the black wire on the bulb end goes to ground, yes? And I do have a pair of the DD HP48s on the way. So hopefully, between getting this wire harness adapter right, and those DD bulbs arriving, I'll have LED DRLs by the end of the week...

 

Yes

 

Installing this harness didn't work, so I decided to put the OEM halogen bulbs back in, and from what I can tell, they're not working either. The DRLs are supposed to come on when you start the vehicle, yes? It doesn't have to be in drive with the brake off or anything like that, correct? This is why I hate dealing with automotive electronics, something simple like a bulb swap shouldn't be this difficult. Maybe when I get those DD bulbs in a couple of days all the planets will be in alignment, and trying this harness with those bulbs will work.

 

Parking brake off? That one sent me down a long rabbit hole of checking every wire back to the BCM looking for a break

 

I thought the DRLs would come on as soon as I started it, but that wasn't the case. I even put it in drive with the brake on (risky, I know!), and they still didn't come on. I'll check to see if they come on in Park with the e-brake off. That's why I was asking exactly when do they come on, this harness might've actually worked on the DRL LEDs I had in there, I just didn't know it (I was checking with the engine running, in Park, e-brake on).

 

In addition to parking brake off, if you have type A or type B headlight setup, DRLs don't automatically come on. You'll need to set it to DRL.

 

I have the Type B stalk, there's no function to turn just the DRLs on (other than selecting "Auto"), only "Off" as indicated at position 4. I didn't have the e-brake off yesterday, I'll try that later this morning. I'm going to feel pretty embarrassed if that's all I had to do in order to check them, and that harness worked all along on the LED bulbs...

 

It’s going to work. Parking brake on will keep DRLs from turning on. Like I said, I knew this was a thing and still spent a couple hours looking at other solutions before realizing my stupidity. Pulled the DRL relay and was bench testing. Had the whole panel under the steering column removed. Pulled the BCM and was tearing into it when I remembered I didn’t check the parking brake

 

Yup, that was my problem. Checked the DRLs with the parking brake off, and viola, I have lights. I put the LEDs in with the harness, and they worked fine. I purposely got some LEDs that were rated for DRLs, said they could not be used to replace headlight bulbs, but they're still pretty bright for DRLs. I'll put in the DD HP48s when I get them, and hope they're not as bright.

Next I have to go fish out the right rear turn signal bulb that fell into the housing when I swapped it over to an LED...

 

Glad you got it to finally work. Didn't know about the parking brake.
Re fishing out the rear TS bulb.... been there, done that...as I noted here:

https://www.4runners.com/threads/turn-signal-switchback-lights.35324/page-3#post-527402

Pete

 

Glad you got it to work. One note about the parking brake though, it only keeps the DRL from turning on at start, meaning when you start the engine, if you have the brake engaged, DRL will not come on until you release the brake. But, let's say you have been driving with your DRL on, you come to stop and engage your parking brake. Your DRL will not turn off, it will stay on until you turn off the engine.

Thought you may want to know this so you don't get puzzled by how it acts.

 

Thanks, that's good for me to know, since I can get easily puzzled by how / why vehicle electronics work / don't work / work / don't work / etc!

 

Installed the Diode Dynamics HP48s, and along with the wiring harness adapter, they are a perfect replacement for the halogen DRLs. The DD bulbs are not as bright as low beams, so they function perfectly as DRLs.

 

Anybody have an extra harness they would like to sell?

 

4Runner 2022 - Current DRL Harness $35.00
https://fbchs.square.site/product/4...-harness/40?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=true

 

thanks!

 

I modified this harness, was $7 on Amazon:

$8 iJDMTOY 9005 HB3 9145 H10 9006 HB4 Extension Wiring Harness Sockets Wires Compatible with High/Low Beam or Fog Lights Use

Amazon.com: iJDMTOY 9005 HB3 9145 H10 9006 HB4 Extension Wiring Harness Sockets Wires Compatible with High/Low Beam or Fog Lights Use : Automotive

 

How to modify. Maybe you can post useful step by step directions for others interested.

 

Go to post #126 in this thread:

My 2022 T4R | Page 5 | Toyota 4Runner Forum [4Runners.com]