Auto-folding mirrors and turn indicators part numbers

Here was me driving around a few weeks back after I had just finished getting the dash out.

 

Slow progress is being made(I'm normally only working on it an hour or three per day).

Both mirrors auto fold and the turn signals work. The button to manually fold/unfold still doesn't work, but I think I figured out the current problem and will try the fix tomorrow(I think the switch just needs an additional ground for the fold button, so I need to tap the wire right next to it - that's how it would be done from the factory as well - although the factory tap would be buried in the harness).

I've got the driver-side puddle light installed and working(waiting for dark to see what it looks like). The passenger-side is all wired up and just needs the actual light installed into the door card; maybe 15 min of work tomorrow.

The reverse-linked mirror is a lost cause. It's just not meant to be installed on the right hand side of the car. But all I need to do is disconnect the reverse signal wire to disable it. A few seconds to disconnect, and a couple minutes to tape the connectors out of the way.

I need to tap the front footwell lights for the new rear footwell lights, but I need to be double sure the wiring kit I have will be long enough to comfortably reach everything before I cut it up.

After those things, it will be time to start putting the dash back together. It will probably take a few days, but I'm hoping the main dash pad will be back in tomorrow. Reassembly of a very modern car is massively easier than disassembly. (watch TCCN's recent video on the Highlander $1800 panoramic sunroof repair for the reasons why)

 

The North American Prius main body ECUs and power distribution box assemblies(basically the brains and interior fuse boxes) have the necessary wiring and programming for both options(turn signal and folding), but none of the other wiring is in the car. That's why I ended up taking the dash out; it was much easier to access everything.

Also, the NA mirror housings can't take the turn signal. The only way to add it is to buy completely new mirrors. And all those mirrors have the folding motors and come with wiring harnesses that get you into the door. (mirror harness >> door harness >> new wires to ECU/PDBA/junction connectors)

I'll do a bigger explanation when I finally wrap everything up, but I'll describe the turn signal addition.

First, it helps to know what a junction connector is. Basically it's a splitter. Within the connector, some or all of the terminals are bridged together so one feed wire comes in and several branch wires come out. And typically not all expansion terminals are used. For example, one of the junction connectors I was dealing with had 22 pins in two rows. The top row of 11 was all bridged together, and the bottom row was bridged 4+3+4.

So the left and right turn signal feeds come out of the PDBA(fuse box) and go into a junction connector. Then, one branch comes out and goes to the front signal light and one goes to the rear(per side). Well, because most Priuses have mirror signals, they left pin slots open in the NA junction connector. I just added new terminals in the pins in the existing connector where the non-NA cars have them, then ran new wires from there to the mirrors. (Well, I ran the wires to the footwell connectors, then added new terminals/wires into the door harnesses.)

If someone wanted to do an easier, half-assed job, they could find the wire running to either the front or rear signal lights(whichever is easier to access), tap them, then run a single wire all the way up to each mirror. Functionally it would be the same thing, but it would be a sloppy job and make it harder to service or troubleshoot down the road by a tech. With my way, it still (mostly)follows the Toyota wiring diagrams.



As for removing the gauge cluster(combination meter), it's actually pretty easy. TIS isn't working for me at the moment, but I think it was 3-6 trim pieces that surround the comb. meter and are just clipped in place, then four 10mm bolts holding the cluster in. So a nylon trim removal tool and a 10mm socket/nut driver are all you need. And those four bolts might also have Phillips heads(technically JIS), so a screwdriver might do in a pinch.

As with all things, prep carefully and take it slow. Get access to TIS for a couple days. Read everything thoroughly several times before you start and save everything you need as pdf files if you're not going to have TIS access for the whole project. The Toyota repair manuals and wiring diagrams are far, far from perfect, but they're not all that bad once you get used to them. And I haven't found anything in the dash that wasn't a clip, phillips screw, or 10mm bolt/nut, so at least tools are minimal.