How to replace your turn signal relay

Hey everyone! Just made a quick video on how to replace your turn signal relay, I swapped mine for LED's and the stock flasher doesn't work with it (as in it blinks twice as fast). So hope this video helps anyone who wants to do the same!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVQgM7fOHnE

 

Awesome video dude! very helpful tip with the flasher relay

 

How to do this on a 2017 Tacoma? Where’s the relay located?

 

Nice! Now I might actually put my LED’s back in. That fast blink was

 

Thank you for this video. I just replaced my two back signal lights on my 2002 Tacoma PreRunner (Gen1) with LEDs and also the flasher with an LED relay. However, I'm having a HUGE issue that I'm hoping someone can help me with. When my gear shift is in park and I use the hazard flash lights, that small solenoid that locks the gear shift in park keeps clicking!! This is occurring no matter if I have the key turned partially or the engine running. Additionally, this is occurring when I use the Right turn signal (the left works okay) - no clicking of that solenoid. Furthermore, my radio (which is a Pioneer replacement) sounds like its CD motor is turning for a while and then shuts off. Did something burn out (i.e. fuse somewhere) that would cause this? I replaced the signal LEDs back to the bulbs and put the old signal relay back in and the issue still persists! So, I damaged something and really need some help on how to troubleshoot. Thank you!

This is similar to the issue listed in a reply in this post here:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/turn-signal-rpm-shift-lock-solenoid.394717/#post-10904358

 

Im going to guess you broke a wire or interfered with a ground connection somewhere. Best thing to do is re-trace your steps during the first install and look for something burned or just different. If you have a trailer wiring harness, disconnect that. Those modules get old and cause crazy electrical issues usually connected to lights.

you could go ahead and replace that shift solenoid for good measure

 

@wolfgang123 - Thank you for the prompt reply. I thought of this and being that it's only doing it when the right turn signal is on (never the left), I disconnected the right back tail light plug (and took that light out of the circuit completely) and the issue went away when I use the turn signal. I've looked carefully at all the wires back there on those harnesses and I don't see anything shorting out (i.e. frayed wires, etc.), so not sure how/why it could be shorting to ground. Without getting an entire new tail light assembly, I'm not sure how else to troubleshoot/check if there is short back there. Would you agree that the short would have to be in that area (not where the relay is in the fuse panel, etc.) since it works when I disconnect that tail light? Thank you again.

 

if you have a trailer wiring harness id bet money thats your problem. I have 2 tacomas and have gone through 3 plug and play harnesses in about 5 years, water and time kill those cheap things. If its a universal one that soldered in just rip it out and solder the factory wires back together with some shrink wrap and electrical tape and your good. If its a plug and play you'll notice a connector inline of your tail light connectors. Doubt you need to replace the taillight assembly

 

@wolfgang123 - Thank you again. I do have a trailer hitch and the wires for that go under to a some sealed junction box that goes up to my left tail light. There doesn't appear anyway to open that box and there are no plugs to unplug it. Why would it do this only on the right turn signal and not the right? By the way, testing again - this issue only occurs when the ignition is turned to allow power or the engine is running AND I'm in park. Naturally the gear shift solenoid doesn't click in-sync with the right flasher when I'm in drive or have my foot on the break. Very strange and I'm afraid I'm going to burn something up. I wish I could just go back to the old bulbs and relay, but that didn't work either anymore - so touching something caused this. Wondering if it could be a fuse somewhere?

 

just follow the wires from the harness back to the stock wires. you'll see crimp connectors or soldered joints. Trust me just pull it out and clean up that wiring then go from there. Its essentially free and removes a huge variable from your problem.

 

All I had for the trailer hitch was a wire (no plug like newer vehicles). It was tied into the signal/break lights. I cut it out and manually spliced the wires back up the way it was from the factory and still have the issue. I actually just drove the truck up and down the driveway and then magically the issue did not happen anymore! Then I opened the driver door and wham! - started doing it again! It's like some electrical resistance issue when the dome light came on or something (those are all the original bulbs) and that dang gearshift solenoid keeps clicking in-sync with the right turn signal only (never the left). I think I'm going to try hooking up my left tail light assembly to the right side of the truck to see if that fixes it or not. Otherwise, it looks like I'll have to take it in for service. Thanks again for you assistance. Much appreciated. Any other thoughts, please let me know.

 

Great video, but can someone please tell me how to get to the bolts to remove the fuse panel to have access to the relay without removing the entire dashboard on a 2004 Taco?

 

Did you already do the mod that makes those market lights also the turn signal lights? If so how did you wire it, I’m trying to do that mod with my 2002 tacoma at the moment

 

After reading the subject of this thread, I'm scratching my head because the video doesn't actually show how to replace the relay.

I couldn't readily find instructions elsewhere, so here's the short version for those searching this topic and looking for instructions.

• Unbolt the panel under the steering wheel. You can leave the hood release connected.
• There are 2 bolts holding the fuse block in place. One of them is not easy to get to. IIRC I used a 1/4 socket with an extension to get to it.
• The fuse block has hook on it that you'll need to maneuver to get it loose enough to flip over to get to the back. I suggest being careful because there are a lot of electrical connections that could be knocked loose.
• Unplug old relay, plug in new relay.

If I had know there's no way to get to the relay with everything together and reaching up from underneath, I could have done all of the above in under 20 minutes.

 

Did you have to buy a different type of relay or just a new relay that fit?

 

Well the main reason for swapping the relay is to fix hyperflashing from installing LED bulbs.
This one worked for me.

$10 iJDMTOY 3-Pin CF14 EP35 Electronic LED Flasher Relay As LED Related Turn Signal Bulbs Hyper Flash Fix

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XAU66V4/

 

So if I’m not swapping for LED bulbs then I should just have to connect the power wire from my turn signal to the ground of my marker light and it should work?

 

I'm wanting to put LED's in my front turn signals when I relocate the bulbs into the corner lights. If I swap the relay to an LED, will everything still work fine even though my rear bulbs are still incandescent?

I'm looking at the relay that @Colchicine listed above.

 

I actually had to do this as well because i installed the blinker genie 2 that turns your parking lights into a running/turn signal combination without changing your parking light to a dual filament but because your parking lights are so much smaller the relay doesnt read them and i had to change it as well. I definitely recommend installing the relay and LEDs with the blinker genie. Im going to be using the old blinker housing for fog lights now while keeping the clean OEM look

 

Anyone know if it’s possible to replace the relay without taking out the whole fuse block? If I look up under the dash I can grab the old relay but can’t get it loose for some reason. Wondering how it’s clipped in, can’t find any good videos showing how to unclip it.