Installing Keyless Entry in 2013 Base Tacoma

I bought a Viper 211HV kit from Amazon and installed it today on my 2013 Access Cab 2.7L base. Only the lock/unlock features were utilized. The pics below weren't taken sequentially during install; they're just for reference.

Here's how I did it:

1. I didn't want to go messing with the 12V constant wire inside the cabin. I wanted this installation to not affect anything but the door locks.

First of all, I disconnected the battery.

I routed a Red 16 gauge wire from the battery positive terminal to the cabin by running it through the hood release grommet. You can tape the wire to weedeater string and pass it through that way:






2. The keyless entry kit was pretty simple if you have some electrical background. The only wires I used on the Viper were + and - power supply, Lock Common (30), Unlock Common (30), and Unlock/Lock normally open (87), which on the harness were spliced together. The power input and door lock circuits came with 15A fuses.

On the vehicle, the blue/white and gray wires going to the door are switched to ground to lock and unlock the doors, respectively.

3. Next, I unpopped the plastic cover along the bottom of the doorsill by running my hand along it starting from the back. I forgot to take a picture of that, sorry...

4. Next, the footrest had to come off.

Just put your hands under the right and bottom and pull gently out. Unfortunately, one of the white clips that slides on the studs broke a little bit and no longer grips the stud. I'm thinking of silicone-ing it back down, or possibly getting a new clip. Anyone know if these are available online somewhere? They look pretty cheap:







4. Remove the kick panel by unscrewing the plastic thumbscrew underneath the footrest, then pulling the panel with two hands straight out toward you:






5. If you look at the wires going into the door, they split off in a tightly-wrapped Y. The wires you're concerned with are pretty small gauge (18-20). Blue-white is momentarily switched to ground to lock the doors, and gray is momentarily switched to ground to unlock the doors.
Please disregard the T-Tap splices. These suck on small gauge wire. Solder instead (which I went back and did).



6. After connecting those two wires to the viper harness, connect the 12V wire to the 12V wire on the harness, and connect both the harness ground wire and the lock/unlock normally open terminals to ground. I used the bracket behind the fuse access door:



7. I couldn't find a good place to mount the box with bolts. Instead, I had to zip tie the poop out of it behind the e-brake conduit. (I added more zip ties after this pic was taken.):




..and that was pretty much the bulk of it. The only issue I have is the remote will not unlock the door if it was locked with the buttons on the door. I'm thinking the buttons in the door activate some sort of arming signal that I didn't account for. This isn't an issue for me, but may be for some.



Other tips:

- Use a good soldering iron like a Weller.

- The wires in the kick panel are very small gauge and don't have much slack. Be careful.

Anyone know how to find a spare clip for underneath the footrest?... or am I better off gluing/caulking it back on?

Thanks, all.

 

Excellent pics, write-up, and schematic. The schematic is really good, like something I would draw in my better days!

 

By the way, the clips are part number 58198-20210 and can be had for 4.50 each from a dealer.

 

Tacovirgin, Great research and explanation. I have a couple of questions: 1 Is there a place to tap into wires where you mounted viper module? 2 Do you think the blu/wh and gray wires could be accessible near passenger door,glove box area? 3 Is it odd that fuse is in the ground circuit and not power circuit? I ask this cause you said that a momentary contact to ground of the blu/wh and gray wires lock and unlock doors which would mean that power would always be on the lock/unlock solenoid and switching is done on the ground circuit. I am not a auto electrical wiz but I want to install this too. I would like for it to work if I lock the doors with the switch while exiting the truck. If the remote doesnt work to unlock when you return to get in there must not be any power on the lock/unlock solenoid because I'm sure the viper module is momentarily grounding the gray wire. Sorry to be so long winded and I appreciate any further help. Thanks

 

1. Yes, there is a place to tap into wires where the harness enters the door.
2. I don't know. Every thread/guide I could find mentioned accessing the wires on the driver side.
3. The fuse is technically in the "circuit" whether it be on the ground side or the hot side. On some vehicles, the door wires need to be pulled high, so then you'd connect the fused wire to +12V. Long story short, no, I don't find it odd. The fuse will protect the circuit whether it's on the hot or cold side.
I plan on adding an inline fuse coming off of the battery for the red wire, just in case there's a short somewhere between the battery and the viper box.

Something causes the signal to be ignored if you lock the doors before exiting the truck. I initially thought it was just the door switch, but if you lock with remote, then close the door, you won't be able to unlock with the remote.

 

I ordered the viper kit and an additional 12v relay with base. I hope I can install with the ability to unlock the doors with the remote when they are locked with factory switch on door or with remote while door is opened. If the viper kit is switching the ground on the lock/unlock circuit as shown in your drawing it should continue to do that no matter how the doors are locked. Right ? To me, this means the power to the lock/unlock solenoid must be removed when the doors are locked while open , maybe an alarm relay ? If you add an additional relay with 12v + momentarily feeding the solenoid you sholud have it. I just need to find out which wire is the hot wire for the solenoid. Just a thought.

 

2009+ Tacoma Vehicle Wiring table from bulldog security: use at own risk:

http://diagrams.marktoonen.nl/printlist.aspx?MakeID=2&ModelID=20135

 

The question was: " Is it odd that fuse is in the ground circuit and not power circuit? I ask this cause you said that a momentary contact to ground of the blu/wh and gray wires lock and unlock doors which would mean that power would always be on the lock/unlock solenoid and switching is done on the ground circuit. I am not a auto electrical wiz but I want to install this too. I would like for it to work if I lock the doors with the switch while exiting the truck. If the remote doesnt work to unlock when you return to get in there must not be any power on the lock/unlock solenoid because I'm sure the viper module is momentarily grounding the gray wire."

And the answer was: "The fuse is technically in the "circuit" whether it be on the ground side or the hot side. On some vehicles, the door wires need to be pulled high, so then you'd connect the fused wire to +12V. Long story short, no, I don't find it odd. The fuse will protect the circuit whether it's on the hot or cold side.
I plan on adding an inline fuse coming off of the battery for the red wire, just in case there's a short somewhere between the battery and the viper box."

I've been in the custom installation business for 35 years now, and I've found that protecting the product you're installing is a secondary concern- the primary concern is fire prevention. It was a good eye to catch that ground-wire fuse; and a great reply! Always install the fuseholder as close as possible to the power source to protect against a potential short in the power wire!

 

I have a 2013 regular cab base and I'm looking into installing a viper alarm. Did you add power locks to your truck ?