PowerTray and S-Tech Install

@JoeCOVA and I installed a PowerTray and S-Tech a couple of weeks ago on both mine and @JoeCOVA 's trucks and figured I would do a write-up and include my thoughts and difficulties. Really not difficulties, but really just showing what I ran into so you can see what the build quality of these products are and what issues you may run into as I ran into a few. I would rate this install at a 2/5. If you know how to do wiring, you should be fine.

Here is the truck the items went into. She has a whopping 2000 miles on her and loving it. I come from a VW/Audi background and this is my first Toyota and my first truck period, so I am trying to pick up what I can from friends and here.


I am not responsible for any damage you incur doing this or any other thing you decide to do with your truck or self. If you are unsure of any part of this process, I highly recommend you seek a professional install.

So let's get started! Here are the items I bought for the install which I bought on Amazon except for the S-Tech and PowerTray:

- S-Tech Universal 6-switch Pod System w/ '16-'18 Toyota Tacoma Adapter
- S-Tech PowerTray for 3rd Gen Tacoma
- Bussman

$48 CB185-120 Cooper Bussmann Automotive Circuit Breaker, CB185, 120A

CB185-120 120 amp waterproof circuit breaker
- Blue Sea Systems 10-gang 150 amp busbar with cover
- Blue Sea Systems 5025 ST Blade Fuse Block; 6 circuits with negative bus and cover
- Blue Sea Systems 8 circuit 30 amp terminal block
- Your choice of ring terminals and lugs
- Shrink tubing (Red/black)
- Tesa Cloth tape
- Plastic Split Wire Loom Tubing
- Scotch EXTREME double-sided tape

Tools:

- Drill with Step bit
- Ratchet with 10, 12, 13mm sockets
- Trim removal tool
- Wire crimper/cutter
- Torch or lighter for shrink tubing
- Phillips head screwdriver

And most of all, PATIENCE. This kit was not plug and play for me and I had to modify/disassemble the wiring looms to make it work. Not a deal killer by any means, but definitely added to the time needed to finish the install. Definitely take your time as it pays dividends in the end with a clean look. The PowerTray was flawless and I think it is a must for anyone installing additional electrical in the truck. Both companies contacted me directly to make sure the order was right and to ensure I knew I could contact them if there were any issues. They both are also located here in Colorado, so the more I get to support local companies, the better.

Now on to the install!

Here is what I received with the S-Tech and PowerTray:



Here are the Blue Sea Systems items for the PowerTray:


None of the items for the Blue Sea gear comes with mounting hardware, so you'll have to go get those items prior to install. I used stainless bolts with nylon lock nuts I had laying around. Be careful not to over tighten the Blue Sea gear as you could break the plastic. I had no issues, but it did happen to a circuit breaker I mounted on @JoeCOVA 's truck because I Hulked on it too much.


I worked from the inside out, but you can start in the engine bay too. First, disconnect your battery. Then using your trim removal tool, remove your cubby to the left of the steering wheel.



Once out, disconnect all of the connectors and use the template to mark where the holes need to be drilled.


Be careful not to drill the holes too large as the tiny bolts that come with the kit aren't that wide. I used washers on mine as the holes didn't line up well, so I had to drill the holes bigger. This was the first item with the kit that wasn't quite there. @JoeCOVA 's kit was the same way. Also make sure that when mounting, the faceplate mount is slightly sticking out or almost flush with the cubby and not inside the cubby as you need to use double-sided tape to secure it to the mount. When done screwing it in, it should look like this:



Once that is done, now you need to drill a hole in the back for the wire and connector to the S-Tech box in the engine bay. Take your step bit and drill a hole in the back of the cubby:


Then stick the double-sided tape on the back of the faceplate and secure to the faceplate mount/cubby.


Now on to the engine bay!

Take your PowerTray and screw it into the two empty holes in the rear of the driver side fender. You may want to remove or not install the S-Tech until after you mount the PowerTray so you have more room to get your ratchet or wrench in there. Second, unscrew the bolt at the bottom of the stock fuse box and use it to secure the PowerTray arm. I pushed the tray all the way forward, otherwise the S-Tech couldn't be installed due to the brake Master Cylinder in the rear of the setup.



Next you need to run the acc power wire to the fuse box inside the truck, underneath the driver side footwell. This is where I realized I had some extra work ahead of me. The power wire that needed to go into the cab was loomed with the other power wires that needed to go to the battery. Not good. @JoeCOVA had the same issue with his kit. So I took apart the loom and separated the acc power wire, then re-loomed the power wires to make it look clean.



I then ran the faceplate connector and power wire into the cab through the grommet behind where I mounted the PowerTray. Unfortunately I didn't take any pics of the grommet location, but it is easy enough to find back there as a huge wire harness is running through it. Once you run the connector harness and power wire into the cab, connect the faceplate connector to the back of the faceplate. Use a butt connector or solder the add-a-circuit that came with the S-Tech and the acc power wire you ran together. Then use the add-a-circuit in P/Outlet No.1 in the fuse box. Take the 15A fuse out of the location and use it in the add-a-circuit.


I mounted the S-Tech to the PowerTray and then cut off the butt connectors so I could use those to connect to the terminal block. I mounted ring connectors to them and installed them to the terminal block. I then ran 8ga neg wires from the Blue Sea Fuse Block to the Blue Sea Neg Busbar, and then 4ga to the neg ground on the fender. You will also need to run the ground from the S-Tech to the neg busbar.


I ran all of the power last. I connected a 4ga wire to the circuit breaker, but you can also go direct to the battery. I then ran 8ga wire to the Blue Sea Fuse Box and connected the S-Tech power to the circuit breaker as well.


Re-connect the battery and you should be able to test the S-Tech by turning on your Acc. The S-Tech buttons light up green and when on, light up Amber.


If it works, you are all done and you can start connecting all of your lights and gear!

I hope this helps you guys and I really want to reiterate that regardless of the issues I ran into, these kits are amazing and cost effective. With everything said and done, I believe I was roughly $350 into everything you see here, including the terminals and shrink tubing. It really is a screaming deal. The only thing I wish they would change with the S-Tech is blue LEDs rather than green. Well that and run the Acc power wire with the faceplate connector like it needs to be.

Either way, killer kit and I really like the clean look of the install. I am going to re-make some of the wires to make them fit better, but all-in-all I think it came out pretty good. Kudos to S-Tech and PowerTrays for making a killer product that really makes adding accessories easy. This is the first of some write ups I have planned, so more to come!

 

I definitely want to say thanks to @max_o for helping with my wiring and getting everything setup on my truck. It's very cost effective and I highly recommend it to be one of the first mods that people do, even if you go with SPOD or SwitchPro I cannot recommend the powertray @Mr.PowerTrays and everything else highly enough. It makes it such a breeze to wire in new accessories and cuts out a lot of excess wiring from inline fuses and relays.

I definitely recommend a auto trim removal tools made out of nylon like the kit I have below. The interior plastic can be easily marred up from screw drivers and other metal prying devices.


As mentioned above the Stech had some minor wiring issues. The accessory cable that provides power to the universal switch pod is ran with the battery loom and instead should be ran with the switch pod loom to the interior of the cab so you can easily tap into a fuse. As Max mentioned above we had to cut the loom and rewire it. Additionally, while the Stech wires were labelled correctly the wire color did not match the instructions so we had to trust they were labeled correctly.

Another note about the Stech, the box the relays sit in with the main harness is a bit weak, the latches that hold it together can easily break. Mine broke and another friend of mine who has the STech also broke his. As a preventative measure and fix I recommend just taping the box with Gorilla Tape or something to help keep it secure.

Below is the ARB wiring harness hanging out of the truck as we wired this into the Stech. I recommend the sPOD adapter harness which makes wiring in the ARB significantly easier, the adapter is not switch specific so it works with STech and SwitchPro as well.

https://www.northridge4x4.com/part/...MIjv-09MT73wIVibbACh0blQ8nEAQYASABEgLXvfD_BwE



We used this time to upgrade the battery terminals. I opted for the the SDHQ battery termianlks and they are worth every penny.

https://sdhqoffroad.com/products/sdhq-built-hd-billet-main-battery-terminal-upgrade-kit

Below are some pics of my wiring.

Below you can see the custom HID bracket.






I used a Dymo label printer and heat shrink to complete the labeling. I will say that labeling is 100% worth it!

 

wow amazing thanks again.

 

Max, Great install thank you for the thumbs up on STECH.
Re you comment on the weak box top that broke. We have not heard of this from any of our customers and would love to see pictures of exactly what broke. We have an industry best 5 year full replacement Warranty and will replace any defective or broken parts. My email is scott@stechswitch.com my cell is 720-307-7263 please send me pics and we will get back with you.

Re The red accy wire, since this is a UNIVERSAL system and most applications have the fuse box located near the battery we run the red accy wire through the main battery cable. We do make a Toyota specific system with 24" battery cable, separate red accy wire and other Toyota features. The cost of the Toyota specific system is a bit more but does provide for exact lengths of wire in the right places.

Re Wire colors and numbers : The numbers are correct on the wires thats why we labeled them 1,2,3,4,5,6 on the outputs.

Scott and the TEAM at STECH Switch Systems

 

So to follow up on this, @STECH Switch Systems gave me a call to follow up on the install and we spoke for approx. 30 mins on the changes he has coming for the STECH product line. First and foremost, let me reiterate the amazing customer service that Scott @STECH Switch Systems has given. He explained the Universal system versus the Toyota specific system (which I had no idea could be paired with the universal switch) and that was my fault for not researching it thoroughly, but either system will work, this was just my experience with the Universal system.

Luckily for us, Scott saw the issues I ran into with the Universal kit and is making a Toyota Tacoma specific kit for us with the 6 switch panel so it is literally plug and play with no harness adjustments or tampering needed. He is also making two new switch pods with additional coloring options for the switches, including blue for us Tacoma owners, which is awesome. He is also going to update the instructions that come with the kit to make it a little clearer on how to install the system.

As for the broken cover for the plastic relay box, he is sending @JoeCOVA a new cover to fix my Hulking on the clip and breaking it. He reiterated the 5 year warranty as he stated above and it covers unintentional screw ups as well, so if you Hulk on the cover and accidentally break it, he has your back.

Seriously, this company is legit when it comes to customer service and really wants to improve their product. That shows in Scott's personal calls to follow up and his willingness to make the product better for us as consumers. At this price point, you just don't normally see this type of customer service, so kudos to Scott and team for reaching out.

 

Great write up and great info, just bought an S-Tech universal kit. Don't mind a little rewiring to save some money. Haven't installed it yet, but very impressed with quality of the unit, included items, and packaging.

 

It’s worth it. Let’s us know if you have questions!!!

 

Thank you for all of your kind comments, call us anytime with any Qs Scott and the TEAM at STECH 720-307-7263

 

subbed

 

I'd be careful of crossing the + and - like you did under the hood in one of your pics.

 

I had a local car audio shop install my S-Tech system last year, been flawless ever since.

 

You have to. It’s the way Toyota ran the harness and it’s a non issue

 

Joe Cova and All
Thank you for your input re STECH. Since you did not purchase the recommended Tacoma Specific STECH but instead purchased the less expensive base UNIVERSAL model the Universal Model wiring matches the Universal Manual not the Toyota manual Since you purchased a Tacoma bracket we included a Tacoma manual. The Tacoma STECH/manual has a slightly different color wire scheme. So to help you we numbered the wires with # heat shrink. In the future like I had mentioned above we recommend customers purchase the Toyota Tacoma or Toyota 4Runner vehicle specific STECH that has custom Toyota brackets, wire lengths, manuals, and other nice features. Glad you were able to make it work...LOOKS GREAT... . All the best Scott and the Team at STECH. any Qs email us at Sales@stechswitch.com

 

There’s no Toyota specific model on the website nor is there a recommendation on the website.

The only Toyota model available is for 6 switch rocker panels

 

Go to this link https://stechswitch.com/product/s-t...h-system-plug-play-wire-harness-tto-stech-un/

Choose Toyota Tacoma in the pull down menu

Scott

 

May have to re do my S tech similar to this...nice job!

 

No issues, let me know what you need and Ill send it to you my email is scott@stechswitch.com or call me at 720-307-7263

 

If there was an option to select from the drop down we would have. Glad you updated the website.

 

That's fine but I'd add insulation where they could possibly touch.

 

Thats what the rubber shielding is for!!! I'll add some Tessa tape to prevent any type of abrasive rubbing