Necessary Tools:
Soldering iron
Solder
Wire strippers
Wire cutters
Electrical tape or heat shrink
Flat head screw driver
Socket wrench with a 6 inch extension, an 8 mm socket and a 10 mm socket
Necessary Parts:
Head unit
Wiring harness
DIN kit for your truck (make sure the color matches)
- Pioneer 7900BT head unit, purchased used for $150
- Metra wiring harness, purchased new for $10
- Metra dash kit, purchased new for $22
Prepare the harness
Use a wire stripper to expose about a ½ inch of cooper on each wire from your new head unit’s wiring harness and the aftermarket wiring harness you bought to plug into your Tacoma’s factory wiring. An automatic wire stripper works great and can be picked up for $10 from RadioShack. I used a Metra wiring harness that I picked up from my local car audio shop, but they are all roughly the same. Here’s the wiring diagram:
Red - 12 volt ignition / accessory
Yellow-12 volt battery / memory (the primary power cable)
Black - Ground
Blue -Power antenna / amp turn on
Orange white - Dimmer
Gray - Right, front +
Gray/black- Right, front -
White - Left, front +
White/black - Left, front +
Violet - Right, rear +
Violet/black - Right, rear -
Green-Left, rear +
Green/Black-Left, rear-
To solder the wires together, cross the exposed wires (one from the head unit’s harness and the matching one from the aftermarket harness) in an ‘X’ and twist them together.
Plug in your soldering iron and allow it to heat up. Some suggest wrapping the tip in solder before plugging it in since the solder helps conduct heat better. Once the soldering iron is at operating temperature, place the wires on the tip of the soldering iron. In about 30-45 seconds, the wire should be hot enough to melt the solder. Put the solder on the wire (not the tip) and allow it to be absorbed into the wire. You don’t want to put the solder on the tip of the soldering iron.
Finish soldering all of the wires together and tightly wrap them in electrical tape. Do this for each wire you are connecting.
Use zip ties to bind the wires together as shown in the above photo. This will allow for better air flow behind the head unit.
Remove the factory head unit
Remove the climate controls from your truck by gently prying it loose using a flat-head screwdriver wrapped in one layer of electrical tape or a putty knife. Remember to be gentle; you don’t want to brake the clips holding it on. Once the climate controls are loose, unhook the wire harnesses and put it away somewhere safe.
Remove the 4 10mm bolts that directly behind the climate controls. You’ll need a 6 inch extension to do this.
Once the bolts are removed, you can now remove the head unit. Pull up and out and it should pop out easily. Remove the wiring harness (there are three) and the antenna wire. Also, remove the harness for the hazard lights and airbag unit.
You'll now have a big empty hole where your head unit used to be. Go inside and get ready to put your new head unit today.
Remove the 4 8mm bolts that hold the factory brackets on to the head unit and save these for later. You’ll want to use a socket since the metal is soft and is easily stripped with a screwdriver.
This is where things get interesting. To remove the hazard button/airbag light, you’ll want to gently pry it out of the factory head unit. To do this from the back of the unit and try to locate the 4 clips (one on each side) that are holding it in place. Take your time and use the photos above as a guide.
Once you have removed the hazard button/airbag light, you’ll want to install the head unit into your aftermarket dash kit. Your dash kit should have instructions for this part of the install process.
Once you have your dash kit together, you can go ahead and install the head unit. Just follow the directions in reverse for removing it and remember to take your time to ensure everything is aligned properly. A few important notes:
Plug the harnesses (there are two for Tacomas ) into the radio and turn on your car before finishing the install. This will give you the opportunity to test the head unit before you get everything together again.
With the Metra kit, you have to insert a grommet into the dash of your Tacoma that will allow you to screw the radio housing into it. I found it best to tighten the screw most of the way and to then test fit the trim panel to ensure everything was aligned correctly.
