1st Gen steering wheel radio/phone controls - INFO DUMP

Creating an index thread which I plan to fill out during medical downtime. When finished, this thread is intended to have info on stuff like:

• "Can I add steering wheel controls to my truck if it didn't have them?"
• "What part numbers will add right-hand controls to my truck if I have left-hand controls?"
• "My buttons are glossy from being used so much, can I replace the button caps?"
• "I borrowed controls from a 4Runner/Tacoma, which are orange backlit, can I swap the guts to get green backlit controls?"
• "What other model Toyota steering wheels are compatible with my 1GTundra?"
• "I want a modern head unit, how do I adapt my steering wheel controls to work with the new unit?"
• "How do I know whether I have a single-stage or dual-stage airbag / clockspring?!"

A lot of this info is already out there on the forum in some cases, so this thread may be a little nested. I also hope to add some new content, taking pictures from my own installation processes as I work through all this, eventually tearing apart some controls and whatnot, for future reference. Just gloss over the few [RETAINER] replies below, if they still exist; they're in place to allow for some future expansion.

 

"Can I add steering wheel controls to my truck if it didn't come with them?"

I admit, it was a 'must have' option when I was shopping for my 1GT. I'm not judging anyone who wants it.

The general consensus is: YES. It's possible. And it doesn't use a ton of wiring, like, it's not like you need to add a new for each function. If I understand it all correctly, there are only 3 wires total to enable stereo control pass-thru (more details in reply #6 below). All the different buttons do is create resistance on those wires, and whatever is receiving them (radio or otherwise), knows "Doh! Just got X input signal, time to do Y function!"

As far as wiring instructions go, you need to read the caveats below for newer/older models, but I think this explanation is the best you'll find on the internet, taken from a 2005 model truck that had nothing applicable. Very well written, lots of pictures and shows you what you're up against. It's also not a hack-job!​

"What parts will I need for <insert year> truck?"

There's some documentation on the control parts that may help, but before buying stuff, there's a larger concern you need to be aware of. Earlier trucks had equipment differences which may make your install more difficult. This is a very broad, non-specific list of caveats others have found/reported:​

• Earlier models (00-03): Your clockspring won't have the necessary pass-through to support it. Furthermore, earlier models have single stage airbags (with single stage clocksprings to support that airbag), where later models had dual stage airbag and clockspring. Your ideal situation will have you picking up everything off the donor: complete steering wheel with controls, airbag, trimmed airbag cover, cruise lever, AND the clockspring to go with it (and hope the clockspring is good). Member @daveeasa has been through that part before and may be able to comment. You'll also need to run a few wires from the firewall side of the clockspring over to the radio.
• Later models (04+): More than one member has found Toyota pre-wired radio controls between the back side of the clockspring and the radio. If yours isn't, the last sentence from the previous bullet point may apply. You'll still need the controls (left-hand controls) with the proper multi-leg harness for cruise control, then deal with your oversized airbag cover (either replace airbag, trim the cover, try swapping the cover). If adding right-hand controls, you'll need those controls plus the white data/ribbon cable that connects the right-hand controls to the left-hand controls.

In short, no matter which year you have, in most cases, this isn't necessarily a plug-and-play process, but it's do-able! In an ideal case, you'll want to have access to a parts car where you can yoink the airbag, controls, clockspring and its harness, and the radio harnesses may be good also. The link I gave above with the parts number breakdowns has links to other websites where people have done it, so there's no shortage of reference material and ideas for you to pluck from.
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"How do I know whether I have a single-stage or dual-stage airbag / clockspring?!"

Pictures are worth a thousand words, see this reply from @BubbaW, the king of wiring/electrical info for 1st gens. Pay special attention to the last image in his reply.​

 

Visual-related questions and answers ...

"My buttons are glossy from being used so much, can I replace the button caps?"

Yes! It's actually really damn easy. More info here, where you can see the guts of the controls, how to pop the buttons off, and so on.​

"I borrowed controls from a 4Runner, which is orange backlit, can I convert it to green backlighting?"

Yes! As you'll see in the link from the last question, these controls are semi-friendly to be taken apart. You can either solder in green LEDs or just swap the circuit board over from a vehicle that's green backlit (rumor is, Sienna is one option). You'll need to take precautions to unhook your battery 10 minutes before starting so your airbag is discharged, then pull your airbag to get access to the screw holding the controls assembly in place. From there, it's just a matter of disassembling each set of controls, then moving the green-LED circuit board into your current control assembly. You may want to mark one board with a "GR" and the other with "OR" so you know which is which.

In doing some research, one member said the Sienna controls are green-backlit. I see Sienna p/n 8425008030B0 comes with left and right controls and the crossover cable, but it looks like the left-hand controls may be missing a plug, so ... I can't say for sure if it'll work to swap over the PCBs inside or not (I may try at some point)​

 

Steering-wheel compatibility information:

"What other model/year Toyota steering wheels are compatible with my 1st Gen Tundra?"

Quite a few vehicles between the years of 1998-2010 it seems, but beware, not all came pre-loaded with radio controls, and not all have colors which match the 1st gen Tundra's interior color codes. It seems like the sweet spot is really 2004-2006 as far as 'matching functionality' goes.​

• • Lexus LX470 / GX470 / Toyota Land Cruiser (1998-2002)
  • Lexus LX470 / GX470 / Toyota Land Cruiser (2003-2007)
  • Toyota 4Runner (2003-2009)
  • Toyota Highlander (2004-2007)
  • Toyota Camry (2005-2006)
  • Toyota Sienna (2004-2010)
  • Toyota Tacoma (2001-2011)

There may be other models, those are just ones with a visual confirmation it's generally the same wheel shape/size/accepts buttons. Other things with those wheels may not work (cruise, blinker stalks, other function buttons/wiring) so be warned: You may be swapping guts from your steering wheel to the other.

However, exploring models in the list above on fleaBay or at junkyards, you may be able to find something in the right color, with options and buttons you like, which could make adaptation easier.

This thread covers some options and part numbers and misc chatter, may be interesting.​

 

Right-hand control specific info:

"Will right-hand controls work?" / "Can I add right-hand controls?"

Yes / Yes. With proper cabling, they will technically operate, under two assumptions: The right-hand control you choose supports using the bridge cable (like, part# 84204-58010 for 4Runner), and the left-hand control you currently have installed has a port for the bridge cable, you'll that port below in the install pics. However, these buttons are all resistance-based if I understand correctly, and we expect whatever receives those signals from the controls is engineered to respond. Just like every 1st Gen owner ever, if you're using these controls with an aftermarket stereo, you'll need some type of adapter box (two options are discussed in this thread), and if you're using OEM stereo, well, whether it responds to right-hand controls depends whether your OEM radio supports the features offered up on the right-hand controls, since there's a few OEM variations out there; if you have the later-model full-loaded-with-GPS radio, you'll probably be golden. You may also be good with a similar-era, or slightly-newer era Tacoma radio.​

"What right-hand control options are available?"

Here's a few known configurations from the internet - but I can't give you part numbers for each just yet; I noticed there's a bit of variation between US market and other market vehicles, and these pics don't include the Sienna version that includes radar toggle on the side (one of which is p/n: 8425008040B0):

​

"How do I add right-hand controls?"

(Process with pics coming soon, as soon as I finish taking pics during my upgrade)

I ordered the following parts from Cool Springs Toyota:

2006-2009 4Runner RH controls (dk. grey w/orange backlight): 84244-35030-B0


Left-to-right crossover cable: 84204-58010


The top is obviously the right-hand controls, but in orange (Tundra OEM is green). Bottom is the data/ribbon cable that connects the right-hand controls to the left-hand controls so the right-hand controls can utilize the harness which connects everything to the clockspring.

Install wasn't difficult on my 2006, here's the breakdown of my install with pics. Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for the accuracy of these instructions with your vehicle, anything you attempt based on what I wrote is your responsibility. If you're not experienced with this type of work, let someone else who is do the work.

First, and most importantly, I unhooked the negative battery cable so there's no power to the truck. Two reasons: I don't want a spark to trigger the airbag to deploy in your face, and if you remove the airbag and turn the key to ON, you'll set an SRS error code that may require a special tool to clear. If you DO remove the steering wheel, DO NOT spin the clock spring around! Keep it with the wire port at 12 o'clock.

I got my tools ready while things are discharging excess battery power, giving a couple of minutes so no residual juice is left in circuits. This process required the following tools:

• Spudger (plastic pry tool)
• Philips head screwdriver
• 19mm socket/ratchet
• T30 torx bit/driver

There are two covers to remove on each side of the wheel in order to expose the bolts holding the airbag intact. I used a plastic spudger to pry at the middle of the FLAT side, specifically, and pop outward.



With both pieces off and set aside, inside each one a Torx T30 is visible and must be backed out to pop out the airbag. The bolts have retainers that hold them into the plastic, it only takes 3-4 full turns to loosen them fully - don't expect them to come out.



Once those are loosened, if you're not taking the steering wheel off, you can literally slide out the airbag and set it on top of the steering column. The wires are color-coded though, so if you choose to remove both the orange and black 2-pin connectors from the airbag, there's a yellow tab to lift up, then the connector slides out. Install is the reverse process. And there's also the single spade conductor for the horn.

I was personally swapping into a leather-wrapped wheel from a 2006 4Runner, so I had to pull the airbag totally. The internals were basically the same, except the 4R has (and some double cab Tundras also use) an interesting 1/2lb weight at the top of the wheel held on by two screws that are a friggin PITA to get out. Bottom is leather-wrapped 4R wheel. Top is my OEM Tundra wheel. Basically identical pigment. I had to remove the steering wheel, so 19mm impact to the center nut, then a few left-right pounds on the wheel to break it free, and it slid right up. Some people prefer a steering wheel puller; I found it overkill here.



Attaching the ribbon cable to the controls is tedious if not impossible with the left-hand controls installed, it's 10x easier if you remove the left-hand controls. One screw holds it in place, but there's also a pin at the top and bottom of the controls, so you hafta kinda wiggle up the controls a bit, if you pry up where the arrow shows, it should make sense.



The ribbon cable. This is probably the worst part of this job because there's a bunch of weird steps almost like origami. I found a flat surface to work on. I set the left and right controls on the ground in the same orientation and distance apart as they'd be mounted in the steering wheel.

Then I flipped both of them downward (vertically) so they look like this - ignore the ribbon cable, that's our end goal. I did a crappy job of photographing all this.



Before attaching anything, I need to warn about two things.

ONE - Take special note of THIS CLIP on the ribbon cable, specifically. It *MUST* be facing downward after install, because it clips onto something inside the wheel housing. That means when the ribbon cable gets installed, this clip will need to be facing downward.



TWO, I doubt the ribbon cable is polarized, but I checked other Toyota vehicles, and the text on the ribbon cable is naturally right-side up, read left to right, as you see here, note the text orientation and direction.



With those warnings out of the way ....

How the hell does this damn thing work?!

There are two tabs inside each control. There's a stiff plastic piece on the ribbon cable. There's a reason. Basically, that stiff plastic piece has holes that lock into the tabs on the controls so it can't move. You need to slide the plastic piece one to the 1st tab, then work to get the bottom tab on. Maybe a pic helps... It's really important the connector is pointing upward in this step, because we're going to be looping it up under to lock into that port to the left of the tabs.



When done, the tab is locked in, and the connector is looped under and inserted firmly into its hole, this is what it'll look like:



Repeat the same process on the right-hand controls.



With that firmly seated, BEFORE you insert the connectors, doublecheck your work.

Flip the controls over, right-side up. Is the clip mid-ribbon facing down, towards the steering wheel? Is the writing going the right way?

If yes, flip back over, loop down the connector at each end of the ribbon cable and click it into place.



When both are snapped in, you're done, it should look like so...



I'm circling three things, (A) the guideposts I used to seat the controls in the proper position, and (B) noticee the clip on mid-ribbon is pressed onto its tab. Notice I haven't yet reinstalled the single retainer screw for each control, that's important to remember.



I'll point out two more things to be aware of for neat cabling. There are two retainer clips to use while routing wires. There's one clip that holds down the audio wire bundle (top circle), and another cilp to hold the cruise wire bundle (bottom circle). You will use these to route wires BEFORE the airbag goes in:



Plug the controls into the clockspring, firmly, making good and damn well they're secure, then use the two provisions I pointed out to tuck away the cable bundles.



Airbag is ready to go back in; my airbag cables were removed so I had to lift the yellow security tab, insert the cable into the rear of the bag, then snap down the yellow security tab.

I made sure to align the airbag nicely so gaps are even between the controls and the airbag cover. I had to push those two Torx T30 bolts out of the way a bit to let the bag slide back into place. You do have a little wiggle room to get things nicely lined up. All that's left is to re-tighten the Torx T30 bolts, locking the airbag into place. My gap on the left was a little wider, so I tightened the left T30 down first.



Before snapping on the trim panels covering the T30 bolts, I reattached the negative battery cable, turned on the car, and confirmed all buttons were operating, and I had no airbag/SRS light. Maybe I got lucky, I dunno. But everything worked as expected. So I drove around for a couple miles to make sure cruise control worked, blinkers and wipers worked (even though I didn't screw with those) and we were generally good to go.

It's worth mentioning, I have the

$63 Axxess ASWC-1 Steering Wheel Control Interface

Axxess ASWC-1 in my truck to adapt to my Alpine w650 head unit. It automatically detected the new controls and the phone-off-hook button opened its phone dialog, and the voice activation button caused the head unit to trigger its listen function. But honestly, I'm not even sure how Alpine treats those, so I need to look into it. I assume I can pick up calls from the wheel now, which was the main purpose of me bothering with this (well, that and getting a leather wrapped wheel!)​

 

Control usage and adaptation questions:

"I want a modern head unit, how do I adapt my steering wheel controls to work with the new unit?"

The OEM Toyota head units have built-in functionality to receive and respond to signals sent across the wires connecting it to the clockspring pass-thru wires. We can't expect OEM suppliers like Kenwood, Alpine, Pioneer and whatnot to come pre-programmed and ready to understand whether it's installed in a Toyota, a Chevy, a Honda, or whatever. So when we install that aftermarket head unit, we need to install something between the controls and the radio which can translate the chatter coming across the wires between the steering controls and the head unit. A box that we can either program or which will ideally auto-detect "hey, feels like I got an Alpine on one side here, and Toyota steering controls on the other!" and convert the signals coming from the steering controls into something the Alpine can understand.

The two popular vendors putting out quality boxes are Axxess and iDatalink. If I were to differentiate the two, I'd say the Axxess unit is perfect for someone who prefers plugging a device up without any pre-programming and having it just "work". The iDatalink product is perfect for someone who likes and/or plans to and/or isn't afraid to use a computer to pre-program and potentially customize the hell out of what the buttons do when you tap or tap-and-hold them. Also, a brief warning if you have a Kenwood/JVC stereo: The Axxess solution may require special steps for your radio, which, if not followed, the buttons may not work as expected!

The Axxess ASWC-1 unit is a bit more automated, and the install is brainless if you get the easy-adapt Axxess harness for 2003+ Tundras our trucks. It's worth mentioning, most users thus far saw zero problems with auto-detecting things and it just ... WORKED. But I'd also be misleading if I failed to mention we saw at least one user recently who just couldn't seem to get it working correctly for their Kenwood head unit in their earlier-model Tundra - was it an older head unit, or maybe something specific to Kenwood head units? Not clear. Personally, I installed the ASWC-1 with my Alpine and it worked great. And when I added right-hand controls later, I did not need to reprogram anything ... it just worked!

The iDatalink is not something I've personally installed so huge thanks to @artsr2002 for the following info: I ordered an iDatalink ADS-MSW Universal Analog Steering Wheel Interface. The iDatalink needs to be pre-programmed outside the vehicle. I plugged it into my computer via USB, downloaded their Weblink Desktop flashing software, you tell it your vehicle and radio, and it lets you program what each button does (with a graphical picture of steering wheel controbls) when you briefly tap or hold each button. After flash is done, it also links you a PDF instructions sheet for your vehicle specific wiring connections, showing vehicle wire colors and connector pins and such to help with installation into the vehicle.

EDIT: @artsr2002 also included the following info, since he retrofitted his 2005 Tundra which didn't come from the factory with steering wheel controls:

My iDatalink and steering controls install consisted of 6 wire connections total, piggybacking off @912's super excellent write-up here:

1. Switched 12V+ which I grabbed from headunit harness
2. Ground which I grabbed at head unit harness
3. Steering control wire #1 from back of clockspring to vehicle harness (will vary per vehicle)
4. Steering control wire #2 from back of clockspring to vehicle harness (will vary per vehicle)
5. Steering control wire #3 from back of clockspring to vehicle harness (will vary per vehicle
6. Blue/Yellow wire from iDatalink interface to Blue/Yellow wire on my Kenwood headunit for Steering Wheel control input (This connection can also be made using a 3.5mm if the aftermarket headunit has a female plug like Alpines headunits).

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FWIW for anyone installing the Alpine iLX-W670 I was able to hook it up to my steering wheel buttons without any aftermarket adapters. I directly connected the the factory wires straight to the wires coming out the back of the Alpine unit. I don't know about other units but this unit has a steering wheel control programing menu screen which allows you to assign various functions to whichever button you want.
Tundra => Alpine
Grey/Red => Black/White SWG
LtGreen/Red => Black/Brown SW1
Brown/White => Black/Blue SW2

 

Getting ready to do this and order parts from ebay. My 06 interior color code is FK11. Finding plenty of airbag and switchs from 06 cienna vans, but listings say “gray”. Any idea how to differentiate someone’s opinion of a color compared to a color code? Was there just one gray across multiple vehicle models?

 

Is there a good way to determine if a used steering wheel has the recall replacement airbag or the original airbag?

 

I had mine off yesterday, its easy to remove and you will see to connecting points with 2 wires each. The new airbag has the “2 stage”, thus the 2 wire connector points.
See the first part of post 5 above for the little crew access covers on the steering wheel. Remove those and the 2 screws that are captured by the surrounding plastic and the center part (airbag) of steering wheel comes right off.

 

I'm not sure on this one. IIRC, the Sienna's idea of "grey" is a very light grey. T4R/Tundra/LC/LX470 grey is more charcoal to near-black.

My interior color is Fb12. I think FK11 is medium grey and FK12 is more of a dark charcoal. But I can't really help.

Only online resource I've been able to find for frame/body/color info is here: https://importarchive.com/toyota/tundra/2000-2006

I've never seen an interior color reference for whatever reason.

 

Fun fact, I’ve got working audio controls on my 93 mr2 with a 23’ 86 wheel. lol.

But to add to this discussion, the 2nd gen tundra wheels will work too. The 2.5 gen as well. (Assuming you’ve got dual stage bags, or are willing to run only the orange stage of the newer bags) the 2.5 gen adds a few more buttons and a 4th wire though

minor wiring needs to be done. It’s pretty simple

 

Mine has what i would call Taupe on the lower half of the door panels, darker gray on the top half. The dash and wheel is the same gray, the overhead console is taupe again. ? Frustrating.
Also getting ready to pull that overhead console down to look for the extra wire harness for the compass and temp. Should that be visible from that opening, or will i have to drop the headliner? I do have the connector for the temp sender next to the passenger side horn, hopefully thats a positive indicator that the rest of the harness is up there. (06 DC SR5)

 

https://www.tundras.com/threads/overhead-console-swap.101459/#post-2702547

Start around reply #22. I think all DC were pre-wired with temp sensor on the body harness, from somewhere around the in-dash fusebox to the radiator support. The roof harness, which is pictured later in that thread (I think on pg2) contains the link between the roof/visors/mirror and the in-dash fusebox.

I suspect the presence of the correct color wire for the temp gauge on the dash side of things could be a good indicator you've got the correct roof harness. But basically you don't want to find what the guy in reply #25 of that thread found - the multi-pin connector with only 3 wires in it.

 

The multi pin with only 3 wires is just for map lights? So im looking for a separate connector with more than 3 wires, or it will be the same connector for my map lights, but more than 3 wires not being used?

 

If I understand, same connector, more wires.

 

Bummer, i pulled it an only 3 wires. So 2 more wires from the temp sender. And is the compass signal generated in the overhead console unit, or does that signal come from somewhere else? Trying to figure out how many more wires to run to do this without spending big dollars on the harness. (Never mind, im continuing to read that thread and it seems like its going somewhere.)

 

Alternative could be buying a Roof Harness, the part number is in the linked thread. Then re-wire once and be done with it. I've seen the harness as high as $200, but more recently about 40% less than that. I suspect it will go out of stock soon. I'm holding on to the one I have for "some day".

 

Cant find a roof harness in stock, discontinued. Im several hours away from the closest junkyard so not sure when i can make it to one.

 

Damn, I hate that I was right and should’ve bought a bunch while I could. I found linemen fleaBay, searching for the part number with and without a hyphen. You may get lucky just the same.

 

Check out this part number 82171-0C290. Its the harness for the roof dvd player i guess found in the limited models. I found a used one on ebay just now and bought it. Zoomed in on that connector and seems to match your pic of #5 on post 38 https://www.tundras.com/threads/overhead-console-swap.101459/page-2
So its basically the same cable with the added wires and connectors for adding a dvd player.

 

Good thing a mr2 is a convertible so the 23 foot steering wheel will fit

 

OOF. T tops. 2023 86 is what i mean LOL

 

I am using the idatalink Maestro as well, but i dont understand which of the 3 wires coming out of clockspring (item 3,4,5 above) to connect to the maestro? Because I stole the plug with 7 wires coming out of clockspring from a sienna, im guessing the colors are different from tundras that had SWC?
And aren’t the wires you call #1,2,3 actually #4,5,6 as they come out of clockspring?
This is the wiring diagram that was given me after flashing the maestro:

 

Ok, called Crutchfield, they have a way to produce maestro wire diagrams without actually flashing a device. They set it up as from an 06 sienna (where i stole the pigtail from) and sent me this diagram which matches up with the green, blue, and yellow wires coming from the clockspring. Yea! This is good news

 

So you got it figured out? Excellent. I ordered a Chinesium wireless AA unit and hope to get the Maestro SWC interface working with it in the coming days.