How to cleanly tap into door lock wiring?

[muskie]

I want an auto locking tailgate for my Tacoma and found the Pop n Lock kits that you tap into the door lock system. I'm pretty confident in my ability to install and route the wiring but want some advice on how to cleanly tap into the existing system. I'm looking for both durability and cleanliness.

Are the T Tap connectors still a big no-no? I've never been a huge fan of crimp connectors, but I'm not super confident in my "solder onto an existing wire without cutting skills."

Are there some T tap connectors that work better than others? Basically all of the tutorials people write up are shit and they use the biggest crimp connector and then the nice tight wire bundle looks like shit.

Click to read more...

 

[LikeABauce302]

I don't like t-tap connectors. I would rather use a marine grade butt connector with adhesive shrink tube. Make sure to use a good crimping tool. The cheap ones from the autoparts store are flimsy and never crimp tight enough. I like the Klein crimping pliers.

 

[1quick]

I use crimps with heat shrink ends, I used those to splice my dogs underground fence at my last house held up to 3 years buried in the ground no problems and still going

 

[1quick]

There are some new solder joints out there that you just slide over the wire and heat with a lighter and they are awesome, if you could get those that would be my first choice

 

[wolfe]

You can buy the pins, connectors and rubber seals of a factory type connector. If you did that then you can disconnect for service should you ever need to.

 

[Yaj Yak]

There are some new solder joints out there that you just slide over the wire and heat with a lighter and they are awesome, if you could get those that would be my first choice

I've seen this in instagram ad's i think... really fuckin' slick.

 

[muskie]

You can buy the pins, connectors and rubber seals of a factory type connector. If you did that then you can disconnect for service should you ever need to.

Like DIY a plug and play connector kind of thing?

 

[bikrboy128]

I've seen this in instagram ad's i think... really fuckin' slick.

i've been using them at work. they're a huge time saver vs soldering.


t-tap connectors are never a good long term solution. how many connections do you need to splice? soldering really isn't hard or expensive to do, get a bit of wire and practice before going at your truck

 

[GTPpower]

There are some new solder joints out there that you just slide over the wire and heat with a lighter and they are awesome, if you could get those that would be my first choice

I saw those as well. Looks like they would work pretty slick.

 

[1quick]

I've seen this in instagram ad's i think... really fuckin' slick.

We had them at work several years ago I keep meaning to order some for at home but always forget

 

[muskie]

i've been using them at work. they're a huge time saver vs soldering.


t-tap connectors are never a good long term solution. how many connections do you need to splice? soldering really isn't hard or expensive to do, get a bit of wire and practice before going at your truck

Its only 2 wires so I'm way over thinking it but wiring in car is so finicky now. I need to tap into 2 wires that are burried in a pretty thick bundle. Not a lot of slack so worried about melting and damaging other wires trying to solder hence wanted to see if there was a decent no solder connector.

The bundle is close enough to the floor and carpet under the passenger seat I was concerned salt or moisture could get in there. Sounds like man-ing up and soldering is the way to go

 

[Yaj Yak]

i've been using them at work. they're a huge time saver vs soldering.


t-tap connectors are never a good long term solution. how many connections do you need to splice? soldering really isn't hard or expensive to do, get a bit of wire and practice before going at your truck

I saw those as well. Looks like they would work pretty slick.

We had them at work several years ago I keep meaning to order some for at home but always forget

i tried to find em for about 57 seconds and couldn't on the interwebs...

do you guys know what they are called?

 

[bikrboy128]

i tried to find em for about 57 seconds and couldn't on the interwebs...

do you guys know what they are called?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M1032A7/?tag=tcg21-20

 

[1quick]

i tried to find em for about 57 seconds and couldn't on the interwebs...

do you guys know what they are called?

Solder splice connector, they have them on amazon

 

[rdsnake]

I've done a bunch of wiring tapping and the best thing I've found are "step-down butt connectors". I always buy the shrink wrap kind, ALWAYS. They come in bunch of sizes. Usually they'll have a line on them to show what size they are (IE blue on one side, yellow on the other etc etc)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QC5CH0S/?tag=tcg21-20

I will usually cut the wire then put the 2 wires in the bigger size then the single wire in the smaller size.

The main reason I don't like solder on this type of connection is you have to cut the wire to get shrink wrap on the connection. Once cut on the factory wiring they usually don't give you any extra slack and if they do, it's pulling really tight and looks weird next to the OEM wires.

 

[wolfe]

Like DIY a plug and play connector kind of thing?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014IU2EE2/?tag=tcg21-20

Here ya go.