When it comes to the Tacoma’s factory turn signals, let’s be honest, they are lame. The plastic chrome and dim output just don’t seem to serve an aesthetic or functional purpose. Fortunately, the MESO Customs’ switchback mirror signals fix both of these problems.
For most people, upgrading all of your factory halogen lights to LEDs is a must. MESO Customs makes some great products for the 3rd Gen Tacoma.. Not only do they have great light output and give your mirrors a sleek blacked-out look, but they also add two features over the OEM lights.
In addition to supporting a sequential pattern, you can wire these as a DRL light as well. This makes the V5 the most feature-packed option on the market by far!
Find It Online
- MESO Customs Switchback Mirror Turn Signal (2016-2023): Check Price
Features & Specs
- LED lights
- Customizable
- Available in either a white DRL or amber DRL
- Switchback option (From DRL light to turn signal)
- 3 different flash pattern modes
- Plug and play
Table Of Contents
Installation
Installation only requires a single tool and some patience on your part. It should take less than 30 minutes.
Required Tools
- Phillips screwdriver
Step 1. Remove Mirror Caps
To get your mirror caps off, there are no tools required, just your hands and some prying. I found it the easiest to grab over the top of the mirror so your fingertips can grip onto the mirror cap at the top end and pull back.
These mirror caps are attached to the mirror with plastic clips, so be gentle when you are pulling them off. With moderate force, you should start to hear the clips pop as they disengage. Slowly work your way around the mirror cap until it comes completely off.
Step 2. Remove OEM
With the mirror cap off, you will see two small screws that are holding the factory unit into the mirror. In the photo above, these are not chrome like yours might be because I previously installed an older version of MESO’s turn signals.
Once you remove the two screws, there is one plastic clip that goes over the top portion of the turn signal. Pinch this clip where you see my thumb in the photo above to disengage it.
With the last clip disengaged, grab the turn signal and pull it out and up from the mirror housing. After you pull the unit out, you will see the small wire that is connecting them to power. Unplug this wire and remove it.
Step 3. Install MESO
Place the new turn signal into the mirror just as you removed the factory one. Wiggle it into the mirror behind the long plastic clip and then snap the clip over the new part. Then, reinstall the two screws.
Next, plug in the power wires for the new turn signal. The plug coming from your truck will plug into the black plug that says “MESO” on it with a yellow and black wire coming out of it.
Now that the power wire is connected, you need to plug in the other end of that yellow wire to your desired flash pattern input. This wire has a connector on the end of it with a screw cap that will need to be connected to one of the short stubby wires that are yellow, green, or blue.
Each one of these short wires is programmed to flash in a different pattern. Play around with connecting each one then test them to see how it looks to choose the setup you best like.
- Yellow wire – Factory pattern, a simple on-and-off flash.
- Green wire – Standard sequential flash that matches the factory LED headlight signal if your Tacoma is equipped with it.
- Blue wire – Reverse sequential flash pattern.
Step 4. Wire DRL Power Extension (Optional)
Wiring up the DRL function of the turn signal is completely optional. This requires removing your side mirrors and your door panel to feed the wires and then through the firewall to tap into your headlights. This process is tedious but the results are worth it.
On your MESO Customs’ signal wires, there is a red and white wire coming off of the bundle of wires. The red and white wires are for the DRL function of your signal. A plug-and-play DRL headlight harness and an extension wire are provided.
I chose not to add the DRL function, but you can find the installation process below.
First, remove the side mirror and inside door panel so that you can run your wires. Run the supplied extension wire through your side mirror and down the wire sleeve between the door and the cab of the truck. The extension wire then needs to run down inside your door following the other wires that will exit the door and go into the cab of the truck. A coat hanger and electrical tape are extremely helpful when running wires through tight spaces.
Next, you will need to run the wire through the firewall and into your engine bay. I’ve run multiple wires into the engine bay using the rubber grommets that Toyota utilizes for the factory wiring. Then, route the wires up to one side of the truck to be wired together and gain power from one of your headlights. It does matter which side, just whichever is easier for your cable management.
Finally, connect the provided plug-and-play DRL harness to the harness of your chosen headlight. After these wires are routed and connected, turn on your DRL lights and test for functionality.
Step 5. Re-Assemble Mirror
Reassembling the mirror is as simple as reversing the disassembly steps. Before I put the mirror cap back on, I cleaned up the inside of the mirror and the mirror cap while I had access to it.
On the mirror cap, there is a tab that will line up with a square hole on the mirror as seen in the photo above. Align this tab and gently press the mirror back into place until all the clips are resecured. Now, stand back and admire them!
Final Thoughts
These turn signals are much brighter than the OEM ones and that’s always a plus for me. Safety is their primary function, so brighter is always better.
Regarding aesthetics, these ones look much better than the chrome signals. My truck has a red and black theme so these signals really help pull that theme together. Lastly, I love the sequential feature. I love how the flowing light pattern looks compared to the original on-and-off flash of the OEM lights.
MESO Customs is renowned for its unique and high-quality upgrades. If you don’t like your chrome, low-output, and boring OEM lights, get yourself a pair of these!
