EVIC Pigtails

Huklbery · **Joined:** Tue Jul 10, 2012 6:34 am **Posts:** 8

My 2003 Renegade has a sunroof, remote door locks, etc. I want to install an EVIC, but would first like to know if an EVIC pigtail connector will plug into the same connector that the present unit (courtesy lights, sunroof controls) is plugged into. I have spoken to several dealership service writers and read a lot of online entries, but all I've found is a lot of contradictory information. One guy said they could run the VIN and get the answer, but he wasn't willing to do that. Another guy said there's no way to know. Does anybody here know? Thanks.

infernicus · **Posted:** Tue Oct 23, 2012 7:17 pm

Welcome to the forum!
The answer to your question is yes and no.
Those plugs will plug in to control the lights.
But you will need the original pigtail that came from the EVIC.
It can be difficult to source one.
It is very easy to wire up your EVIC with your Jeep.
Here is a page that will answer all your questions, and some you didn't know you had, haha.
http://www.jeepkj.com/evic/

Enjoy!

Huklbery · **Joined:** Tue Jul 10, 2012 6:34 am **Posts:** 8

infernicus wrote:

Welcome to the forum!
The answer to your question is yes and no.
Those plugs will plug in to control the lights.
But you will need the original pigtail that came from the EVIC.
It can be difficult to source one.
It is very easy to wire up your EVIC with your Jeep.
Here is a page that will answer all your questions, and some you didn't know you had, haha.
http://www.jeepkj.com/evic/

Enjoy!

Thanks for the welcome, and for the info. I had read the piece you sent the link to, and read it again, but I still find it confusing. It says, "Note: ALWAYS make sure you get the harness connector that plugs into the EVIC/OTIS module (and a few inches of wire) if you buy a used console...you CANNOT install the console without this plug." He seems to be saying that there is a male connector in the harness that plugs into the EVIC, but you seem to be saying there is a pigtail that is hardwired into the EVIC, which presumably has a connector at the end of it (like a vehicle radio head unit, for example) that plugs into a connector that is part of the harness. It doesn't seem logical to me that there would have been more than one harness installed in Libertys on the assembly line, and two of the experienced Jeep service guys I spoke to said the harnesses they had seen were the same, whether the vehicle came with an EVIC or not. None of the EVICS I have seen listed on ebay have connectors at the ends of whatever wiring the EVIC has, and some have no wiring at all. Have you actually done an EVIC installation and seen this stuff? Thanks again.

infernicus · **Posted:** Tue Oct 23, 2012 8:42 pm

I haven't personally done it because for my year I can only use one oout my same year, and that is very difficult to find.

Although I have read up on it in anticipation I get lucky and find one.

I'm sorry if I confused you some more, lol. But there aren't wires sticking out of it, you need the connector that plugs in.
The connector for the dome lights plug in.
But you would need to tap into the other wire in your vehicle for example, fused power, ignition power, etc.
That page explains everything.
Good luck.

Huklbery · **Joined:** Tue Jul 10, 2012 6:34 am **Posts:** 8

infernicus wrote:

I haven't personally done it because for my year I can only use one oout my same year, and that is very difficult to find.

Although I have read up on it in anticipation I get lucky and find one.

I'm sorry if I confused you some more, lol. But there aren't wires sticking out of it, you need the connector that plugs in.
The connector for the dome lights plug in.
But you would need to tap into the other wire in your vehicle for example, fused power, ignition power, etc.
That page explains everything.
Good luck.

There are a half-dozen or more EVICs listed on ebay as we speak that do, in fact, have wires sticking out of them. Some, from more than one place. In any event, it's not running power to the unit that I see as the issue, it's how the unit receives data on temp, distance, fuel level, etc. In any event, thanks sincerely for your offer of help.

NewOldTimer · **Posted:** Tue Oct 23, 2012 10:06 pm

Huklbery wrote:

Thanks for the welcome, and for the info. I had read the piece you sent the link to, and read it again, but I still find it confusing. It says, "Note: ALWAYS make sure you get the harness connector that plugs into the EVIC/OTIS module (and a few inches of wire) if you buy a used console...you CANNOT install the console without this plug." He seems to be saying that there is a male connector in the harness that plugs into the EVIC, but you seem to be saying there is a pigtail that is hardwired into the EVIC, which presumably has a connector at the end of it (like a vehicle radio head unit, for example) that plugs into a connector that is part of the harness. It doesn't seem logical to me that there would have been more than one harness installed in Libertys on the assembly line, and two of the experienced Jeep service guys I spoke to said the harnesses they had seen were the same, whether the vehicle came with an EVIC or not. None of the EVICS I have seen listed on ebay have connectors at the ends of whatever wiring the EVIC has, and some have no wiring at all. Have you actually done an EVIC installation and seen this stuff? Thanks again.

OK...... Here's the "short" answer. :ROTFL:

The plugs you have in your existing console will work with your new EVIC.... PROVIDED your new EVIC console also has sunroof controls.
For the additional EVIC options (Temp, miles to empty, etc.) the "pigtail" is required. This is an additional 4 pin, 4 wire harness that must be wired
to your vehicle. The articles you've already read will tell you how to wire this. The "pigtail" needs to be lengthened to reach from the roof console to
under the dash.

This may help also. http://www.jeepkj.com/evic/

Huklbery · **Joined:** Tue Jul 10, 2012 6:34 am **Posts:** 8

NewOldTimer wrote:

Huklbery wrote:

Thanks for the welcome, and for the info. I had read the piece you sent the link to, and read it again, but I still find it confusing. It says, "Note: ALWAYS make sure you get the harness connector that plugs into the EVIC/OTIS module (and a few inches of wire) if you buy a used console...you CANNOT install the console without this plug." He seems to be saying that there is a male connector in the harness that plugs into the EVIC, but you seem to be saying there is a pigtail that is hardwired into the EVIC, which presumably has a connector at the end of it (like a vehicle radio head unit, for example) that plugs into a connector that is part of the harness. It doesn't seem logical to me that there would have been more than one harness installed in Libertys on the assembly line, and two of the experienced Jeep service guys I spoke to said the harnesses they had seen were the same, whether the vehicle came with an EVIC or not. None of the EVICS I have seen listed on ebay have connectors at the ends of whatever wiring the EVIC has, and some have no wiring at all. Have you actually done an EVIC installation and seen this stuff? Thanks again.

OK...... Here's the "short" answer. :ROTFL:

The plugs you have in your existing console will work with your new EVIC.... PROVIDED your new EVIC console also has sunroof controls.
For the additional EVIC options (Temp, miles to empty, etc.) the "pigtail" is required. This is an additional 4 pin, 4 wire harness that must be wired
to your vehicle. The articles you've already read will tell you how to wire this. The "pigtail" needs to be lengthened to reach from the roof console to
under the dash.

This may help also. http://www.jeepkj.com/evic/

Always trust an International Man of Mystery, that's my motto.
So, (please check my conclusions for accuracy):
1. EVICs originally were manufactured with places to plug in two connectors from the harness: one controlled the lights and sunroof and the other was connected to a data processor + power.
2. The plastic connector for the lights and sunroof is already in my Jeep, and will fit into the EVIC after I disconnect it from the current unit.
3. The plastic connector for the data processor + power was not included in harnesses on Libertys that weren't going to have an EVIC installed.
4. When the author of the article on LOST says to ALWAYS get the connector, he means in effect, make sure there is at least a stub of wiring coming off the unit from the connection that will be connected under the dash. In other words, it is important to buy a used unit that was butchered by having the pigtail clipped off than a unit from which the connector was carefully taken out of the unit.

Am I correct in those three conclusions?

Also, with regard to the part numbers, I have seen used units on ebay that seem to have the features I need but vary only in the last letter of the part number. Is it possible that the last letter refers only to the color of the console, or something that doesn't affect the applicability of the unit? Thanks.

NewOldTimer · **Posted:** Thu Oct 25, 2012 10:12 pm

Huklbery wrote:

Always trust an International Man of Mystery, that's my motto.
So, (please check my conclusions for accuracy):
1. EVICs originally were manufactured with places to plug in two connectors from the harness: one controlled the lights and sunroof and the other was connected to a data processor + power.
2. The plastic connector for the lights and sunroof is already in my Jeep, and will fit into the EVIC after I disconnect it from the current unit.
3. The plastic connector for the data processor + power was not included in harnesses on Libertys that weren't going to have an EVIC installed.
4. When the author of the article on LOST says to ALWAYS get the connector, he means in effect, make sure there is at least a stub of wiring coming off the unit from the connection that will be connected under the dash. In other words, it is important to buy a used unit that was butchered by having the pigtail clipped off than a unit from which the connector was carefully taken out of the unit.

Am I correct in those three conclusions?

Also, with regard to the part numbers, I have seen used units on ebay that seem to have the features I need but vary only in the last letter of the part number. Is it possible that the last letter refers only to the color of the console, or something that doesn't affect the applicability of the unit? Thanks.

1. Yes.... almost. The lights & sunroof controls have separate connectors. So there will be 3 connectors on the EVIC.
2. Yes..... almost. See #1.
3. Yes.
4. Yes.

To my knowledge, the last letter of the part number indicates the date of manufacture. This is important for features such as TPMS, Instant MPG, etc.

Huklbery · **Joined:** Tue Jul 10, 2012 6:34 am **Posts:** 8

NewOldTimer wrote:

Huklbery wrote:

Always trust an International Man of Mystery, that's my motto.
So, (please check my conclusions for accuracy):
1. EVICs originally were manufactured with places to plug in two connectors from the harness: one controlled the lights and sunroof and the other was connected to a data processor + power.
2. The plastic connector for the lights and sunroof is already in my Jeep, and will fit into the EVIC after I disconnect it from the current unit.
3. The plastic connector for the data processor + power was not included in harnesses on Libertys that weren't going to have an EVIC installed.
4. When the author of the article on LOST says to ALWAYS get the connector, he means in effect, make sure there is at least a stub of wiring coming off the unit from the connection that will be connected under the dash. In other words, it is important to buy a used unit that was butchered by having the pigtail clipped off than a unit from which the connector was carefully taken out of the unit.

Am I correct in those three conclusions?

Also, with regard to the part numbers, I have seen used units on ebay that seem to have the features I need but vary only in the last letter of the part number. Is it possible that the last letter refers only to the color of the console, or something that doesn't affect the applicability of the unit? Thanks.

1. Yes.... almost. The lights & sunroof controls have separate connectors. So there will be 3 connectors on the EVIC.
2. Yes..... almost. See #1.
3. Yes.
4. Yes.

To my knowledge, the last letter of the part number indicates the date of manufacture. This is important for features such as TPMS, Instant MPG, etc.

Always trust a singer of sentimental ballads, that's my motto.
Seriously, thanks, Brad.
A couple more answers and I'll be ready to take the plunge.

1. In his write-up, LibertyKJ provides info for tapping into three of the wires that are present in the connector under the steering column. But, at the very end of the article, he says this:
"Thats pretty much it. If you are installing an overhead console from scratch, make sure you get the wiring harness connectors for both the console itself, and the fuse panel. If you do not have these parts, the installation will be extremely difficult."
In these three sentences, he seems to be saying there is a connector available that enables plugging into the fusebox, rather than soldering into the wires from the piece under the steering column. I assume he is referring to the fusebox at the driver's end of the dashboard. If such a connection exists in the fusebox, I would think it also includes a connection for the fused power blue/white wire. Am I reading this incorrectly? Where did you connect yours? Even though I've had a lot of soldering experience, I'm not looking forward to trying to solder to short wires under the steering column.

(By the way, I've written directly to LibertyKJ asking if he'd be willing to respond to a couple of questions, but have not heard back.)

There are also references in the threads to a PC drive connector that plugs into something, but I'm not sure what. The connection under the steering column? The EVIC itself? The mysterious fusebox connection, perhaps?

2. Do you know the correct wire gauge for lengthening the pigtail?
3. I assume the ignition-based power wire for the sunroof would be a good place to connect the blue/white wire. I don't suppose you have a wiring diagram or just happen to know what color that wire is.

At the moment, I'm still struggling with simply removing the existing overhead lights/sunroof controls unit from the roof so that I can see what's going on up there. Everything I've read suggests it's just a press fit, but I've applied a lot of pressure completely around the circumference, and it won't budge.

Thanks again.
Bill

TwoBobsKJ · **Joined:** Fri May 11, 2012 8:03 pm **Posts:** 463

I'll try to answer your questions in order:

1) The PC connector is able to be used as a solution if the connector from the EVIC is missing - in other words the connector end of the pigtail that you want to have with your EVIC. IMO you should only get an EVIC that has the connector still attached to it rather than trying to mod a PC connector to work. The other connector he references is an "add-a-fuse" connector you can buy at any auto parts store. Simply plug the fuse that is in a slot into the connector, plug the connector into the slot you pulled the existing fuse from and plug the connector into the fuse panel at the location shown here - kinda dark but the add-a-fuse is attached to the red wire and the yellow fuse is plugged into it on the bottom left of the panel:

2) Use 18ga wire

3) Follow LiberyKJ's instructions for wiring into the OBD connector under the steering column and then connecting to the fuse location with the add-a-fuse connector pictured above. For the record I also have an '03 with a sunroof and I followed his instructions to the letter.

The challenging part is soldering three of the leads into the OBD wires. I ended up cutting mine and splicing/soldering the new leads into them. What I should have done is pulled the wires out of the OBD by inserting a very small screwdriver or paper clip into the ports in back of the OBD and easily slide the wires out. I then could have connected the new leads to the existing wires by soldering them to the connectors on the existing wires. As it was I lived dangerously and cut the wires which doesn't leave much slack. Could've screwed things up but I was too motivated to get the EVIC installed :shock:

Have fun!

Bob

NewOldTimer · **Posted:** Fri Oct 26, 2012 7:00 pm

By the way......

I just remembered I have an OTIS with sun roof controls sitting out in the garage.
If you're not having any luck finding an EVIC for a reasonable price, I can make you a deal on the OTIS.
It was in my '04 until I upgraded to the EVIC a couple of months ago.

I only did the upgrade because the outside temp wasn't working with the OTIS.
(Doesn't work with the EVIC either)
Turns out, there was a change of some sort during '04 production, and for the outside temp to work I
need to get an EVIC from an '04 produced during the same time as mine.

Huklbery · **Joined:** Tue Jul 10, 2012 6:34 am **Posts:** 8

NewOldTimer wrote:

By the way......

I just remembered I have an OTIS with sun roof controls sitting out in the garage.
If you're not having any luck finding an EVIC for a reasonable price, I can make you a deal on the OTIS.
It was in my '04 until I upgraded to the EVIC a couple of months ago.

I only did the upgrade because the outside temp wasn't working with the OTIS.
(Doesn't work with the EVIC either)
Turns out, there was a change of some sort during '04 production, and for the outside temp to work I
need to get an EVIC from an '04 produced during the same time as mine.

Thanks, Brad. I think I've got an EVIC lined up, but I'll keep your offer in mind if it falls through. BIll

EVIC Pigtails

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