Learn the controller's safety precautions, light-switch behavior, sleepy eye controls, onboard hardware, and desktop app support in one place.
Jump to the part of the guide you need, whether you are checking a safety detail, learning the hardware, or reviewing daily-use behavior.
Find the RTR fuse location and the key warning before servicing the pop-ups.
2Quick definitions for light-switch positions and pop-up states.
3Review the controller itself, its fuses, LEDs, controls, and connectors.
4See how the wink inputs work, including the toggle button and wink cycle behavior.
5Review how HEAD, TAIL, HOLD, and OFF affect the pop-up target state.
6Understand how the mode turns on, turns off, and how to adjust offset.
7Check latch behavior, measured draw, desktop app support, and timeout recovery.
Service work around the pop-ups should always start by removing power to the controller.
Disconnect the RTR fuse from Junction Block No. 2, or disconnect the controller, before doing any work on the pop-ups. This includes headlight replacement, bulb replacement, and other service work.
Removing power prevents the pop-ups from closing unexpectedly while your hands are in the mechanism area.
After installation, avoid driving at night or in poor visibility for at least the first week so you can confirm the controller is working correctly in normal use.
These terms are used throughout the guide to describe switch positions and pop-up movement.
The controller cannot distinguish between TAIL and HOLD, so both are handled as HOLD.
The pop-up is in the fully raised position.
The pop-up is in the fully retracted position.
The pop-up is somewhere between the UP and DOWN end positions.
The controller is a plug-and-play replacement for the factory Light Retractor Relay in a Toyota Celica T18, with onboard diagnostics, configuration support, and accessory inputs.
The controller replaces the factory light retractor relay and handles pop-up movement, button inputs, sleepy eye controls, error storage, and USB communication with a PC.
In theory it may also work with some other pop-up headlight cars if a custom wiring adapter and mounting bracket are made.
The controller has four replaceable onboard fuses. In general, increasing the fuse rating is not recommended.
The entire light retractor circuit is also protected by a 30 A RTR fuse in the engine bay.
Protects the 3.3 V and 12 V rails, excluding the pop-up motors.
Protects everything after the power connector, including the main TVS diode.
Protects the left pop-up motor.
Protects the right pop-up motor.
Lights while the left pop-up motor is being powered.
Lights while the right pop-up motor is being powered.
Solid when the controller is running. Flashes when the debug button is pressed.
Turns on when an error occurs and flashes stored error count on startup.
Flashes briefly when an input change is registered.
The controller includes the main Toyota harness connector, a USB-C port for computer communication, and six Micro-Fit accessory connectors.
| Connector | Function | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Main | 12-pin Toyota connector | Uses the same connector and pinout as the original Light Retractor Relay. |
| X1 | RH wink button | Accessory connector. |
| X2 | LH wink button | Accessory connector. |
| X3 | Both wink button | Accessory connector. |
| X4 | Both toggle button | Acts like both-wink, but in HOLD it toggles pop-up position between UP and DOWN. |
| X5 | Sleepy eye controls | Accessory connector. |
| X6 | Expansion | Used for accessories such as the remote receiver module. |
Up to four wink-related inputs can be connected, with the fourth input acting as a toggle button on X4.
Wink buttons all use the same connector type, and their cables can be interchanged if needed. Pressing a wink button makes one pop-up or both pop-ups wink.
The fourth button on X4 is a toggle button rather than a standard wink input.
The wink cycle starts when a pop-up button is pressed and released.
Multiple wink cycles can run at the same time, so one pop-up can move while the other is already in motion.
If a pop-up starts in the sleepy eye position, the wink cycle will return it to that same position at the end of the cycle.
The controller reacts to all light-switch positions, but only HEAD and OFF actively change the pop-up target state.
HEAD raises the pop-ups, and OFF retracts them.
TAIL and HOLD keep the current target state.
| Position | Icon | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| HEAD | Pop-ups go UP. | |
| TAIL | No change to pop-up position. | |
| HOLD | No change to pop-up position. | |
| OFF | Pop-ups go DOWN. |
HOLD and TAIL do not interrupt an in-progress move. They simply stop requesting a new position change.
Sleepy eye mode lets the pop-ups stop at a partial angle set by the sleepy eye control knob.
Use the sleepy eye button to toggle the mode on or off. The knob on the sleepy eye controls selects how far the pop-ups continue moving after first reaching UP.
By default, sleepy eye mode can only be enabled while the light switch is in the OFF position. This can be changed in the desktop app.
If the pop-ups do not stop at the same angle in sleepy eye mode, adjust the OFFSET potentiometer on the controller. The setting can add a fixed timing offset from -50 ms to +50 ms, with the middle position equal to 0 ms.
The controller latches power during use and can shut itself back down after long idle time with the light switch in OFF.
The controller stays powered whenever the light switch is in any position other than OFF. Holding a wink button or the sleepy eye toggle button can also power it for the duration of the hold.
Once powered, the controller attempts to latch itself on within about 300 ms. After that, it remains powered even if the light switch moves to OFF and no buttons are being held.
If the switch stays in OFF and there is no pop-up movement, a countdown begins from 86400 seconds, which is 1 day. When the countdown finishes, the controller unlatches power and shuts down.
Pressing any button, changing the light-switch position, or receiving a remote command that moves the pop-ups resets the countdown. The timeout value can be changed in the desktop app.
Pop-up state is not remembered after power off, and sleepy eye mode does not stay active through a power cycle.
| Controller state | Voltage | Power draw |
|---|---|---|
| Turned on | 12 V | < 30 mA |
| Turned off | 12 V | < 10 uA |
While the controller is awake, it roughly doubles the car's normal idle current draw, so the battery also drains about twice as fast during that time. If the light switch is left in the OFF position, the controller shuts itself down after 24 hours. Once shut down, its own power draw drops to a negligible level, so in practice it typically shortens battery standby time by only about 1 day.
The desktop application provides a simple way to read controller data, adjust settings, and flash firmware updates. Dedicated setup, flashing, and usage guides are also available from the App Guides page.
Read statistical data from the controller.
Read stored errors and clear them when needed.
Review and adjust controller settings.
Flash new firmware revisions from your computer.
If a pop-up cannot reach its target position within 2.5 seconds, the controller enters a timeout state and stops movement. The ERROR LED turns on and an error code is stored in the error log.
Use any one of the following methods to restart the controller and clear the timeout state:
More safety features may be added in future firmware versions.
