I'm trying to replace a few bulbs on the instrument cluster of a Toyota Corolla 98 plate (UK). The Haynes manual to the previous model makes it sound very easy...but!
I can get the bezel off and unscrew the cluster mounting from the inside of the dashboard, but the cable that goes to the speedometer is too tight to allow me to pull the cluster out any more than an inch.
Should the speedomoter cable be long enough so that the cluster comes out while still connected? Should I just get the garage to do it? ;-)
If it is a mechanical speedometer, I believe that the speedometer cable is screwed to the back of the speedometer like a coaxial cable. Unscrew the threaded connector and it should pull out. Another possibility is to unscrew the speedometer cable from the transmission and see if that provides enough slack to pull the cluster out further. I thought that the speedometer was electronic, in which case you would have to unplug the wiring harness at the back of the cluster.
The cable is fairly hefty, seems to be a sort of metal-wound coaxial; I'm almost certain it's a mechanical unit.
That's the problem, I can't get the cluster out far enough to get at the speedo!
I thought this might be the case, but before messing around with it I figured I'd ask someone that might know! It seems the cable may have been re-routed around a hose at some point, which could be taking up enough slack to cause the problem.
Thanks for such a fast reply Ray, it's very much appreciated :-)
I've seen some that plug in with a big latching hook/clip arrangement on one side, IIRC my FJ-62 LandCruiser is like that. You only have to get it pulled out far enough to get your hand in there to find and release the clip, and the cluster pops out further - then you have to deal with unplugging the electrical connections before it comes completely out.
It's a bit tricky to get it back together, but I never spent more than two or three minutes fighting with it before it popped back in. And I must have had that cluster out 20 times while adding custom electronics to the car, getting halfway done with something and then having to put it back together to drive to work.
Forget about that one - the cable casing is supposed to be clamped down at all the bends so it can't get kinked. They leave a few inches of slack under the dash specifically to allow for getting the cluster out, but if you need more slack you have to locate and loosen all the clamps. And then don't kink the casing or the cable will go bad.
Nah, he wouldn't get that lucky... I didn't think any speedometers started going electronic till at least the Oughts.
I forgot about those connections, now I'm not so sure which one it has :-(
I don't know if OBD II applies to vehicles outside of the U.S, but I thought all OBD II vehicles had electronic speedometers. Several Toyotas had electronic speedometers in the late 80's and early 90's, including the Camry, Cressida, & Supra.
Well I've managed to get them out after freeing the speedo cable. Now I have to find a bulb stockist who won't want my spleen + £1000 per bulb...wish me luck :-)
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