1995 Tacoma - Instrument Panel

I just bought a used 1995 Toyota Tacoma. It is the low end with bench seats, 4 cylinder engine and a 5 speed manual transmission. It is the standard cab, two wheel drive model. It had 73,818 miles on it. Selling price was $4,400. It needed 4 tires and a clutch.

The instrument panel is very simple. You might say it was cost reduced. There is not a Trip Odometer. There is a regular odometer, although it does not show tenths, just whole miles. There is a speedometer.

In the owners manual there are two instrument clusters described. This cost reduced one and a more fully featured one. The more featured one has a tachometer and a trip odometer.

Two questions.

1) What is the chance that the full featured instrument cluster would work? I assume I could find one in a junk yard.

2) What range of model years would "probably" have the same instrument cluster?

Thanks,

Ken - Dayton, OH

Reply to
RunnerBiker
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On older models 84-88 the SR5 (tach, trip, extra guages) were interchangeable with DLX low end dashes. Sometimes you had to add a single tach wire and swap out the oil sender. Otherwise a direct swap provided it came from the same engine (tach would read different if a 6 cyl). Not sure the range of years though - is yours a digital odo read out?

89-94 were probably all non-digital odo. 95 might be first year for no speedo cable?
Reply to
Wolfgang

The odometer is mechanical, and there is a speedometer cable.

Reply to
RunnerBiker

Thanks jake,

I knew a new instrument panel would be very expensive. If the better instrument panel would work, my next step would be to find one in a junk yard. That is why I asked what range of years are the same design, so I could look for a 1992 - 1996 for example...

Concerning the tachometer wire that is missing: Could a new wire be run to the instrument panel? I wouldn't expect to be able to get the new wire into the wiring harness. I would sleeve it and route it sparately into the back of the dash area. Does the wiring harness connector have a slot for the connection, but there is no wire in it, or is the connector different?

Thanks,

Ken - Dayton, OH

Reply to
RunnerBiker

While you're pulling the instrument cluster from the vehicle in the junkyard take the connector with as much wire as you can get to. Even if the connector is the same, it could be wired differently (wires in different places). Chances are good that the wire colors will be the same. If not, wiring diagrams for both clusters will be helpful. And if you need an extra wire for the tach to slip into your connector, you can pry out the one from the donor car connector and slip it into yours. Little clips like that can be a bear to find if you need one. Another thing you can do if you're handy is to make a wooden piece to fit the cluster area and mount all the gauges etc. to it. I did this with a Mercury I had with an 80 mph speedometer, which I hated. I mounted a matching speedo and tach from a junkyard, mechanical gauges, and used press in lights in varying colors from a parts house for high beam, directionals, and idiot lights. Hardest part was mounting the shift indicator (auto tranny). It took a little time, but looked sharp when it was done, and I had a 120 mph speedometer which had 60 mph in the straight up position that I was used to.

Reply to
max-income

Thanks for the great suggestion about getting the connector(s) from the junk yard. Ypu are right those connector pins could be rare.

I don't think I have the skill to build an instrument cluster out of weed like you did, but I admire your tenacity.

Reply to
RunnerBiker

BOY!. I sure wish I could type better. I meant wood, not weed. I wonder where my mind was???

Reply to
RunnerBiker

I took a chance and bought a used instrument cluster from an auto Salvage Yard. It cost $75,00. Since it is an "electrical" part, the auto yard's sign said no returns.

The original instrument cluster had a speedometer, odometer, Temp and fuel guages. All the rest was warning lights.

The new instrument cluster has a speedometer, a tachometer, an odometer, a trip odometer, temp and fuel guages. All the rest are warning lights. (The additions are the tach and the trip odometer) The new one is from a 1996 Tacoma (Manual Transmission)

I got to watch the "technician" at the auto salvage yard remove the old instrument cluster, so I got some important tips on how to get into the instrument panel.

It took about 2 hours to swap instrument clusters, but now I have a TACHOMETER and a TRIP ODOMETER. Woo Hoo.

I did not have to change any wiring. I simply unplugged the old instrument cluster and plugged in the new one.

The old odometer had about 75,000 miles on it. The new one has about

135,000. Does anyone know where I can get the new one reset? Can I do it with a drill? I tried all my allen wrenches, none seemed to fit correctly? My Toyota dealer service department said they could give me a "mileage statement" indicating the difference in miles.

Ken - Dayton, OH

Reply to
RunnerBiker

The mileage statement, for most transactions is as good as gold, so to speak. You might want to take a photograph of the "new" odometer. Maybe use a camera that imprints the time and date. Then attach the photo to the dated mileage statement and put it with your other valuable papers. Maybe make a copy to carry in the glove compartment, "just in case."

By the way, thanks for submitting your truck as the guinea pig... :>))

TOM

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Reply to
TOM

Tom,

The photo idea is a good one. I'll try to get a photo that shows both the old and hte new instrument cluster in the same picture, along with the date imprint.

Ken - Dayton, OH

Reply to
RunnerBiker

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