changes to T4's over the years

General discussion about our beloved Tercel 4WD cars
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dlb
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changes to T4's over the years

Post by dlb »

since we keep finding new exceptions to the rules, this will be a work in progress. i want to create a comprehensive thread focused on the evolution of the T4 since it seems to come up fairly often. i thought about putting this in the FAQ but think it will take a long time and many revisions so i figured a separate thread was the best way to go. i've put question marks everywhere that i'm unsure but please correct me anywhere you see something wrong. post it here and i'll correct, update, and edit it as we go.

please note that this only applies to north american models. i have no idea about JDM, european, australian, south american, etc. models.


grill: blocky logo w/ vertical bars '83-'84. sleek logo w/ vertical bars '85-'86. sleek logo w/ diamond pattern '87-'88.

headlights: sealed beam and useless inner parking lights '83-'86. useless inner parking lights deleted, composite headlights added '87-'88.

wheels: blocky "pizza cutter" SR5 alloys '83-'85. slotted "saw blade" SR5 alloys '87-'88. white SR5 steelies '83-'87. silver SR5 steelies '88.

steel wheels & hubcaps: old style steel wheels and hubcaps, years ? new style wheels and hubcaps, years ? although they appear identical when put together, these wheels and hubcaps are not interchangeable.

inclinometer: most '83-'84 SR5s. no others.

steering: fixed steering on '83-84 SR5, tilt optional on DLX and standard on SR5 '85-'88. fixed and tilt steering use a different u-joint assembly—not interchangeable.

seats: '83-'84 SR5 picnic blanket plaid pattern, '85 SR5 diamond pattern, '86-87 SR5 diagonal tweed pattern, '88 SR5 hounds tooth pattern. 'holy shit' handles for rear passengers in all SR5s '83-'88. vinyl seats in DLX '83-'86. nice cloth seats in DLX '87-'88.

trim colour: colour of plastic trim changed with same year changes as SR5 seat pattern. part of door panels changed style with the seat pattern changes.

passenger handles: curved space-age looking handles '83-'84. updated blocky style '85-'88.

side mirrors: flip flop style that folds both backward and forward, attached by screws '83-'84. canada - fixed style '85-'88, US - semi flip flop style that only folds backward '85-'88. all '85-'88 side mirrors attached with nuts on threaded studs.

'toyota 4wd' and 'SR5' logos on grill, hatch, mud flaps, and rub strips: blocky font '83-'84. sleek font '85-'88.

rub strips: '83-'86 rub strips are thick and attached with clips. '87-88 SR5 rubs strips are thinner and attached with foam tape.

steering wheel: USA - '83-'86 SR5 had blocky style with spokes pointed downward. '87-88 SR5 used MR2 style. '83-'88 DLX had blocky style with spokes sideways.

Canada - '83-'84 SR5 had bird head logo on steering wheel. '85-'86 SR5 had blocky style with downward spokes similar to US style. '87-'88 SR5 had smooth euro style. '87-'88 DLX had similar smooth euro style. '83-'86 DLX ?

climate controls: vent controls have 4 options '83-'84. vent controls have 5 options '85-'88. also, climate control knobs are black with silver vertical stripe '83-'84. knobs are black with white vertical stripe '85-'88.

dash vents: always open '83-'84. can be individually opened and closed via a wheel '85-'88.

radio antenna placement: most '83-85 on left (drivers) side. '85-'88 on right side.

rear window wiper: rests horizontally '83-'85. rests almost vertically '86-'88.

transmission/diff gear ratio for manual trans: 3.73:1 for '83-'84. 4.1:1 for '85-'88.

transmission/diff gear ration for automatic trans: 3.909:1?

clutch safety switch: added to manual trans t4s from '86 on. prevents starting car unless clutch pedal is depressed.

crankshaft bearings: different crankshaft kits for '83s. cutoff date for earlier kit is 10/83. ?

valve cover: '83-'84 has "toyota" in raised letters. '85-88 valve cover plain.

extra low gear dash light: not in '83-'84. only in '85-'88.

shift pattern sticker: located on shifter trim '83-'84. located in glove box '85-'88.

speedometer: max of 90 mph/140 km/h for '83-'84. max of 110 mph/180km/h for '85-'88.

electrical connectors: some plugs for things like rear window wiper motor, rear hatch lights, front turn indicators, transmission reverse light, etc changed. old style connectors '83-'84, new style connectors '85-'88.

cowl screens: plastic screens '83-'86. stainless screens '87-'88.

brake light: third brake light added to rear hatch '86-'88.

factory cruise control: offered on both DLX and SR5 '85-'88.

windshield wipers: most DLX had mist/normal/fast settings and most SR5s had intermittent/normal/fast settings, all years? t4s with factory cruise control had adjustable intermittent/normal/fast settings '86-'88?

hatch license plate holder (aka "ATM"): silver strip outline '87-'88.

stereo speakers: DLX had front speakers with option for rear speakers, SR5 came standard with front and rear speakers, all years.
Last edited by dlb on Mon Aug 12, 2013 5:35 pm, edited 7 times in total.
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Re: changes to T4's over the years

Post by Petros »

these are only true for North American cars, south American and JDM, and European area all different. for the NA cars I have a few corrections for you.
dlb wrote: wheels: blocky SR5 alloys '83-'85. slotted SR5 alloys '87-'88. white SR5 steelies throughout?
I think 1988 steel wheels were silver, I have seen a number of them. they call the '83-85 allow style "pizza cutter" and the later one "saw blade"

dlb wrote:tilt steering: ?
'83-84 all models fixed steering height, tilt on SR5 only '85-88. this also changed the steering column so a differnt u-joint assembly is used with them.
dlb wrote:seats: various plaid patterns and 'holy shit' handles in SR5s '83-'88. vinyl seats in DLX '83-'86. nice cloth seats in DLX '87-'88.
'83-84 SR5 pick-nick blanket plaid, '85 SR5 diamond pattern, '86-87 SR5 diagonal tweed pattern, '88 SR5 hounds tooth pattern (?). Also, slight color changes in plastic trim with these same year changes, and the vinyl part of the door panel also changed style with the seat pattern changes.
dlb wrote:side mirrors: flip flop style '83-'84. fixed style '85-'88.
'85-88 are not fixed, but are "flip" only, not flop. they fold back, but not forward.
dlb wrote:'toyota 4wd' and 'SR5' logos on grill, hatch, and rub strips: blocky font '83-'84. sleek font '85-'88.
The '87-88 SR5 side trim is attached with foam tape, earlier is thicker and held in with clips. Also the rear licence holder on '87-88 has silver trim around perimeter. Also, 4wd logo on mud flaps changed from blocky to sleek in '85.
dlb wrote:steering wheel: too varied over years and between regions to classify?
In the USA, SR5 had blocky style with spokes pointed downward, DLX spokes sideways. '87-88 used MR2 style. Most Canadian T4wd have this too, but some have the Euro style steering wheels for some reason.

dlb wrote:dash vents: always open '83-'84. can be individually opened and closed via a wheel '85-'88.
'83-84 vent grill horizontal louvers moved up and down directly with tab of louver, horizontal louvers only controlled with wheel '85 and later both horizontal and vertical louver moved with slider wheel so you do not touch louvers.
dlb wrote:radio antenna placement: ?
'83-85 on left (drivers) side, '85+ right side.
dlb wrote:extra low gear dash light: not in '83-'84. only in '85-'88.
Also, '85+ has 4wd indicator light on instrument cluster while earlier SR5 models use the 4wd drive train diagram that lights up on the inclinometer cluster.

'83-84 has "Toyota" in raised letters on valve cover, '85-88, valve cover plain.



Also, not sure if year sensitive, but DLX used vinyl headliner and SR5 used fabric, I think the later '87-88 has a different pattern. The different years also had different color options. the '83 Federal does not have a High Altitude Compensator (there were a few other minor changes in vac operated equipment too).
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dlb
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Re: changes to T4's over the years

Post by dlb »

excellent, thanks peter. i've made most of the appropriate changes but have a few questions.
Petros wrote:'85-88 are not fixed, but are "flip" only, not flop. they fold back, but not forward.
is this a US thing? all of the '85-'88 mirrors i have seen do not fold in any direction. unless they are broken, anyway.
Petros wrote:'83-84 vent grill horizontal louvers moved up and down directly with tab of louver, horizontal louvers only controlled with wheel '85 and later both horizontal and vertical louver moved with slider wheel so you do not touch louvers.
i don't understand the last part of this description. all the '85+ vents i've seen are like this one, which uses the tab to direct the horizontal louvres, the lower wheel to direct the vertical louvres, and the upper wheel to open and close the vent. are the US ones different?

Image
Petros wrote:'85+ has 4wd indicator light on instrument cluster while earlier SR5 models use the 4wd drive train diagram that lights up on the inclinometer cluster.
i didn't add this because i mentioned the inclinometer already, and all models regardless of year or trim have the 4wd indicator light in the gauge hood. also, i didn't mention any emissions controls because i figure that might deserve its own thread. probably lots of changes and hard to explain. this is a great start though. thanks again.
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Re: changes to T4's over the years

Post by Petros »

I am pretty sure the canadian outside rear view mirrors are the same as in USA, they have a more stream lined outside, but they do hindge back without breaking. I know, I have done it! Try it.

I was refering to the vents at the center of the dash, they have wheels I beleive to direct flow up and down, and side to side in the '85+, early style you have to directly move the vent louvers as I recall. I might be remembering this incorrectly and mixing this up with the shut off wheel as pictured, I will double check, I just happen to have one of each on my properly right now.

You are correct, the later vents have the shut off wheel. earlier ones you must just close the louvers by hand,. full down position.
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Re: changes to T4's over the years

Post by Petros »

there were also changes to the electrical connectors as well, for some reason a lot of the connectors changed style and they are not compatible. likely minimum bid supplier for that production run.
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Re: changes to T4's over the years

Post by Petros »

Oh yes, something else: at some point they changed the way the hub cap attaches to the steel wheel, the wheel is different too. One style the hub cap only attaches at the center flange, the other has three clips attached to the wheel around the perimeter of the hub cap. Not sure what year it changed, but both the wheel and hub cap look identical when assembled, you only see it when you pull the hub cap. They are not interchangeable, that is how I discovered it, the style of wheel has to match the style of hub cap.
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Re: changes to T4's over the years

Post by splatterdog »

Starting in 87, the snap-in plastic cowl screens(more of a grate) were updated by adding stainless screens on top.
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Re: changes to T4's over the years

Post by dlb »

Petros wrote:I am pretty sure the canadian outside rear view mirrors are the same as in USA, they have a more stream lined outside, but they do hindge back without breaking. I know, I have done it! Try it.
just tried it and nope, they don't fold back at all. i've had to replace broken ones that were fixed as well so i guess that's a US/canada thing. i made of note of it in the list above.
Petros wrote:I was refering to the vents at the center of the dash, they have wheels I beleive to direct flow up and down, and side to side in the '85+, early style you have to directly move the vent louvers as I recall. I might be remembering this incorrectly and mixing this up with the shut off wheel as pictured, I will double check, I just happen to have one of each on my properly right now.
this is one that has boggled me and i still can't find a pattern to it. the center dash vents on my '86 SR5 had the same 2 wheel/1 louvre setup as the side vent i pictured above. however, my '84 SR5, '87 SR5, and '87 DLX all have a 1 wheel/1louvre setup. on the '86, i also found that unless i had the wheel for the center vents in the closed position, they would always blow air no matter where the air was directed by the lever on the heater controls. that makes me wonder if the heater controls are slightly different for those models, since i have not found that in any of my other tercs. let me know if you find some rhyme or reason as to which ones have what.
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Re: changes to T4's over the years

Post by dlb »

splatterdog wrote:Starting in 87, the snap-in plastic cowl screens(more of a grate) were updated by adding stainless screens on top.
added. thanks, SD.
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Re: changes to T4's over the years

Post by tercel4wdrules »

In '86, they added the third brake light, and manual transission cars have a clutch safety switch. The side view mirrors attach differently - the '83-'84 style use screws to hold it in place, whereas the '85+ are held in place with nuts. The connectors for the front turn signals are different - '83 & '84 have a round connector, and '85+ uses a smaller compact connector. The reverse light switch on the Z52F & Z54F transmissions have different connectors.

The tilt steering was standard in '85 on the wagons, regardless of SR5 trim or not. In '85, factory cruise control was offered. In addition, somewhere between '85 and '86, intermittent wipers with delay were available. In '87, the "ATM" part of the rear hatch had like a silver strip outline.

Automatic trans ratios for the A55F automatic trans was 3.909:1 if memory serves me right.]

Deluxe models usually had a 2 speaker setup, where the SR5 had a 4 speaker setup. I did own an '85 automatic that had a factory 4 speaker setup, I suppose it must have been an upgrade.
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Re: changes to T4's over the years

Post by Petros »

I think the wiper delay is incorrect. I have had both an '83 and an '84, both SR5. Both had wiper delay, it was not adjustable but had the first position with about 5 second intermittent wiper delay. I think the DLX model did not have this, but it was common on all years SR5s.
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Re: changes to T4's over the years

Post by tercel4wdrules »

It was mentioned in my 1986 owner's manual. It might only be available with factory cruise control setup or something like that.
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Re: changes to T4's over the years

Post by ARCHINSTL »

Neither the 5-second wiper delay nor the adjustable delay are on my '86 SR5 (nor the "mist" feature either). It has only OFF-LOW-HIGH.
I did not have it on my then-new '83 SR5 either.
The '86 dealer brochure states the the adjustable wiper feature was included only with the cruise control option.
Tom M.

EDIT - my '86 DOES have the "squirt" button on the end of the lever, but not the "mist" feature - same as my '83.
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Re: changes to T4's over the years

Post by rer233 »

that's odd- i've had 6 SR5's (2 '83's, 1 '84, 2 '85's and 1 '88) ALL of which had intermittent wipers (none had factory cruise- never seen a t4 with it.) my '83 4wd deluxe and '84 and '86 fwd wagons all had the mist feature but no intermittent.
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Re: changes to T4's over the years

Post by Petros »

I have owned nine SR5 T4wd '83-throu '86, none had cruise control, all the the intermittent wiper. that is odd, maybe west cost Tercels only?
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