Replacing front panel light bulb

[stanrob]

This bulb lights the temp gauge and odometer, and it burned out recently. After finding no help in the svc manual, I approached removal of the speedometer cover (thus hoping to expose the bulb and socket). Removing the screws I saw, the lower end of it moves but the upper remains stuck tight. What have I overlooked? Is there a secret to this?

[marlinh]

I assume you already removed the hood around the gauges. To remove the cluster, there are four phillips head screws, and then the speedo cable has to be removed behind the cluster. It is a tight fit to get your hand behind to release the clip, but it can be done.

[Petros]

if you are referring to the hood over the instrument cluster there are 4 screws, two at the lower edge, and two Philips screws right above the face of the instrument cluster on the under side of the hood. You need to look up under the hood to see them, use a shorter length screw driver to get it up under the hood, once you get all of the screws out it wiggles free. there are several wire connects to remove (I remove only the ones on the left side and flip it out of the way leaving the connectors on the right side attached). From there you will see four screws holding the cluster in place, and you will need to wiggle the cluster loose enough to get your hand down behind it to unclip the speedo cable. than you have enough slack on the wire bundle to release the two connectors and lift the cluster free.

Once you do this a few times it only takes about 10 min to get the gear cluster out. It is easy once you know where to go to get it free. Good luck.

[dlb]

check some of the photos for this thread. it's about how to install an inclinometer, which involves removing the hood and dash cluster, so it should be useful to you.

https://tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=7617

[stanrob]

Much gratitude to Petros and dlb for all this helpful info. I will try to pass along the kindnesses. I've got all 4 screws Petros mentions out, but so far don't see the three mentioned in dlb's writeup. Difference betw 85SR5 and 86DLX models? Next step per Petro is wiggling the cover free. For me just wiggling doesn't seem to do it. I'm guessing what's required is wiggling AND pushing, but which way to push, upward or downward? As you can probably tell, as a newbie I'm squeamish about plastic breakage. A mechanic recently broke my right rear shock tower cover, which I think is the same material. No hurry to answer, I'm waiting for a warmer day.

[marlinh]

The three screw dlb mentions are on the underside of the hood above the cluster. If you look at the picture of him pointing to a screw above the tach, you can see two of the other screws, kind of blurry, in the foreground. They are smaller than the other screws and hold the black trim to the coloured part of the hood. You don't need to remove those ones. If the cover isn't coming loose, you must still have screws in there holding it in. It should come forward toward the steering wheel. I believe there are locating tabs as well.

I hope that helps.

[Petros]

To the best I can remember, to remove the hood there are only 4 scews that have to come out. two on the lower edge of the hood, and two just above the cluster up under the hood, as shown in the sixth (?) picture down in the thread above. once these four screw are out the hood just just wiggle free, there are no other clips or screws that I can remember.

[stanrob]

Once again THANK YOU marlinh and Petros for effectively reminding me to look again, this time with better light! I had removed 2 of the screws marlinh described (from the REARMOST row on top), not noticing the 3rd one. The 3rd one is a cinch - assuming that's the secret. I'm hoping Petros (above) is mistaken in pointing me to the FRONTMOST row of 2, which you say is merely to hold trim. I always make a mess when I remove wrong screws! So when the weather here warms up a little, I'll go around again with dlb's photos, get my wired light out there, and take the gamble.

[stanrob]

OK, the weather finally warmed up! Removing those screws does indeed release the cover. However, it doesn't help me disconnect the four connectors. The two 7-pin connectors were fairly obvious, and I released them. But the two 4-pin connectors have not revealed to my simple mind their secret for release. How do you do that?

[irowiki]

There is a pinch on one side of the 4 pin that allows them to come off.

[stanrob]

Just a finger pinch? Maybe I tried the wrong way. I could see that one side had a small protrusion, so I pinched that side against its opposite, but in vain. I also tried to pinch it harder using pliers, also in vain. I'll try in the other direction now.

[irowiki]

Or it may be the one you have to lift a tab slightly to get it off.

[Petros]

if you get one side off I usually leave the other one attached and just flip the hood out of the way to one side to remove the cluster. that side is always a PIA to get off because you can not get a good look at it to know how to release them.

[stanrob]

Job still not done! I've procrastinated! The weather is no longer an impediment here, so I got the cover off and once again confronted those connectors. It's embarrassing; before I reached my 70s, friends used to think I was Mr Fixit. Which side have you been releasing? I've been squeezing the tabs on all of the connectors but right now they don't even wiggle for me! Even the ones I got off before! By the way, we are celebrating reaching 300K. Still has full power, low oil use, and 29 MPG.

[irowiki]

Use a small screwdriver in between the tabs.