Help with digital gauge cluster wiring... please? - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

TVISMR2 · 04-02-2008, 03:44 AM

Found a digital gauge cluster at my local Pick N Pull in a 1G and decided to pull it. I also cut and took the wire harness, and the dimmer switch (if needed). Anything else I need from the car to make these work? Fuel level sending unit?

Has anyone installed digi gauges in a 1G? Does anyone know where to get wiring diagrams?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. AstroVannin you did this swap right?

The cluster in the car at PnP

The car it's to go in...

oh.... and my car hit 100k today

AstroVannin · 04-02-2008, 09:13 AM

theres nothing to it. You dont even need the diagram.

Just match up the wire colours. Its seems that the only difference is the plugs themselves, not the whole harness. When I was done I had one black wire that didnt go anywhere.. but it dosent seem to do anything since the cluster operates perfectly. You will need the fuel sending unit (under the rear seat) and its just a plug in affair.. no modification required.

So yeah, just cut off your old plugs as clost to the plug as you can and start matching up the wires.

EASY.

congrats on the find!

AstroVannin · 04-02-2008, 09:15 AM

You should pull the headlight assemblies too so you can make some "G codes" (like e codes but cooler) for yours. I took mine apart in the oven and painted the reflector with Duplicolor Metalcast yellow. Looks baller. I also painted the "non reflector" part black.

If you send me the lights Il do them for you.

I dont suppose you could get the rear quarters off that car for me could ya? I need a set and unfortunatly there hasnt been a rust free 1G here in Ontario for YEARS.

Just PM me with a price!

Mine

TVISMR2 · 04-02-2008, 09:20 PM

I looked back there and wasn't sure the wires matched up, but I was just going plug to plug anyways. I'll pull it and look again. I got the fuel level sending unit today. I had already pulled it before and looked at it, but just stuffed it under the seat for later.

I'll see what I can do about the quarters. There are many good condition 1G's to choose from within a half hour of my house. 15+ of them. At least 2 of them were manual. I started pulling parts to do a manual swap later. You still need 5spd stuff?

I got the LE running BTW. $40 distributor at the junkyard and it was good to go. Will be selling that car soon after I swap some parts. Car is almost in as good a condition as my DX with just 10k miles more.

TVISMR2 · 04-03-2008, 05:16 AM

After 3 hours of work, the cluster is in. Probably could have gotten it done faster but I took my time, and I was working outside.... from 10pm on lol.

It went in relatively easy. Luckily I love to do wiring stuff. Hit a couple of snags along the way, but got everything sorted out. Everything works great on it. Having a tach is nice now, especially with how cool the operation of this one is. Speedometer no longer reads 5mph high at freeway speed, and is now dead on to my GPS.

I ended up using the dimmer switch/harness from that car as well. The digi cluster uses 4 wires and the regular DX cluster used only 3. It allows for the speedo #'s, fuel and temp gauge to be bright with the lights off. It still works with the DX dimmer switch, but works better with the digi one. I was having problems with my dimmer switch anyways.

So for anyone looking into doing this swap you need....

Digital Gauge cluster
Connectors and cut harness from original car w/ digi gauges
Dimmer switch + cut harness (4 wires) from orig. car
Fuel level sending unit from orig. car (found under rear seat, removable with a phillips screw driver.) *This is the only plug and play part of the swap*

Installing the cluster is as easy as what AstroVannin said. Cut your stock harnesses and match up the wires by color to the digi clusters harnesses. Time consuming but not hard.

FUN!

AstroVannin · 04-03-2008, 08:19 AM

Yeah, I do still need stuff for the 5sdp swap. clutch & brake pedal and clutch master cylinder. Ive got the shifter base and cables from a 5G Celica that I think will be fine.

Oh man 15 1G's... Mine is the only one Ive seen in years (aside from my old parts car). They just dont exist here anymore. Southern Ontario rust + old Toyota = no more old Toyota.

If you can see about some rear quarters for me that would be awesome. Cheaper the better of course. I would probably need from the dog leg, as high as the side marker (mabey a bit more if possible on the pass side) to the back bumper. Im sure shipping will be expensive, but theres no other way to get them unfortunatly.

The cluster looks great BTW. I accidently broke 1 corner of mine trying to get the plastic off to get a spider out.

TVISMR2 · 04-04-2008, 12:43 AM

I grabbed a like-new shifter base from a 1G that same day. Hadn't planned on getting one yet but this car was in such great shape that I decided to pull it. Was thinking about going back to get the tranny. I think the car was there just cuz the clutch MC went out. That's the only thing I found wrong. Car only had 140k miles and everything looked great.

I'll see about getting the pedals and clutch MC for ya. Need to collect them for mine too. Also will find out about the rear quarters. Would have to borrow or rent a sawzall or something.

Also, I could take pics of my shifter base, and take pics of and measure the shifter cables when I get them if you'd like. Just to make sure yours will work... though I don't really see why they wouldn't. I was working on pulling the shifter cables when it started raining so I gave up. Going to head back this weekend. Need to pull a steering wheel for my G/F's '88 Supercharged MR2.

AstroVannin · 04-04-2008, 08:35 AM

Yeah man for sure. If you dont mind taking some pics and measurments that would be cool.

Shifter cables arent that bad. 2 bolts on the firewall and 2 screws inside I think. Is this place you go to pretty cheap? If so I might go for some proper cables too, instead of making the celica ones work.

I know the quarters are going to be a bit of a pita, so I totally appreciate it.

ITs going to be nice to have the propper pedals instead of having to make a set.

If they arent going to gouge you, you should get the complete suspention from one of them too and make some coilovers for yours, get rid of a bit of that monster truck ride height. Mine is as low as I can get it without raising the strut towers now... and its still not low enough for my liking.

I still cant beleive how nice and straight your car is... what a pin.

Kingdom934 · 04-06-2008, 01:58 AM

Wow...a Gen1 digi cluster that works.

Awesome job. It brings joy that there are other Gen1 owners out there doing something to their car.

AstroVannin · 04-07-2008, 10:58 AM

1G Camry is the ONLY Camry... after that its just weaksauce.

No hatchback = teh suck.

TVISMR2 · 04-09-2008, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kingdom934

Wow...a Gen1 digi cluster that works.

Awesome job. It brings joy that there are other Gen1 owners out there doing something to their car.

Thanks, Cheers to my fellow 1G owner

locouno5.0 · 10-26-2008, 05:48 PM

I have a 1G diesel and I want a digital cluster! I am just worried about the fuel level sensor. Hmm. To the wiring diagrams!

moddifier · 01-22-2009, 09:00 AM

gday i ive in australia and have been searching for one of these cluster's. back in the 90's i worked in a wrecking yard where we would get these dig cluster's in from japan and then throw them in the bin coz no-body wanted them . now that i want one i cant find one, so what is the chance of someone over there finding one at a reasonable price .
you have been saying 1g is that the model of the car because we call them SV11 CAMRY

Jimnist · 01-22-2009, 09:27 AM

I think he means 1st gen by '1G' Do you know any places in sydney that still might have some JDM digi dashes mate?

Quote:

Originally Posted by AstroVannin

You should pull the headlight assemblies too so you can make some "G codes" (like e codes but cooler) for yours. I took mine apart in the oven and painted the reflector with Duplicolor Metalcast yellow. Looks baller. I also painted the "non reflector" part black.

What do you mean by this?

JMSports · 01-22-2009, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVISMR2

After 3 hours of work, the cluster is in. Probably could have gotten it done faster but I took my time, and I was working outside.... from 10pm on lol.

It went in relatively easy. Luckily I love to do wiring stuff. Hit a couple of snags along the way, but got everything sorted out. Everything works great on it. Having a tach is nice now, especially with how cool the operation of this one is. Speedometer no longer reads 5mph high at freeway speed, and is now dead on to my GPS.

I ended up using the dimmer switch/harness from that car as well. The digi cluster uses 4 wires and the regular DX cluster used only 3. It allows for the speedo #'s, fuel and temp gauge to be bright with the lights off. It still works with the DX dimmer switch, but works better with the digi one. I was having problems with my dimmer switch anyways.

So for anyone looking into doing this swap you need....

Digital Gauge cluster
Connectors and cut harness from original car w/ digi gauges
Dimmer switch + cut harness (4 wires) from orig. car
Fuel level sending unit from orig. car (found under rear seat, removable with a phillips screw driver.) *This is the only plug and play part of the swap*

Installing the cluster is as easy as what AstroVannin said. Cut your stock harnesses and match up the wires by color to the digi clusters harnesses. Time consuming but not hard.

FUN!

Damn I wish i could find one of these.