Something is terribly wrong with my '98 Camry

[o22ama]

Hello All you ToyotaFans...
I have '98 Toyota Camry 2.2 GL and for the past few days I'm experiencing some strange electrical problem.
Every morning when I start the engine and drive, the speedometer and milage display completely turn off...
Then after 10-15 minutes of drive they come back on.... and this thing just happens in the morning when its cold. Last evening when i started my car everything was fine and i drove almost 80kms but nothing happened during journey. Therefore I suspect that something happens to the sensor or possibly electronic device of my car in the morning when its cold. Any suggestions or comments or has anyone faced a problem like this before? Please help me......

[toyomoho]

The indicators are digital? Do the read 0 or just turn off?

The speed sensor on the trans sends signals to the console and computer. If the speedo indicates 0 woud state to look at the sensor. If it goes blank would look for a connector problem in the dash. The low temp may be causing a loose connection.

How is the trans shifting when the speedo is not working. If the trans is shifting strangely look at the speedo sensor.

[o22ama]

ToyoMoho Thank you very much for showing interest...
I have '98 Camry; indicators are digital and the read just turns blank during this problem. I've started to believe that there's gotta be something in the dashboard. Because it effects in both LOW & HIGH temperature. I’ll brief you exactly what happens
Low Temp
In the morning when it’s kind of cold I start the engine the ODO Digital Meter just turns off and neither the Mileage Gauge works. Only RPM Gauge works and the transmission shifts very strangely. Gear shifts to 2nd when the RPM needle goes up to “5” which is quite dangerous and I feel unusual shakes. The only solution I have is to turn on the heater for 4-5 mins till everything gets back to normal.
High Temp
During the daytime when it’s hot if I don’t leave the windows open while car is parked it produces extremely hot pressure in the car so whatever the god-knows-what-is-inside-the-dashboard gets affected and creates problem.
If I hit the gas during day time I experience that ODO Digital Meter and Mileage Gauge goes off as usual and gear shifts when RPM needle reaches “5” followed by a big shake that makes the engine indicator turns on as if I have a problem with engine and O/D (Over Drive) indicator starts flashing. In this situation I turn on the Air Conditioner for Approx 4 mins till it cools the dashboard and everything gets back to normal.

Now what I like to know is what could be the thing there is under dashboard which has become ultra-sensitive to excessive temperatures.

Originally Posted by toyomoho

The indicators are digital? Do the read 0 or just turn off?

The speed sensor on the trans sends signals to the console and computer. If the speedo indicates 0 woud state to look at the sensor. If it goes blank would look for a connector problem in the dash. The low temp may be causing a loose connection.

How is the trans shifting when the speedo is not working. If the trans is shifting strangely look at the speedo sensor.

[viktord1]

Did you say the "check engine" light comes on briefly? It would be a good idea to take it to someone who has an OBD-2 tool so they can scan it for codes.

You should take care of this soon as revving the engine to 5,000rpm while the car isn't up to operating temperature is bad in the long run and causes bad fuel economy. Also you should check in your manual what the flashing of the O/D light means.
Does the transmission make any funny noises? If not it's most likely something related to the electronics.