Check Engine Light position on US '97

[engineerguy3809]

Have a US '97 with a VERY basic dash, no Tach. Car was bought used. Left cluster has temp gauge (H---C) with OIL light @ 3:00 and Door-Ajar warning at 6:00 positions. Right cluster has fuel (F---E) with Seatbelt warning @ about 2:00 and Charge/Battery warning @ 6:00 positions. Here's the idiot question of the day:
Where is the Check Engine light on this dash? Owner's manual shows the symbol, but doesn't show where in the instrument cluster it is located.

It has never lit up when starting the car (like the rest of the idiot lights always do). Over the past months, I've had several OBD-II codes I've found with my scanner that SHOULD have lit it up (had a broken wire to the O2 sensor, etc). Usually, you can see a "shadow" around the idiot lights in sunlight. However, even with a bright flashlight I can't see where the Check-Engine lamp should be. Unless Toyota uses LED's, I suspect it's been burned out for years. Before I start tearing into the dash and try to replace it, I'd like to know where the heck it is supposed to be.

Alternately, any suggestions for an easy sensor to yank the connector out of to force the CHECK ENGINE light to come on immediately?

[Kiwi-Corolla]

Here's a diagram of the US base model instrument cluster that I just scanned from my factory owner's manual:

[engineerguy3809]

Thx Kiwi,

You 'da Corolla answer man.

Should instrument lamps be incandescent or are they LED?
Similar question, is the instrument cluster hard to pull in order to replace the lamp (assuming it is simply burned out)?

Hope neither you, nor any family was injured or suffered property damage in the recent NZ earthquakes.

[Kiwi-Corolla]

Originally Posted by engineerguy3809

Thx Kiwi,

You 'da Corolla answer man.

Should instrument lamps be incandescent or are they LED?
Similar question, is the instrument cluster hard to pull in order to replace the lamp (assuming it is simply burned out)?

Hope neither you, nor any family was injured or suffered property damage in the recent NZ earthquakes.

No problem . Feel free to click the button below my post if you like

The instrument cluster lights are incandescent. A lot of people upgrade them to LEDs as the light output is a lot greater and they last virtually forever. Removing the instrument cluster is easy. You just have to remove the two screws at the top of the black plastic surround and then pull each side of the bottom of the surround to disengage the clips. Manoeuvre the surround out and away from where you're working (this can take a bit of time unless you've got an adjustable steering column) and then you'll see four screws, one on each bottom corner and two up the top.

Remove the four screws and then you'll be able to get the instrument cluster out. The difficult part is unplugging the wiring connectors on the back. Each connector will have a 'button' up the top which disengages the connector from the back of the cluster, so just feel around until you find them. Installation is the reverse of removal

Fortunately my family and I weren't injured in the recent earthquake as we all live in Auckland which is near the top of the North Island, whereas the earthquake happened in Christchurch which is near the top of the South Island. Thanks