Removing Gauge Needles?

Has anyone removed the needles from the instrument cluster for a 3rd Gen? Do they just pull off? Or is there more to it than that? They seem to be on there pretty tight (which makes sense...).

 

I don’t know about the Tacoma, but I’ve read in the past, you can really screw up gauge cluster pretty easily, so be careful.

 

Whaaa??
Plan to mod it by adding some sparkly paint??

Or?

Maybe leave those alone?

Or go ahead - I'll stay tuned...

 

Just curious, why do you need to remove the needles?

 

This might be interesting...

 

Exactly what I'm trying to avoid! Threads for previous generations say they just pull off, but I haven't seen anything specific for the 3rd gens.

I like to have the interior cabin very dark at night. The gauges in these 3rd gens are just way too bright for my preferences, even when fully dimmed (yes, I know about turning the ODO knob).

I'd like to throw some of those LED dimming strips over the LEDs in the gauges, to turn it down a few more notches.

 

You'll help alot of quiet people out that like to mods things by finding out but at a great risk to yourself... I would get a scrapyard cluster to try it on first just to see how removal works... may not be able to test it by plugging the scrapyard one in but atleast not breaking the needle is a good first step.

 

I’ve done this on a newer Subaru cluster and used two spoons to evenly pry up on the needle at the base. Came right off.

 

Or you can dim the cluster illumination by turning the odometer knob counter clockwise..

 

Read the whole comment before replying...

 

Did you try the spoon trick?

 

I haven't yet. I just wanted to make sure they still just pull off before putting to much force on it.

 

@Okkine 2.0 I am not sure about the Tacoma, but on older Toyotas, the needles would pop off with a little prying action. The problem was with putting them back on. When the speedometer needle was removed, it would lose it's spring tension, effectively dropping it below 0 mph. So you had to put it back on at speed. The way I always did it was have a friend act as a pace car, and when we hit 65, I'd stick it back on. Kind of a pain, but not terrible. You may also be able to add a resistor in line with the illumination wire going to the gauges? This is all pure speculation though as I have never done it on a Tacoma. But assuming the gauge illumination is like the switches and other buttons, it will have an illumination + and -. You can add a resistor to either of those as long as they are just illumination. I would do the ground side just to be sure as that is most likely only illumination since it uses PWM for dimming. And PWM won't be affected by a resistor in a negative way BTW. Just something to look into.

 

@caribe makaira do you happen to know (if anyone does, it would be you ) if the gauge cluster has its own illumination wires feeding it?

 

There are a few fuses to the Combo Meter, one that is constant fused:

Meant to "save" any settings.

then there is the METER fuse (IGN)

But, I have no info on how the Combo Meter handles its own illumination. (CAN-BUS might be involved)

 

I traced out the wire for the headlight signal to the gauges the other day, hoping to put a resistor in there. Disconnecting it disables the lighting for the climate control, steering wheel, door panel, and all the other buttons, however the gauges stay illuminated.

Same results when pulling fuses.

Someone in another thread was saying the gauge lighting is controlled through the network, independently from the other buttons, rather than through a dedicated wire.

Thanks for the info on putting them back on. Sounds like it would be wise to take the advice up above, and find one in the scrapyard to practice on.

 

The illumination wires (PANEL fuse) to the Combo Meter is for the steering wheel switches and the dimming feature.

 

might be easier to just wear sunglasses

 

Or hang a towel over the gauge cluster?