Switching to a cluster with a tachometer

I am thinking it's 6 sparks vs 4
that's why all aftermarket tach has a switch for 4/6/8 cylinders.


For the OP
Have you considered to buy an ultragauge?
My instrument panel is just like yours and the ultraguage solved all my needs.

 

I dont think the OP will respond. The thread is super old

 

Haha. Yea. It's been awhile since I stated this. I have since made the swap to a 01+ cluster w/ a tach.

Works great, and was pretty easy to swap once I got the right cluster. First one I got was from a 6cyl, so the RPMs were way off.

 

So, I ended up with two of the gauge clusters with tachometers, both of them are from 1998, and have the LCD odometers and black faces. I had no idea what engines they were from. My truck is a 2000, 2.7 liter, 4WD, 5 speed, 4.30 diffs, 31" tires. I took both clusters completely apart to see if any parts were different between them. All of the components were identical, except for the one part:

The gauge clusters have a 'control module' that is a small circuit board - about 1.5" x 3". It is held into the back of the cluster assembly with two small philips screws. The printed circuit board plugs into this module with a black connector. The LCD odometer display also plugs into this circuit board. This board had different components on it (3 of the chips had different numbers) on the two that I looked at. By the way, this can be easily removed from the back of the gauge cluster without any disassembly.

I put one of the clusters into my truck and went out for a test drive. I found that when my GPS speed was 60 mph, in 5th gear, the tach read 1,750 rpm's.

I took the cluster out, and swapped the other control module into the cluster, and went out for another test drive. This time, at 60 mph on the GPS, in 5th gear, the tach read 2,350 rpm's

This tells me that it is the 'control module' is the only component in the gauge cluster that is specific to either a 4 or 6 cylinder. The module I tried first was from a 6 cylinder truck, and the second one was from a 4 cylinder truck.

I took some detailed pictures of the control modules and disassembly of the gauge cluster that I could post. Here are just a few of them:

 

This is the V6 module labeled 06B. The 4 cylinder module was labeled 02F

Left one is V6 - Right is 4 cylinder

Top one is 4 cylinder - marked 017, and number 2 in corner
Bottom one is V6 - marked 009, and number 6 in corner

 

A 4cyl Tacoma tach WILL work with a v8 Tundra engine... Ask me how I know....


#postwhoreandIdontcare

 

anyone know of a good site to find a 01-04 4cyl cluster?? Or just search ebay/junk-yards?

 

trying to figure out why my tach shows less RPMs...it is 03 V6 4x4...white with orange backlight

what can be wrong? seems to me someone was going to dashboard as it is rattle (had to stick folded paper between board and window to make it stop lol)

on picture going 60MPH on 4th gear tach shows only about 2300 RPMs!!:

 

My Tachometer on my 99 Tacoma V6 5 speed reads high and the difference gets greater with higher RPMs. One thing i do know is it was originally manufactured as an American truck sold in the USA and has such been imported into Canada and is now in KM's. Is it possible that the wrong tachometer has been put in ? I know it is off because my live engine data says so. Any help would be appreciated thanks

 

Just thought about doing this swap in my 98. If I take the cluster out of an 01-04 it’s PnP into my 98? Simply want to gain a tachometer and have the white face gauges

 

its possible that you may have a wrong tach or it could be faulty or something going on with your electrical. but here is the general rule if you are buying another tach

4cyl tach if you have 4cyl so 2.4 and 2.7 works either way. V6 to V6
98+ i believe is already digital, don't quote me, you can confirm by checking if there is a cable behind yours

to remove, just take out all the panels from the middle console to drivers side. you will be able to tell when you are doing it.

 

do you know if it matters if the donor truck is an automatic, and the truck that is going to is manual?