Overhead Compass/Temp Fix

Thank you for this write up. I did this via
http://www.siliconmethod.com/diy-tacoma-display-repair-guide/

With some Radio Shack resistors and it works. It's hot today

 

4 days after resoldering the smd resistor is bad again. I can't believe it.

Should I just solder in regular resistors?

 

Hello guys,

Since I bought truck overhead temp display shows only three dashes.
Today I take off and opened compass/temperature box and found that my board very different.
There are no 510 resistors. It has a little different shape.

All elements look good and all solder is good.
What should I check next to find out why temp doesn't work?

 

My 2008 OEM one lasted 4 years, then the PO fixed it by soldering on the surface mount resistors back on. (It wasn't pretty but it worked) It died again the other day and it appeared that one of the resistors had popped off. I put in two of the 51ohm round resisters instead. Total time spent on repair was under an hour.

This is what I found on opening it up, plus solder BB rolling around. A little heat on only one side and they fell off.


After soldering in two 51 ohm resistors. Works great again!

 

Anyone needing some pictures on how to do this fix, check out my earlier post #1047:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/overhead-compass-temp-fix.18497/page-53#post-4108104

 

The hive mind comes through once again....

Well, it took 11 years, but mine finally failed. I've known about this fix for years, and put it to use today. The temp/compass was inoperable for about 4 hours today until I got home and dug up this thread.

@KitkatJohn Nice pics/write up. Start to finish, it took about 30 minutes.

The internet rules.

 

7 years old and mine failed. Took me 10 minutes to pull it out, solder one end of the resistor, and put it back together. Amazing, thanks guys!
I soldered the other end of the same resistor just in case it decided to fail as well.

 

Finally mustered the energy to do it. Easy fix and thanks to the ones who figured a way to solve the problem!

 

OP needs photos

 

I need some help. When originally took my compass out of the truck, I could push the 510 with my finger to get it to work but once I tried soldering it, it won't work at all. I figured that I must have burnt the resistor when I was soldering so I removed both and added the radio shack 47 ohm resistors. Again, nothing works. Did I royally screw up my circuit board? Thanks.

 

Kind of looks like you made a solder bridge between the two resistors, on both ends of each resistor. I would start there. Make those connections a little cleaner, and maybe re-bend the legs on those resistors, so they're not so close to each other.

Another thing, is I thought the originals were 510 ohms not 51 ohms (maybe they're marked 51 "O", and not 510 (it sure looks like 510)). I never metered them myself. If you still have the original resistors, meter them (on resistance scale, making sure you're not touching them with your body (fingers), it will add resistance), and see what they read. And make sure your using the proper size resistors.

 

it should be 51 ohms I like using 1/4 watt tho they easier to solder in here is photo

 

Since everyone seems to be having such great luck with this, I thought I would share my story..... I did mine this weekend - no go. The resistors are good, the soldering is (now) good. No readout. :-( The overhead lights work fine so the fuse is fine (same circuit) I am so disappointed.

I don't feel like going deeper into trouble shooting than the resistors - The good news (I suppose) is you can buy the module for $112 on Amazon right now (from Daytona Toyota). Or you can buy it at your local Toyota for ~$150. Just don't ask Toyota to fix it! They apparently just replace the whole overhead console (I assume, because they are charging 4-6x the cost of that module (and it takes 5 minutes of labor to replace the module!)). Here's crossing my fingers the board is the issue....
The new boards do have the issue fixed so at least I won't be having to do repeat repairs! (I am a die hard glass is half full.)

2007 Tacoma.


UPDATE!!
I am a stubborn engineer.... I cancelled my order for the replacement and went to Radioshack. Bought a 5 pack of 47 ohm, 1/2 W resistors. $1.49(+ tax). Took the thing apart, again. Heated up the soldering iron, again. As I am struggling to get the two soldered in that small space I am thinking "this isn't going to work. The thing is hosed. My pads are getting compromised... its over! Just go buy the dang thing!" I finished up, took the board out to the garage, plugged it in, turned the key and nothing. "Now are you hap.... " the lights came on!! I have direction and temperature. Never give up. The ends of the SMD's get oxidized... its why I tried axials. I found direct replacements but then I would be dealing with the same issue as before... axials hopefully will never need replaced or re-soldered. They certainly will cool better. I am one happy camper!!!!

 

If your going to be an optimist, you must learn to accept disappointment.

On the bright side, that is a good price. Not a bad trade off for someone that may not have soldering tools/skills. Just buy the unit, and pop it in. I never understood the $900 bill that everyone says the dealer charges.

Nice find.

 

oh... and for those of you reading the thread through.... the resistors are 51 OHMs. The naming convention for chips is as follows

The 3-digit code
Standard-tolerance SMD resistors are marked with a simple 3-digit code. The first two numbers will indicate the significant digits, and the third will be the multiplier, telling you the power of ten to which the two significant digits must be multiplied (or how many zeros to add). Resistances of less than 10 ohms do not have a multiplier, the letter 'R' is used instead to indicate the position of the decimal point.
(I worked in the industry early in my career).

I actually checked the values of the resistors with the multimeter to see if they were good or not ... 51 ohms, smack on.

 

Thanks for posting this repair tip, took almost an hour for me to do. Removing the display was easy just the soldering part was a little tricky with such small device, (surface mount chips not really made for hand soldering). Be careful when removing the display, my resistor broke off and was loose in the assembly, could have lost it very easily.

 

Not going to look at all 93 pages to see if this has been mentioned but part of the problem with many electronics manufactured in the past few years is the solder used...lead free solder (thanks EU/EPA). I fix guitar amps as a side job (used to do it as as a full time job)...my bane is lead free solder....it is brittle and gets more brittle with age. Also, it doesn't take heat/cold cycles very well before the solder joint starts to fracture and become intermittent. Try to use 60-40 or 63-37 lead/tin rosin core solder. Your solder joints will last a lot longer.

 

I dont know if it will help but after I did this fix the other day I also folded up a microfiber piece of cloth into 4 layers and laid it in between the unit and the roof to try to keep the heat down a bit, maybe just enough to keep it from coming unsoldered again. We shall see how that works.

 

I had a master technician friend help me with mine and he happened to have a supply of 75 ohm resistors on hand. So he soldered three of those in place of the original two 51s. That gives the same total resistance (25 ohms) as having two 50 ohm in parallel. With the added benefit of the heat now being divided over three components instead of two. Same thing if you were to put in four 100 ohms.

However that was probably overkill, the replacement 47 ohm Radio Shack resistors seem to solve the heat dissipation problem just fine.

Mines been working several years now after having to fix the original 510s twice.

 

I have known about this thread for years. About 8 months ago it went out and just now took the time to do it. I will have to do it again sometime as I just put a dap of solder where it was popped. The radio shack is 25 mins away so i'll get the new resisters next time i'm that way. I had put it off so many times i was not going to get side tracked by a trip just get them. Only one of them had a side off. I'm ready stupid for putting it off. It took more time to get the tools and heat the iron than take it lose and put it back. I'll get the news ones from radio shack ($2) and be ready if it fails again.