Freaking spider INSIDE my odometer!

Hi guys,

I purchased my truck recently and after a bit of driving and the light hitting it just right, I noticed a freaking dead spider in the corner of my odometer housing under the plexiglass (argh)!

Now that I've noticed it, it drives me crazy. What's the best way to get this guy out and off to the spider cemetery? I'm assuming taking apart my whole dash and the odometer housing will be a pain in the butt. Are there instructions anywhere that cover this?

Check it out:

 

Haha, don't know, ask the spider?

Your battery charge level is low.

 

Take the cluster out and pull the clear cover off. It's a fairly quick process even though it seems like a huge task

 

Just watch out for the live spiders

 

Shop vac and try to get a decent seal around the hose stick over the odo reset pin where there’s a small gap. Did it in an old vehicle I had with a dead spider worked like a charm.

 

This sounds like a job for Billy the Exterminator.

 

If you do this be careful. The plastic scratches easily.

 

I used silly puddy as a gasket no scratches

 

I’ve done it a few times, shouldn’t take you a few minutes. Here’s a step-by-step.

1. Remove Lower Dash Valence, should be a few 10mm bolts and a few screws. Use a deep socket.
2. Remove the screws from the instrument cluster surround, roughly three or four.
3. Tilt the steering wheel all the way down.
4. Remove the HVAC controls, and the screws that hold the center console stack to the dash. There will be a few behind the HVAC trim and a few below the radio.
5. Pull the center control stack out, but don’t remove it.
6. Pull on the instrument cluster surround until it comes out. Remove the buttons with some friction clips.
7. Unscrew the instrument cluster from the dash with a few Phillips screws.
8. Unplug the three dash harness connectors by pushing down and pulling on the friction clips.
9. Use a flathead screwdriver to push in the friction clips that hold the Plexiglass lens and backing together and pull each half off.
10. Remove Spider

 

11. Take spider to spider cemetery.

 

Scrap it.

 

Deal. I want the spider though.




For research...

 

Dont let ColoradoTJ see this...

 

Haha I actually LOL'ed at that.

Owning 3 tacomas I can appreciate a good cluster class reference

 

F***ing brilliant, even if it doesn't work, lol. That's a damn good idea

 

@Sperrunner
Dibs
Edit: Crow beat me to the dibs on it a few posts earlier

 

Thanks for looking out

 

Watch this video.... I used this to get to the cluster.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P4-GQ0CpWeI&t=269s

 

I not only get spiders in my cluster, but I see them in and on my truck all the time. They are small yellowish maybe clear. Does anyone else have this also? Why do they love our Taco's?

 

nah, nah.... the true story is that the truck came equipped with a spidey sensor, to allow it to have superhuman...errr supermechanical powers. Looks like spidey battery is dead. Needs a new one.

Replace it and the truck will fire spider webs from the headlights