Broken Speedometer

Hey everyone, recently the speedometer broke on my 1997 3.4l v6 sr5. I have done a ton of research about how to possibly fix this problem and have come up with nothing. The engine check light is on and I ran the code, it came up at "speedometer sensor". I'm pretty sure all first gen tacomas have speedometer cables, so I have no idea what this is asking for. Has anyone encountered this problem before? I have basically have no ideas left on what to do and don't want to take it to the shop because it's probably not worth the money. Any ideas?

 

My son-in-law had a '98' Tacoma 5-lugger with that problem. I replaced the sensor on the side of the tranny but it didn't help. The final solution was to remove the cluster, take it to a 'cluster specialist' and have it repaired. Apparently it is the cluster that converts the sensor signal to an actual speed signal. I think it cost me around $150.

 

Hmm.. did the specialist repair fix the problem? I've spoken to several experienced DIYers and they had absolutely no idea.

 

Yes it did. They checked it to confirm it was defective first.
Its not a DIY project, otherwise I would have fixed it myself.

A DIY solution would be to replace the entire cluster, from an exact matching truck.

Edit: BTW, I went to a shop in West Sacramento called "Commercial Speedometer"

 

The cluster takes the analog speed sensor signal, converts it to digital and sends it on to the computer. If the speedometer works normally, then there isn't a problem with the speed sensor.

There are two main problems that can cause problems in this cluster, bad solder joints or bad/old electrolytic capacitors. If you take the cluster out you can look for bad solder joints or bulging capacitors (meaning they dried out and are not longer working). You could do some more sophisticated tests if you know how to work on electronics.

Also, do a search for bad solder or bad capacitors in the cluster on other Toyota models from this era and you might find more information. I'm sorry I can't be more specific since I never had to do this fix, but I've seen this problem mentioned fairly often on other Toyota forums.

 

My dad has a 1997 tacoma 4x4, v6 and has the same issue. Speedometer works only for 2-3 minutes after being working. It turned out to be lack of lubrication. I found a couple of videos that will show step by step how to fix any issues. The analog (turns) signal is converted to digital via a snapswitch. Chech the videos. Hope it helps...

Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgZrlNAg1bY

Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQT43wM7vVA

Credits to you tube subscriber "talleddie81"