Electrical problem?

so when I was taking apart my instrument cluster, I noticed that down in the corner near my gas needle, that I actually have a gas light. so I replaced the bulb in it just in case but still haven't seen it light up. I have a 97 LX 4WD. Could it be a faulty connection some where?

 

see

 

not sure the wiring harness was setup yet for that in 97. THere are lots of stuff like that that toyota had ready but hadn't totally transfered over too. Think even in the cluster there is a F diff lock light. Or in 4runners..

 

Gotta be pretty low on the gauge before the light kicks on.
My '08 is just under halfway between 1/4 and E when it lights.

 

yeah I noticed it has the RR DIFF LOCK light too. heres a pic. would there be any way to wire it up so the gas light works? would it be hard?

ive ran mine slap empty and it never came on.

 

im not sure..would depend on if the float in the tank is wired up..

 

if the float wasn't wired up, wouldn't the gas needle not work? or am I missing something here...

 

haha no it would..but im not totally famialr with how the float works to trip the light..like..is it on its own circut or is it piggy backed off the needle? you should be able to figure out a way to piggy back it off the needle..

 

maybe I could go to a Toyota dealer and ask them about it?

 

yea ask to see a service book. Might be able to find diagrams of the circuity from a new truck and see if you have the wiring.

 

grrr..I know I can just look at the needle and see that I need gas, but now that I saw that its there, I want it

 

I found that light a few years back also. My truck was mostly wired for it, but the deal breaker is the sending unit. Inside the tank there is a sensor mounted on a rod that hangs down and sits a few inches off the bottom of the tank. When the fuel is over the sensor the light will be off, when the fuel drops below the sensor the light is on. You can search ebay for Toyota Tacoma sending units and if you compare different items I bet you could find the sensor I'm talking about. Normally there will be a single small wire coiled around the rod the sensors is hanging from.

Here is a listing that I just found, You can see the sensor coming off the silver box near the float. <----Click


To go a little farther, On my truck below the driver seat under the carpet there is a plug. This plug connects the dash harness to the frame harness. The frame harness was wired, but the dash harness was not. I hope this helps!

 

It would make sense that the fuel sending unit isn't working for the dash light. But when you say the dash harness wasn't wired under your seat, what do you mean? I also might think it would be different since I have an early 97 model

 

When I said the dash harness was not wired I ment that the wire that controls the low fuel light was not there. There is an open slot in the connector where the wire could go. On the other side, the side that goes through the grommet and down the frame has that wire. Most of the idiot lights in the dash are ground controled. Meaning that they get power when ever the key is on. The cuircut is controled by what ever device the light represents.


I would have to guess that all 1st gen Tacoma have the same harness layout. It just makes since from a manufacturing stand point to reuse the same holes in the cab and just add and remove wires and change connectors as needed.

make since??


The reason the frame harness was wired and the dash harness was not is simple. When you are a manufacturer, it makes since to build one part for multiple model lines. The dash harness is more model specific. By model I mean Base, SR5, Limited, TRD, V6 or 4cyl, manual or auto ect There are only a few options that really change the way the frame harness is built.

 

ah, I understand! haha sorry!

 

My light doesn't work either....until I'm almost out of gas and then it comes on just fine. It's a warning light...it won't come on until you're almost out of gas.

Obviously from your picture the bulb works and it does light up. So just think of NOT seeing it as a good thing.

Out of curiosity, what's the month from your driver's side door sticker?

 

well in the picture, I have the bulb taken out and I held it up to sunlight to shine through it to show that its there. and the date is 01/97

 

Now this is happening. I took my needles off to paint them blue and when I put them back on and plugged them up, this happened. The temp needle went all the way up and stays and the gas went all the way down

 

Another pic

 

you didnt put the needles back on where they came off....