Need help on Compass Calibration

I just put in an overhead console that has the compass and Temperature gauge that I purchased from e-bay on my 2011 Tacoma, replacing the stock console that came with a garage door opener instead of the display.

The wiring harness was already there and I just plugged everything in.
Everything works fine and the console lights up.

I'm trying too calibrate the compass. I push the button and it goes from Fahrenheit to Celsius to Off.

I read the manual and it says keep pushing the button until you see the VAR. I can't seem to get to the VAR, what am I doing wrong?

I checked some of the other threads, but none say specifically how to get to the calibration setting.

Is there another button or am I supposed to hold the set button down?

Thanks for any help

 

1. stop vehicle where it is safe to drive in a circle
2. press overhead console switch until VAR appears on display
3. press switch until your declination code is complete - if the direction is displayed several seconds after adjustment then calibration is complete
4. if not complete, press the switch until CAL appears on the display - at this time compass direction is locked at N
5. Drive vehicle in a circle at 8kph until direction is displayed
6. when CAL goes off and the compass display returns to normal mode then calibration is complete

I would assume that press means to hold. Did you try holding it down?

 

Do some doughnuts

 

I can't help you. My overhead decided to quit working.
But when or if I ever fix it. This might help me.
Sub'd for later.

 

OK, Jimmyh I need to press overhead switch and Hold? Just pressing the switch cycles from Fahrenheit to Celsius. I tried that, but maybe I didn't hold down the switch long enough.

Maybe that is where I am having the problem, I didn't press and Hold until the VAR showed in the display. I wasn't sure because it doesn't say in the manual to press down and hold the switch until the VAR shows in the display.

Thanks for the bold type and the response Jimmyh, I'll try this again when I get home later today.

 

I tried it this morning again . . . You need to Press and Hold , then the display will change to the VAR.

Mine came up VAR 8 and I changed it to VAR 11. There was no need for me to drive around in a circle.

Looking at the chart in the manual, 11 is the zone area I'm in.

After the zone change the compass works as it should.

Thanks Jimmyh for the input!

I now have a working temp/comp console I purchased for $150 off of e-Bay.

 

so here's a question for you....

if you drive across time zones, do you have to reset the time zone or is it done automatically?

 

Excellent question D4D. From looking at the book, it appears as though you have to change it manually for each time zone. It doesn't do it automatically.

The one I bought off of e-Bay came from zone 8 and the settings didn't match until I switched to zone 11.

 

Interesting... so if you were on a road trip across the country, every time you changed time zones, you'd have to reset it....

I guess north (in time zone 10) is not north (in time zone 8).

I going to drive across the country and test this....

 

I'm assuming so.

When I received mine with zone 8 programmed my the compass showed my truck was facing East when it should have been North. With the reprogramming to zone 11 it is now facing North.

I'm also going to assume that is why the vehicle book tells you to drive in a circle to calibrate the compass.

Either you can just go to VAR and plug in your zone, or go to CAL and drive in a circle to set it.

From the book:





CALIBRATING THE COMPASS (deviation

calibration)



The direction display on the compass

deviates from the true direction determined

by the earth’s magnetic field. The

angle of deviation varies according to the

geographic position of the vehicle.

To adjust for this deviation, stop the vehicle

and push the “MODE” button several

times until “ZONE XX” appears on the

calendar display. Then push the “RESET/

ADJ” button, referring to the following map

to select the number of the zone where

the vehicle is.

 

I haven't seen the mentioned chart, but are they actually using time zones or some other delineation? Curious.

And yes, magnetic north and true north are not the same thing. The direction of magnetic north varies with longitude (mostly*), and so changes as you travel east/west. The "zone" setting corrects for this difference, the declination, so the compass displays true direction (not magnetic direction).

Topographic maps have the local declination displayed on them so you can use a compass to orient the map to true north.

* it can vary with latitude as well, which is more pronounced at higher latitudes.


Edit: Aahh... yes. Thanks for the chart OP, answers my question.

 

You are welcome and thanks for the explanation.

 

He guys, I see that this thread is old but,
I tried changing the VAR to 10.
Didn’t work.
So I held the button until it was locked on Calc North.
I must of drove in 20 circles. A few times.
It’s still locked on Calc N.
Any suggestions?

 

I am having the same problem, did your find an answer?

 

No, as of now it’s locked on calc N
I think if I disconnect the battery and try again it may work... idk. Pain in the a**

 

Mine is stuck as well, been stuck ever since I got it and never been able to calibrate it.

 

I have a 2010 and have the same problem. Stuck on cal N.

 

Here's a link that helped me re-calibrate my 2005 Tacoma. Hope you find it helpful.

https://www.siliconmethod.com/calibrate_taco_compass.pdf

 

I have a 2010 and tried to recalibrate several times. Still no luck. Stuck on cal N