Overhead Compass/Temp Fix

Thanks everyone for the help.I'll give it a try this weekend.
Ed

 

I did this and it fixed mine. Easy fix too. Thanks

 

Does anyone know where to get those 2 metal clips from i can't seem to find them anywhere

 

They pop off sometimes and end up under your headliner, look around in there for them.

 

The solder job didn't work.
Does anyone have a part number for, or a link to where I can get a replacement circuit board?

 

Look back over the last few pages of the thread, there is a place you can send the unit to and they will fix it. Please don't pay Toyota for a new one......

 

I KNEW this day was coming. 2007 TRD Sport, 53K miles. Overhead console quit working this morning.

I just put a solder bead on the ends, per the sticky. They look ridiculous but the display works again.

The connections looked intact, but when I did the one at left lower (as oriented in the photos) the whole resistor came up with the iron. So it was right lower connection that was bad (same as in the photos).

Scary to think how much of the the world runs on SMT parts.

Awesome as always TW

 

Joined Tacoma world today & fixed the Compass/Temp Display with Solder to 510 Resistors as posted and it worked like a charm!.

There were no apparent disconnects with the 510s but tried the solder anyway and presto the display was back! How sweet is that!

Thanks!

 

Hi folks...

For those new to the thread, I'm Greg...owner of Siliconmethod.com. We repair the Tacoma displays, among others.

Tacoma displays are by far the most common board for me to repair...in the past couple years I have successfully upgraded nearly 400 boards w/ new components.

*However*...there have been six I couldn't repair, and had to refund. All six meters were previous self-repair attempts. I have been hesitant to post this, because I don't want to come across as anti-DIY or to trying to scare people into sending them to me. That is not what we are about. I don't care how your display gets fixed...you, me, or someone else...as long as it works for you.

So...a reminder to the folks about to resolder their boards:

1.) make sure the solder doesn't bridge, especially to the through-hole next to one of the resistors. (the small, round copper areas). I suspect this is a board-destroying short.

2.) I strongly recommend you follow my DIY guide here. If you don't, your repair is going to fail again; although someone good with a soldering iron might get a couple of seasons usage by resolding the old components.

3.) solder quickly! Heat from your gun / iron may be destroying components nearby. Press the clean, tinned iron to the junction of the board and resistor and immediately feed solder. You should get a nice shiny fill.

-greg

 

Awesome!

Mine failed on me back in 09 and I fixed it a few months ago. It has failed on me again last week. Kind of want to give up and not re-solder it

 

Send it into Greg. He fixed mine and it works perfectly.. plus, now I don't worry about it going out again because he actually knows what he is doing instead of me practicing on an expensive circuit board..

 

Wholly crap!!! I've been driving around for at least a year without my compass and temp gauge. I was convinced it was a fuse, until I read here that if your overhead lights work then it's not a fuse.
So I dig and dig for an hour, find my soldering kit (which took longer than the entire fix) and followed the directions, and low and behold one of the two tiny 510 transistor or whatever the hell they are was just barley lifted up off the board on one end. I push it down, throw a very crude solder on both ends of both 510 thingies and took it out to the truck and plugged it in before reassembling, to make sure. Didnt work, then I pushed the square button to turn it on and jackpot, It works.
Anybody can do this, however small diameter .022" solder and a very small tip for the soldering iron will reduce the mess you make.
Good luck!!!

 

Yep, fixed mine too...kept the $$ in my pocket instead of giving it to the dealership for a "replacement" and got some personal ownership in my favorite ride! It's a good feelin' ain't it

 

Great feeling!!! Love taking care of things on my truck, about to knock out a spindle lift in my garage. There are tons of mods you can do yourself.

BTW cool photo with your pups at the drive in.

 

awesome!! I have never soldered in my life and was able to do this one... though my 510 thing didn't look messed up it wouldn't work, so what the heck i hit it with a few spots and BAMMMM!! back in the game. thanks

 

Awesome info, was able to fix mine in a few minutes, its been out for two years now. I didn't want to give Toyota the money for it since I am out of warranty. Thanks for the write up!

 

I did this fix a couple years ago and it worked great, but the unit just crapped out again tonight. Hopefully it is fixable again this time.

 

So I pulled out the overhead console last night because the compass/temp gauge went black again (I did this fix like 3 years ago). When I opened up the unit, this is what I found...

I have no idea how this happened -- the resistor was standing up at a 30 degree angle, almost as if the solder joint exploded



What the heck happens to these things to cause such a catastrophic solder failure?!?!






Anyways, did the solder fix again and it works fine now.

 

You might want to start looking for a new 510 resistor soon just in case. I don't think it will go bad for a while but it might not last for a long time. Electronics are an iffy item nowadays.

 

I can't tell 100% by the pictures, but here are a few thoughts.

It does look as though there may have been some type of thermal event. (Notice the solder chunks just off the pad/land) One side heated up first and if it wasn't sitting flat, when the other side heated up, caused the "tombstone" affect. Did you put the same resistor down or replace it? Looking at the pictures, I can't tell if part of the resistor is stuck to the pad - plus it looks like some damage to the body of the resistor by the "0" side.

Also, depending on what type of flux was used, it looks as though there may be some type of corrosion??? All that brown crap is flux.