Installing Cluster With Tachometer For Toyota Nze120 (from Japan) - Everything Else

Guest Speedmaster

Hello,

I own a Toyota Corolla (manual 5-speed transmission) (chassis number NZE120) (1.3 VVT-i and Year 2001) which I imported from Japan. Its cluster only has a speedometer, a fuel meter and a temperature meter. I recently bought a cluster from ebay having a tachmometer in order to fit it in my Toyota. As soon as I removed my original cluster and fitted in the new one, I started the engine and noticed that the tachometer worked. However the cluster illumination did not work when I turned on the side lamps and headlamps switch. Its a pity that my new cluster cannot be seen in the dark. I consulted my Toyota authorised agent here in Malta where I live and I have been told that I have to change the whole wiring system which would involve me in a lot of expenses. Is it possible that just to make the cluster illuminate, I have to change the whole wiring system?

Can anyone please help? Perhaps a diagram with the cluster pinouts can help in order for me to trace exactly the pinout that has to do with the illumination. If anyone has the diagram with the pinouts, I would appreciate having the pinouts for the NZE120 cluster (without tachometer) and the NZE121 (i.e. a Toyota with 1.5 engine) cluster (with tachometer).

Your help in this matter would be GREATLY appreciated, please.

You would need the wiring diagram from the appropriate service manuals for both the cluster and vehicle. Otherwise, you will have to trace back the wiring by hand on the printed circuit board on the cluster itself and that still leaves you to locate the correct wiring diagram for the car's wiring. Unfortunantly, different markets get different vehicles and possibly different wiring, so it may be some work on your part to find the correct wiring diagram. In this case, I would not try to just connect the cluster to the vehicle as you could end up shorting a component - then you would have some real problems then.

On North American models, you can get a different North American cluster (ie, one with a tach) and get it to directly plug into a vehicle that has no tach. I've seen people try and get JDM clusters to work with USDM vehicles, and usually end up rewiring a good bit to get things to work. Not sure if a JDM cluster w/tach will work in place of a JDM vehicle w/o the tach. From what you described - it sounds like it doesn't work.

I believed you PM'd me recently - I did not realize you had a JDM cluster - my wiring scans probably would not help you. Need to find a JDM wiring guide to help get that cluster to work correctly.

Bikeman982

Hello,
I own a Toyota Corolla (manual 5-speed transmission) (chassis number NZE120) (1.3 VVT-i and Year 2001) which I imported from Japan. Its cluster only has a speedometer, a fuel meter and a temperature meter. I recently bought a cluster from ebay having a tachmometer in order to fit it in my Toyota. As soon as I removed my original cluster and fitted in the new one, I started the engine and noticed that the tachometer worked. However the cluster illumination did not work when I turned on the side lamps and headlamps switch. Its a pity that my new cluster cannot be seen in the dark. I consulted my Toyota authorised agent here in Malta where I live and I have been told that I have to change the whole wiring system which would involve me in a lot of expenses. Is it possible that just to make the cluster illuminate, I have to change the whole wiring system?
Can anyone please help? Perhaps a diagram with the cluster pinouts can help in order for me to trace exactly the pinout that has to do with the illumination. If anyone has the diagram with the pinouts, I would appreciate having the pinouts for the NZE120 cluster (without tachometer) and the NZE121 (i.e. a Toyota with 1.5 engine) cluster (with tachometer).
Your help in this matter would be GREATLY appreciated, please.

I am not an expert, nor do I have a schematic for your model year, but I think that if you found the wire(s) that go to the instrument lighting and spliced them into the hot wire for the headlights, that they will light up when your headlights are on. Just my thought.