Hi Scotty,
I've got a Toyota Celsior 1997 35,000miles.
The temp gauge was showing high on cold start, turns out it was the gauge but they're out of production. I was able to get a salvage yard cluster in MPH in the UK, and I switched the board from KM/h to MPH and did the gauge at the same time. It's working now, but I don't know for how long.
They've got these tiny wires at the back about the same diameter as a human hair. And they all seemed to be connected. But what are my chances of getting the gauges reconditioned? Is there anything they can do, and will I know if they did it?.
Thanks,
people can write your name in atoms if you want.
The real question is "can you afford it", "does it make sense", and by extension "is it profitable for someone to make a business of it", etc...
I've heard of many companies out there who do cluster repairs. I'm sure you can find them if you search. They seem to be pretty picky about what they work on though. I would do some web research, and start phoning around asking ...
Well most of the companies I've contacted ignore me when I specifically ask if they can repair the actual gauges themselves, and not just a general cluster repair. But I'll report back if I get lucky. What I suspect they'll do is what I've done already and just stick a replacement gauge in there from a salvage yard.
If they weren't out of production it would probably be cheaper to just buy a new one and fit it myself, but I suppose this comes with the terrritory with old cars.
On another point - if any LHD American lexus owners are reading this, bear in mind the MPH speedometer boards from the RHD vehicles will have everything in reverse. So my cluster reads from left to right: fuel, speed, RPM, temp. So watch out with parts from Japan and all that.
collecting old 30+ year old vehicles is not for the faint of heart.
I'll see if I can find this thread in +10 years time when I'm still driving the car without a care in the world and my stress levels have gone down because it's so reliable. I'm sure it was the best choice I ever made and there will be no road blocks from big companies or big government at all. 🙄