Removal and Custom Instrument Cluster Panel Toyota Corolla 2007 07

by chrisayad in Workshop > Cars

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Removal and Custom Instrument Cluster Panel Toyota Corolla 2007 07

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This is how to remove the instrument panel, and open the instrument panel, and what is inside and some ideas of what you can do.

Some videos of it with the cover off and stuff

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There is one screw on top, it is not the regular metal screw.
Mine was the plastic kind that expand when screwed in instead of screwing into the material it holds.
Those are weaker, and I think they will unscrew will little pressure but mine kept turning and never came out so i broke it.

In the picture it is upside down and you can see the way the screw holds it in there.
note the shape of the clips and the direction you should pull out.
such as bottom first/simultaneously

Turns out I actually didn't break it when i yanked it out but i heard a lot of snapping and i suggest not doing this.

Take It Out

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Before you take it out make sure the plug above it is loose because you won't get it very far.

Screw on top takes care of it.

On the bottom the pictures are hard to see but its easy
there are tabs where the white part (a square) fits around it and the metal tab expands to secure it.
just put a flat screwdriver between the top of the bottom half of the white part and the metal and do not apply upward pressure until you have pressed it in slightly.

when you take it out, leave the top pretty much where it is,
move the bottom forward and rotate the panel it up to fit between the wheel
installation is reverse of removal.

there are plugs on the left and right of it.

Back and Front

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If you can pinch strong enough just use your thumb and go all the way around 'unlocking' each tab and after you do them all it should be easy to pull apart. watch the video for the hand magic hand motion

The black backing has screws in it don't lose the screws!
Take them out put the back aside and front

you should now have a white thing with the needles and display backing on the front with the bare circuit on the back.

You can see on the back there is that annoying bell that i spent so many weeks trying to find and then i randomly found it there jeez.

To disable the beeping:
I prefer the wiggle it back and forth until it breaks off method.
But you can probably desolder it after you open the rest up on the next steps.

Downloads

Remove White Case

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Take out the needles by using a small flathead and do it sorta gently by turning the screwdriver rather than prying up because putting pressure on the outer edge makes it harder to come out.
It may come out either way and with no harm, but I am worrying about the strength of those motors they look rather small and breakable.

when you do that you can take off the face and do whatever you want with it

there are clips formed out of the white plastic on the back that are holding the circuit onto it.

*ALWAYS pay attention to the LCD because it is attached to the white part, and when you unclip the green board it will become loose.
The LCD pins are designed to come STRAIGHT out, and if it is straight they have no problem.
Putting it back can be hard if you have shaky hands because the pins are thin and long.

You should now have the circuit by itself

Now

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It's pretty much bare now and you can do solder work on the LEDs and switch them around if you want. I tried to use blue SMDs to replace some of the middle white ones but they were definitely not bright enough. They were 20mA leds and im pretty sure the ones on that thing are close to 400mA or something.
watch the videos of my entertainment for your entertainment.
I put some pictures and ask me anything else

putting it back is the reverse of removal. excluding one part:
You have to take the two plastic pieces (clear and blackish) apart from eachother
Assembly(start with white piece)attach-->Circuit, face, black cover, needles, clear cover, dont forget the back.