[Goldentaco]

I think this is the proper section.

I was driving home tonight and had the cruise on when it suddenly cut off (cruise control) like when you go uphill with it on and lose more than 5mph...it disengages and the "cruise" light starts flashing. I turned it off then back on and it doesn't engage. I then noticed my speedo wasn't working. Tack fine, Gas guage and all else fine.

SO Speedo is dead. Now where to start. I assume since cruise system gets a speed signal in order to engage as it has to be above 30mph, it gets this from speedo cable at some point. Does this happen at Transmission hookup or further down the line. Point is I need to figure out where break/disconnect is...guage cluster or the gear inside the tranny.

Any thoughts?

 

[EnolaGaia]

After looking through the cruise control diagnostics in the online 1996 FSM (check sticky thread somewhere around here for where to download it ...) I only see one possible 'link' between the speedometer and the cruise circuitry. Unfortunately, I can't find any details on the connection.

My interpretation is that the cruise control ECU receives a speed signal from the (replace-able) speed sensor on the back of the instrument cluster ('combination meter' in Toyotese). This sensor unit can fail (there's a voltage check specified for testing it).

... So my guess is that you have a failure no later than the speed sensor (or the signal connection between it and the cruise ECU). This would seem to make the 'suspects':

- speed sensor
- speedometer cable (broken; disconnected)
- 'driven gear' (@ transmission; the gear that drives the cable)

Just my .02 ...

 

[Goldentaco]

that's good news...and bad news. I didn't want to have to remove the cluster. It's a pita, plenty doable but time consuming. I'll start with tranny and work up from there. Is the '96 a cable driven off the tranny gear all the wya up to the cluster? Or is it a sensor driven by the gear in the tranny with signal transmitted via wire to the cluster?

 

[EnolaGaia]

I'm pretty sure it's an old-school mechanical cable from the transmission unit leading to somewhere at / near the cluster.

The 1996 FSM is unclear about this. There is a mention of a 'speedometer driven gear' in the combination meter section of Body Electrical, and I take that to mean the cable leads to the cluster.

(Sorry - I'm not that familiar with the 'cable-speedo-era' Tacomas)

 

[ShowStop]

Is the '96 a cable driven off the tranny gear all the wya up to the cluster? Or is it a sensor driven by the gear in the tranny with signal transmitted via wire to the cluster?

Take a look near the driveshaft output and see if you have an electrical connection there or a shielded cable coming out. I'm guessing you have the cable, since many of the 95-97 model Tacomas had speedo cables.

 

[DakotaTacoma]

Probably your speedo cable. Mine broke several years ago. They are like $50 the dealer. Go for a new one, you might save a few bucks at a junk yard, but it may break again a lot sooner than a new one would.

Of course, it could be the gear interface that plugs into the T-case that the speed cable is attached to.

Or your cable could have just come unscrewed at the t-case, or disconnected at the gage cluster. Check those first before buyng a new cable.

 

[Goldentaco]

Thanks for the kickstart guys. I'll look at things tomorrow starting at tranny and work up. Not that it matters, but the odometer is not working either. I'm sure it's just driven off the cable. I really hope there is just a loose connection.

 

[Goldentaco]

Well looks like it's the cable. Luckily it broke at the tranny about 3" away from the transmission. Here's a pic of the part I found as I removed the cable from the tranny:

I'm guessing it doesn't normally come apart

anyways I'll be sourcing it from somewhere. Having a hard time finding it online.

 

[Dick Foster]

If the speedo is dead in a 96 you most probably have a bad mechanical cable or maybe have stripped the speedo gear in the Tcase a lesser possibility. Get under the truck and pull the speedo cable off the T Case and yank the core to see if it's all there.
The electrical speed pulse signal is made in the instrument cluster which is fed by the mechanical speedo cable. If you fix the speedo your cruse control will come back. The electrical speed pulse is also applied to the ECU.

 

[Goldentaco]

...The electrical speed pulse signal is made in the instrument cluster which is fed by the mechanical speedo cable. If you fix the speedo your cruse control will come back. The electrical speed pulse is also applied to the ECU.

That would explain the CEL that's on now too. Searched Toyota dallas for the speedo cable but they have nothing...in fact I can't find anyone online that has it. I guess I'll have to call the dealer

 

[Dick Foster]

Just call Shannon at Champion.

 

[hytenor]

That would explain the CEL that's on now too. Searched Toyota dallas for the speedo cable but they have nothing...in fact I can't find anyone online that has it. I guess I'll have to call the dealer

they can get any Toyota part made...not everthing is on their site.

 

[Goldentaco]

Just call Shannon at Champion.

Champion what?

 

[Dick Foster]

Toyota Toyotal. Check the sponsor section.