When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Hello everyone! Recently purchased a 1991 Toyota Celsior Type C from Japanese Classics. The car is absolutely beautiful and a dream to drive! I was brought here by the mechanic of their shop and a few people on Instagram and Reddit.
I can't wait to learn more about these cars on here! The styling and creature comforts on this car is amazing. I almost want other people to drive it so I can enjoy a back massage and a nap. Haha.
I do have a few questions right out of the gate though. My tach Needle seems to only partially work. It doesn't go much higher than 1500RPMS. And stays super low when driving down the highway I was told this is relatively common .is there anywhere I can send my cluster too and have them repair it? I am sure I could figure it out eventually. But soldering and electric work isn't my friend.
Also, cruise control will not set higher than 110KM's /65MPH. Which is fine in some states, but the speed limit is 75 here. (Aka 85ish)
is there any way to override the 110km max? Or is my system just derpy?
Anyway. Thanks for having me guys! I am very excited for summer to drive this beast!
Hi, MrWrench! Nice looking Celsior! I bought mine from JapaneseClassics as well. Where in Michigan are you?
The cruise control limiter is there by design, but it's pretty to remove. Take a read through this thread: http://soarercentral.com/sc-forum/me...tml?1146469586
There's a jumper you can just snip to override it. Alternatively, you can swap in the cruise unit from a US LS400; that's what I did.
Seems like there are a number of things that cause the gauges to malfunction, and I'm still working on that myself (in my case, the speedo and tach don't work frequently). There's a lot of info about the various issues on this forum. One potential cause is bad capacitors on the ECU; I got mine refurbished with fresh caps, but unfortunately that didn't make a difference.
Hi, MrWrench! Nice looking Celsior! I bought mine from JapaneseClassics as well. Where in Michigan are you?
The cruise control limiter is there by design, but it's pretty to remove. Take a read through this thread: http://soarercentral.com/sc-forum/me...tml?1146469586
There's a jumper you can just snip to override it. Alternatively, you can swap in the cruise unit from a US LS400; that's what I did.
Seems like there are a number of things that cause the gauges to malfunction, and I'm still working on that myself (in my case, the speedo and tach don't work frequently). There's a lot of info about the various issues on this forum. One potential cause is bad capacitors on the ECU; I got mine refurbished with fresh caps, but unfortunately that didn't make a difference.
Thank you! It made the drive home flawlessly! It was very comfortable and smooth the whole way.
I'm continually amazed at how much information is out there on the internet. Haha. Thank you so, so much for the link on the cruise control! It's very frustrating to be stuck at 65MPH.
I will look into modifying it in the spring time.
I was absolutely blown away with the experience at Japanese Classics. They were very friendly and knowledgeable. I hope to do future business with them again!
When you first put your key in the on position, are the needles for your tachometer and speedometer on the 0 markings? You may also be able to see this when the car is off, by shining a light through the tinted lens.
Sometimes, the needles can become loose on the motor shafts, leading to incorrect or limited readings. Here is an example of a 1990-1992 LS cluster where the tachometer and speedometer needles have come loose from their motors, leading to inaccurate readings:
I noticed in the video on that page that the tachometer needle has indeed come off/loosened off of the motor shaft for that car. See the screenshot (below):
Luckily, Amskeptic made a post about how he fixed this problem here. I also added a few important notes and a zoomed in picture of where the needle meets the motor shaft here. In my case, the incorrect tachometer issue was not affected by the ECU, and the cluster worked perfectly once the repair was made.
Just note that you have to be very careful when applying the glue, because too much could cause sticking issues (which took me a while to fix) and too little will mean your cluster will have to be disassembled again. The plastic parts are also very old, so going slow helps a lot - do not unscrew the cluster itself using power tools or by going fast with your hands.
There are some services that repair these clusters, such as Tanin Auto Electronix, but you shouldn't need to replace the entire needle assembly over this.
Here are some instructions on how to remove the cluster from LexLS. I took lots of pictures when I did this job last year, so I should be able to answer any questions or review steps that are confusing.
Last edited by CELSI0R; Apr 27, 2020 at 05:57 AM.
Reason: added video link
When you first put your key in the on position, are the needles for your tachometer and speedometer on the 0 markings? You may also be able to see this when the car is off, by shining a light through the tinted lens.
Sometimes, the needles can become loose on the motor shafts, leading to incorrect or limited readings. Here is an example of a 1990-1992 LS cluster where the tachometer and speedometer needles have come loose from their motors, leading to inaccurate readings:
I noticed in the video on that page that the tachometer needle has indeed come off/loosened off of the motor shaft for that car. See the screenshot (below):
Luckily, Amskeptic made a post about how he fixed this problem here. I also added a few important notes and a zoomed in picture of where the needle meets the motor shaft here. In my case, the incorrect tachometer issue was not affected by the ECU, and the cluster worked perfectly once the repair was made.
Just note that you have to be very careful when applying the glue, because too much could cause sticking issues (which took me a while to fix) and too little will mean your cluster will have to be disassembled again. The plastic parts are also very old, so going slow helps a lot - do not unscrew the cluster itself using power tools or by going fast with your hands.
There are some services that repair these clusters, such as Tanin Auto Electronix, but you shouldn't need to replace the entire needle assembly over this.
Here are some instructions on how to remove the cluster from LexLS. I took lots of pictures when I did this job last year, so I should be able to answer any questions or review steps that are confusing.
Wow! You guys are all awesome on this forum! Thank you for sharing.
thats the exact Celsior I purchased and I can see exactly what you're saying! I think I'll tackle this project sometime when it's warm again outside .
I cant wait to tackle the project and get the needle working again! I will definitely bookmark this thread and be in contact with you if I have any questions.
Hey what’s going on fellas I have a 98 LS 400 and I’ve gotten her up to 140 mph. And just recently I acquired a 97 Toyota celsior, Now of course this has a Speedometer in kph and has a top speed of 180 kph That’s only 111 mph. So does she not exceed that speed because of the speedometer or a governor?
Hey what’s going on fellas I have a 98 LS 400 and I’ve gotten her up to 140 mph. And just recently I acquired a 97 Toyota celsior, Now of course this has a Speedometer in kph and has a top speed of 180 kph That’s only 111 mph. So does she not exceed that speed because of the speedometer or a governor?
Yes, JDM Celciors are equipped with an electronic speed limiter and you can't run faster than 180km/H.
There's a member of a 96 Celsior owner who succeeded to run faster than the original limit. See this. https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...l#post11044255
Last edited by Yamae; Nov 19, 2022 at 01:20 AM.
Reason: To add an example
New guy here with my first Celsior.
