Toyota Echo Speedometer ECU switchout

[sixseas]

My friend is having an electrical problem with his 2000 Toyota Echo. My car is identical. Does anyone know if we can switch out our computers and instrument clusters between the two cars to problem solve without loosing the settings and mileage in the memory?

[jdmccright]

I don't see why not. The speedo/odo memory is contained in the gauge cluster. I don't know if the ECU also retains it to compare to the cluster, but I don't think so. I'd swap one component at a time. Can you elaborate on the electrical problem? Someone here may have insight on the problem before you you wriggling underneath the dash. Good luck!

[sixseas]

I thought it would work then talked to the dealer they said it would accumulate mileage i.e. I have 50k she has 80k so if I switched clusters or computers each car would end up with 140k miles and may have to have injection points reprogrammed. It wouldn’t be a big deal as I will likely drive my Echo until its scrapped but hate to create another job.

She is having intermittent odd information related failures check engine light blinks or comes on goes out by itself but no code left. Odometer will 0 out a couple days then later back to normal. Gas gauge always works. Cold engine light blinks occasionally when engine is warm. I had a similar problem with a Dodge conversion van years ago it ended up to be a cracked board in the cluster. As I understand it she had put well over $400 in dealer diagnostics only to be told there is a possible short in the ECU or cluster or harness. My plan was to eliminate the cluster then ECU as the culprit by switching components maybe running them for weeks while I problem solve and see if I can eliminate the problem swapping components. The car runs great she never has any codes set.