Liftback - Easiest Way to Get a Tach and Cruise Control...

[ex_MGB]

I'm an old Vdub owner as well. Driven manuals forever. I think its kinda retro cool that Toyota did not put a tach in nor a cruise control.

Truth be told, it's not hard to memorize your speed/gear/rpm relationship. With high rpm fuel cut-off you don't have to worry about blowing the engine.

Back in the day there was a thing called "tuned" exhaust. You knew your engine rpm by the sound of the exhaust. That's when drivers enjoyed the sound and subtle mechanical feedback of their car and a lot of cars didn't have radios.

As for cruise control, a Yaris is not exactly what I'd take on a 700 mile run on an interstate.

[dbaxter]

Hate to say folks but they are not going to change this. Its worth a shot but they are not going to put one in, well not unless you pay for it.

Toyota and all makers for some dumb reason do this for manual. Funnier that they put tachs on autos.

I had a 1990 toyota tercel that was a manual without a tach. my poor wife had to learn how to drive a manual without a tach, personally its the best way. You learn how to change gears by ear.

[Pars]

Honda used to have their low end model tack-less But for the last 2 generations of Civic, they've included Tachometer in all their Civics.

Personally, If my 5dr Yaris didn't have a Tachometer, I would now be driving the Honda Fit. Back in 98, I was set on buyinh a Civic DX Coupe, but when I learned that Coupe version didn't have a Tacometer, while the Hatchback version did, I ended up buying the hatchback. (which was an added bonus since the Hatch ended up being much nicer then the coupe).

[DonnyRebel]

What the hell are you people thinking???? If you wanted a performance car, you wasted your money big time! Do you actually think most potential buyers care if it has a tachometer or not?

The Yaris is an econo-car.

!!!GET OVER IT!!!!

[H2XcapePod]

Originally Posted by DonnyRebel

What the hell are you people thinking???? If you wanted a performance car, you wasted your money big time! Do you actually think most potential buyers care if it has a tachometer or not?

The Yaris is an econo-car.

!!!GET OVER IT!!!!

I agree whole heartedly! On a side note, my feelings...F the world, environmentally speaking of course. I didn't buy it to be friendly to the planet, the planet should let the weather men look competent at least sometime, they seem like nice enough guys. I'm 24 and I'm just really at odds with the world, I saw 1 yaris lb about 4 months ago and said WTF, it was just so different, like it didn't belong here at this day in age...When I totalled my strat I new I would get a new car. I didn't justwant new, I wanted uber-new, not scene in my zipcode yet new,let me debadge it and keep you guessing new...and hey I can save some money at the pump too...To get back to the point, I just gave my girlfreind her first lessons on a manual today, low and behold without a tach . I'm sure if her 10minute experienced ass could manage, you bastards that have been driving manuals for years would wouldn't have a problem. We are spoiled, such a great job overall and you people cry like a bunch of 2 year olds. The point of a manual is to put you in control, to become more intimately associated, to become one if you will with the machine. For pete's sake fuck a tach keep your eyes on the road and feel it, enjoy its peppy tossability ...no slicks, rollcage, or helmut came with any "convenience package", and that 10 sec timeslip you have...1/8th mi undoubtedly...
Incase I'm kicked off or flamed, great DIY's Chris and you guys are funny as hell
Peace!

[paultyler_82]

Originally Posted by weeze-dog

Well what bugs me is that the US is the only country in the world to not get a freakin tach in the cluster. Again we get the shaft when it comes to cars. We have hardly any choices when it comes to small, versitle cars, especially hatchbacks. Some of us american don't want giant SUV's or huge sedans. And when they do give us a good small car, they screw us on options.

I have to agree and disagree with you on this one, I think we were definately shafted on the option packages, however, carwise, we definately weren't shafted, we, in the US only get the 1.5L 1NZ-FE... an optional engine in nearly the rest of the world, not even availiable in some markets. And really, the only other engine/trans options I could see myself wanting would be the 2NZ-FE with AWD... not sure I'd want to take the dive to a 1.3L though... but the CVT would be nice, unfortunately, it's unavailable for the 1NZ-FE.

Originally Posted by weeze-dog

Oh you want a 5-speed w/Power Package, thats only available on the 2nd Tuesday of the 3rd month of the year...and only in Idaho...

Toyota's distribution sucks... that's just the way it is... we haven't even SEEN any power package equipped units here.... not even on the automatics

Originally Posted by weeze-dog

I think the reason the reason there is no tach is that they wanted to hit a price under $11K so they could advertize the hell out of it. Almost every ad I've seen for the yaris has the $10,950 price point advertized. There's only so many ways to cut corners.

You'd think importing the cluster and attaching a MPH/kph face to it would have been more cost effective for them though. But Toyota has their motives, however questionable...

What it all boils down to is that Toyota USA brought the Yaris over as a family econocar and they wanted to make sure it couldn't compete with the Scion brand (namely the aging xA) in any way, shape, or fashon, so they sought to obscure it's sporty nature in any way they could. I think Toyota's kind of seeing that this little car is becoming more popular than they figured, and it's nature as a young, sporty kind of car is being realized, but I think our only real hope of the Yaris being treated seriously is the demise of (sorry to any owners out there) the xA and it's eventual pull from the US Market.

[Pars]

Originally Posted by H2XcapePod

you people cry like a bunch of 2 year olds. The point of a manual is to put you in control, to become more intimately associated, to become one if you will with the machine. For pete's sake fuck a tach keep your eyes on the road and feel it, enjoy its peppy tossability ...no slicks, rollcage, or helmut came with any "convenience package", and that 10 sec timeslip you have...1/8th mi undoubtedly...
Peace!

Point taken .

It's just some of the rest of us are a little tehnical with our driving and like to push things to the max. Plus it can help when you're in a sticky situation and need to hold on to the gear as long as possible or trying to squeeze ahead of someone who's trying to box you out. But you're right, when I'm cruising and taking in the sights while enjoying the Zen feeling of my car being connected to the road, reading the tach is not part of that equation.

[argylesocks]

Originally Posted by Pars

Plus it can help when you're in a sticky situation and need to hold on to the gear as long as possible or trying to squeeze ahead of someone who's trying to box you out.

yeah. that happens to me alot.

[H2XcapePod]

All I konw is that at 65 on the highway I can drop it to 3rd and hold till at least 85 to "debox" myself from anything I've come across thus far. At the end of the day hell yea I woulda liked a tach to know all the details,...its just the ones talking about not gettin the car or impending armageddon because it doen't come with a tach that gets me!

[tiksman]

Ok, I did sent a email to Toyota. We would not need a cruise if the gas pedal was a little longer/wider.
Also on the tach thing. I was driving a 98 Neon R/T before the Yaris and it was all riced out. The exhaust was sooo damm loud. I did not need a tach because I could hear the engine.Also it had a cable driven clutch you could feel.
My Yaris is so quiet and that is the way I want keep it that way. But it is too quiet. I can't hear the engine. The clutch is power assist and hard to let out if you are not used to it. I drove about 4 miles in 4th gear about 70 mph because I was not paying attention to the sound of the car and was shocked it was in 4th. If i had a tach I would have known also a tach just lets you know what is going on and I would like to have one.

Just my 2 cents.

[nsmitchell]

Somewhat off topic...

I had a Honda Civic VX Hatchback. It had a tach, and it would do 111 MPH in 3rd gear (that was in the owners manual)! That was supposed to be an economy car as well, but it was so fun to floor! I once raced my boss in his new Mazda Mellinuim in a light to light. He was pissed when I beat him! I also had a Civic HX CVT, and this guy at work said he looked at those, but bought the Altima because it was faster. Raced him one day, and we were neck and neck 'til about 45MPH, then the CVT started spanking him. He looked over in utter disbelief and I was LMAO! I also had 3 big guys in my Civic compared to him and one other guy in the Altima. The HX had a tach too, but in a CVT the tach stops moving right at either the torque or HP max, and the CVT does all the work! Very cool tranny!

[paultyler_82]

Originally Posted by tiksman

My Yaris is so quiet and that is the way I want keep it that way. But it is too quiet.

Really? I can hear my engine quite well.

Originally Posted by nsmitchell

Somewhat off topic...

I had a Honda Civic VX Hatchback. It had a tach, and it would do 111 MPH in 3rd gear (that was in the owners manual)! That was supposed to be an economy car as well, but it was so fun to floor! I once raced my boss in his new Mazda Mellinuim in a light to light. He was pissed when I beat him! I also had a Civic HX CVT, and this guy at work said he looked at those, but bought the Altima because it was faster. Raced him one day, and we were neck and neck 'til about 45MPH, then the CVT started spanking him. He looked over in utter disbelief and I was LMAO! I also had 3 big guys in my Civic compared to him and one other guy in the Altima. The HX had a tach too, but in a CVT the tach stops moving right at either the torque or HP max, and the CVT does all the work! Very cool tranny!

And this is why I want the Nissan Versa SL CVT.

Lucky it wasn't a Altima 3.5... you would have gotten spanked in that case, the VQ V6's are mean, my I30's got a 3.0 and I can stomp V6 mustangs all day... in a luxury sedan.

[tiksman]

Originally Posted by paultyler_82

Really? I can hear my engine quite well.

Remember I came out of a Neon and a Truck both had LOUD exhaust.

I still can only hear the engine at higher speeds. Maybe it's just me.

[ToyVitz]

I can see both sides to the story, but if you offer stuff like TRD exhaust, wheels, shift knobs, sport suspension, lowering springs, and a cold air intake... why wouldn't you offer something as simple as a tachometer to complement some of the "performance" options? Let's face it if you're adding these options you probably want a tach to monitor your engine revs. At least offer the US a kit like the Vitz has where you can mount the 3 gauge pods where the drivers glove box is.


My 2 cents!

[Pars]

Originally Posted by H2XcapePod

All I konw is that at 65 on the highway I can drop it to 3rd and hold till at least 85 to "debox" myself from anything I've come across thus far. At the end of the day hell yea I woulda liked a tach to know all the details,...its just the ones talking about not gettin the car or impending armageddon because it doen't come with a tach that gets me!

For me, having a tachometer isn't for simple decoration or something cool to have around. I need it, I use it, If you're stomach can handle being in the car with me when I'm in rush mode, you'd understand. In fact, when I do bother to look at the dash, 75% of the time it's to chech on the Tach (thankfully, the tachometer is located closest to the line of sight on the dash).

Weather I can driver without a tachometer is not an issue. I'll challenge anyone hear to driver the car more smoothly then myself without a tachometer. In fact, give me ear-plugs and I'll still execute perfect shifts (up or down) while speeding around. But when I'm going at 100%, those are the times when the tachometer becomes a necessity. If your driving habbit is to quietly stay under the radar while heading for point B, In that case, a tachometer wouldn't be a priority, but nice to have.

[H2XcapePod]

Originally Posted by Pars

If your driving habbit is to quietly stay under the radar while heading for point B, In that case, a tachometer wouldn't be a priority, but nice to have.

90+ mph across 3 states isn't exactly under the radar but to each his own . I feel where you're coming from though. I was sitting at a light one day with my window down and I couldn't hear the pod idling. All I'm saying is that short of auto-X and track nights, if you "need" a tach, you "need" an automatic.

[argylesocks]

Originally Posted by Pars

For me, having a tachometer isn't for simple decoration or something cool to have around. I need it, I use it, If you're stomach can handle being in the car with me when I'm in rush mode, you'd understand. In fact, when I do bother to look at the dash, 75% of the time it's to chech on the Tach (thankfully, the tachometer is located closest to the line of sight on the dash).

Weather I can driver without a tachometer is not an issue. I'll challenge anyone hear to driver the car more smoothly then myself without a tachometer. In fact, give me ear-plugs and I'll still execute perfect shifts (up or down) while speeding around. But when I'm going at 100%, those are the times when the tachometer becomes a necessity. If your driving habbit is to quietly stay under the radar while heading for point B, In that case, a tachometer wouldn't be a priority, but nice to have.

[Goose]

Has anybody checked into getting a display imported from another market such as France or Venezuela? I remember seeing pictures submitted here that had a really cool LED display with a tach. I assume that the display could be changed from metric to english units at the touch of a button.

Any thoughts about this idea? Has this already been discussed? I've gotta think that these displays have similar if not identical plug configurations to what we have over here. Maybe a sending unit may have to be installed at the engine. I dunno... just thinking out loud.

Picture of what I'm referring to: