The lights within your Toyota Tacoma's instrument panel, like those in most other vehicles, are engineered to work indefinitely. Extensive night driving, however, can cause the bulbs to eventually burn out. Each device within the instrument panel and dashboard -- be it the instrument cluster, the heater or the radio -- uses its own bulb. A burned-out bulb for the radio can be a nuisance, but most of the instrument cluster bulbs are necessities. When replacing a light in your Tacoma's instrument panel, please note that there can be small variances depending on the year model of the truck.
Disconnect the truck's negative battery cable from within the engine compartment, loosening the cable clamp nut with a wrench and removing the black cable from its terminal.
Pry off the trim panel(s) surrounding the device with the burned-out bulb within the panel that needs the new light. In most cases, trim panels require a flat trim stick to remove trim.
Remove the mounting fasteners for the device and pull it out of the instrument panel. The tool needed varies depending on the device you're servicing; the instrument cluster takes a screwdriver while the radio needs a small wrench.
Turn the bulb holder in the back of the device counterclockwise and pull it out. Pull the bulb out of the holder if the replacement bulb does not come with its own holder.
Insert the new bulb into the holder if needed; hold the bulb with gloves or a clean rag to avoid getting oils on the bulb glass. Insert the bulb and holder back into the device and turn it clockwise.
Place the device back within the instrument panel and apply its fasteners. Reconnect the trim panel with its clips.
Reconnect the Tacoma's negative battery cable.
