Indiglo gauges install, or HOW TO REMOVE CLUSTER!! ( warning 22 pictures )

[Spas]

Anyone know what dash bulbs a 98 Sport would take? Two of mine are blown and I'm waiting for my custom silver gauges to be made....I need to now the part #'s now, so I don't have to run to Pep boys with the gauges on the floor

PS (Once mine are used and a template is made, I've kinda opened the door for anyone who wants blue, red, yellow, etc. face gauges, if anyone's interested)

 

[Stephen S]

The bulb specs can be found in a table in the back of your owner's manual (for future reference) if you still have one. The bulbs in the instrument cluster are 194 and there are 6 of them. My suggestion would be to change all of them at the same time so none of the others go out as soon as you get the thing back together.

BTW: Be sure to post some pictures of those silver guage faces when you get them. How much are they costing you and who is making them?? I might be interested.

 

[Spas]

BTW: Be sure to post some pictures of those silver guage faces when you get them. How much are they costing you and who is making them?? I might be interested.

Thanks for the info, Stephen-I didn't even think to look in the manual

As for the guages, they're actually white-ish silver (they didn't have a darker gray ) But I'm getting custom lettering done on them: dropping all the unnecessary symbols and the European Km/hr bits in exchange for 'Gone In 60 seconds' style slanted script and (go ahead and laugh, I know everyone thinks it's funny) I'm having the words 'SPORT GT' put where the 1000/rpms light is. The site is called Mantaray Motorsports-they have yellow, red, white (silver) and blue faces with your choice of letter color and you can get words printed on the face. I'm the guinea pig for this, but I'll post the pics as soon as it's done in about 4 weeks.

Dead Link Removed

I think the price is gonna be about $100-110....

 

[Stephen S]

No problem for the bulb info Spas, happy to help.

I can't wait to see what these custom guage faces look like. I checked out the site you posted, but they don't say anything about silver faces. I think that would be the color I'd want. What color lettering are you going with?? Will the backlight still shine through blue (for 95-97) or green (for 98+) or do the new faces change that??

 

[Spas]

I think that would be the color I'd want. What color lettering are you going with?? Will the backlight still shine through blue (for 95-97) or green (for 98+) or do the new faces change that??

They'll be the same as before, just with different letters and face color..not like indiglo guages I chose green for my letter color, just to keep up with the rest of the green in my X

 

[PunkChild]

Anyone have any Ideas about this. About a week ago my gagues started acting up. After driving for a while the gagues will turn off. After a couple minutes if can flip the color select switch a couple times and they will come back on. Now its gotten worse after they turn off I can get them to come back on a couple times but then they go out for good until i shut off my car for a while. Any ideas? I think I sould go back in my dash and check my wiring and make sure all the connections are good.

 

[Spas]

oooooOOOOoookay....

So I've got the guages, broken down into three seperate pieces, but I can't figure out how to get the needles off so I can pry off the face. All that's left on the rear of the face are these cylindrical looking thingamabobs on the back of every needle with two screws holding each on. Could somebody please explain for this poor mechanically challenged blonde? Thanks!

Also, how does one get the needles off and back on without messing up their readings? IE; doing 5 miles over the speed that your speedometer says?

 

[bigtigexplorer]

Hold up Spas!! You don't have to completely take the guage cluster apart to get the needles off. All you have to do is pop the cap off the front of the needle ( the back piece with white stripe ) and then GENTLY pull the needle straight off of the guage. As for getting the needles lined up again. The best thing you can do is remove all the pins ( the little black things that support the needles when the car is off ) and let the needle settle to its resting position. Then mark a spot on the guage where the needle is pointing. Once you have all the positions marked then pull the needles off. When you go to put the needles back on, before you push them down line them up with the marks you made.

 

[espnfreak]

I've been driving around with my speedo off by about 10 mph for a month now. should i just open up the guages "again" (as if i havent done it enough) to set the needle at 60 mph while driving alongside a friend at 60 mph?

 

[Spas]

Lol, BigTig!

I didn't take them apart by choice, Hoss-that's the way Paxton sent them to me! Why,--- is it really hard to get them back together? (Thank God that these are off a wreck and not mine! Whew!) I haven't tried to put them back together yet-I'm still trying to pry the needle covers off...

 

[bigtigexplorer]

Espnfreak: That basicly what I did, but I used my GPS to tell me my current speed. Once it said I was doing 60 mph I sen the cruise control and gently put the needle back on pointing to 60.

Spas: Whew!, LOL. I really dont know how hard they are to put back together, but I didn't realize you were using an extra set and not the originals. This might sound funny, but try using a fork. Gently slide it between the needle base and the guage face, use it like a lever to work the needles off. You don't really need to get the caps off to remove the needle, I just though it would be easier to deal with one item at a time.

 

[Spas]

Y'know, I never would have gotten them off if it weren't for you, Tig, lol I opened a pair of scissors and pried the little buggers off with the blade, since I'm not too concerned about not scratching the needle covers. I dunno if it's because they're off a wreck and have been sitting outside or what, but they were VERY hard to pry off, as 4 fingernails of mine can attest. I hope mine aren't that tough when the time comes, or I can gaurantee that the readings will be off!

Here's a rough idea of what my new gauges will look like, if anybody cares....

 

[bigtigexplorer]

Scissors, good thinking, glad I could help. So where are the pictures of your new guages installed?

 

[Spas]

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=37017&goto=newpost

HA! It takes them at least 3 weeks to make a proper copy of them, apparently, lol. Believe you me, the day I get them back is the day they go in the truck...I'm sick of not being able to read half my instruments! BTW, I have the aluminum dash kit by Exotic wood dash and it covers the black surround around the instrument panel-anybody think that's gonna cause a problem? I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to take fully half the dash off.......

 

[bigtigexplorer]

Spas, do you have any pics of the dash kit or know of a link where I could see it? The dash kit shouldn't effect the new guages in any way. If you would like to see the pictures I took through out the install, to get an idea of what you'll have to take apart, click Dead Link Removed

 

[Spas]

Spas, do you have any pics of the dash kit or know of a link where I could see it? The dash kit shouldn't effect the new guages in any way.

Ahhh, no, unfortunately, there is no link that I know of. I have to take some pics of my new sidemarkers, however, so I'll take a few of my dashboard as well (besdies, I need some before and after shots, lol). Hang in there-I'll get them posted soon. (BTW, your link didn't work ??)

 

[bigtigexplorer]

Wierd it works for me, here is the path Dead Link Removed.

It should bring up a file download window. Just save the file to your computer when use WinZip to extract the pictures.

 

[bigtigexplorer]

OK, the pictures are back up for those who needed them.

 

[Spas]

Thanks, Tig!


I shoud have some pics of my aluminum dash kit to post pretty soon if you anyone's still interested, plus my new and improved gauges should be returned to me at the end of this month...

 

[jonny 5]

Spas did you get your gauges in yet? Could you post some pics so we can see what they look like?