speedometer back lighting
Racer
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 487
Likes: 0
From: Jacksonville FL
on my 73, some of the bulbs had corroded. i cleaned up the sockets and the end of the bulbs and most of them started working fine. (did have to replace a dead one or two.)
NAPA should have any of the dash bulbs you need.
NAPA should have any of the dash bulbs you need.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 111
Likes: 0
From: IL/IA
speaking for a '79 it is fairly easy. The toughest part is pulling the cluster out from behind the wheel and disconnecting the speedo drive cable. The bulbs are in a in twist and lock sockets. All that usualy need to be replaced is the bulb.
What year is yours? The clusters changed with time.
What year is yours? The clusters changed with time.
Advanced
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 96
Likes: 0
From: Ogden Iowa
73's have bulb plugs that break easily, so be carefull if you have the plastic, and metal claw type. Once the metal claw pull out they are junk, and the bulb won't stay in. I replaced many of them when I changed all the dash bulbs. Kind of a pain.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,482
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Originally Posted by Hef
....Any suggestions on how to go about getting at the bulb?...
Quick way is to arm yourself with a flashlight and lay on your back to peer up behind the cluster. It will be a tight fit. Lots of stuff behind the cluster.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 111
Likes: 0
From: IL/IA
Originally Posted by Hef
Forgot to mention that its a 79.
I have never worked on the dash, or under it, so this is new territory for me. Any suggestions on how to go about getting at the bulb?
Hef
I have never worked on the dash, or under it, so this is new territory for me. Any suggestions on how to go about getting at the bulb?
Hef
Mine is out of the car so I can tell you it isn't that bad.
There are 2 screws on the sides that have to come out.
a total of 6 along the top (3 for the lense, 3 for the cluster)
You can see the heads of all of them.
get the side ones out first, then undo the top 6 that hold in the lense (these are pretty tiny) and cluster. Reach inder the dash and feel for the back of the speedo. There will be a metal band that goes around the drive cable that you will have to undo. Push the tab at the bottom of the band forward (tward the driver seat) with your thumb and wiggle the cable off.
The cluster will now be free except for the wiring harness. Pull it straight tward you. It helps if you take the lense off now, it is the only way you'll be able to completely remove the cluster. Once you have it pulled out enough, reach behind the cluster and squeeze the tabs on the cluster and pull it out. If any of the contacts are break loose from the circuit board (plastic sheet) glue them back into place with supper glue. Then start the endless process of changing bulbs followed by "hey I should re-paint this," and "Should this be rebuilt?"
