Speedometer Light:
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 861
Likes: 0
From: WNY
Speedometer Light:
Well crap.
My speedometer light just went out on the car on the way back a little while ago..
What is the best way to replace the bulb? Any way to do it without pulling the whole cluster?
Thanks!
My speedometer light just went out on the car on the way back a little while ago..
What is the best way to replace the bulb? Any way to do it without pulling the whole cluster?
Thanks!
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 76,656
Likes: 1,847
From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Depends on which bulb blew. Boy, you'll need some small hands. I can't do it!
I do not advise this method! The dash pad can crack right in the middle of the two gauges.
I did see someone do it this way! They took the three dash pad screws loose at the top and remove the two from the end of the dash pad. Once this is done they remove the lower column cover and take loose the two bolts that hold the steering column. With these things done you can pull back on the side of the dash pad and reach inside.
Willcox
I do not advise this method! The dash pad can crack right in the middle of the two gauges.
I did see someone do it this way! They took the three dash pad screws loose at the top and remove the two from the end of the dash pad. Once this is done they remove the lower column cover and take loose the two bolts that hold the steering column. With these things done you can pull back on the side of the dash pad and reach inside.
Willcox
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 861
Likes: 0
From: WNY
I only had one working bulb, which lit up the entire left/middle of the speedo.. so unless I was going well over 100 I was fine. One of those "I'll get to it later" items... well it just became a priority.. haha.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,044
Likes: 0
From: Henrico VA
Depends on which bulb blew. Boy, you'll need some small hands. I can't do it!
I do not advise this method! The dash pad can crack right in the middle of the two gauges.
I did see someone do it this way! They took the three dash pad screws loose at the top and remove the two from the end of the dash pad. Once this is done they remove the lower column cover and take loose the two bolts that hold the steering column. With these things done you can pull back on the side of the dash pad and reach inside.
Willcox
I do not advise this method! The dash pad can crack right in the middle of the two gauges.
I did see someone do it this way! They took the three dash pad screws loose at the top and remove the two from the end of the dash pad. Once this is done they remove the lower column cover and take loose the two bolts that hold the steering column. With these things done you can pull back on the side of the dash pad and reach inside.
Willcox
I did it this way! ...and I bought my bulb sockets from you too! Four bulbs in speedo, four in tach, five in center console. Bulbs are 1895. There are two nuts on the firewall that you can also take out. BTW - I do not have small hands!
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 76,656
Likes: 1,847
From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
My statement about small hands was if you were to try and reach up under the dash without taking anything out. Even if I could physically still do this, my hands are too large to reach up from under the pad and pull the bulb sockets loose. (Geo-Rilla Hands).
Pulling the pad away from the dash as mentioned can be done, but you do run the risk of cracking the pad.
Willcox
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,044
Likes: 0
From: Henrico VA
The area just above the steering wheel deforms a little bit and that upsets me, but it goes right back. I am good on the hands, I can only reach the turn signal indicators with everything buttoned up. 
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 861
Likes: 0
From: WNY
I'm glad you did this and did not damage anything.
My statement about small hands was if you were to try and reach up under the dash without taking anything out. Even if I could physically still do this, my hands are too large to reach up from under the pad and pull the bulb sockets loose. (Geo-Rilla Hands).
Pulling the pad away from the dash as mentioned can be done, but you do run the risk of cracking the pad.
Willcox
My statement about small hands was if you were to try and reach up under the dash without taking anything out. Even if I could physically still do this, my hands are too large to reach up from under the pad and pull the bulb sockets loose. (Geo-Rilla Hands).
Pulling the pad away from the dash as mentioned can be done, but you do run the risk of cracking the pad.
Willcox
My dash pad is already cracked over the speaker areas.. needs replaced.. so I guess a crack in that pad isnt the worst thing that could happen in my case.
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Racer
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 422
Likes: 1
From: portland or
simple fix if you dont mind it being different buy some LED flexible strips at walmart or fleabay and glue them to your speedometer faceplate like so:
you can also do the same thing with your center cluster (gauges)
looks pretty good imo. but u cant dim it, its either on or off:
if youre interested, search for one of my threads i outline how i did it.
my my .02
edit:
looks bright and blurry in the pics cuz i took the pics without flash in poor lighting. theyre not too bright
Last edited by mrmarchuk; Feb 26, 2009 at 12:20 PM.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 422
Likes: 1
From: portland or
Originally Posted by mrmarchuk
looks pretty good imo. but u cant dim it, its either on or off:
yup. either on or off. although... i wonder if voltage effects it... i know those LED strips range from 8-15 volts in which they will work. i wonder if less voltage = less bright?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,044
Likes: 0
From: Henrico VA
That looks great. I have blue 1895 LEDs in my center console and red ones on the business gauges. Mine are not set up to dim (plugged them into a different outlet on the switch), but I was pretty sure you could. They do dim with less voltage.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 422
Likes: 1
From: portland or
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,443
Likes: 326
From: Indy Indiana
I just got done restoring my cluster and console, and tieing up and bundling up my wiring better. I had to replace several of the bulbs,, now it is all nice and bright at night.. yes if you can get it to pull out out about 3 inches by removing the trim and screws, it is alot easier... plus.. take out your seats.. it is 4 bolts and you can get up in there alot easier..
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,044
Likes: 0
From: Henrico VA
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,159
Likes: 277
From: Springfield MA
St. Jude Donor '10-'11-'12, '19, '21
Dave
Racer
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 422
Likes: 1
From: portland or