This may be a real dumb one but..............

I'm trying to replace a couple dash bulbs on the 89 and I cannot for the life of me get the H/L **** off. I did a search on this but did not find anything on the ****.

Any help would be much appreciated

 

I can't imagin that to be a problem, I pull mine off all the time turning the lights on. :eek: it then falls to the floor and I can't get to it again untill I get out of the car. :)

 

There is a small retaining clip under the **** itself. It should press toward the **** and enable you to pull the **** off. My old one would never work so I would always pull the rod out of the dash and then reinsert it after I was finished.

:seeya

 

Twist the **** like you were adjusting the brightness of the dash, and look along the side of it. You will see the little metal spring clip that holds it on. Use something like a flat head screwdriver to pull the clip towards the rear of the car releasing the spring tension on the rod while pulling the **** off. :)

 

Thanks Guys

You are life savers!

 

Of course nothing goes right..........

OK I pull out the two left bulbs, replace the top one and go to push in the bottom one and the socket slides back into the cluster and falls and the bulb falls down behind display, Am I screwed or what?

Should I take out the 4 screws that hold in the cluster on try to "shake out " the bulb and socket or is there any secrets that I can use to save myself?

TIA

 

Ok so you are using hte "replace from the front" method of replacing just the bulbs and not the whole socket? if the socket fell behind the cluster, then you have to remove it. It isn't really all that hard, just a few more screws, and you have to remove the center bezel (easy, just more screws).

Be VERY VERY careful taking the cluster apart. You will have to remove something nutty like 32 screws to get at the bulbs. :) It's really easy to do, just be careful and don't crack anything inside of it.

Once you get the cluster out of the car....

1. Place it face down on a towel on a smooth surface.
2. Remove screws holding rear aluminum housing.
3. Pull off housing.
4. Remove many more screws (same size) from the top circuit board layer.
5. Remove circuit board layer. Be careful near the top right of it where there are something like 12 pins that connect that board, and the one beneath it. Be gentle and apply steady gradual pressure in that area. (I'm being overly cautious here.)
6. Place removed circuit board on another soft towel.
7. You can now see the back of the bulb sockets. They will probably be a brown/tan color if they are the originals.
8. You have to 1/4 twist the sockets and then they will pull off the board.
9. Install new bulbs, reinstall sockets.
10. Reassemble. :)

Youre average MPG / Range / Tripometer will all be reset because you disconnected the cluster from the wiring harness.

 

Scorp

Thanks I got it out............. It appears that the socket fell so easy cause it was burnt around the "ears" that hold it in........... Is this replaceable at say a Trak Auto or Autozone? I ask cause my g/f has my truck and I put my 92 to bed till the damn deer around here stop committing suicide on the roads. So she would have to pick them up.

Thanks


[Modified by Terry, 3:35 PM 11/14/2001]

 

Yes they should be..

I had one pretty well burnt as well..

What bulbs are you using? you do know on the 89 you can use a 194 and it will work fine (it will be dimmer but not by much) I should know.. I have had 194s in my 89 dash for the last 6 years :D

 

Yuppers...........Thanks.

I am changing to 194's now. I just got off the phone w/Jeff Kopp (18carfan) and he said about a week. (Thanks Jeff) I was just hoping I could pick one up local. Oh well, I'll button it up short one bulb and do it again next w/e.

Thanks for all your help Guys! I owe you all a beer or 4.