Changing dash/guage lights

[Brian Watts]

I have just about all my dash light out and need to get them working again.

But when unscrewing the dash gauge cluster section the wiring is so short there is no room to pull cluster out.
And access from under the dash is well lets say almost impossible.

Is there a secret I don't know here or is fighting it the only way.

I hate to do it that way as my fat hands won't fit into gap to change bulbs without pulling wires off

 

[easy]

It sound like you have a cable tie somewhere holding all the wires back as you should have enough "slack" in the wires to pull the cluster out so you can get at the backs of the clocks etc.

Have a nose from underneath to see if they are being held back by anything. 8)

 

[easy]

Also i presume that you have removed the heater controls first?

 

[mattd1984]

I loosened off the stering rack as well that gave me a few more inch's

 

[canterburyfour]

Depending on your year you will need to remove the vent levers or just the vent lever knobs. If you need to remove the complete lever make sure you note the order of the lever shaft spacers.

 

[Brian Watts]

Thanks for the help guys

I am not sure on a tie, didnt see one but will go back to check again

Heater lever I removed the colored tips and slid through slots so pulled as far as I could see without pulling wires off and not enough room to even get my hand in to get a bulb out

I will try again

What part number bulb should I get to replace everything?

 

[maybee]

u probley have done this but worth saying speedo cable??

 

[sparkywig]

You're not the only one, all the wiring is too short on mine as well.

 

[VWAIRCOOLED]

It is tricky but you can get to all the instrument lights without removing the cluster assembley.It might be a job for someone who is agile with nimble fingers though who is good at yoga?

 

[Brian Watts]

Speedo cable is removed yes but logical thing to point out thanks

My hand just will not fit without pushing it in behind the cluster and the wires are so short that it unplugs everything.

 

[Magiceddie88]

Time to hire a monkey and pay him with peanuts! :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

Speedo cable is removed yes but logical thing to point out thanks

My hand just will not fit without pushing it in behind the cluster and the wires are so short that it unplugs everything.

if you need any bulb holders let me know

 

[Brian Watts]

Speedo cable is removed yes but logical thing to point out thanks

My hand just will not fit without pushing it in behind the cluster and the wires are so short that it unplugs everything.

if you need any bulb holders let me know

I might thanks for the offer

anyone know the bulb part #?

 

[Anonymous]

sylvania #2721 and if you want to put brighter bulbs in sylvania #2723 but only use 1 of the brighter bulbs for the gas gauge and 1 for the speedo. do not use the brighter bulbs in all bulb holders as it takes too much juice for the switch. here in town, kragen, pepboys and autozone all carry them. they come in packs of 2 for a little less than 3.00 a pack. the 2723 really make it a lot easier to see as you get older :lol:

 

[Brian Watts]

Hey that really helps thanks

Beings I am older as well looks like 2723 for me! LOL

 

[Brian Watts]

what year gauge cluster/panel and gauges is the same for a 1968 bay till what year?

I bought a spare panel to rebuilt to make it an easy remove and replace but the new one is different slightly

 

[BJ1]

Thanks for the help guys

Heater lever I removed the colored tips and slid through slots so pulled as far as I could see without pulling wires off and not enough room to even get my hand in to get a bulb out

The colored tips on the heater levers should NEVER be removed because they are moulded on to the tip and they won't go back.

The correct way to remove the levers is to prise out the small nylon plugs that connect the levers to the underdash mech. This is not easy because you will be upside down under the dash, the plugs are age-hardened and won't move easily (so warm them with a hair dryer), they will fly out in random directions and seem to be able to move into the smallest places :roll: There are some spring plates behind them. Once you have removed the plugs the whole lever can be removed. Then your dash pod will be free to move upwards.

Best way to replace bulbs is to pay small offspring to twist the holders out.

 

[Magiceddie88]

For more on the Star LED's http://www.auto-hub.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[Magiceddie88]

Not to hijack the topic but has anyone tried using a differemt lighting method? I recently heard about StarLED's they project the light produced in the LED from a direct light to a defused 120* angle. And they're made in the euro style ba-7's (direct fit for our gauges)

Also anyone know anything about re-fitting glass thats slid out of place on these gauges?

 

[ozziedog]

Not sure if it`s still there after their site crashed, but I`m sure someone over on the latebay forum did a small thread on LEDs for guages, if it weren`t them it may have been VZI or JK. It`ll need someone brighter than me with poooooters to find it though. I can just about remember them waxing lyrically about the benefits of it (being able to see the guages was one thing) and lighting up their nostril hairs was the other bit :lol:

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,Us old dudes ain`t sure whether to cut em or plaitt em, :lol: :lol: