Indiglo Gauges

Ever wanted to replace the stock look of your instrument cluster? This how-to tells you what you need and how to go about doing it.

 Tools Needed: Screwdriver Set with TORX Bits very short phillips screwdriver  7mm socket  Electrical Tape double sided tape (optional) cleaning agent for the gauges (optional but highly recommended) any associated wiring terminators (I used an eye for the ground) Fuse puller (if you tap in at the fuses)  Time Required: 30 minutes to 1 hour  Procedure: 1) Remove the three Philips screws in the upper part of the sweeping  dash. Pull it loose.  2) Pull the wire harness off of the trunk release button behind the dash  insert.  3) Disconnect the rubber top of the steering column cover from the dash  insert. Put the dash insert in the back seat.  4) use a 7mm hex bolt driver to remove the 4 bolts on the top and bottom  corners of the gauge unit  5) pull the gauge unit out far enough to locate the snap tabs on top  and bottom that hold the clear & black gauge front to the white gauge  back.   6) Use a flathead screwdriver or your claws (fingernails) to pull the  four tabs open. Remove the front (black & clear) of the gauge unit.  7) I had better luck installing the gauge face after pulling the gauges  out of the white housing, so I could work with it and not have to  disconnect the wire harness from the gauges. Locate the 3 TORX  (Star-shaped) screws on the front of the gauges, and un-do them, and  pull up on the black gauge face. You will not damage anything this way.  8) I pulled out the "pegs" that limit the sweep of the tach and speedo  to aid in gauge face instertion.  9) Use electrical tape to cover the exposed thin wiring going to the  face insert.  10) Slip the face over the needles. Line 'em up and you won't have to  dissect your gauges. A little force is mandatory to get it to all line  up right. Hold the face up to the light to line up things like the  upshift arrow.    11) Use some electrical or masking tape VERY SPARINGLY around the edges.  There is very little clearance after youput the black and clear cover on.  Hold it up to the cover to check. This tape will keep it lined up the way  you want it.  You may also use double-sided tape under the overlays to help hold them firmly down against the original cluster.  12) pull up on all four needles just a bit. use gentle but firm force.  none of the needles came off the spindle. I pulled all mine up about a  millimeter (thickness of a penny) to clear the thicker gauge face. You'll  thank me for this step, and if you pull a needle off the spindle, you  never read this step. :)  You'll have to use the Instrument Cluster  test mode to get your car idling and install your needle at the RPM shown on the digital readout.  Then you'll have to drive at 20MPH while placing the needle on to point at 20MPH.  Not fun.  13) move the electrical-tape-coated ribbon wire out of the way, and plug  the face plate back into the lighted white casing, and replace the three  TORX screws. Replace the "pegs" for the tach and speedometer. flip the  needles to the original positions (0 MPH and 0 RPM) They're magnetic, so  they can spin around and around and around all day long with no adverse  affect.  14) start the engine. I know that it's not put together yet.  15) Play with the needles. Rev it. Drive around. Make sure the needles  aren't sticking or dragging on the new face. If they do, pull 'em up a  bit more. Make sure they're calibrated (see other postings) if you wish.  Maybe make sure your upshift light is lined up still?  16) Snap the front cover back on. Make sure all 4 snap connectors engage.  Examine the face for showing tape and anything strange. If everything  looks good, snap it together.  17a) For setting the indiglo's up to operate with only the provided  brighness control: tap the positive wire of the transformer into #47.  use a fuse piggyback, or just pull the fuse out, and jam it in while  pushing the fuse into position.  17b) For Wiring it to dim with your stock dimmer control AND the one provided with the set: Reach up inside the fuse panel and remove the wire harness from the back of the headlight switch.  Find the wire that's Orange with a blue stripe (not black) and splice the red wire to this orange/blue one.    18) I grounded the black transformer wire to a screw I saw next to the  fuse box.  19) I mounted the indiglo controls to the "flap" thing under the fusebox  access panel.  20) Fish that pesky indiglo wire out and plug it into the farthest plug  on the transformer.  21) wrap up excess wire and hold it out of the way with zip ties or  something.  22) turn on headlights. Make sure indiglo works. Helpful to pull under a  tree or into a garage. Change the color & brightness.  23) If they don't work, your set is defective or you didn't follow my  instructions, or these instructions are wrong.  24) if they work, put the 4 seven-millimeter bolts back in the four  corners of the gauge assembly taking care tomove the indiglo wires  out of the way. Short Circuits - BAD!  25) Get the dash insert out of the back seat and get it close to position.  26) tuck the rubber part of the steering column under it  27) attach the wire harness for the trunk release  28) snap the dash insert firmly into place and put in the 3 screws to  hold it in.  29) Wait till dark and have fun!