Ever wanted to add a tachometer to your Focus that doesn't have one? This mod will tell you how to swap out for a instrument cluster1. Move steering wheel complete down as far as possible if it moves.
2. Remove the 3 screws under the top of the instrument cluster cover panel.
3. Slowly put out the black frame which includes coin tray thing to the right of the instrument cluster. It will have restistance but do not use any tools to pry it off, the tools will damage the dash finish.
4. Fold it down toward you
5. Push in and up on each side of the top of the plastic cover on the steering column.
6. Remove trunk release harness plug
7. Slide every thing out the right side behind steering wheel.
8. Remove the 4 screws on instrument cluster
9. Tilt cluster toward you and find the black lever on the back of the instrument cluster plug. Push the little tab in and rotate the black lever to left, this should push the plug up and out.
10. Slide your old instrument cluster out right side behind steering wheel.
11. Slide new instrument cluster in right side and push plug in not hard with black lever on the left rotate lever back to right it will pull plug back in and lock with tab.
12. Position new instrument cluster with tach in old position replace the four screws.
13. Slide instrument cluster cover planel in right side and line up steering wheel colum cover and push down and lock in.
14. Fold instrument cover panel up and slowly push in it will pop back in to place, be careful not to damage dash finish.
15 replace the 3 screws under instrument cover panel.
16. put key in ignition and turn car on. check all lights on instrument cluster during start up computer test ex: airbag light, seat belt light, door open light ect... all gauges with jump to right and then to normal places.
17. Push gas to check tach working.
18. Take for right to test speedometer.
19. Your done. Damn now you have a tach...
TIP: Go to a junk yard first and find a instrument cluster in a crashed car it cheaper. Ford sells new ones for about $300.00
Showing posts with label Interior. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Interior. Show all posts
Monday, December 24, 2007
IndiGLO odometer hack
So you have IndiGLO Gauges... And you think the incandescent light through a green plastic piece makes your odometer look out of place? Here's a way to make it REALLY IndiGLO like the rest of your cluster!Jim Blade, one of our readers, notified us that this hack may not work on 03 and newer Foci. We're looking into why it won't work, but for the time being, it looks like this hack may cause permanent damage and require replacement of the (expensive) gauge cluster. Time Required:
About an hourLimeLight "IndiGLO" Flat-Panel Night Light (SuperTarget - About $6 for a 2-pack) Sharp Scissors TORX Screwdriver Small Slotted Head Jeweler's Screwdriver for prying Stubby Philips Head Screwdriver Small Socket Set (7MM?) Electrical Tape TWO 8 Inch lengths of Insulated wire (or one piece of siamese power wire)
5) Wrap the wires around each metal tab and secure them with electrical tape or optionally solder. Make sure these wires do not touch each other and that they're very secure.
Sorry for the crappiness of this photo! :(
About an hour
Tools Needed:
Procedure:
Taking Apart the Gauge1) Take out the three Philips Screws holding the dash bezel in
2) Remove the connector for the Trunk/Hatch Release Button3) Remove the four small bolts holding the cluster into the dash
4) Using a small screwdriver, pry black lever open to release the cluster from the electrical connector.5) Remove the cluster from the Dash
6) Pop open all four tabs to release the lens from the gauges7) Using a TORX Screwdriver, undo the three TORX screws holding the gauges in the cluster.
8) Pull the gauge face firmly out of the cluster. You'll see some light bulbs and the LCD Display left in the cluster.9) Using the small screwdriver, very carefully pry the black bezel off that surrounds the Raised LCD Odometer.
10) Pull the top of the LCD forward to expose the material on the back of the Display.11) With a fingernail or small screwdriver, peel the green tint off the back of the LCD. Keep the Green Tint, Move the Gauge components aside.
Gutting the LimeLight for it's Electroluminescent Film And Putting stuff Back Together!1) Take the LimeLight in your hand.
3) Remove the EL Film from inside the Light
5) Wrap the wires around each metal tab and secure them with electrical tape or optionally solder. Make sure these wires do not touch each other and that they're very secure. 6) You may want to cut the plastic tabs that are on the top behind the LCD because they'll get in the way of our new electroluminescent material. Then, place the new material behind the LCD just like the old piece was. Secure it to the top of the plastic housing with electrical tape so it is out of the way of the connection for the Tach.
8)Secure the loose wire inside the cluster with tape so it does not move all over the place! We'll connect it to power in a bit.
9) Insert the gauges back into the cluster, making sure the odometer backlight wires stick out the top of the cluster.
11) Notice I taped the old green filter to the back of the cluster just in case I want to un-do this Hack. I secured all excess wire to the back of the cluster too.
13) Put the three TORX Screws back in the Gauge face.
14) Snap the lens back onto the cluster.15) Secure the cluster in the dash with the four small bolts.
16) Re-Install the dash bezel. Remember to hook up the trunk/hatch release connector!!!Enjoy!
Sorry for the crappiness of this photo! :(
LED illumination for HVAC vents
Adding LED illumination to your car's HVAC vents adds a unique flare at night. You can accent your existing color theme, or just add a custom look to the interior when the sun goes down. Majikal from the Focaljet.com forums shows us how it's done!Time Required:
30-45 MinutesScrewdriver Wire LED's Crimpers Butt Connectors Drill and 7/16" bit Masking Tape (Optional) Foil or Chrome/Silver Spray Paint(Optional)
1) Insert a flathead screwdriver underneath the vent bezel, and gently pry upwards. I wrapped masking tape around the head of the screw driver so I wouldn't scratch my paint job on the vents.
2) When you look inside the vent from the back, you can see the valve flap that opens or closes the vent... it is kind of in the way, and since I don't open and close my vents too much, I remove it permanently, but pease note that this process CAN be reversed to put it back on. You have to turn the valve open, and squeeze the base of it, and it should be able to pull out now. Do the same on the top of it.
this will leave you with a nice open space to work in.
3) Next, you're going to want to mark a spot on the bottom of the vent that you want to drill your hole to mount the LED in. Since I won't be replacing the valve flap, I mounted mine right in the middle where it would normall by hit by the flap. If you plan on replacing the valve flap, mount more to one side, or put one LED on each side of the vent. I simply scratched an X where I was going to drill.
4) Now, use a 7/32 drill bit and drill a hole where you made your mark. Make sure it is clean of any debris or melted plastic once you're done so that the mounting brace sits flush.
5) Now, take the wires coming from the LED and slip them through the mounting brace and then through your hole from the inside of the vent, so that the wires hang out the bottom. Push the mounting brace into the hole until it sits flush inside the vent. Then, pull/push the LED into the mounting brace.
6) Since the finish in the vent is flat black, the LED won't reflect too brightly inside of it. To fix this lumination problem, I lined the top of the inside of the vent with some aluminum foil. Other people have suggested painting the inside of the vent with a bright paint, such as Chrome or Silver. Don't worry, it wont get hot enough in there to burn anything. Make sure that the foil doesn't get in the way of the motion of the grill, move it all around and make sure it doesn't hit anywhere, and make sure you secure it with some tape around the sides so it won't move around.
I always check my lights before I wire them up in the car on a 9 volt battery. Put the pos. wire to one side and neg. wire to the other side and the LED should light up. If not, then you have a faulty light.
7) Now, back to the car. Run two wires (pos. and neg.) from a switch up to each vent. All of the LED's will be fine on one switch powered by a 20amp fuse.
8) Crimp the wires from the switch onto the wires from the LED using the proper sized butt connectors (18 gauge).
9) Now all that is left is to push the vents back into place, and LIGHT EM UP! Flip the switch and enjoy your new and unique lighting effects. As you can see, it is a very subtle but effective mod that not a lot of people are doing. Next, I'll be putting some in my radio pocket! Stay tuned!
30-45 Minutes
Tools Needed:
Procedure:
I have gotten a lot of comments on the blue LED's in my air vents, so I figured I should write up a how-to. This is very simple as long as you know how to crimp wires and drill holes. In less than 10 easy steps, you will be shining bright.1) Insert a flathead screwdriver underneath the vent bezel, and gently pry upwards. I wrapped masking tape around the head of the screw driver so I wouldn't scratch my paint job on the vents.
2) When you look inside the vent from the back, you can see the valve flap that opens or closes the vent... it is kind of in the way, and since I don't open and close my vents too much, I remove it permanently, but pease note that this process CAN be reversed to put it back on. You have to turn the valve open, and squeeze the base of it, and it should be able to pull out now. Do the same on the top of it.
this will leave you with a nice open space to work in.
3) Next, you're going to want to mark a spot on the bottom of the vent that you want to drill your hole to mount the LED in. Since I won't be replacing the valve flap, I mounted mine right in the middle where it would normall by hit by the flap. If you plan on replacing the valve flap, mount more to one side, or put one LED on each side of the vent. I simply scratched an X where I was going to drill.
4) Now, use a 7/32 drill bit and drill a hole where you made your mark. Make sure it is clean of any debris or melted plastic once you're done so that the mounting brace sits flush.
5) Now, take the wires coming from the LED and slip them through the mounting brace and then through your hole from the inside of the vent, so that the wires hang out the bottom. Push the mounting brace into the hole until it sits flush inside the vent. Then, pull/push the LED into the mounting brace.
6) Since the finish in the vent is flat black, the LED won't reflect too brightly inside of it. To fix this lumination problem, I lined the top of the inside of the vent with some aluminum foil. Other people have suggested painting the inside of the vent with a bright paint, such as Chrome or Silver. Don't worry, it wont get hot enough in there to burn anything. Make sure that the foil doesn't get in the way of the motion of the grill, move it all around and make sure it doesn't hit anywhere, and make sure you secure it with some tape around the sides so it won't move around.
I always check my lights before I wire them up in the car on a 9 volt battery. Put the pos. wire to one side and neg. wire to the other side and the LED should light up. If not, then you have a faulty light.
7) Now, back to the car. Run two wires (pos. and neg.) from a switch up to each vent. All of the LED's will be fine on one switch powered by a 20amp fuse.
8) Crimp the wires from the switch onto the wires from the LED using the proper sized butt connectors (18 gauge).
9) Now all that is left is to push the vents back into place, and LIGHT EM UP! Flip the switch and enjoy your new and unique lighting effects. As you can see, it is a very subtle but effective mod that not a lot of people are doing. Next, I'll be putting some in my radio pocket! Stay tuned!
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
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!
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