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!