i have my dash apart, i want to get the orange off of the needles of my gauges but how do i get them off and will i have to re-calibrate them? if so where/how do i do it and how much would it cost. Also.. when replacing the bulbs, i assume you pull the black piece out from the back of the gauge cluster that holds the current leds, how are the new replacement leds mounted, dont they require resitors?

ps i hope radio shack has the blue leds in stock, i like my car put together a lot more than how she looks now:(
jon stl
"ludiclipse" 96rs

>i have my dash apart, i want to get the orange off of the needles of my gauges but how do i get them off and will i have to re-calibrate them?

well, i would suggest you put the cluster back in, and turn the car on and let it warm up... mark where all the needles are resting (with like tape or something), that way you know what they look like before you take them off..

>if so where/how do i do it and how much would it cost.

recalibrate them yourself.. just make sure that the needles go back to the original positions, and pace off with a friend.. its not exact, but why pay for it??

>Also.. when replacing the bulbs, i
>assume you pull the black piece out from the back of the
>gauge cluster that holds the current leds, how are the new
>replacement leds mounted, dont they require resitors?

the bulbs should just twist out from the back of the cluster.. they arent leds, just bulbs.. to replace them, im sure you will need resistors.. search it, and itll come up.

to get the orange stuff off the back of the needles, just sand it off. be careful not to break them though cause it really sucks having to get new ones. if you want the needles to glow, get fluorescent paint. it works the best with lights. to re-calibrate it do what CVedEclipse said. i have C/C so it was alot easier. just get the speed to where the cruise turns on(25) and stick the needle in place.

ok there is an easier way to recalibrate the needles.. this pertains to the speedo, tach, and coolant temp.. what you will do is to lift the needle ever so slightly over the little needle stopper where teh needle rests and the needle will start to settle down near the bottom of the gauge.. usually its about right in the middle.. what you will do next is to use a pencil to mark where the tip of the needle settles.. no on the temp gauge there really isnt a stopper like the tach and speedo, there is something stopping the needle from settling near the back of the needle.. now for the gas on just mark where it is and take it off. the needles will come off but may require a little prying.. you will then need to scrape off the orange from the back of the needles with a razor or whats not.. you will then need to remove the gauges themselves and sand off the layer of orange paint where the numbers and letters shine through the reason you do this is because that orange makes the gauges appear orange through the gauge.. this will need to be done in order for whaterver color is shined through the back will shine through the gauge the correct color..

now.. to help clear a little confusion up... THE BULBS THAT ARE BEHIND THE GAUGE CLUSTER ARE NOT LEDS.. THEY ARE 12VOLT BULBS.. since there are not colored bulbs out for that size that i have found yet i got the idea to used colored leds that were bright since the technology has come so far as to bring them into existence.. and to use an led on a 12v line you will need a resistor to get it so the led doesnt blow up.. i managed to rig up an led to the stock holder along with resistor so that i could plug it in and go, but most have just wired the led to a 12v sorce and fitted the led into the socket. the resistor will need to be inline on the positive side of the led and positive power wire.

some side effects of useing the leds is that there will be a few spots where the color is brighter than the rest and its not all that bad, but some people dont like it.. i havent bothered to find a way to get rid of it, but you can certainly try. and also they will not be as bright as the stock colors were, but it looks sweet at night imo..



if you have any questions im willing to help and you can post them here or hit me up on aim when im on

What's the bulb number on the stock gauge cluster bulbs?

not sure.. i know the were pretty small though.

if you really want to check just take one out and take it to an autoparts place and they may be able to tell ya.

quick question, when sanding down the back of the overlays, do i sand down all of it or just the numbers??




mods:
full exhause
cai
sparkplugs
platnum plus window tint
all black interior
altezas

future mods(in no particular order):
engine swap
lower it
wheels
seats
exhaust
piant job
turbo wing
hood
body kit
neons all around
head light housing
new altezas
new stereo equipment
and more that will be kept secret for now

that is up to you.. both methods will work.

here this will give you an idea of what i did..

About the needles, what did you do to them? Did you paint yours or leave them clear? I painted white and they glow nicely, but someone told me to paint them with fluorecent paint, as far as I know that kinda paint comes in piss yellow, neon green and pink and they are all ugly as F. What would you suggest. BTW I got the blue LED setup just like you.

Coo'
alex_ries@hotmail.com

cool beans man.. for the needles i determined for them to look right i just left them clear. i had tried making them green but that didnt work out too well.. but i may be getting or making a needle glow rig to make them red.

Yeah I was gonna make or buy indiglo red needles. I'd like to make 'em but don't know how they work, what the concept is, I heard something about a clear ring attached to an LED that fits below the needles, but I've not seen any pics. Anyone got any pics of the indiglo needles NOT installed?

Coo'
alex_ries@hotmail.com

for the sanding of the needles.. i used a dremmel on low speed with the finest grit i could find.. work out great. just a hint.. i sanded my gauges too, and i found that the light disperses much more evenly if you just sand the numbers and tick marks. that way, the light will still be using the stock light dispersing layers.. i did my speedo by sanding everything near the numbers and ticks, but now, i can see where the bulbs are cus they are brighter than the other spots.. so i did it the other way on the tach, and it looks much more smooth. f

or the needle kits.. they are very basic, and im sure i could have made some (if i had the right sized leds).. all they were was a small ring sticker that was the size of the needle bases.. for the large needles, they had three leds glued on to them (on top and the sides).. and on the small needles, its just one led (facing out).. i was very happy with the look of the big needles, but i was disappointed with the outcome of the small needles.. the range isnt that far.. over, it still looks good... and im goin to make the gauges glow blue now