DIY on stock 2001 gauges color change
04-02-2003
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DIY on stock 2001 gauges color change
All right here's my DIY, sorry about not having pics my sis still has my digicam, so I'll just explain in detail. But first here are links on this forum as to how to do your other lights (center console, cruise control area, etc.)...
Center Console = AK's center console blue light DIY
Cruise Control Area = Previous post by FlyRiceRacer02
Ok, now my DIY for doing your gauges...
Tools/Parts:
Short phillips screwdriver
Short flat tipped screwdriver
Very small pliers (like the ones that come with PC tool packages)
Exacto knife
10(min) - 20(max) colored condoms from partsexpress.com (search for "lamp cover" and get the .12" sized ones)
Directions:
1. Gauge bevel area (in front of gauges) has 2 screws at the top, remove both of them with you phillips. Also with the car started take note of where each of your gauges are at (needle position), you'll use this info in step 8 below...
2. Ok, this is the hardest part... pull the gauge bevel off starting at the left (not right, since the trip meter button is very weak compared to the light dimmer). You do this by placing your pinky in the top left hole and pulling enough so the top left corner juts out enough for to grap with your right hand. Now while pulling the top left part towards you with your right hand grab the left part with your left hand and yank quickly with some muscle several times until the left side comes out. Do the same for the right side, but just using your right hand, since you need your left to ensure the left side doesn't go back in and your done pulling the gauge bevel off (hardest part of this DIY is over).
3. Now time to take the gauge cluster off, there are 3 screws (one at the top and 2 at the bottom). Unscrew them all with your phillips and pull gauge cluster towards you and tilt top down a little. You should see 2 plugs, unplug them and pull entire gauge cluster out of the gauge recess (you'll need to tilt the top forward and back a little to get it out and then up over the steering wheel, which should be tilted as far down as possible as well).
4. Take the gauge cluster apart. Ok, around the edges you should see some black tabs, push them in and pull the clear and black housings away from the gauges (I started with top first).
5. Ok, now before you take off the gauges you may as well place your condoms on the bulbs at this point (all except the trip meter/lcd bulb, see step 7b below for detailed info). In back of the gauges you'll see several plugs that you can twist clockwise to take out (these are the bulbs). Twist them out, but be sure to put them back the same way (I reversed it and blew out a bulb, don't know why since they're not led's). Place 1 condom over them for teal/any color and 2 for less teal/any color and a tad dimmer (I used one since to me its brighter and not quite as dark). Before moving on, test the lights to make sure they all light up and that none of the condoms are on too tight (if they are you will see the amber color just burn through the condom and no new color at all). Otherwise move on with the DIY...
6. Now on to removing the gauges faces and the lengthy part of this DIY. Ok, remove the needles, they're on there pretty tight but do so as gently as possible so as not to mess up the stop points of the different gauges (if you do its Ok, since you can just reset them, I'll explain later). I removed them by placing as much of my fingers under them as possible and pulling up in a sort of upward squeezing motion, basically pulling up while trying to move my fingers toward the middle. With the needles off, take out the black rings using a flat tipped screwdriver and prying them upwards. Now you can take your gauge faces off.
7a. Look in back of the gauges, you should see and feel a layer of paint (red on 2001 Civic, not sure about other Civic years). This paint is not completely red, but black and gray in some parts to ensure that the lighting is even throughout the gauge. Unfortunately, by scratching this out, the lighting will not be even as depicted in the pic below, but this is the only way I know of to make the gauge lights bright (otherwise extremely dim, also note, the needles won't be as bright as stock, but still lit enough to see w/ some squinting, just dimmer). Ok, with an exacto knife and patience start scratching the paint off. Don't worry if the surface afterwards isn't smooth or not perfectly clear of the paint, you just need to get most of it off and not have deep/wide cuts (just scratches not cuts). Ok, after some time your gauge faces should be clear of the paint.
7b. Ok, this step is optional and risky, so I am not responsible if you screw your lcd (trip meter) connections or crack the lcd glass cover. If you still want to though, here it is... Ok, to do this... using your flat tipped screwdriver pry the glass lcd starting at the top left very gently and only enough to pull the piece of cardboard behind it out w/ the use of small pliers. After pulling the cardboard out, you'll need to scratch the red color paint out like how you did with your gauge faces. Ok, now put the cardboard back in there (if you don't you'll see the bulb through the lcd screen like a silohuette w/ uneven coloring/lighting). This will take effort as you have to do one side completely first and then the other. Place the cardboard in as far in as possible leaving a little sticking out on the right and top left (you're basically placing at an angle first). Now using your flat tipped screwdriver push the right side of the cardboard in and then push the top left in. This may not go exactly as I said, but you should be able to get it in after a couple tries. Now you're done with the trip meter lcd. Another option in this step, is that you could put a picture (printed on transparent paper the same size as the cardboard piece) behind the lcd screen but in front of the cardboard piece like what some people do with their cellphone lcd's. Kinda cheesy, but just thought I'd you guys know.
8. Time to put everything back together. I won't go over, since its pretty easy, just be mindful of the needles, don't put them on too tight (i.e., don't down all the way, just half-way). Before putting the clear/black housing on test the needles after putting them back on along with the gauge faces (I did this for a week to make sure everything really was working). When putting on the needles for oil and gas just place them slightly and turn towards start point until you feel the stop point then push them in. For the RPM and Speedo place them as close as possible to the start as you can (other DIY's say different, but this is the only way that worked for me, if they still don't work [RPM or Speedo needles only go up half way then get stuck, just take off and do over except put the needle on less than halfway and keep doing until it works, my speedo needle was placed so that it's barely on, but just enough not to fall off]). Obviously there's a good chance it won't work perfectly right the first time. Just turn the car on and off and adjust accordingly until they're close, the hardest I found was the gas needle. It took a couple tries to get it to have the right reading (you may need to empty and fill gas twice to ensure its working properly, if not then the stop point may be screwed and new gauges may be needed .
, highly unlikely though). Ok, put the rest of the parts back together and you're done.
9. (OPTIONAL) If you want to take apart the door window switch you can, but the light in there is an led and not a bulb. I'm not one for soldering so I just put a blue condom over the led (basically makes the switch not light up, to me better than having one switch red/amber while the rest is teal/blue). If you need help or want to still do this PM me (sorry I'm lazy right now).
Stock 2001 Gauges turned blue
Center Console = AK's center console blue light DIY
Cruise Control Area = Previous post by FlyRiceRacer02
Ok, now my DIY for doing your gauges...
Tools/Parts:
Short phillips screwdriver
Short flat tipped screwdriver
Very small pliers (like the ones that come with PC tool packages)
Exacto knife
10(min) - 20(max) colored condoms from partsexpress.com (search for "lamp cover" and get the .12" sized ones)
Directions:
1. Gauge bevel area (in front of gauges) has 2 screws at the top, remove both of them with you phillips. Also with the car started take note of where each of your gauges are at (needle position), you'll use this info in step 8 below...
2. Ok, this is the hardest part... pull the gauge bevel off starting at the left (not right, since the trip meter button is very weak compared to the light dimmer). You do this by placing your pinky in the top left hole and pulling enough so the top left corner juts out enough for to grap with your right hand. Now while pulling the top left part towards you with your right hand grab the left part with your left hand and yank quickly with some muscle several times until the left side comes out. Do the same for the right side, but just using your right hand, since you need your left to ensure the left side doesn't go back in and your done pulling the gauge bevel off (hardest part of this DIY is over).
3. Now time to take the gauge cluster off, there are 3 screws (one at the top and 2 at the bottom). Unscrew them all with your phillips and pull gauge cluster towards you and tilt top down a little. You should see 2 plugs, unplug them and pull entire gauge cluster out of the gauge recess (you'll need to tilt the top forward and back a little to get it out and then up over the steering wheel, which should be tilted as far down as possible as well).
4. Take the gauge cluster apart. Ok, around the edges you should see some black tabs, push them in and pull the clear and black housings away from the gauges (I started with top first).
5. Ok, now before you take off the gauges you may as well place your condoms on the bulbs at this point (all except the trip meter/lcd bulb, see step 7b below for detailed info). In back of the gauges you'll see several plugs that you can twist clockwise to take out (these are the bulbs). Twist them out, but be sure to put them back the same way (I reversed it and blew out a bulb, don't know why since they're not led's). Place 1 condom over them for teal/any color and 2 for less teal/any color and a tad dimmer (I used one since to me its brighter and not quite as dark). Before moving on, test the lights to make sure they all light up and that none of the condoms are on too tight (if they are you will see the amber color just burn through the condom and no new color at all). Otherwise move on with the DIY...
6. Now on to removing the gauges faces and the lengthy part of this DIY. Ok, remove the needles, they're on there pretty tight but do so as gently as possible so as not to mess up the stop points of the different gauges (if you do its Ok, since you can just reset them, I'll explain later). I removed them by placing as much of my fingers under them as possible and pulling up in a sort of upward squeezing motion, basically pulling up while trying to move my fingers toward the middle. With the needles off, take out the black rings using a flat tipped screwdriver and prying them upwards. Now you can take your gauge faces off.
7a. Look in back of the gauges, you should see and feel a layer of paint (red on 2001 Civic, not sure about other Civic years). This paint is not completely red, but black and gray in some parts to ensure that the lighting is even throughout the gauge. Unfortunately, by scratching this out, the lighting will not be even as depicted in the pic below, but this is the only way I know of to make the gauge lights bright (otherwise extremely dim, also note, the needles won't be as bright as stock, but still lit enough to see w/ some squinting, just dimmer). Ok, with an exacto knife and patience start scratching the paint off. Don't worry if the surface afterwards isn't smooth or not perfectly clear of the paint, you just need to get most of it off and not have deep/wide cuts (just scratches not cuts). Ok, after some time your gauge faces should be clear of the paint.
7b. Ok, this step is optional and risky, so I am not responsible if you screw your lcd (trip meter) connections or crack the lcd glass cover. If you still want to though, here it is... Ok, to do this... using your flat tipped screwdriver pry the glass lcd starting at the top left very gently and only enough to pull the piece of cardboard behind it out w/ the use of small pliers. After pulling the cardboard out, you'll need to scratch the red color paint out like how you did with your gauge faces. Ok, now put the cardboard back in there (if you don't you'll see the bulb through the lcd screen like a silohuette w/ uneven coloring/lighting). This will take effort as you have to do one side completely first and then the other. Place the cardboard in as far in as possible leaving a little sticking out on the right and top left (you're basically placing at an angle first). Now using your flat tipped screwdriver push the right side of the cardboard in and then push the top left in. This may not go exactly as I said, but you should be able to get it in after a couple tries. Now you're done with the trip meter lcd. Another option in this step, is that you could put a picture (printed on transparent paper the same size as the cardboard piece) behind the lcd screen but in front of the cardboard piece like what some people do with their cellphone lcd's. Kinda cheesy, but just thought I'd you guys know.
8. Time to put everything back together. I won't go over, since its pretty easy, just be mindful of the needles, don't put them on too tight (i.e., don't down all the way, just half-way). Before putting the clear/black housing on test the needles after putting them back on along with the gauge faces (I did this for a week to make sure everything really was working). When putting on the needles for oil and gas just place them slightly and turn towards start point until you feel the stop point then push them in. For the RPM and Speedo place them as close as possible to the start as you can (other DIY's say different, but this is the only way that worked for me, if they still don't work [RPM or Speedo needles only go up half way then get stuck, just take off and do over except put the needle on less than halfway and keep doing until it works, my speedo needle was placed so that it's barely on, but just enough not to fall off]). Obviously there's a good chance it won't work perfectly right the first time. Just turn the car on and off and adjust accordingly until they're close, the hardest I found was the gas needle. It took a couple tries to get it to have the right reading (you may need to empty and fill gas twice to ensure its working properly, if not then the stop point may be screwed and new gauges may be needed .
, highly unlikely though). Ok, put the rest of the parts back together and you're done.9. (OPTIONAL) If you want to take apart the door window switch you can, but the light in there is an led and not a bulb. I'm not one for soldering so I just put a blue condom over the led (basically makes the switch not light up, to me better than having one switch red/amber while the rest is teal/blue). If you need help or want to still do this PM me (sorry I'm lazy right now).
Stock 2001 Gauges turned blue
Last edited by NorrinRadd; 07-28-2003 at 01:45 PM.
07-17-2003
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From partsexpress.com under "Lamp Leads" Or electric parts/lamps and LEDs/radial leads ... No idea why they're under that category, but they are, not sure what size either, as I prefer to do a LED exchange rather than a bulb cover up...
http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage....h_type=1656939
There's another thread I just posted to with some good info, I'm gonna do a LED swap, or am in the process of figuring it out...
http://www.7thgencivic.com/forums/sh...=&pagenumber=4
From partsexpress.com under "Lamp Leads" Or electric parts/lamps and LEDs/radial leads ... No idea why they're under that category, but they are, not sure what size either, as I prefer to do a LED exchange rather than a bulb cover up...
http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage....h_type=1656939
There's another thread I just posted to with some good info, I'm gonna do a LED swap, or am in the process of figuring it out...
http://www.7thgencivic.com/forums/sh...=&pagenumber=4
07-27-2003
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