needle in gauges
 

Hey guys, let's say I was installing some reverse indiglos (didn't get them yet, but highly considering), how hard is it to install without messing up the needle? I did a search and I keep seeing warnings about not removing the needle. If I accidently bump into it while slipping the new gauges over, will it cause the sticking to occur? If it is easy to do, I would try it out. The only other DIY I have conquered is clear headlights.

I talked to a guy at a shop here in MD. He told me that their shop doesn't install the indiglo lights anymore, because there have been so many problems with the needle jumping after they have been bothered. It was enough to change my mind. Also I have talked to someone with a 2k1 Civic with indiglos and he had problems with them working and they didn't last long. But check with someone that has them. :tdown:

installing reverse indiglo gauges are easy. just put some double sided tape behind the gauges so that the needles wont come in contact with it.

I installed mine and there really is nothing to it. All I had to do was slip the new gauge faces OVER the needles, without removing or disturbing them--easy. The only trouble I had was a couple months later with the harness and the relay (little black box?). Got the harness replaced under warranty...got back a new relay(?) and harness, complete with a new switch that allowed the lights to switch between blue and green, where before they were just blue.
I guess it'll just depend on where you bought them from, as there are different gauge designs out there. I got mine from SpeedPeople.com.

I wouldn't say installing the gauges is easy. But I wouldn't call it very hard either. I guess it's somewhere along the lines of removing the front bumper. The only difference is that the parts are more delicate and smaller. But you can do it alone and in the comfort of your home under a nice big lamp. And no risk in scratching the paint like on the bumper. And double sided tape is absolutely a yes, unless you wanna remove the whole shabang after 3 weeks, when the needles are stuck at 120 mph (what where you doing at that speed anyway ?) because of the bulging face.

The tape is probably the biggest hassle. It has 2 sticky sides and yoo have to figure out a way to slide it in between afterwards, or attach one side before installing and find a way to remove the other strip by lifting the face. I used the last method. You don't need 20 square miles of tape. Just a few strips in the right spot. It depends on where the face is bulging out the most and where it touches the needles.
The wiring of the control box and the supplied switch is also easy. Use the sites DIY as your guide and you should be fine.

And BTW, it looks really good when it's done. I even went out to drive my car the same evening after I installed them when it was finally dark :)

Check it out at the DIY link at the top of the page.

DIY Reverse Indiglo

-Kre

its easy, just make sure you get the type that dont require you to pull off the needles and make sure to use double sided tape. They should start including that in the kit, its a necessity but they don't even mention it in the instructions.

oh... and use wire tapes/spades to splice into the existing wire, dont ghetto rig it and strip then tie the wire. its much easier to just clamp and push the spade in, plus there is little risk of it coming loose.

I have removed my needles like 5 or 6 times and have not had any problems.

Granted I do not have indigo/reverse cluster.

Just remember where they needles are at when the car is off, so that if you take them out, you can make sure that they rest in the same place when you re-install them. For example, the gas gage rest on the "E" when the car is off, so when you re install you can feel as you turn the needle where its 'stopping' point is; and just make sure that the stopping point is a t “E”.

Hope that makes sense.

Like I said I have had no problems after removing my needles.

Using wire taps and spades is ghetto rigging it in my opinion. you should solder and tape the connection. That is what I did on this car and my last car and I never had a problem with the connection. Working in the car stereo installation field I have seen many failed wire taps. Solder never fails.

Be careful, my friend did it on his car and messed up the fuel guage for good