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gauge cluster fix!

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    gauge cluster fix!

    It just occured to me today while I was going through an old box of car stuff. I had 2 old gauge clusters in there, yes I am running on my 3rd right now...anyway, most people when trying to upgrade their gauge faces break a temp or gas needle...and it just so happenes that the temp and gas needle are only held into the cluster by screwes. When I broke my original temp needle I bought a replacement cluster and was trying to take out just the temp needle from the replacement to install back into my original cluster. That was my mistake because if you unscrew both the temp and gas needle then you can remove both of them with out taking off the needles! Now this won't help you install your cool reverse glow faces, however if you have long since abandon that project (like me) then you can get a cheap (bet $75 and $125) gauge cluster from a junk yard and fix your broken needle(s) while not having to swap the entire cluster. This way you can keep your same mielage and have it fully functional again! Unfortunately for me I have already broken my original cluster beyond repair...so I think. However I may try to uninstall the faces and put in my working temp and gas needles.

    Goodluck to anyone trying to fix their cluster and if you are confused post back and I can send pics of what I mean. I just haven't taken them yet...so yeah

    hope this was useful!

    -Jon
    Coming soon...
    http://www.jonkinney.com/protegeES


    #2
    Are you talking about unscrewing the whole servo motor with the needle attached?

    Comment


      #3
      Well that's good to know! I had the temp and gas gauges off, and I saw the tabs for the spedo and tach, but they were really hard to push in on mine all at the same time (I also thought they were soldered into the cluster)...so I didn't get any further last night, plus I was really tired and I always break things when I'm tired and in a hurry...so I decided to wait until today to try again. One question though, does the mileage stay with the cluster or with the actual gauge itself? With a better look at the pics, it should stay with the cluster itself! The LCD is right on the cluster and the gauge face comes off! Now I know you all know that I'm just getting really excited becaue right now I'm on my 3rd cluster and I'm anxious to get back to my original so the mileage is way way way! closer to the original mileage. I've prob put on 1000 miles past what it will say, but that is better than what I'm running now...13000 past original. Now the question remains...can you do the gauge swap with ANY other protege (3rd gen of course?) I would really like the white faces...the whole reason for doing anything with the cluster in the first place. HELL YEAH! thanks for the reply with those pics, even though you were kind of being like, yeah dude...already been done thanks anyways, but you really helped me!

      OK I'm calming down now...You all rock so much!

      I love this forum.


      PS you can change the color your stock cluster glows with out any modification to the cluster besides changing the bulbs out. You can get them at speedhut. http://www.speedhut.com/accessory_de...UTO_NUMBER=396
      If anyone thinks these won't work please post back. I haven't ordered them yet...but want to.

      OR if you have alternative methods of changing the lighting on the stock gauge faces please post back as well!!!! I know if you could find a new plastic "condom" for the lightbulb (they are green right now) you could change the color that way.
      Coming soon...
      http://www.jonkinney.com/protegeES

      Comment


        #4
        Im gonna tell you they wont work you need diffrent sized bulbs.
        What you need is 2 large #194 6 led lights for the big gauges and 2 small #74 leds for the small guages.

        You can pick them up from superbrightleds.com

        I have heard conflicting informatin though some guys say that you have to sand the back of the guge faces in order for them to light up in the new color, although I think that may be specific only to the speeds.

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          #5
          The problem with changing the bulbs out is that, as the page Edwin posted says, there is a green film on the back of the faces (or red if you change to the white face gauges). It will work, but the color of the new LEDs won't be perfect.

          Read this thread for more

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by zerocover
            I have heard conflicting informatin though some guys say that you have to sand the back of the guge faces in order for them to light up in the new color, although I think that may be specific only to the speeds.
            I have blue leds in my gauge cluster. They light up blue, but there is a green tint to them. It's slightly turquoise but it still looks good. There are also hot spots because the leds don't diffuse the light as well as the incandescent bulbs do.

            See the picture... stock on the left, blue on the right.
            Attached Files

            Comment


              #7
              white stock gauge faces what year started

              What year did mazda start to put stock white gauge faces in the proteges. I want to swap out a newer cluster's gauges for my 99's gauges and put the new gauges into my 99 cluster and have the correct mileage. Will that work? the thread previously mentioned in this thread by mrT has detailed instructions for removing the gauges themselves from the curcuit board. Will any 3rd gen gauges with gaces and needles still attached swap in fine?

              I called a junk yard and they wanted to know all kinds of stuff about keyless entry and sport shifter, tach etc. And all I thought was relevant was that I wanted a cluster with a tach, and white faces. Because isn't all the other electronic stuff part of the cluster's circuit board wiring and won't affect the gauges preformance in my stock 99 gauge cluster.

              I hope I wansn't too confusing

              Thanks!
              Coming soon...
              http://www.jonkinney.com/protegeES

              Comment

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