genghis82

Can someone give me directions on how to remove thee needles and gauges from the instrument cluster? I can get down to just the guages, but do not know where and how to pop the needles and guages off. I only need to do this in order to install a large 5 LED bulb that can't fit through the hole and has to be installed from both sides. My biggest problem is the RPM and the gas gauges. I have an '03 TL-S if that makes any difference.

TeknoKing

removing the needles is a BIG no no. you should have access to the LEDs from the back of the gauge cluster.

genghis82

is there anyway to remove the gauges and needles as one piece? i can get access to the back, but the bulbs i am using are 194 replacements and will not fit through the provided hole, which is why i am trying to remove the gauges from it's housing. I can shave the bulb down to fit into the holder.

OntarioTL

PM'ed you.


OntarioTL

jogi95

TeknoKing is right...DO NOT try to remove the needles from the guages!
Each guage (Tach, Speedometer, and Gas/Temp) can be completely removed with the gauge face (including the needle) and gauge drive mechanisms (behind the face) all coming out as one unit.

The following link has a set of instructions and pictures showing how to remove the gauge cluster. If you look at the last paragraph (the one that begins "Now on the backside of each gauge"), it tells how to get each gauge assembly out of the gauge cluster. You have to bend up the 2 silver tabs on the back of each gauge, and then "push" the gauge out from the back of the cluster (picture #13 in the link shows the tabs.

http://store.acura-tl.com/faq/faq.php#8c

Note that the Gas/Temp gauge has 2 sets of those silver tabs that have to be bent up. The other 2 gauges have only 1 set of tabs.

OntarioTL

I would only add to this is that use needle nose plyers to move the tabs and to poke out the gauges instead. One slip of the screwdriver can damage a trace on the board and that would really suck. Just my


OntarioTL