KEVIN G.

Well, I did...
I fianlly cleaned up all the wiring under my radio/console. Stripped off all the spagetti... re-wired radio, eliminated all the unnecessary inline fuses and extraneous wires. I had found a website showing the combinations of under dash wires,(one was for the radio dimmer... not used in my application).
Then, with fingers crossed...I turned on my dash lights, and...WWWWWTTTTTFFFFFF?!!!!!!! still nothing. I had my old reostat and swapped them out, it worked but in only one spot. (The chime even came back) so since I had two, I ripped one apart.
There's a big THIN chunk of ceramic stamped with a circuit path, that was broken in half... Opened up the other one and, lo an behold, it ahd a break in the corner.
Pretty weenie...!!!
Now the only issue I have, is, where are the bulbs for the inst lights? The two center guages are nice bright red, the speedo and far right are kinda dim. Tried pulling the whole cluster but it looks like they maybe inside?
Anybody ever swap these out?
thx

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Sorry to say, but you have to pull the entire cluster out of the dash to change the bulbs, which are in sockets on the back of it.

KEVIN G.

DAMN,
I kinda figured... How does the cluster come out, though? I removed the bezel and all the 7mm screws for the cluster, and it's loose, but I can't get it out far enough to remove the cable...
Does the cable have to be unscrewed from the back side by reaching up from underneath?
Is that what's holding it in?
thx again guys,

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Yeah, that mechanical speedo has to be disconnected from the back before the cluster can come out. You have to remove the lower trim panel and reach up behind the dash to unclip the cable from its mounts on the back of the speedo.

Yeah, GM had to make almost everything difficult for us F-body guys...

KEVIN G.

Ok,
last night I pulled apart my dash, removed the faceplate and cluster lens.
I can see the bulbs that are burned, but, you're right, no way to remove from the front.
So I'm rollin' around underneath the dash tryin' to fit my mits under and around the column, pullin' on the cable to get extra room, and I can see the clip, but in no way shape, or form can I reach it...What's the trick?
Do I need to drop the column?

KEVIN G.

any body know what kind of bulbs these are?
I can see them and they ain't 194's
they look like flashlight bulbs
I work at a GM dealership and can't find an application for anything that old.

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

They are either 194's or 161's, you have to pull them out of the sockets....

Of course, now that you have said that they look like flashlight bulbs, I dunno what to tell you other than some idiot may have screwed with the sockets for you...

3gc

In my camaro i had to drop the column anyway to get the cluster out at all. But to get the speedo cable off use a long flat bladed screw driver to press the tab and try and tug on it a little with your other hand.