so i need help replacing my dashboard lights the guages and speedo arent working, i removed the bottom panel but there is no freakin way to get at those bulbs

any ideas?

 

some of the bulbs you can get to by taking the trim piece off then the plastic lense, other wise you prob will need to pull the cluster out, you will have to drop the stearing colum to do that......there should be something out here that explains how to do it, do a search for cluster swap or speedo swap or something like that on the message boards....may also be a write up on the tech articles from the home page

 

Mentioning the year, make, and model of your car is import for those answering your questions; for example, Camaro speedos, 82-89 are cable driven, 90-92, electric. To replace bulbs in a Camaro, you need to remove the cluster.

JamesC

 

Once you get the cluster out, you'll find that the bulbs are #194, but for some reason in some instrument panels, the bulb and it's twist-lock socket are one piece. The replacement for these is PC194. I'd hit up a junkyard and grab as many sockets from some older vehicles' instrument panels, then all you need is the easier to find #194 bulb.

 

Drop the steering column to change the bulbs??? Jeez! Not that I have to do it.. but if down the road if its needed that will be a chore I suppose?

 

Only enough to give you room to pull the cluster out. It's a very tight fit otherwise. Just two 13mm nuts on the under-dash bracket.

 

So then its not as bad as I thought

 

yea dude...two star screw under steering wheel...takem out and it'll drop down...then unclip the plastic cover where your headlight **** and defroster switch and all are....u'll have to get the **** off (if u need help let me know)...now u will see all the screws holding the cluster in....unscrew them....lower ur wheel as low as u can get it and gently angle and pop out ur cluster....like others said ull see the bulbs clasps...twist to the left and they pop out...now things get fun...ull notice the bulb is like ONE with the plastic clasp...take notice to how its all connected cause ull have to get that bulb out of there which is fun then wire a new bulb and do some recommended soddering....ive dun it and yes it'll work just take ur time and eye how it all works and i think u should get it..let me know if u need any tips..i literally just did all this yesterday lol (and times before btw aha)

 

We still don't know the year, make and model. As Al mentions, not all cars have one-piece bulb/socket design (those can be seen in the following link for a Camaro):

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/faq-...-fix-pics.html

JamesC