Gauge Cluster swap / Vtec light / Red neeldes / Orange lit / EJ6 EJ8 EK
02-23-2006, 10:49 AM
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Gauge Cluster swap / Vtec light / Red neeldes / Orange lit / EJ6 EJ8 EK
Swapping gauge clusters from 1997 LX sedan to 1997 DX hatchback.
This is pretty much the same for all 1996-2000 civics.
I did a few extra things:
-Red needles
-Orange lit
-Vtec light
I know the extra stuff I did is useless and pretty much all cosmetic, so don't be hatin'
This is what it looks all finished:
The gauge cluster is actually bright and very easy to read.
For some reason pictures got darker and fainter when I uploaded them, but I have a lot of them, so it's all good.
First off I painted some light bulbs so they could dry while I'm doing everything else.
I painted a few extra just in case some get scratched.
This is what it all looked like originally.
Stock cluster with 89,344 miles.
Steering column mounted tachometer.
First I had to take the bezel off.
There's two screws at the top that hold it and two tabs on the bottom.
The tabs are very hard to remove.
Removed original gauge cluster
Taking apart the stock cluster so I could reuse the original speedometer.
This way it'll show original mileage.
This is the LX cluster with 112,885 miles on it.
Taking the LX cluster apart to swap the speedometers.
Speedometer is held in place with four screws on the back (very easy swap).
DX speedometer installed in LX cluster
Since my car does not have Cruise control, I'll use that opening for Vtec light.
On the gauge cluster, mark where the cruise control light bulb is located.
Cut out the marked are and remove the Cruise control light bulb
I put a rubber groomer on just to make it neater.
At the top of the cluster, there is a wire with a light bulb that light up the needles.
Remove that wire from the old (DX) cluster. Take out the large (blue) light bulb.
There are little metal tabs on the sides; using a dremell, remove those tabs.
Then install a clear light bulb.
Install that wire instead of the cruise control light bulb.
One wire hooks up to the ground, the other splices into the vtec solenoid wire on the ECU.
Paint the needles using a red (fine point) sharpie.
I've tried in on a spare cluster first and when I got the hang of it, did it to this one too (the spare cluster came out kind of messy ).
At the top of the cluster, there are two light bulbs that light up the needles.
The light bulbs are clear, but the plastic piece covering them is blue
Using the tip of the exacto knife, it's very easy to shave off the blue surface and make it clear.
Replace the two clear bulbs with orange bulbs.
If you don't do this, the red needles lit up by original blue light will be very hard to see.
If you leave the bezel as is, when ever you hit vtec, it'll show that you have Cruise control on.
Remove the Cruise control tab.
Trace it on a translucent piece of plastic. The slip CD case works perfectly and there's lots of colors to choose from.
Cut out the new piece using a dremell and install it.
This is kind of what it looks like.
It's not that bright in person, the camera flash made it brighter.
New cluster reassembled
Shows original mileage and has a tach (among other things).
The new cluster installed.
Modified by d16rice at 5:00 PM 3/2/2006
This is pretty much the same for all 1996-2000 civics.
I did a few extra things:
-Red needles
-Orange lit
-Vtec light
I know the extra stuff I did is useless and pretty much all cosmetic, so don't be hatin'
This is what it looks all finished:
The gauge cluster is actually bright and very easy to read.
For some reason pictures got darker and fainter when I uploaded them, but I have a lot of them, so it's all good.
First off I painted some light bulbs so they could dry while I'm doing everything else.
I painted a few extra just in case some get scratched.
This is what it all looked like originally.
Stock cluster with 89,344 miles.
Steering column mounted tachometer.
First I had to take the bezel off.
There's two screws at the top that hold it and two tabs on the bottom.
The tabs are very hard to remove.
Removed original gauge cluster
Taking apart the stock cluster so I could reuse the original speedometer.
This way it'll show original mileage.
This is the LX cluster with 112,885 miles on it.
Taking the LX cluster apart to swap the speedometers.
Speedometer is held in place with four screws on the back (very easy swap).
DX speedometer installed in LX cluster
Since my car does not have Cruise control, I'll use that opening for Vtec light.
On the gauge cluster, mark where the cruise control light bulb is located.
Cut out the marked are and remove the Cruise control light bulb
I put a rubber groomer on just to make it neater.
At the top of the cluster, there is a wire with a light bulb that light up the needles.
Remove that wire from the old (DX) cluster. Take out the large (blue) light bulb.
There are little metal tabs on the sides; using a dremell, remove those tabs.
Then install a clear light bulb.
Install that wire instead of the cruise control light bulb.
One wire hooks up to the ground, the other splices into the vtec solenoid wire on the ECU.
Paint the needles using a red (fine point) sharpie.
I've tried in on a spare cluster first and when I got the hang of it, did it to this one too (the spare cluster came out kind of messy
).At the top of the cluster, there are two light bulbs that light up the needles.
The light bulbs are clear, but the plastic piece covering them is blue
Using the tip of the exacto knife, it's very easy to shave off the blue surface and make it clear.
Replace the two clear bulbs with orange bulbs.
If you don't do this, the red needles lit up by original blue light will be very hard to see.
If you leave the bezel as is, when ever you hit vtec, it'll show that you have Cruise control on.
Remove the Cruise control tab.
Trace it on a translucent piece of plastic. The slip CD case works perfectly and there's lots of colors to choose from.
Cut out the new piece using a dremell and install it.
This is kind of what it looks like.
It's not that bright in person, the camera flash made it brighter.
New cluster reassembled
Shows original mileage and has a tach (among other things).
The new cluster installed.
Modified by d16rice at 5:00 PM 3/2/2006
02-23-2006, 10:59 AM
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Re: Gauge Cluster swap / Vtec light / Red neeldes / Orange lit / EJ6 EJ8 EK (JRizEJ6)
Thanks,
I’ll have to play around with my camera, but so far all the night shots I’ve tried come out very faint, barely visible. I’ll try changing some settings and taking some pictures this evening.
I’ll have to play around with my camera, but so far all the night shots I’ve tried come out very faint, barely visible. I’ll try changing some settings and taking some pictures this evening.
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02-23-2006, 12:09 PM
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Re: Gauge Cluster swap / Vtec light / Red neeldes / Orange lit / EJ6 EJ8 EK (billybaggiosBACK)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by billybaggiosBACK »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">wow good job, is it possible to make a DIY shiftlight into a cluster too????? 
</TD></TR></TABLE>
I'm sure you could hook up any kind of light you want.
I was planning on hooking up my alarm indicator light in that spot, but then decided it would attract unwanted attention, so I just left the alarm LED in it's usual spot... on the dash.
I just took this picture in my garage. With windows closed, it was dark enough.
As I mentioned before, it is brighter in real life, it just for some reason gets dimmer when uploading on the internet.
The light also looks more even in person.
</TD></TR></TABLE>I'm sure you could hook up any kind of light you want.
I was planning on hooking up my alarm indicator light in that spot, but then decided it would attract unwanted attention, so I just left the alarm LED in it's usual spot... on the dash.
I just took this picture in my garage. With windows closed, it was dark enough.
As I mentioned before, it is brighter in real life, it just for some reason gets dimmer when uploading on the internet.
The light also looks more even in person.
02-23-2006, 12:18 PM
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Re: Gauge Cluster swap / Vtec light / Red neeldes / Orange lit / EJ6 EJ8 EK (d16rice)
pretty cool.. but messing around with that for awhile just havent wanted to try screwing around with the needles and whatnot. picking up a back up cluster soon so i can try that out on that one first.
how do the needles look in person? light up stockish?
how do the needles look in person? light up stockish?
02-23-2006, 12:23 PM
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Re: Gauge Cluster swap / Vtec light / Red neeldes / Orange lit / EJ6 EJ8 EK (hkt03)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by hkt03 »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">pretty cool.. but messing around with that for awhile just havent wanted to try screwing around with the needles and whatnot. picking up a back up cluster soon so i can try that out on that one first.
how do the needles look in person? light up stockish?</TD></TR></TABLE>
In daytime they just look red
at night they look darker red, but still well visible...
I'm sure white would be brighter, but I really like it the way it is now.
how do the needles look in person? light up stockish?</TD></TR></TABLE>
In daytime they just look red
at night they look darker red, but still well visible...
I'm sure white would be brighter, but I really like it the way it is now.
02-23-2006, 12:24 PM
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Re: Gauge Cluster swap / Vtec light / Red neeldes / Orange lit / EJ6 EJ8 EK (d16rice)
yeah, i've got red bulbs up top so my needles are dark as hell. i'm just afraid of hacking that strip up top and not liking it..
02-23-2006, 01:31 PM
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Re: (951 Garage)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 951 Garage »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">can u take a pic of wich wire u spliced on the ecu!! porfavor,gracias!!! </TD></TR></TABLE>
It's kind of hard to take a pic of the wire because it's under the panels, but this should tell you exactly which wire to splice.
(I used this diagram when I did mine)
</TD></TR></TABLE>It's kind of hard to take a pic of the wire because it's under the panels, but this should tell you exactly which wire to splice.
(I used this diagram when I did mine)
11-19-2007, 10:16 PM
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Re: Gauge Cluster swap / Vtec light / Red neeldes / Orange lit / EJ6 EJ8 EK (d16rice)
HOT. i was searching SO LONG... so many friggin people make useless posts asking for stuff when they could search....
makes people like me who actually do search a lot harder.... someone should clean up the forums and delete the retarded posts...
anyways. that is hot.
makes people like me who actually do search a lot harder.... someone should clean up the forums and delete the retarded posts...
anyways. that is hot.
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