Help, I think i stuffed my gauges!

Tj-zetec · 05-11-2007, 06:17 PM

or alternatively titled 'the adventures of an amateur auto electrician'

I've been browsing a few US focus boards researching how to change the colour of the gauge lights. I've got that figured out but i'm open to any suggestions anybody here has.

My problem is that my speedo now reads about 20K's under. while i was having a stickybeak the speedo needle (by force of gravity) swung around past the 220 mark. when i spotted this i pushed it gently back to its little rest pin.

After i put it all back together and started the car, when the gauges did their sweep, the speedo stopped at about 200 before returning, rather than going all the way around.

Have i buggered them up or is it a simple fix.

I was toying with the idea of getting hold of another gauge cluster anyway to do the light mod so i don't run the risk of stuffing my gauges (anymore that i may have already)

any help will be appreciated

BlackLS · 06-11-2007, 11:49 AM

Pull the needle off, let the guages do the guage sweep and return to 0, then very carefully, push the needle straight on, resting the sides of your fingers on the guage face to stabilise your hand shaking. Wear gloves to avoid fingerprints.

I've had to recalibrate mine everytime Ive pulled the guages apart, it is nowy more accurate then how it came factory - GPS and digital speedo calibrated.

Tj-zetec · 06-11-2007, 05:50 PM

that's a big relief. thought I'd buggered them up royally.

temp gauge isn't working either i noticed today, I'll check the plug, took me a few goes to get it in, it might not be in properly.

Btw, how did you go about making your gauge cluster and instrument lights blue. I want to do it too, i know LS clusters are probably different but I'm curious to see what others have done.

BlackLS · 06-11-2007, 07:21 PM

With the temp gauge make sure that the gauge pin has not pulled through the guage control module. If this has happened you could be in strife.

For the LR you need to get an aftermarket guage facia. The standard guage face has a green filter in it, and the little incadecant bulbs behind it shine white light through the filter. If you replaced the bulbs with blue LEDs, it should show a poor greeny blue colour.

On the LS though the lights are actually green PLCC2 LEDs, with clear/white filter in the gauge facia. Therefore changing the LED colour is shown through the guage facia.

Goodluck

Tj-zetec · 06-11-2007, 08:46 PM

i've seen on the US boards, they peel the fascia off and sand the green off. I'm a little skeptical of it, i mean i know it works, i'm just worried i'm gonna ruin it.

I thought about aftermarket ones but i haven't seen any in metric. might keep looking tho.

BTW, i fixed the gauges. i remembered that you can put the lcd into a diagnostic mode, you can bring up your RPM, and speed in MPH and KPH. i just went for a drive down a quiet back street, drove it up to 20Ks, reading from the LCD, and pushed the needle back on. a bit unorthodox but it worked.
I think it's worth mentioning that i had my girlfriend in the passenger seat keeping and eye out for me, just incase was about to run anything/one over.

BlackLS · 07-11-2007, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tj-zetec

i've seen on the US boards, they peel the fascia off and sand the green off. I'm a little skeptical of it, i mean i know it works, i'm just worried i'm gonna ruin it.

I thought about aftermarket ones but i haven't seen any in metric. might keep looking tho.

BTW, i fixed the gauges. i remembered that you can put the lcd into a diagnostic mode, you can bring up your RPM, and speed in MPH and KPH. i just went for a drive down a quiet back street, drove it up to 20Ks, reading from the LCD, and pushed the needle back on. a bit unorthodox but it worked.
I think it's worth mentioning that i had my girlfriend in the passenger seat keeping and eye out for me, just incase was about to run anything/one over.

Good work

With the facia, check out some EU sites, maybe european-parts.net can source it for you?