I looking to change the Light color in my dash, so im wondering how hard it is to get to it, Does anyone have any pictures of the Bulb or dash taken apart?

 

No,

I'm about to tackle it myself though. My tachometer decided to get possesed and trip out on me. I bought a salvaged cluster and I'll do the needles/lights before I replace it. Check out this site for colored gauge needles and lights. They also make custom gauge faces. All of this will work for 89-94 maximas and more. Also, they make real brushed aluminum kits for the SE

http://www.importcarpartsplus.com/top.html

Maybe this could give you a few Ideas,

Matt

 

you're going to have to take a good portion of the dash out before you can get to the gauges. i swapped my stock bulbs to some bright red ones a few months back. the hardest part is getting all the trim pieces off.

check out www.geocities.com/craigbrace for info on removing dash pieces. you need four #194 bulbs to change the color.

 

That website has alot of cool things in it, thanks

 

yup, bookmark it and use it for future reference

 

http://www-new.nissanx.com/f0rums/th...d=37&styleid=2

5th post down. i did a writeup on how to get to them and it has lots of pictures. have fun!

 

that last site had a lot of good pictures. I have one question of the dash light change, I've seen people who've changed their 3rd gen. gauges to blue and the needles were all red...I really liked it and wanted to do it myself but am confused because there are only 4 bulbs in the dash? can anyone help me out?

 

http://importintelligence.com/FMPro?...dex.html&-Edit

Thats where you get those kits.

 

I just swapped mine with some blue 194's I got from autozone, they are dimmer but I was cool with it until my temp and gas gauge turned like a turquose....debating on going to red or a combo of blue and red...any ideas on which would be better or I was thinking about getting some led 194s...anybody have an opinion/expiernce?

 

i love how my red ones turned out. that pic i posted above doesn't do it justice. it's brighter in person.

 

you just pick em up at autzone or somthing like that?

 

yup, import intelligence is the way to go. these are mine (sorry for the bad quality):

 

OO I love those...great job...hard to install different needles?

 

I also think I'm going to have to copy you on those...lol...

 

i have blue guages right now, waiting for my led's to show up. i will post pics later.

 

its not really too hard, you just have to be careful and take your time when doing it because you have to actually take the needles themselves off which requires you to slowly spin them counter clickwise while slightly lifting on them until they come off. however, before you do this you have to take the stopping pins out so the needles will drop down to their setting point (the point at which you feel the needle want to stop when putting pressure on it).

(more on the setting point) - when there is no power the needles will move freely anywhere except for when you get past the stopping pin. if you pull that out the needle will only move to a certain point and want to stop. that is where you needle needs to be pointing when putting it back on otherwise it wouldn't be reading correctly. you'll have to get it at the setting point and make a mark somewhere so you can line them back up when you're putting it all together.

that's pretty much the hard part, everything else is pretty easy.

 

you have to twist them off? are they threaded in?

 

import intelligence said to twist them off because if you pull up on them you could potentially ruin the gauge motor.

 

ah gotcha
..

 

I would go with the led's, unless you want different colored needles. Super Bright Led's


These are the instrument cluster led's they sell.

 

wow that looks good too, are those 1, 4 or 6 led 194 bulbs?

 

Which ones did you get? I see some cold spots (spots not as bright as the others).

I was thinking of getting the concave type they sell hoping to eliminate that problem. Did you get that type or the 4 or 6 led type?

 

yes please tell us what you used so we can know not to get these for the spots are a no no

 

i just got the inverted single 194 leds today, installed them and no cold spots!!!



i also replaced the ignition key ring and cig lighter with the 74 bulbs. perfect fit.



got them from www.superbrightleds.com

next on my list is the outside key ring and a/c controls.

i will get pics for you guys later.

 

I was just talking about those (and that site) today with Shawn (MrGone).

 

Get them, you will not be disappointed.

let me go take those pics.

 

couldn't get any good pics, but basically it is just like the post Brad92SE did. as for the key ring and cig lighter, just imagine it blue. it looks awsome. i can't wait to get my blue leds in my a/c controls over the next few days.

 

I think I'll either get the reverse neon gauges from custommaxima.com, or jus put blue lights back there. Im still tryin to figure out which Id rather do.

 

Yup, I have this same exact stuff! My pics look like they have some cold spots, but its actually pretty even. I'm curious as to how to do the climate control buttons though, are the lights right behind the buttons?

 

yeah...the lights are behind each button..they are really small...i got bored one day while taking apart my parts car and took the climate control apart

 

yeah, they are. you'll have to desolder the old lights and solder in the new ones. the lights that are in there are supposed to be leds and look like the ones you'd find on a very old computer (rectangular and the lens is green).

 

depends on what you have.

On the ACC there are 4 bulbs at the bottom that you replace.

On the MCC there are 2 bulbs and to get to them you pull the unit our and open a little flap on the top of the unit.

then there are 2 in the fresh air vent pictures (on the side) on both the ACC and MCC.


You cant just put an led in there though. You will need to drop the voltage with a 470 ohm resistor. There are a couple of ways to do this. One solder it onto the LED and the other is to put it inline to the feed wire in the harness. The only problem with this (putting it in the harness for the ACC...maybe MCC) as Craig B brought up to me last night is that it may get really hot because of the current of the main line.

The LEDs that are for the gauge cluster and the #74 bulb have the resistors built in so it can just plug right in no prob.


Edit: I forgot about the individual LEDs that come on when you push the button (I was talking about changing the lighting of the pictures). Those are soldered in. I have found exact ones to those in red but not blue. The 2 sliders use the same LED and they just pull out with needle nose pliers.

 

How do you get the ignition and cig lighter rings off and how is the process of replacing them with blue lights? please explain...thanks

 

Hey, thanks for the info! Sounds pretty tough.... I may just wait on all of that.

19Maxima93Se-

To get at the ignition ring, you need to pull off the plastic around the steering column, and the ring sould be right there to slide off, and I believe the light is pulled out with it also. The cig lighter pulls out with the radio trim. The light is the plug on top of the lighter, which just pulls out.

 

Six screws for the steering wheel assembly need to come off.

For the cig lighter, disconnect the harness and you will have to disconnect the black holder from the ring itself. there are 3 tabs. these were a PITA for me.


mike - i have been looking for those rectangular ones too. just not sure on which one are the right ones thought. where did you find the correct ones at, and what are the specs for the ones in there now.

oh yeah, for those who want to change their a/c controls. you need to get rid of the green film on the back of the buttons. or you can get a a/c control for a 240sx which have a blue film on the back to let white light show.

 

You dont have to change the AC unit if you use LEDs. The LEDs light over powers the green. That is why I decided to change all of mine out. I was messing with my wifes computer and took the blue led out and stuck it in my spare ACC and it was a nice blue. The green on the ACC buttons can NOT be scraped off like it can on MCC units because the whole button is molded in green. So if you go LED (on MCC units) you should be OK with color if not then just scrape the green off of the back. I tried it with red and blue in my ACC and it was fine.

I got the rectangle leds at a local electronics store. I think they had red, green, and maybe yellow but that was it.

Here are the specs off the package

Mfg. Selecta
Red
2.5x5mm
Diffused lens
Vf, 1.7; mcd 10
If, 20; 120 Deg. view.

part number SL-C25515D1-SB

I got red because I was going to do all buttons blue and then have all the push LEDs red (when you push the button) and the sliders red. That would look pretty good IMO instead of everything blue.

I got enough of them to do it all (come 2 in a pack) but all I ever did was the sliders because I was lazy and didnt feel like taking the unit apart to de solder re solder the other ones...and now I have ACC anyway.

I sent the 2 I had in the MCC sliders to Shawn today. I have a couple more packages but I cant find them (as of this morning). I probably boxed them up when I was cleaning the kitchen drawer...I have my own drawer that I put all my misc. small items in LOL.

I know they werent too expensive. I am supposed to go back by that store in the next couple of days and I will get a price if you cant find some on line.

 

I found this

http://www.hallbar.com/CalPak/square.html

 

hol up. besides taking the dash off, how do you do this? Is it really complicated, or easy?

 

DO what...have you been reading this thread or just looking at the words?

if you go to that site listed a couple of times you can buy 194 type and 74 type LED bulbs. Those bulbs will just pop in the gauge cluster (4 type 194 bulbs) ,the keyring (type 74), the lighter (type 74) and the ash tray (no one mentioned I dont think but its a type 74). Also the light above the radio on pre 92s is a type 74 also.

Those will just pop in if you buy from that site because they are specifically made for 12V (they have a resistor built into the base of each one).

Then there are the sliders. Those are easy if you get the rectangle LEDs because you are replacing an LED the voltage there is low (not 12V).


The rest (buttons, lights that light up when button is pushed, switches around the steering wheel under the cluster) is more difficult because you have to add resistors. I spoke of how to do it in another thread.

Everything has been talked about and told how to do on this thread...you decide how easy it is or not. For me its not hard at all for you...well thats up to you to decide.

 

Mike - Thanks for the info. I was thinking the same thing you are, blue and red leds. just because the blue rectangular leds are hard to find/get.

dang it shawn!!! he is always getting free stuff!!!!