chrisaust

Has anyone taken apart the instrument cluster to get to the needles, etc? About a year ago I had the reverse glow gauges installed, and just recently the fuel gauge needle has been sticking in cold weather, meaning even after driving for 15 minutes the gauge still reads empty, but later in the day when its warmed up and the sun's out, everythings fine. I think its because the white gauge panel actually sits on top of the factory face, so it sticks out just a teenie bit and must warp a little in the cold weather and prevents the gauge from moving freely up and down, so I wanted to get in there and try to shave down the needle a bit.

I haven't yet tried to get in there so I wanted to see if anyone had done it and can direct me as to what screws to get to first and where they are, etc.

Thanks!!

viguera

iTrader: (1)

A couple of days ago I removed my screen to work on the stupid touchscreen cable and noticed one of the tabs behind the instrument cluster... it's one of those half-metal/half-plastic ones that apparently hold everything in place in this car, like the ones that hold the center dash kit in place. If you look down and to the right after removing the vents, you'll see it.

My guess is that most of the dash is held together by these things... I'm doing some more work on my car PC stuff this weekend, so I intended to take everything apart again. If you can wait until then, I might have a better answer for you... but I know you're probably taking your dash apart as you read this, so just let me know if you find out...

chrisaust

haha, no I'll defintiely wait, its not a huge deal and its definitely somehting I need a full weekend for. I'm hoping you dont have to take apart the whole center dash section to get to the instrument cluster, but maybe if you are taking yours apart, try getting the instrument covers off too and let me know how you did it. Thanks!

viguera

iTrader: (1)

Yeah hopefully it won't come to that, but by just looking at it there's no obvious way to get the pod off... hopefully it's just some more of those tabs back there and it can just be pulled off. I just want to look first, just in case...

I think someone here had that Nissan service manual with pictures of how to take everything off... just can't remember who it was.

us024077

according to the service manual, you have to remove the cluster cover (the pieces of plastic on top of the guage cluster that flair into the dash). Then there are 2 screws below the cluster that you have to get to by lowering the steering wheel all the way down, and puching on the flap of plastic between the steering wheel and the cluster. There are 2 screws in there that then relase the cluster. You can then disassemble it.

Good luck, and take pictures....

chrisaust

Yah, I figured you've gotta remove the circular cover piece over the gauges... does it show in the service manual how to get that part off? Does it just pop off?

us024077

the pieces you have to remove beofre taking the screws out are the black farings on top of the guagaes themsleves. there are 3 separate pieces. it doesn't say houw to remove them, just to remove them

viguera

iTrader: (1)

I'm fairly convinced that mine are not black, but that silver-y craptastic plastic color to match the rest of the trim in the car. Unless we're talking about other parts...

Either way, I don't want to be the first one to break them, but I'll tug at them for a minute later on and see if they come out...

chrisaust

So you pop those out and take the cover off without taking any other part of the dash apart? Or do you have to take the center console section apart first before even getting to the instrument cluster tabs and such?

us024077

according to the manual, you don't have to do anything else, just remove the lid and the 2 screws.

i've been tempted to do the white guages but haven't had the guts to take it apart yet.

viguera

iTrader: (1)

I know how you feel... it LOOKS like it should, but I don't wanna be the dumbass with the broken cluster gauge pod because I pulled the wrong way...

What I've found from all the tinkering with this car is that most of the things are REALLY easy to take apart, as long as you do it right. If you pull or tug and it resists, then you're doing it wrong. The center dash trim is a perfect example... if you start from the wrong end, you're gonna break something, no doubt about it.

So when I FIRST got my reverse gauges last year, and I lightly pulled at the instrument pod cover thinking that was the obvious way, and they didn't wanna cooperate, so I figured I was doing it wrong and just let it be. Then I took my car to a shop and they installed the gauges -- figured better safe than sorry...

chrisaust

so im still a little confused... these tabs that supposedly hold the cover of the gauges on, can you get to them before you take apart the center console stereo area to get to the screws that hold the rest of the gauge cluster together, or do you have to take the center section apart first before doing anything with the gauges?

viguera

iTrader: (1)

Alright, I don't wanna say anything definitive because HE is looking at the service manual, so...

What I saw was those plastic/metal tabs when looking in behind the dash... whether or not you need to take those off to get to the pod, I don't know, and from what us024077 is saying, it doesn't sound like you need to.

They are probably related to the dashboard itself and not the pod (possible), and chances are that if you manage to get the cover off and remove those screws after tilting the wheel, that the whole thing will come off and you can get at the gauges.

Don't take my word on the tabs until I (or you) have had a chance to get back there and take a GOOD look at them, otherwise you might break something. Like I said, this was in the middle of me removing the touchscreen that I have in place up there now, so I had my hands full and wasn't looking for what the tabs might be holding in place, I just noticed that there are some back there.

chrisaust

no worries, I think I'll take a look this weekend, and I'll be sure to take some pics if I figure it out.

jcberb

This is all i was able to pull up

viguera

iTrader: (1)

DAMN YOU NISSAN!!!!!!!!

I hate it when they do that.

Tek-Niq

iTrader: (3)

it seems easy, but you never know..........

chrisaust

Lol, I wonder how many steps Nissan thinks it takes to take apart the center console... maybe 3 1/2

I remember seeing that a year or so ago when I was replacing the bulbs in the info screen... looked too easy... so I guess the key is tilting the steering wheel down as far as it'll go and the screws should be there.