ok so i want to change the bulbs in the cluster but i cant seem to get the sucker apart to access the bulbs
i have a 2004........ and i need to take the needles off to get to it (or at least i think thats it), i didnt want to tug too hard on the needles to get them to come off ...... i guess im afraind of breaking the needles.......
2 questions arise:
1) do i keep pulling on the needles to take em off, or is there another way to get the circuit board off....... is there a methond that i cant find by searching?
2) what size bulbs do i need, i cant find that by searching either
thanks guys
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Larry Daguanno
White 4dr 2004 Cavalier LS
Richmond Hill, Ontario
University of Guelph-Humber Grad
first off, don't take the needles off, it will ruin your cluster.
do you have your cluster completely removed from your car? once you do that, you should see how the bulbs are attached to the back of the cluster. you might have to remove a shiny silver piece of cardboard stuff. the main cluster bulbs will be in green sockets that just twist out of the cluster. i think you twist the sockets to the left to get them out. there are 4 of them, at least thats how many there are on my 97 cluster. i replaced my bulbs with blue 194s. however, its not just plug in the bulbs and call it a day. you have to extend the little metal tabs on the bulb and make sure that they come in contact with the metal tabs on the green sockets. if you can make sense of what i just wrote, i commend you. i have my original 97 cluster sitting on the floor in pieces if you'd like me to take pics of everything and post them. i believe there is a how to on how to do this in the interior forum FAQ. hopefully this helps you. i bought my blue 194s off of ebay for .99 a piece. my cluster looks awesome at night all lit up blue. i'll try and gets some pics of that later
i have an 02, and i was told that the bulbs are in-accessible...is this true?? i know its a diff cluster than the 95-99. i havent taken it apart yet, i wanted to get red bulbs or the red gel thing that slides over the bulb...
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I have also been wanting to change my bulbs for a while now but I also have a question.
Isn't there an orange film on the back of the stock cluster and the stock bulbs are clear correct? So if I change the colour of the bulb, do I have to remove that orange film as well??
i have an 02, and i just got my LED's in yesterday...... i'll tell you how it went,
theother thing is i noticed that you gotta solder them on............ (i think)
i'll tell ya once i do it...... (tonite)
wait for it... wait for it... NOW GO!! ---> '02 LS Sport <---
Yahoo IM : buzz122 AIM : buzz122cav
alias1429 wrote:....at least thats how many there are on my 97 cluster.....
yeah, thanks for the info, but its a totally different cluster set up for my '04
my cluster is basically 4 parts......... the clear part, then there is the face with the needles and thats all on a white peice of plastic, and then there is a circuit board and then the circuit board is protected by a black peice of plastic........ now i can get to the point where the circuit board is exposed, and i can see where the bulbs are 'attached' on the other side of the board that is being held to the guage face by (what seems to be) only the needles......... possibly even the odometer??? not sure
and i searched both the interrior and the electronics fourm for answers to this for my 2004, and couldnt find it, so i decided to wing it and try it on my own to see what size bulbs i would need......... no dice....... i do howevere know that there is 4 bulbs (there are slots i could count them all)..........
and about that orange film......... i dont believe i saw one, unless the glue that holds the guage faces to the peice of plastic turns orange in the light???....... not sure, i believe the bulbs have a slightly orange hue to them (which is why i am changing the bulbs) .........
im going for a nice clean cut image for my car..........
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Larry Daguanno
White 4dr 2004 Cavalier LS
Richmond Hill, Ontario
University of Guelph-Humber Grad
so the back of your cluster doesn't look like this?
So can anyone actually confirm what is behind the cluster of a '98 Sunfire GT?? Is there avtually an orange film I would need to remove or not? Could I just change the bulbs to whatever colour I wanted and the cluster would light up that colour?? Thanks for the info.
ok as far as teh 00-02 clusters, and i do believe that the 03+ clusters are basically the same
you CAN NOT just change the bulbs, you have to de-solder them to get em out then solder them back in, they're not plug and play
and to get to the bulbs you do have to take the needles off, again
now if you want to just add LEDS, i've been told that all you have to do is basically shove them in the back somewhere and they should be bright enuff to overpower the stock bulbs
as far as replacing the bulbs, good luck, i tore apart a 00 cluster from my cavalier and im workin on makin a custom one, but i havent put it back 2gether yet so i dont know if they needles will work or not
i'll post updates then
alias......... nope........ doesnt look anything like it........ it looks a lot less complicated
and thats such a dissappointment that its hard to just change the bulbs
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Larry Daguanno
White 4dr 2004 Cavalier LS
Richmond Hill, Ontario
University of Guelph-Humber Grad
Teachable moment
95-99 clusters look like the pic above. 00-05 clusters are totally different. The two are not interchangeable, or even remotely compatible.
95-99 have light bulbs. 194's I believe. You can change them from the back (those green twist-in things).
00-05 have light bulbs too, but they're soldered to the circuit board. You have to open the cluster itself to get to them, and as many people wll tell you, opening a 00-05 cluster usually ruins the needles on at least one of the gauges.
In all years, the bulbs are CLEAR. Cavaliers have a blue tint to the stock gauge face, and Sunfires have an orange tint. It is not a separate piece of film, and can't be peeled off. Changing the colour of the bulbs would only be filtered by the blue or orange of the gauge face. That may or may not give you the colour you want...
Lenko, John Lenko wrote:Teachable moment
95-99 clusters look like the pic above. 00-05 clusters are totally different. The two are not interchangeable, or even remotely compatible.
95-99 have light bulbs. 194's I believe. You can change them from the back (those green twist-in things).
00-05 have light bulbs too, but they're soldered to the circuit board. You have to open the cluster itself to get to them, and as many people wll tell you, opening a 00-05 cluster usually ruins the needles on at least one of the gauges.
In all years, the bulbs are CLEAR. Cavaliers have a blue tint to the stock gauge face, and Sunfires have an orange tint. It is not a separate piece of film, and can't be peeled off. Changing the colour of the bulbs would only be filtered by the blue or orange of the gauge face. That may or may not give you the colour you want...
the 95-99s do use 194s, at least thats what i put in mine and they fit fine. i had no idea that the 00-05 clusters were that different. thanks for clearing all of that up, i appreciate it. i feel educated now
poo......... thats all i can say about that.......... poo
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Larry Daguanno
White 4dr 2004 Cavalier LS
Richmond Hill, Ontario
University of Guelph-Humber Grad
Just call Alex at blackcatcustom.com on his 800# and he'll hook you right up.
You're going to pay some money to get this done right, but it's well worth it.
