Tools needed:
Phillips screwdriver
Flathead screwdriver
Wire crimpers
Heatshrink tubing
10mm Socket and wrench
Test Light
Patience & more patience

So you bought some fancy pants glow gauges and need to install them, well here ya go.
Your kit should be similar to this



Alright, lets get into this.

Installing the gauges:

Before starting, disconnect the battery.
Alright, now remove the trim ring around the instrument cluster. There are 2 screws in it and it pulls right out.
The undo the 4 Gold screws holding the cluster and pull out the cluster.


Remove the clear plastic cover, and the next plastic cover.


Slide the Temp gauge insert over the exsting gauge. Do the same for fuel.

Now, some of that patience is gonna go into effect.

Remove the needle from the speedometer by prying it upward with a small amount of force.
Insert speedo gauge and replace need exactly how it was. If done right, if you move needle by hand then let go, it should return to 0mph.
Repeat for tachometer.
Run gauge wires though openings in cluster.
Replace the black cover, but make sure everything is lined up perfect when replacing.
Make sure all the snaps engage tightly, then replace the clear plastic shield.




Installing the power inverter and wiring it up:

Heres where you need some of that more patience stuff.
Pop out to 2 covers on the knee cover. Big one on the left, small on the right.


Using your 10mm ratchet, undo the 2 nuts you exposed, and there are 2 more at the bottom of the panel.
Remove panel.

Pop out the cover where the cruise control/foglight/etc. goes.


Now, crawl underneath your dash and remove the bolt on the gold bracket (You can't miss it), then unscrew the stock dimmer switch and unplug it.
Pull the wiring up through the hole you made by removing the trim cover, the dimmer runs on the same harness.
Peel back about 4 inches of the wire cover.
The green/white wire is the dimmers power wire. Cut it and strip it 1/4in off. Slip a 1 inch piece of heatshrink onto the wire.


Splice the power wire from your inverter to the dimmer power, then reconnect both wire ends and melt the heatshrink onto it.


Now, run the plugs for the gauges through the giant opening to the right.
Connect your ground to the bolt on the gold bracket.
Connect the gauge wiring to the connector and insert the gauges.

Reconnect the factory dimmer and plug it back in.

In the panel where all the wiring is behind, drill a 3/8inch hole and stick in your dimmer switch.

Now, reconnect the battery and turn on the lights to make sure you did it right.
If so, go backwards and start putting everything back together. Clean up your wiring, etc.

Finished product:





All in all, it takes about an hour and a half to do this.
Not as hard as it seems.
If your speedo is off calibrated, remove the needles while the car is running and set the speedo needle at zero, and match the rpm's to your normal idle.
Kind of a redneck way to calibrate, but it works.

 

Good install, look how wierd the foglight/mirrors panel looks with nothing there.... wow...

 

A nice basic tutorial for starting to mod the cluster ftw monkey beater

 

Nice Josh - monkey beater? lmao.

 

I like hip wrist better. lol

 

nice write up man!!!! very detailed. good call b/c it was PITA installing mine also.

 

Im really tired of the stock ones... seriously, but for some reason im not a very big fan of indiglo gauges, they look cool, but i want something more classy.... i want something white and black!!! kinda like the dashboard of the 2005 accord

 

I used to have them too and I prefer the black gauge....for nothing more than keeping her a sleeper of course.

I've looked around before and remembered that there's a site that lets you customize your gauges. Here's one that I would get..just for the turbo model.
[IMG]local://upfiles/10268/18F866CC94D049FEB1F85AD9FCB2D1E8.jpg[/IMG]

You can set them up in just about any style you want..just about.
Here's the site.
http://www.speedhut.com/el_detail.as...=41&bhcp=1

 

OH yeah, speed hut, been there, but its quite pricey, i might end up with them, but for the moment, im looking for a HIGHER level of customization, im researching about materials used and all that and see if i can make ones of my own

 

Is there a specific place I can buy these from or should I just go ahead and buy them from the link i posted http://www.slickcar.com/productdetai...ProductID=1442