here's a picture of the dash before I got started.. It's a really good idea to start the truck and either mark or take a picture of what the guages look like when running.. This will be helpful if you remove the guages and have to reconfigure them...
before removing the dash console, you have to remove the wire that controls the gear indicator. Just spin the adjuster wheel by the white clip behind those wires, and remove. It's really easy.
Remove the screws and pull out the clear plastic piece, and then remove the dash piece. It should just pop right out. You may have to turn it a bit to get it out of the hole.
a comparison show of the dash sitting on my seat with the needles removed and the white guages right above, getting ready to get on there.
I put the white guages over the black one. The only problem that I have with this is that the lights on the bottom that tell me what is wrong; the names from the white guages don't match up to the names on the black factory piece. Oh well
better shot of the gear indicator wire.. Remember to hook this up or you won't have a notification of what gear you are in.
I hooked the positive (+) wire into the fuse that also controls the power to my radar detector. This way, the guages will turn on automatically when I turn the key "on" in the ignition.
Blurry shot of the ground (-) spot that I used for the guages.
Here's the control box so that I can switch between a green setup and a blue setup of colors.
I used some double sided tape to attach the box to the backside of the metal plate that you see here in this picture
whoops, ground wasn't connected, and driving home was not fun at night !
here's a shot of the guages on, but not my lights.
After you are done installing the guages, you might have to recalibrate the guages.. please read the following to do so. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DML POSTING: 8/14/2002 ""Bernd D. Ratsch"" <bernd@texas.net wrote in message Here's the full procedure: 1. Begin the test with the ignition switch in the Off position. 2. Depress the trip odometer reset button. 3. While holding the trip odometer reset button depressed, turn the ignition switch to the On position, but do not start the engine. 4. Keep the trip odometer reset button depressed for about ten seconds, until CHEC appears in the odometer display, then release the odometer reset button. 5. A series of three-digit numeric failure messages may appear in the odometer display, depending upon the failure mode. If a failure message appears, see the Instrument Panel, Gauges and Warning Indicators/Instrument Panel/Instrument Cluster Failure Message chart for the description and proper correction. If no failure message appears, the Self-Diagnostics will proceed as described in Step 6. 6. The cluster will begin the odometer walking segment test. This test will require the operator to visually inspect each odometer segment as it is displayed to determine a pass or fail condition. First, all of the segments will be illuminated at once; then, each individual segment of the odometer display will be illuminated in sequence. If any segment in the display fails to illuminate, repeat the test to confirm the failure. If the failure is confirmed, replace the faulty instrument cluster. Following the odometer walking segment test, the cluster Self-Diagnostic Test will automatically proceed as described in Step 7. 7. The cluster will perform a bulb check of each indicator lamp that the cluster circuitry controls. If an individual amber indicator lamp does not illuminate during this test, the instrument cluster should be removed. However, check that the incandescent lamp bulb is not faulty and that the bulb holder is properly installed on the circuit board before considering instrument cluster replacement. 8. If the bulb and bulb holder check OK, replace the faulty cluster. Each of the red indicators are illuminated by a Light Emitting Diode (LED) . If an LED fails to illuminate during this test, the instrument cluster must be replaced. Following the bulb check test, the cluster Self-Diagnostic Test will automatically proceed as described in Step 8. 9. The cluster will perform a gauge actuator test. In this test the cluster positions each of the gauge needles at three different calibration points, then returns the gauge needles to their relaxed positions. If an individual gauge does not respond properly or at all during the gauge actuator test, the instrument cluster should be removed. However, check that the gauge terminal pins are properly inserted through the spring-clip terminal pin receptacles on the circuit board before considering instrument cluster replacement. If the gauge terminal connections are OK replace the faulty instrument cluster. 10. The Self-Diagnostic Test is now completed. The cluster will automatically exit the self-diagnostic mode and return to normal operation at the completion of the test, if the ignition switch is turned to the Off position during the test, or if a vehicle speed message indicating the vehicle is moving is received from the PCM on the CCD data bus during the test. Go back to Step 1 to repeat the test, if required.