There were a few threads on this but nobody showed HOW it was done.
Prepare to be amazed! ... okay, enough with the jokes.
NOTE: You do NOT need to remove the steering wheel to remove the instrument cluster!
Follow the instructions in the service manual for removing the instrument cluster, minus the steering wheel removal.
The sections I followed were: "Body->Body - Service Information->Instrument Panel->Removal" and then ...
"Instrument Cluster->Instrument Cluster - Service Information->Removal"
DO NOT bother with removing the steering wheel AND you can leave the battery connected. NOTE: It was not necessary to remove the dash, A-pillar or lower console. I simply unbolted/unscrewed the anchors of the lower console so I could drop it some and get out the section just above it. (I have a picture in
this post showing what was removed.)
So I followed the steps and here are the pictures... I DID take the steering wheel off, but found it was unnecessary after the fact. DOH!
I have the steering wheel back in place and have had the cluster in and out a few times trying to get the right LED bulbs to work. I'll be waiting on yet another set I think.
Instrument Cluster after removing the clear lens. Be careful removing it, the tabs break easy (I know, I broke one!).
Release these black tabs to get the instrument frame off the cluster. Again, careful, it's just plastic!
On each side where the indicator lamps are located, you will need to remove all the bulbs first.
After the bulbs are out... like so.
You next need to open the side cover...
You need to lift the flexible circuit and prepare to feed it through the opening to allow the cluster to be removed from it's frame.
After releasing the clips around the plastic housing, you should be able to release and drop out the circuit board and lens cluster. And... you get this.
If you pull the needles straight off, you get this. Notice that the top of the needle is painted red. In theory, you could remove the red paint and use a different color. I did not.
Begin by carefully lifting the silk screened gauge overlay from the lens system.
