I just purchased this part from AmercanMuscle.com.

I was wondering how hard it would be to install them? Now I have already read the installation article that is on that page, but I noticed that I might need to do some wiring.

I also don't have a T-15 Torx bit. I'm sure I can buy it from Wal Mart, but is it just a regular phelps bit, or is it really skinny or really fat?

Also, I'm judging by the pictures from the installation article that the gauge cover that was shown there, was not the same one I have purchased. That looks like its all one piece, and would require one to remove the needles, and I don't think I have to do that.

I would like to do it myself, but I don't want to snip a wire or mess anything up. Any help/tips from someone who has intimate knowledge of this process or has done it before?

 

that's one of the things on the list for me, so i am not sure about wiring. but i would say if you can do your own brakes, oil changes and basic things it should not be too difficult for you. if you are clueless to troubleshooting and small repairs then i would not fool with it. some of the gauges require external power source and some don't. just look over the instructions when you get them and go from there. their online guides are general and not item specific, so keep that in mind too. i got one of their cai kits and the video i watched was for a new edge installation and i have a sn95. but i got the general idea from the video and it was a piece of cake.

 

It's easy, just dig into it. The T-15 is small and you should be able to find it just about anywhere. If you don't have a T-15 torx bit, then you really need to invest in some good tools. Tools are a good investment.

 

I still need to install mine havnt had the time to do so.

 

I'm just going to ask my dad for help if I need to wire anything. (He has made high end cables for sound/tv/whatever for the past 10 years) I plan on doing an extensive write up with tons of pictures. I should be getting it either today or tomorrow, hopefully. Yeah, I just checked the tracking information and I should receive it today.

I don't see how it will work. If they just "slip-over" the existing cover, then the color will be dull. With that said (they slip over) I don't see how I would have to wire anything. The biggest fear I have with this project is either having to remove the needles or breaking one.

Expect a writeup soon.

 

Well the ones i have arefrom AM and its a onepiece (which has to have the needles removed) i might just pay someone to do them for me...but who knows.

 

Really? When did you get them? I recently purchased my kit and it comes in three sections: Water Temp/Fuel Level ; Speedometer/Tachometer ; Batter Meeter/Oil Temp. I didn't need to remove my needles to install it.


I have installed my kit, or rather my dad did... It looks so nice and it is everything I expected. I will do a writeup soon on it.

 

well you do have to wire a cable which is what makes them turn on, you have to wire it to the cable that dims your gauges when you rotate the light switch, i believe is the brown cable, and you have to wire a ground to the chasis, you do have to be really carefull when sliding in the gauges into the needles which can be a pain in the ***!.
They look really cool in the night with that blue shinny light!. but i had to take them off because about after three months of installing them the needles were not working properly, they were making conctact with the gagues making the speedometer neddle lag, plus the little sticker switch is really annoying! ...

 

UPDATE:

Me and my dad installed this. It looks great! Worth every penny. The bad thing is, is that he did the electrical stuff while I was at work, so I have no pictures of the process. I do have an extensive writeup, extremely descriptive. I'm going to try to see if I get get it into the archives at AM and get some gift certificates as well. If that blows up, which I think it will, because I have no pictures and I refuse to take any of it apart, I will just post it here. Its so descriptive that a blind, yes a blind person could install this. He did some mild custom work for the dimmer switch to stick out of the dash panel, which looks GREAT, but other then that, it was pretty straight forwards. He has a lot of experience with electrical stuff and with wires so I can rest tonight knowing that when I'm driving 120mph down I-90 that my gauge cluster won't loose power at night.

I will have the writeup done, but I can't give it to anyone until I first check and see if AM wants it, to which then, I forfeit the copyright, bla bla bla, and then I have to just "redirect" or link to there site, which is still cool.

Overall it took me about 45 minutes to take the cluster out, start to finish, undo the clear lens, put the inserts in, and my dad about 2 hours of tinkering with stuff, trial and error, and finishing touches, but it was well worth it. The dimmer switch looks so cool near my rear defroster. It just looks like it "belongs" there in a way.

 

ok anyone else install these? i just got me some and put them on today. the problem i ran into is that the oil pressure hole and the engine temp hole were not reemed out enough and it caused too much stress on the needle base when i put them down. Now they don't move. They sure do look good installed though. i sent americanmuscle a replacement request and i guess i will have to go get a new cluster from the old junkyard. that sux. another thing is my parking lights come on but no headlights. i remember one wire comming out when i pulled the **** out and i just stuffed it back in not really paying enough attention if it was fully connected. im hoping that's the problem.

anyone else have problems sliding them over the needle bases? the speedo and tacho slid just fine, it was just one hole on each of the side ones that seemed just a tad too small.

 

UPDATE:

just pulled the whole thing out again and raised the needles with a fork like i saw on youtube, all needles are moving now when i run the car and seems to be working like they should. still no headlights though. any ideas? i think i might have pulled too hard trying to take the **** off so autozone sells the switch for 16.99 i guess i will try and swap it out to see if that fixes it. maybe i damaged something inside while i was pulling. anyone else have any ideas why headlights would not be working after an install of these?

 

If you pulled wires loose from the headlight switch you need to go and fix that.

 

There was only one wire that popped out and I double checked it, she's in place pretty secure. That's not what I was pulling on hard though, it was the plastic **** that u pull to turn your lights on. There was no stress on the wiring while I was doing that though because the dash was still put together. I went and bought a new switch and same thing, all lights in but the headlights. Only other thing I can think of is to buy a new set of bulbs. I guess it's possible they both went out at the same time?

 

I would start but checking to see if there is voltage at the plug for the head light bulbs before you go and buy anything else. Also there is a fuse for that too. Might wanna check that out as well.

 

Yea, good idea. I bought the switch and did not work so I just returned it. I checked the fuse under the hood and the one under the dash. Fuses were the first thing I checked. Idk I am not being able to look at it till I get home and it's already getting dark. It's so weird every light works but the headlights. Guess I'll have to look for a loose wire durin the day this weekend.

 

UUUGH!!!!! now i am clueless, broke out the needles and am getting power through all the fuses and on the switch, but still no headlights. i stumbled on the fact that if i pull the wipers back the brights will light up untill i let go. what the hell is going on here, i might just have to put her in the shop, i hate that ****. there has never been a shop that i have felt didn't screw me over in some way. randy if ur listening please give me something. and i noticed that the when i rotate the dimmer the lights stay the same on the dash/clock. they don't actually dim like they should. don't know if that is a sign of something.

 

did you check to see if at the headlights they are getting power, that would tell you if the bulbs were bad. I would start there and trace my way back to the problem.

 

yea, it only gets power when i pull back on the blinker towards me. like i am flashing someone with the lights off during the day. other then that no power is getting to the bulbs. if i pull back on the blinker the lights light up on high beam. but if i pull the actual headlight switch out everyting but headlights whether it's in high or low. and dimmer does nothing when i rotate it. bulbs are new, switch is good, fuses are good.

 

I mean did you take off the plug for the headlights and use a multi meter to check for power?

 

Yes I used a volt meter. Getting power to the fuses and switch nothing to bulbs though.

 

Must be the bulbs then!

 

Bulbs are brand new. They flash on when I pull back on the blinker.

 

Either the switch is the problem or the wiring.

 

It's probably that damn wire that came out even though you said its back in, only thing that makes sense. I hate electrical work.

 

is the order of the juice the battery, fuses, switch, then bulbs? or is it battery, switch, fuses, then bulbs? that will help me narrow it down a little.

 

yes u are correct sir! dropped it by the shop last night sure enough they called me today and said there was one wire that was out of place on the switch. i just thought i put it back in the exact same spot. oh well gave them 25 for part of an hour of labor and called it a day.

 

Haha sweet! Only thing that made sense really. Next time be more careful when putting wires back! haha. Glad its fixed though.