Any one know if the '94 idiot lights change color from 92-93? Also, does any one know how to change the needles on any of the gauges?
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500e gauge cluster
- Thread starter Zuffenhausen
- Start date
I believe all the lights should be the same for all years of the E500E.
As far as needles: they pry straight off. You MUST be careful not to bend them. And depending on the needle, you have to put it back in the EXACT same position, otherwise it takes some slight moving of the needle on the shaft to get it to the correct position - for example the temp gauge.
Warning: If the needle on any gauge is tighter than normal, and it takes more than normal force to remove... it can destroy the gauge permanently. Be careful out there.
Care must be taken to get the fuel, oil, temp, and tach needles in exactly the same position. It's not as easy as it sounds, particularly on the oil pressure.
Care must be taken to get the fuel, oil, temp, and tach needles in exactly the same position. It's not as easy as it sounds, particularly on the oil pressure.
ok do Euro clusters have different ASR and check engine colors?
And how does one the position to put them back in?
Warning: If the needle on any gauge is tighter than normal, and it takes more than normal force to remove... it can destroy the gauge permanently. Be careful out there.
Care must be taken to get the fuel, oil, temp, and tach needles in exactly the same position. It's not as easy as it sounds, particularly on the oil pressure.
Dave, with mechanical speedos, I've slipped the needle over the rest peg and then marked where the needle rests with zero tension. At that point, you can pull the needle to remove/replace the face. Putting the needle back at the previously marked point gets it pretty much exactly where it was. Does this method work on the other gauges?
Euro cluster should have the same ASR color.
Euro cars do not have a Check Engine light, that is for North American market only.
Glen, yes, the same concept should work. Alternatively you can turn it to the max reading before removal, then when re-installing set max to the same position. Always install the needles lightly to confirm readings before you press them on more firmly.
The only way to ensure 100% accurate readings is to bench test using simulated signals (fixed resistors, as needed for each gauge) both before AND after. I doubt anyone besides myself is anal enough to bother, but 1 needle width error is not acceptable to me. I've messed with gauges enough that I have lost all interest in swapping white faces on, or anything else that would require needle removal (besides attempting repairs on a broken unit). Good donor gauges are available from other 124's to swap in with some minor adjustments.
I have a chance to change my needles from a donor cluster, since they are faded. The faded needles really bothers me. Seems like a lot of work, though
Go to an artist supply store and buy a VERY fine brush, one with just a few hairs and mark the needle position on the shaft and realign them when installing. You might want to go to a watchmaker or jewelry store and have them remove the needle. There's a special tool, like a miniature two prong bearing puller, they use.
Ron
Yes, why change needles when you can paint them?
Tamiya makes a paint that is almost the EXACT same color as the factory paint (I believe it's X-6 Acrylic Orange). You can google it and find the exact color code.
Also, I have a HOW-TO here on painting needles: http://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2459
I did this job many (about 12) years ago on my 560SEC and used a Testor's model paint color that many folks were using at the time. It's more "orange" and less "neon-y" than the factory color, but it's worked well for probably the past 8 years.
I have only removed the needle from one gauge, which I did about a year ago on the 560SEL that I sold last spring. The temperature gauge was acting very flickery and some detective work isolated it out to the gauge, not the sensor or wiring.
I had a spare W126 cluster, so I removed the round gauge pod (temp, vacuum, fuel, oil pressure) and then removed the temp gauge from that pod, removing the needle. Then I removed the faulty gauge from the SEL's cluster, and replaced it with the other gauge. Although I recorded the position of the needle, and did the trick that GSXR mentions of installing the needle lightly at first, it was reading about 4-5 degrees high, so I had to remove the cluster and then slightly reposition the needle to the correct position. Then I tamped it down on the shaft, again VERY carefully. Further testing proved it was near exact based on readings (photographs and knowledge) of temps the car ran at prior. The new gauge fixed the issue, thankfully.
It's a bit of an "art" as well as a "science" ... not fun. Far easier just to paint the needles ... on all the gauges at the same time.
Cheers,
Gerry
This last photo was taken on January 28, 2012, the day my 560SEC turned 200,000 miles. You can see the the needle is quite orange (with the Testor's paint) even some 10 years after painting. I think the results, per above, with the Tamiya paint are better and that's what I would do.
Tamiya makes a paint that is almost the EXACT same color as the factory paint (I believe it's X-6 Acrylic Orange). You can google it and find the exact color code.
Also, I have a HOW-TO here on painting needles: http://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2459
I did this job many (about 12) years ago on my 560SEC and used a Testor's model paint color that many folks were using at the time. It's more "orange" and less "neon-y" than the factory color, but it's worked well for probably the past 8 years.
I have only removed the needle from one gauge, which I did about a year ago on the 560SEL that I sold last spring. The temperature gauge was acting very flickery and some detective work isolated it out to the gauge, not the sensor or wiring.
I had a spare W126 cluster, so I removed the round gauge pod (temp, vacuum, fuel, oil pressure) and then removed the temp gauge from that pod, removing the needle. Then I removed the faulty gauge from the SEL's cluster, and replaced it with the other gauge. Although I recorded the position of the needle, and did the trick that GSXR mentions of installing the needle lightly at first, it was reading about 4-5 degrees high, so I had to remove the cluster and then slightly reposition the needle to the correct position. Then I tamped it down on the shaft, again VERY carefully. Further testing proved it was near exact based on readings (photographs and knowledge) of temps the car ran at prior. The new gauge fixed the issue, thankfully.
It's a bit of an "art" as well as a "science" ... not fun. Far easier just to paint the needles ... on all the gauges at the same time.
Cheers,
Gerry
This last photo was taken on January 28, 2012, the day my 560SEC turned 200,000 miles. You can see the the needle is quite orange (with the Testor's paint) even some 10 years after painting. I think the results, per above, with the Tamiya paint are better and that's what I would do.
the colors are red and green on Euro clusters for the SRS and what would be the check engine vs. the orange for US clusters
