My Gauge Cluster Project, Not What I Expected

So I wanted to change the backlight color of the NSX with LED because there isn't too much customization available for the NSX gauge cluster, but I couldn't get the color off the OEM gauges . So I made custom fit replacement gauge faces with translucent lettering to allow any color to shine through. They look very close to what the OEM gauges look like with subtle differences:



But now I am at a snag. I wasn't successfully able to get the NSX needles off without ruining the gauges. I first tried the simple fork method by prying the gauge needles off, but the metal stem broke off. I next tried heating up the metal shaft the needle rests on with a soldering pen, and the needles came off, yet the gauges are now messed up and not working. All the indicator lights are working, but the speedo, tach, etc. are dead. Now the only way I can think of to take off the old gauges it to use a dremel to cut the thick gauge faces.

If anyone has any insight to help make this project a success, please let me know.

Thank You

There is a small retaining clip on the gauge, you need to push this down to remove the needle; if the needles are dead, you probably snapped the coil, these are very sensitive, and even if repaired, they will likely be out of calibration.

many have tried to make a custom look or faces.. I too checked this route and they ALL look poor and IMHO downgrades the NSX... I took vancehu advice and got off my wallet and bought the REAL DEAL NSX R OEM Gauge set.. No problems and doesn't look rice rocket my 2 cents..

ENSSEX said:

many have tried to make a custom look or faces.. I too checked this route and they ALL look poor and IMHO downgrades the NSX... I took vancehu advice and got off my wallet and bought the REAL DEAL NSX R OEM Gauge set.. No problems and doesn't look rice rocket my 2 cents..

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If you have the OEM gauge set, this means you bought the KPH speedo and replacement PCB, and are now looking at a kph cluster?

Or do you mean the aftermarket nsx-r style mph overlays for the nsx?

ENSSEX said:

many have tried to make a custom look or faces.. I too checked this route and they ALL look poor and IMHO downgrades the NSX... I took vancehu advice and got off my wallet and bought the REAL DEAL NSX R OEM Gauge set.. No problems and doesn't look rice rocket my 2 cents..

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he's not going for a "custom look" of the faces. he's just trying make it possible to change the color of illumination.

Check out the picture for this overlay set. Just make the holes bigger and they will slide through the needs.

That's nice, but it still doesn't change the color from the nasty red. I don't want the nasty red.

Vancehu said:

Check out the picture for this overlay set. Just make the holes bigger and they will slide through the needs.

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Really? Is it easy to pop out? I think I snapped the coils. There's no life to them.

scorp965 said:

There is a small retaining clip on the gauge, you need to push this down to remove the needle; if the needles are dead, you probably snapped the coil, these are very sensitive, and even if repaired, they will likely be out of calibration.

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apkarian100 said:

Really? Is it easy to pop out? I think I snapped the coils. There's no life to them.

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No, it's a pain in the ass (very easy to break the needle or the gauge); I believe there is a special tool for the removal of the needles, they usually have them at your local speedo repair shop.

Scorp, Are you sure about a retaining clip holding the needles on a NSX gauge?

I know what you're talking about when you say a small retaining clip as I have seen them on guages on other cars but not on the NSX gauge front or back and have been there many times. Am I blind?

Yah, I'm not sure about that either. I didn't see any clips.

pbassjo said:

Scorp, Are you sure about a retaining clip holding the needles on a NSX gauge?

I know what you're talking about when you say a small retaining clip as I have seen them on guages on other cars but not on the NSX gauge front or back and have been there many times. Am I blind?

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Vancehu said:

Check out the picture for this overlay set. Just make the holes bigger and they will slide through the needs.

Click to expand...

Were can I get these overlays

+2 on the overlays , I want a set too , only in KMH

Well, guys, here are the faces I have made. Now if anyone knows how to successfully remove the needles from the gauge cluster, I'd be happy to start producing these along with the necessary lighting. The light output behind the gauge faces could be any color you want: red, white, blue, green, etc.

can you do them in KMH? - and in blue?

Do you want blue backlighting or blue letting. Blue backlighting would be pretty easy to accomplish.

I'll do the KMH layout only if I have enough who are interested in that style.

angus said:

can you do them in KMH? - and in blue?

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I would like a set in blue....matching my new alpine stereo set....New Acuras and Hondas look good in blue.....My niece has a 08 civic and instruments look really cool in blue........:biggrin:

Blue backlighting......maybe both?

Well, I would like to gauge interest in these and see what the majority of those who would want it would like. I simply cannot start making tons of different colors and styles all at once. I just don't have the time. I came up with another solution where I can sell many people the same gauge faces, but I can provide many different colored lighting choices by way of LEDs. My goal would be to make it a DIY kit. It is an unreasonable reuqest for me to ask everyone to send in their gauge clusters for me to work on.

More progress for this will be on the way, but I still need to find out how to successfully take the gauge needles off.

Texas91Brent said:

Blue backlighting......maybe both?

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so if you can make the ones you have can you make the nsx-r style like in the photos that aren't $500+?

i think you'd have a lot of success with those.

why dont you use RGB leds.
that way people can have their choices of all the fruity colors of the rainbow :biggrin:

Haha, nice one. I have a friend who did that. He put in an RGB controller too to tune to what color he wanted. In all honesty, I really want to make this kit simple DIY kit. I know some people are weary of even playing with their gauge cluster.

evof575gtc said:

why dont you use RGB leds.
that way people can have their choices of all the fruity colors of the rainbow :biggrin:

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freeon said:

Were can I get these overlays

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angus said:

+2 on the overlays , I want a set too , only in KMH

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They are very expensive. This was a special thing I did with a guy in Japan to make your gauge to look like JDM type R gauge face in MPH. For Canadian cars, I can't do any thing about it because I don't have the North America KPH gauge face to scan.

I have the template, and more sets can be made, but I need at lease two to three before I can do it again. The last pricing was around $750 a set.

Vancehu said:

They are very expensive. This was a special thing I did with a guy in Japan to make your gauge to look like JDM type R gauge face in MPH. For Canadian cars, I can't do any thing about it because I don't have the North America KPH gauge face to scan.

I have the template, and more sets can be made, but I need at lease two to three before I can do it again. The last pricing was around $750 a set.

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How can it cost $750.00 to make these

+1

freeon said:

How can it cost $750.00 to make these

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