hey guys im thinking about changing the dial lights on my e30. i was just wondering if it is difficult, how you do it and what size bulbs u need??
oh and how do you get to the dials looks well hard or am i jus thick!!
changing dial lights?
Moderator: martauto
To change the dial bulbs you need to completely remove the instrument cluster from the dash and you can pop them out from the back side (3 Watt max!!).
From there you can open the cluster and get to the dials
From there you can open the cluster and get to the dials
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Guest
not the easiest of jobs if you dont know how btw
remove the under dash trim on the drivers side
you need to remove the bit of plastic just below the clocks, this is held in by two knurned nuts behind the dash -
caught me out first time anyhoos
remove the under dash trim on the drivers side
you need to remove the bit of plastic just below the clocks, this is held in by two knurned nuts behind the dash -
caught me out first time anyhoos
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Sjoerd320i
- E30 Zone Addict
- Posts: 4035
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Heemskerk, Holland
why is it 3 watt max?dj_raoul wrote:To change the dial bulbs you need to completely remove the instrument cluster from the dash and you can pop them out from the back side (3 Watt max!!).
From there you can open the cluster and get to the dials
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mrLEE30
- E30 Zone Team Member
- Posts: 6589
- Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Sweating buckets in Bahrain
Why would you want to change the dial lights anyway?? the colour is from the plastic diffuser so different coloured bulbs would not change anything, and 3 watt max is so that they dont overheat and melt something!
but if you want to go ahead its fairly simple.
1. the panel between steering wheel cowel and instrument cluster comes off by removing the two nuts at the back (you need to remove the cover beneath the steering wheel first and advise you remove the steering wheel but not necessary).
2. two phillips at the top of the cluster surround, then remove the four (or six?)screws that were behind the first panel you removed at the bottom of the cluster.
3 pull out the plastic instrument surround
4 two philips again at the top hold the cluster to the dash with two tabs, remove.
5. ease the two tabs down and pull the cluster toward you from the top, it should slide outwards
6. reach behind and remove the multi pin connectors and whatever other wires are connected (different for different models/options etc, noting down exactly where the should go back to)
the mulitpins can be a pig, stick a small flat screwdriver between the male and female plug along the longer side and use a second srewdriver to prise up the black clip on top of the plug, with that out they just pull out.
7 the two big bulbholders are for your dashlights.
easy
dont go this far by the way.
mrlee
but if you want to go ahead its fairly simple.
1. the panel between steering wheel cowel and instrument cluster comes off by removing the two nuts at the back (you need to remove the cover beneath the steering wheel first and advise you remove the steering wheel but not necessary).
2. two phillips at the top of the cluster surround, then remove the four (or six?)screws that were behind the first panel you removed at the bottom of the cluster.
3 pull out the plastic instrument surround
4 two philips again at the top hold the cluster to the dash with two tabs, remove.
5. ease the two tabs down and pull the cluster toward you from the top, it should slide outwards
6. reach behind and remove the multi pin connectors and whatever other wires are connected (different for different models/options etc, noting down exactly where the should go back to)
the mulitpins can be a pig, stick a small flat screwdriver between the male and female plug along the longer side and use a second srewdriver to prise up the black clip on top of the plug, with that out they just pull out.
7 the two big bulbholders are for your dashlights.
easy
dont go this far by the way.
mrlee