Changing Instrumentation light colour on NB30P3

[mx5boi]

I wish to change the instrumentation light colour from (boring) orange to (exiting) blue.

I bought a pack of blue 'rubbers' (below). They were only $3.00 so I though I would try them first. If they do not do the job I will replace the globes with blue ones (a lot more expensive - and may not be needed if the 'rubbers' do the job)



By undoing the two screws on the 'plastic flap' uder the dash I have managed to get access to and recover two bulbs but there are clearly more and I cannot seem to find (reach??) them.
The two I have replaced are indicated by the two blue circles below.
There must be more (indicated by the orange circle below).




Questions:
How many more are there?
How on earth do I get to them?

Also I wish to replace the ones in the panel below the Audio System (the Audio System is the next thing to be replaced so I am not going to worry about that being orange)

How do I get to these?



I have searched all over the net and can find instructions for earlier dash design but not mine. They all seem to indicate that the whole 'cowl' needs to be removed to get to the bulbs. Is this true on the NB30P3 too? (I sincerely hope that what really amounts to simply replacing a globe does not require the car to be dismantled....)

If it does need to be removed can anyone provide a link with instructions for doing so?

While we are on the topic... Is there a 'Maintenance Manual' for my car? If I had one I could just look it up. I know there are manuals for older models but not for mine??

I am sure someone has the answers.

[RG.net]

i have done the dash, i'm not sure if its all the same as an nb8b/c but i'll write up a quick tutorial.

i also wanted a cool blue going throughout the dash and tryed the blue condoms over the existing bulbs which didnt work for me (the nb8a dash is coloured green, but i was told that the blue condom blub goes through the orange dash's) so i ended up getting some sets of l.e.d's, make sure they have more then one bulb built into them.

you will need 4 bulbs for the main gauges, if you wanted to change the trip meter you will need a smaller bulb.

1. take your steering colum off, it should just yank off
2. take the dash cover off, this should also yank off, you will hear a pop, this is normal
3. you will see four screws one in each corner, unscrew them
4. the gauges should be loose enough for you to pull towards you, flip it and remove the three plugs behind it for easier access.
5. the four green knobs are the main lights that will change the gauge lighting. if you are going to use the leds you will have to check all of them to see if they all light up.
6. put everything back together and enjoy. (yes i have done it lots of times lol)

this is my end result



as for the hvac controls, i am also looking on how to change the lighting, i remember a tutorial made some time ago, but i cant seem to find it, wasnt to hard though.

[Jaxom_2]

That's a pretty good display!
I'm not keen on the red display in my NB8C, so something like yours would be much better!!
Some friends purchased one of the new Kia's, or possibly a hyundai, that has a terrific dash-light setup, really easy to read but not intrusive.

Mike

[mx5boi]

1. take your steering colum off, it should just yank off
2. take the dash cover off, this should also yank off, you will hear a pop, this is normal .

When you say 'Take your steering column off" I presume you are talking about the plastic shroud around the steering column? I cannot image how is at all possible to '"Yank" your 'steering column' out of your car????
My Steering Column 'Shroud' has two screws holding the top half to the bottom half (these screws are accessed from the under part of the shroud).

Is this what you mean?

You go on to say "take the dash cover off" are you talking about the 'cover' that is under the dashboard (the one that gives you access to drop the steering column) or are you referring to the "Cowl" when you say cover?

I am still a little vague on the specifics

[RG.net]

1. take your steering colum off, it should just yank off
2. take the dash cover off, this should also yank off, you will hear a pop, this is normal .

When you say 'Take your steering column off" I presume you are talking about the plastic shroud around the steering column? I cannot image how is at all possible to '"Yank" your 'steering column' out of your car????
My Steering Column 'Shroud' has two screws holding the top half to the bottom half (these screws are accessed from the under part of the shroud).

Is this what you mean?

You go on to say "take the dash cover off" are you talking about the 'cover' that is under the dashboard (the one that gives you access to drop the steering column) or are you referring to the "Cowl" when you say cover?

I am still a little vague on the specifics

yes and yes, i got a little lost for words

[mx5boi]

To quote a little, brightly dressed man from the UK \"I thank you\"

[Mr Morlock]

you are braver than me. I guess over the years I remember diy exercises which at times I wished I had not done. Dash lights which fail can be expensive to replace simply related to labour. Dipping in without really knowing where you are going or what you are doing involves a risk of damaging something else or assembling with errors. Blue better than orange etc etc- who cares--obviously some of you do.Good luck

[bruce]

Sounds like a major job for a minor finish to me.

[mx5boi]

I am leaning towards the 'Too Difficult' pile too.

Who would have thought that replacing a bulb would be so damn hard.
I feel sorry for anyone who has a bulb blow.

[Okibi]

I replaced all the bulbs in my NB8A dash and A/C with red ones, figured it would be better for my night vision although i've since read its only an advantage if used at very low levels.

I prefer the red over the original green dash.

[sliq]

i reckon plain white would look very smart..

[RG.net]

i reckon plain white would look very smart..

thats what i am going to do next, but this is much hardrer to do as you have to take the needles off, the gauge face off and sand the green from behind the letters so no green shines through with the white, will match my gauges mounted in the air vents

[RG.net]

I replaced all the bulbs in my NB8A dash and A/C with red ones, figured it would be better for my night vision although i've since read its only an advantage if used at very low levels.

I prefer the red over the original green dash.

how did you do the ac colour? i have been looking for a diy for ages!

[RG.net]

I am leaning towards the 'Too Difficult' pile too.

Who would have thought that replacing a bulb would be so damn hard.
I feel sorry for anyone who has a bulb blow.

its not to hard at all, its a 10 minute job! the first time i did it, i was a little edgy on breaking something but is not as hard/daunting as it sounds!

[marcusus]

thats what i am going to do next, but this is much hardrer to do as you have to take the needles off, the gauge face off and sand the green from behind the letters so no green shines through with the white, will match my gauges mounted in the air vents

If you're going to do that, why not just buy some white gauges? Surely there'll be a NB8B/C being wrecked at some stage, so you can always poach the cluster and use the faces.

No sanding, but you'll still have the factory look when the lights aren't on.

As for white, the theory is good, but you need to get quite a soft white. If it's too bright, it'll be too eye jarring. You need to find a way to diffuse the light in just the right way, otherwise it'll be harsh on the eys. Perhaps a very light colour tint would help?