Changing Instrumentation light colour on NB30P3

mx5boi · Postby **mx5boi** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 1:32 am

A 10 minute job??? You are joking right? It is a nightmare.

If you think that you can:
A) Remove two screws from the 'Dash Access Flap' under the dashboard
B) Remove said flap.
C) Remove two screws holding top and bottom Steering Column Shroud
D) Remove said shroud
E) Remove Instrument Cowl (People have stated \"It can take up to 10 minutes of careful maneuvering so as not to break clips\"
F) Undo the four screws holding the instrument cluster to dash.
G) Remove bulbs
H) Replace bulbs
I) Reassemble reverse of above.

If you can do that is 10 minutes - I will pay you $100 an hour to do it for me. That works out to $16.66 for 10 minutes work.

But I am sure I cannot do that in 10 minutes

Postby **Okibi** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 2:14 am

I bet I could change the dash lights in under 10 minutes :mrgreen:

RG.net · Postby **RG.net** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 7:37 am

marcusus wrote:
MXHEVN wrote: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?

i dont like the white gauges, and if i was to put them in then the gauges would look out of place because they are black, i'll figure something out, and i'll post up some piccies when i'm done

RG.net · Postby **RG.net** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 7:47 am

mx5boi wrote:A 10 minute job??? You are joking right? It is a nightmare.

If you think that you can:
A) Remove two screws from the 'Dash Access Flap' under the dashboard
B) Remove said flap.
C) Remove two screws holding top and bottom Steering Column Shroud
D) Remove said shroud
E) Remove Instrument Cowl (People have stated "It can take up to 10 minutes of careful maneuvering so as not to break clips"
F) Undo the four screws holding the instrument cluster to dash.
G) Remove bulbs
H) Replace bulbs
I) Reassemble reverse of above.

If you can do that is 10 minutes - I will pay you $100 an hour to do it for me. That works out to $16.66 for 10 minutes work.

But I am sure I cannot do that in 10 minutes

i dont think, i know i can do it in 10 minutes :lol:

the first time i took my time and ended up being about 30mins, but if you do it once then it will be alot easier the 2nd time (if needed).

if your located in sydney i could do it for you if you really wanted.

mx5boi · Postby **mx5boi** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 12:34 pm

Okibi, You are a life saver. Finally a picture of where the bulbs are. Finally!!!!

Thank you so much.

Now I think I will be able to do it myself. If only there was a maintenance manual for my MX5..

I will see how I go

Hammer · Postby **Hammer** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 4:21 pm

MXHEVN wrote:

I do a lot of night driving, how do you find the blue lights at night? Are they too distracting? Plus is the uneven light intensity around the speedo and tacho, annoying?

Plus while we're at this topic, any advice when removing and putting back in? What to avoid etc. I'm thinking at also putting the extra light for the "Fog lights-on" warning.

I'm worried once I pull it apart, when I put it back, it won't be as snug and tight fitting as when it came on from the factory.

mx5boi · Postby **mx5boi** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 4:59 pm

This is what I have discovered so far...

Replacing the orange 'rubbers' with blue ones did not work (the light became 'white' with a very pale 'bluish' tint (not what I wanted)
= Strike 1

Replacing the original bulbs with blue LEDs resulted in terrible 'hot spotting'
= Strike 2

I have found a way of getting around the 'hot spot' issue and have confirmed it works well (so far only on the two lamps I can reach without dismantling the dashboard).

Use these:
Refractor Blue 5 LED Wedge Bulbs

The light is dispersed sideways and not 'beamed' forward - therefore removing the hot spots.

I do not have a lot of information re removing and reinstalling the instrument cluster but will report back with what I find. Hopefully I will not be reporting a horror story.

P.S. It has always annoyed me too that there is no light advising whether the fog lights are on or off.
For my two cents worth I think Mazda could have put a second bulb in the switch (which is amber when instrument lights are on - regardless of whether the fog lights switch is in the on or off position)

Postby **Okibi** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 7:19 pm

Sorry I can't find my old write up about all this ..

Corksport

IL Motorsport \"TypeR\" brand

Plasmaglow

Coloured bulb condoms worked best but fade every 6-12 months, where did you get the Refractor Blue 5 LED Wedge Bulbs?

I eneded up putting the LEDs into my Mazdaspeed dash.

mx5boi · Postby **mx5boi** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 7:59 pm

.....where did you get the Refractor Blue 5 LED Wedge Bulbs?

Ebay

Hammer · Postby **Hammer** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 12:09 am

mx5boi wrote:...P.S. It has always annoyed me too that there is no light advising whether the fog lights are on or off...

Thanks for the running update MX5boi. Keep us informed. The less trial and error I have to make, the better.

As for the "Fog Light-on" indicator. Here's a link to a great step-by-step instructions with pix from the Miata.net website that was complied by a fellow forum member - Techno aka Rob - on how to wire up the indicator light that we don't seem to get in Australia.

mx5boi · Postby **mx5boi** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 2:15 am

OMG!!!!!!! That *'doc shows how to remove the Instrument Cluster/Cowl also.

This is exactly what I have been searching for since day one.

Excellent work buddy. I will add a fog light status indicator while I have the car dismantled.

chatchat · Postby **chatchat** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 11:36 am

all the lights in the dash T10?

chatchat · Postby **chatchat** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 12:34 pm

[quote]
This is what I have discovered so far...

Use these:
Refractor Blue 5 LED Wedge Bulbs

........................

[/quote]

this should able to fit in the holes on the dashboard without any modifications?

Mr Morlock · Postby **Mr Morlock** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 1:59 pm

marcusus I thought that mxhevn was joking.. isn't he?

mx5boi · Postby **mx5boi** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 2:07 pm

The existing bulbs are in two parts anyway. A bayonet and a bulb.
You still use the same 'rear entry' bayonet mount. Just different bulbs

Even if the 'heads' will not fit through the hole in the dash it does not matter as you have to 'disassemble' the dash to get them in anyway.

If they will not then simply insert the empty bayonets from the rear (as normal) and then insert the 'bulbs' (heads) from the front.

Anyhoooo... As I said I will let you all know how it goes when I have done it. Only then will I be able to give a fully informed report.