What's the deal on the needles?

[Drakivaz]

Hi, I've just registered here because I have been having a lot of trouble getting a straight answer on a few questions I have on modifying my gauge cluster.

I plan to make my own gauge faces - not EL, just regular with LEDs shining through. I have plans and methods on making the faces themselves, but the sticking point is the needles.

I've heard other places that the needles on a 2002 4cyl accord LX sedan are: -Impossible to remove
-Hard to remove
-able to be removed but must be replaced with new needles
-impossible to calibrate once replaced

I can't seem to get a straight answer on why it is impossible or any guidance on how to do it if it is possible - only discouragement.

I am an engineer, so I see it this way - The needles had to be created from pieces as the stock gauge face has a smaller hole than the needle head. If there was a stable way to assemble the cluster in the factory, there must be a safe way to take these pieces apart. I can't really get in and test pulling them apart because that could cost me my cluster if I do it wrong.

This is the type of cluster with three separate stock gauge faces and a bezel, not the single piece one.

Can anyone provide some direction on this matter?

 

[HondaLuver83]

You need to pull them out gentely by using a pulling and press motion with your fingers. U need to set ur gas guage to zero and mark where ur needle is on ur temp guage. When reinstalling, u shud test it in ur car without the plastic cover. Fill ur tank with gas and let ur car warm up for proper function. If the needles dont move, press them ever so slightly in. They are controlled by an electric magnet, if u push them too far down it wont work. There is kinda sweet spot with them. AS far as the others, I dont know. I did not mess with the RPM or SPEEDO, they look easier since the needle has a stud it rests on.


I have a guage cluster for parts if ur interested.

http://www.6thgenaccord.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20176

 

[Drakivaz]

Thanks for the info, I'd like to ask a few more questions on what you wrote for clarification.

What exactly do you mean by pulling and press?

I am guessing that you mean for me to press in on the top and bottom edges of the round circle part of the dial while pulling it off. Is that right? If it's that easy, I wonder why everyone else is saying it is impossible.

I won't be working on this until this weekend at least, so maybe I'll find time to post some pictures and ensure that I have the right idea before I go at the gauge.

Anyone else have similar info? It's good to find a forum where people actually can answer this question.

 

[HondaLuver83]

I decided to use the cluster Im selling as a Guinea pig and show u some pix. U need to have ur fingers touching the cluster. As u pull with ur fingers using a closing motion, the tip and part of ur finger will start to push against the cluster. Giving a kinda pull push thing. Its hard to explain but here

NO

YES

Do u see the difference on how my fingers are positioned for the pull? U want to pull by closing ur fingers, not by pulling with ur arm. You should introduce yourself on here. This is a real good community, I think it's the best actually.

 

[Russianred]

I see exactly what you mean Abdi, about how your fingers are positioned. Ad you roll your fingertips down and close them, it puts pressure on the face and thus the needle is pushed away from the face since your fingertips are on it. Leverage action.

 

[Drakivaz]

I see what you mean now too. I'll have to try it once I get the faces finished. I'll post my face designs sometime soon. I am going to use the mazda miata three-layer method seen on revlimiter.net for building the faces, except I am going to scan and modify the factory diffusers rather than having a solid color shine-through layer.

 

[HondaLuver83]

I see what you mean now too. I'll have to try it once I get the faces finished. I'll post my face designs sometime soon. I am going to use the mazda miata three-layer method seen on revlimiter.net for building the faces, except I am going to scan and modify the factory diffusers rather than having a solid color shine-through layer.

sounds good

-GL

 

[abc20abc]

nevermind.... after I actually read the thread. I wish this forum had a delete button.

 

[Drakivaz]

Well, I didn't see your first post so no harm no foul.


I've taken off and put back on my needles - The speedo doesn't seem to go down properly anymore. It only decreases when I brake and even then it's only after I've had the brake depressed for a few seconds. I am going to open up the dash either tomorrow or next weekend and try to find out if the motor is broken or if it's just a calibration problem.

 

[Devil-V]

I've had the same problem with my needles, when I got a garage professional to install a set of glow gauges. Although it's taken me about 3-4 visits to get the needles corrected, its generally a lot of fine tuning with the depth of the needles.

On the first day I had the gauge installed, the speedo and tacho needle was behaving just like you described in your post. After a few visits, it's nearly perfect to how they behaved before the cluster was opened for any mods - although right now, I'm having a problem with the fuel gauge with the fuel light coming on at a 1/4 tank reading, gonna hopefully get it resolved this friday