I've been contemplating on getting some different gauges for my car, and I wanted to know if anyone here has done that before, just to find out if installation is a pain or not. I do appologize if I posted on the wrong forum, but none of the other ones made any more sense to post on than this one, so if it's in the wrong spot feel free to move it. Anyway, I found these on eBay, http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...963789841&rd=1 and I just wanted to know if something LIKE that would install into a P5. I guess the only problem I can see so far would be removing the needles to get the old gauges off, so if anyone's done this before I would appreciate any input. Thanks!

 

I haven't done it on a Protege yet, but I've done it on a couple of Miatas. Getting the needles off is pretty straightforward. There are different techniques, but the one I like is wrapping the tips of two large screwdrivers with tape, placing the tips under the needle base, then alternating turning the screwdrivers. This pushes the needle up off the pin in a very gentle fashion. It's key to note the position of the needles first, so filling up the gas tank, warming up the engine, whatever, should be consistent from removing the needles to reinstalling them. Otherwise your gauges will never report correctly.

 

I bought these on E-bay for like 20 bucks after shipping

This the Day time pic

here is the night time pic KEEP IN MIND THEY ARE ALOT MORE BLUE THEY PICS HAS A REAL GREEN HUE, FROM THE GUAGE CENTERS, BUT IT APEARS ALOT MORE BLUE IN REALITY

 

DO NOT TRY TO REMOVE THE NEEDLES YOU WILL CERTAINLY BREAK THEM!

You have to put the guages OVER THEM it takes along time and you run A EXTREAMLY HIGH RISK OF BREAKING A NEEDLE, you cant see it but my temp guage broke off, and I glued it back on (It works but doesnt drop as fast whe the car is shut off, it actually takes a few minuts to go down)

NOBODY will do this Job for y0u (garages) With the pro there is NO WAY to remove the needle from the face.

 

If yo9u need a HOw to disasemble you cluster, I got that too, Its usefull when switching guages directly from a MSP or P5, and keeping the corect millage

 

I got those EXACT same ones! I tried installing them last night after posting on the forum, and I had no luck at all. I figured the needles wouldn't come off and I even found support on the forum as someone said that you cant do it on 99 and up models I think. I thought you had to put them over the old ones like you said but I don't see how you accomplish that? The hole is not big enough to fit over the short end of the needle, the black plastic piece, so how did you do it? And another thing, where does that little black power supply or whatever it is get put in? I figured that's what the gauges get plugged into to make them glow at night, but I couldn't figure out if I had to plug the power supply into anything else. PM me if you can help, thanks man!

 

IT IS, YOU SLIP ONE SIDE UNDER the plastic (at the face)AND AS FAR TO THE SIDE AS YOU CAN AND PASS THE TIP THROUGHT THE OPENING ITS VERY TIGHT, AND MY TEMP GUAGE BROKE WHEN i DID IT But it works (for the tem guage, my sugestion would be to cut a slit from the gas to the tempand pull it over the 2, but thats just a sugestion

Sory for the caps locked on accident

 

Alright ... I'm gonna go give it a try but what do I do with the little plastic strip it came with? And also, where do I put the little black "power supply" or whatever it is?

 

This is where its a little complicated, you have to tap into a power source, (I used the headlight switch so they only have power when the headlight are turned on, and just duct tape the power conveter inside, but insure you have enough wire so the on/off switch is able to come out (I dont have the on off switch attached as its wired to my headlight switch)

 

Not true, a local stereo/rice shop installed mine for me. They did not cut the gauges. I don't know if they removed the needles or not, but they did it in about an hour.

 

Were they E-bay guages or A MSP or P5 Guage swap.

In any case, NO SHOP in Montreal will do it in fear of ******* up the needles.

Also what year is the Pro U got?

 

Wow this really blows ... I tried puttin them on like you said and the temp needle went *ping* and flew off. That put me in quite the **** mood, but it got better when I called a salvage yard and they said they'd sell me the whole gauge cluster for $50. I only want the needle with the little motor thing, but they said they'd have to sell me the whole thing, which doesn't really matter to me. I'm still wondering what that little clear plastic strip does and you think you could try explaining where you plugged the power converter into. I know you said you tapped into the headlight switch, but I haven't the slightest clue where that's at. Is it one of the white plugs that plug into the top of the gauge cluster or what?

 

This is not true..it is difficult to do, but the needles can be removed

 

I'm not gonna completely disagree with you because I'm sure that there IS some kind of way to do it, but it's better off to just leave it as not being able to take them off. I examined those things all over to see if there was ANY way possible to take them off without damaging them and I don't think it to be possible. Just the slightest bending upward or pulling action will snap that little thing off just like it happened to me. But if you CAN tell us how to remove them, I'll worship you for the rest of eternity cuz that would help me sooo much!

 

prepare to worship ...you take 2 butterknives and place the edge of the blades on each side of the needle...THen twist at your wrists using the blades to pry the needle up with firm but even force. The needle will start to slide oup and you may need to reposition the blades again, but it will work.