gtstcactus

Is there an easy way to test the instrument cluster needles for 2nd Gen ES300s when they are out of the car??

I was going to go to the local pick a part and grab all the needles (they have 3 clusters for me to raid) from the windoms/es300s on the yard...

The batteries are removed from the vehicles and they don't allow you to take one in.. So I can't power up the cluster at the wreckers, so I'll just have to grab all the needles and hope to get a working set out of it.

I'd prefer not to go thru a process of elimination by installing them in the cluster, then re-installing it in the car and seeing if they work. I'd much rather test them out and hopefully install a working set if I get one...

I read in a post that you wire the negative on the needle to the negative on a 9V battery, and positive on the needle to positive on the battery, it also said to use a resistor between the battery and the needle but I'm not sure exactly where this goes...

Do I have to get a soldering kit to test them?? or can I just wind some wire around the battery terminals and touch it to the needle??

I need step by step instructions I think if someone could be so kind...

BlackIRON

Bump because to this day i still have no idea and am dying to know.

gtstcactus

It's really easy... All you need is a needle / needles to test, 1 x 9v battery and 2 wires...

Connect a wire to each terminal / connector on the needle (stick the wire into the little metal square bits either side of the centre post which connects the needle to the dash) and then connect the other end of each wire to the + & - on the battery... You need to get the polarity right so if the needle doesn't light up try switching the wires around at the battery end (or the needle end, but only at 1 end, not both)... If the needle is good it will light up, if not it won't... If it's a failing needle you should see it light up like a dying needle as can be found in many posts on this forum...

Obviously the wires need to be stripped of the insulation so you have bare copper at each end or use something like alligator clip leads etc

You can also do it straight off the 12v car battery but I wouldn't recommend this as I suspect it might burn out the needle quite quickly as I used one to test my ignitor and it didn't last long after a couple of tests..