hey can someone please give me the steps to removing the cluster? i'm doing this right now and i'm really really getting frustrated because i can't figure it out, its freezing out and my hands are about to fall off so i've tried searching but every1 assumes its easy and skips the whole process. so far i've

removed the top 2 screws under the covers
pulled out the bottom black panel with the clock controls and security light, cept i cant seperate the harnesses from that to get it all the way off, then what do i do? the glass, and cluster appear to be in there SOLID as in not even moving so i'm confused and before i break something out of frustration i figure'd i'd ask.

so please and thank you!

 

There's two screws on the bottom of the cluster behind the black panel. Look in there with a flashlight.

 

i got those out, and the black bottom out, so the cluster is in there only by the harnesses, but now i can't fathom how i'm going to get behind the cluster to get to the harnesses....how do i do this? steerring wheel is as far away from the dash as possible btw.

 

wiggle it out now. Those 4 screws are the only hardware holding it in besides the harness

 

yeah i'm at that point, the harnesses are the only things holding the cluster in, however theres like NO room to get behind the cluster to get to the harness ya know? like i can't get back there to remove them its not coming out far enough

 

no joke, your gunna have to shove your hand back there or wiggle the cluster around to get back there..
its a PITA, but its possible.

 

ok guys well i'm officially beyond frustrated and giving up on this removal of the cluster, so plan B. i'm just unscrewing the front glass and leaving it in there, my goal is to replace a burnt out tach needle so i figure if i remove the glass i'll be fine.

= (

 

BostonSC4, This link should help.

http://lextech.org/forums/index.php?topic=8.msg11#msg11

 

eh, thank you for contributing teal sc4, but i used that link to start with, my problem is that i simply cannot get back behind the cluster to un-do the 3 harnesses, and i tried using a flathead screw driver to pry out 1 harness, and the little clip snapped so i'm just gonna let it be for now, and remove the front glass instead.

 

For the Soarer, but hopefully it helps.

http://planetsoarer.com/dashrepair/dashrepair.htm

 

your life will be a whole lot easier if you remove the steering wheel. its very easy, just 2 torx screws on each side to remove the airbag and 1 nut to take off the wheel....you may need a puller to get the wheel off but mine came off by hand. i just did this the other day after almost ripping out my cluster in a fit of rage. dont forget to disconnect the battery 1st and to match the wheel and spline shaft before removal.

 

BostonSC4, Hopefully this will be of help once you get the instrument cluster out? If to small to read request I'll in large the attachments.

 

hey thanks everyone who contributed to this thread, i was able to finish the job tonight and the cluster looks fantastic. my initial goal was to replace my tachometer needle since my stock one was burnt out. i had the worlds most frustrating time ever trying to take out the whole cluster, to no evail. so i was able to unscrew the front glass and simply pluck out the crappy needle, and pop on a nice new needle. i had to keep coming inside to take breaks because it felt like 0 degrees out and my hands became frozen solid, and it was dark...no lights but a flash light. dumb i know. but its done, and in my opinion the perfectly working stock cluster looks pretty damn good to me! not a single bulb is dim or out now = )

 

Where did you get the needle from?

 

you have to use a screw driver to push the clip of the plug down while you yank the plug. It the hardest part of the whole cluster issue. I actualy use a very small flat head pushed in the clip part andpull it out. I figured that out after i bent my fingernails back trying to pull out the plugs with my finger tips only