I just bought an sc400 and the needles are darkened. Now i have done a bit of research here on CL about Lextech and etc. So I went to lextech and found that they sell the needles as a set. My question is, how do you replace the needles by yourself? Is it an easy job to do? Or should I bring the needles and the car to a shop and have them do it? thanks!

 

Go with Tanin. Customers have been much more satisfied of late.

The needles are pretty easy to replace, with just a few parts to disassemble. There are a few threads you should be able to find that outline the steps. Basically, going from memory: pull the alarm/odometer black trim piece out (clipped firmly at each end, no screws), unplug it, pry the two little screw covers off the bottom lip at the top of the gauge cluster and unscrew the cover.

The needles pull straight out, but be careful not to touch the gauge faces (wear gloves if you're not confident). Finger oils are generally difficult to get off. Take steps to ensure you know what position to put the new needles back in at.

You can also send your whole cluster in to have it redone, including backlighting. Mine has proven impossible to unplug, though -- the plastic will be completely shattered before it lets go of those plugs -- so I would say it's much, much easier to just replace needles.