# Gauge Installation Question



## Guest (Oct 7, 2002)

Ok, this is just a general question, but what do they mean when they say needle stopper? On the SOLM, it said to "gently pull on the stopper" but not to remove the neddle. So do i remove the stopper, or do I just barely pull it out enough to slide the gauge face off from the needle? I'm not quite sure I understood what it was saying. Anyone who has done this want to clear me up a little? I'm sure this will be more straight forward when I remove my cluster, but I thought I'd better ask now rather than being mid install and screwing my needles up 
Later
Tommy


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

the needle stopper is that little black pin that the needle rests on when it hits "0". It's attached to the face.


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## Guest (Oct 7, 2002)

Ahh, alright, i know what you're talking about. Thanks man
Tommy


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## Project200sx (Aug 22, 2002)

hold on! are you installing indiglos or something? if that the case there is no need to remove the piece the needle rests on. take of the black cap thats atop the needles themselves and then slide the indiglo guages over then put caps back on but if your replacing the whole cluster i have no idea why it would want you to remove the "needle stoppers"
take you time if you need more info just reply ill keep checkin nback


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## Guest (Oct 7, 2002)

yeah I'm installing the indiglos. So why do you have to be careful removing the black peice off the needle and sliding it? If i do it too rough will the whole needle pull off? Just wondering (it said it was a test of patience to put them on). Thanks Project!
Tommy


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## 9double8 (Jul 9, 2002)

When installing the indiglos you do not need to remove anything. You need to slide the face over the needle but not the stop...once you slide it over you just put the indiglo over the needle stop. hope this helps.


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## sethwas (Apr 30, 2002)

Hey,
Personally I would remove the needles since you can't bend them. Just sliding over the cover risks bending the armature needle or breaking the orange pointer itself. But some don't like the rist of removing it. 

Seth


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

IMO, I would NOT remove the needles. If you don't know what you're doing, removing the needles is the top cause of people breaking their clusters. I've removed my needles dozens of times (b/c I know how to) and whenever I go back in I'm just about ready to sh*t my pants b/c nothing can go wrong when you mess with the needles. Newer versions of indiglos allow you to slip them on w/o having to remove the needles. sure you do have to bend the needles a bit, but not enough to break them.


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## Guest (Oct 8, 2002)

the indiglos should slide right over the stopers need to remove them.. if you need to remove them just pop them out with a 
x-acto knife..


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## Project200sx (Aug 22, 2002)

Dont ever remove your needles i learned this the hard way, 60 bucks and a used cluster was my fix so 30 dollar indiglos endd up costing 90 be patient and NEVER remove the needles i dont care what anybody says


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## Guest (Oct 9, 2002)

You just have to be carefull and pay attention. What happens when you remove the neddles and install a new gauge face (some no removal is needed) the markers for the needle line up gets covered.. This is the little tick at the bottom left corner of the indivisual gauge. The only gauge covers i have seen that still have the small tick are actually import intelligence gauges. And if you are care while removing your needle they will be alright.


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## Teknokid (Jun 1, 2002)

Where can i get the indiglos or reverse indiglos that do not require me removing the needles??


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## Guest (Oct 9, 2002)

Actually got mine on ebay..... Never really saw them anywhere esle.


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## Guest (Oct 9, 2002)

Going along these lines, since you have to recalibrate the speedo and what not, how hard is it to just replace or make the temp guage and the gas guage white too. Is that as hard as the speedo?


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## UNISH25 (Aug 12, 2002)

*Needle Removal*

Needle Removal=Super Bad Idea!!!


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## Project200sx (Aug 22, 2002)

why do you have to recalibrate your speedo, ive never heard of such a thing unless you take them out and when you do this you can recalibrate everything except your speedo, your speedo needle well at least mine, when i took it out there was a small copper wire that wrapped around that sort of acted like a pulley to get it up so it never worked again period


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## UNISH25 (Aug 12, 2002)

*Needle Calibration*

Wanna recalibrate your meters...Then here is the cheap and inefficient totally useless method.

Have two walkie talkies. One for your sentra and another fast fast car with cruise control. First have the first cars go 10 mph then hit cruise. Have the Sentra go side by side and match the speed and adjust the needle accordingly. Do the following for 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 and 100mph. Note: Some states prohibit driving more than 50 mph.
That should calibrate your needles. Remember this method is totally inappropriate but its just an idea.


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## Guest (Oct 10, 2002)

If you get gauges where you don't have to remove the needles you don't have to recalibrate anythinge. Evan IF you have to take the needles off to "recalibrate" them is just making sure you line them up with the ticks (marked at the left bottom edge of the individual gauge) when you put them back on........


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## PrOxLaMuS© (Aug 11, 2002)

On my Sentra.. there is a small black cover over the needle, I popped it off by adding a little pressure while pussing up, then down, however, you must be gentle, and it was only the BLACK cover over the needle. 

If you want the faceplate to fit on nicely, move the needle to the far right (gently) and first slip the gauge into the (time/miles per trip) reset button. Then slip the needle in through the main hole.
When done, gently move the needle back to the stopper.


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

just to add to the cruise control thing. Most cars won't let you use cruise control until you're going 30 Mph. The cruise control in our sentras only work between 30 and 90 MPH.


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## Guest (Oct 11, 2002)

If anyone wants instructions on needle removal e-mail me and I will forward them to you. The instructions are from import intelligence and they are to the "T".


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## Guest (Oct 11, 2002)

Yes they are rather good instructions


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## UNISH25 (Aug 12, 2002)

Yo Kdudl why don't you post a thread with the link to those instructions on the forum. That way you won't have to keep e-mailing everyone for the instructions. Or just edit and paste the instructions here. That always works...thanks


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## Guest (Oct 15, 2002)

Hrm, Ok, they don't work. I got them in today -- and put them in -- however, when I tried to light them up they didn't work. I connected the red wire to one of my connectors in the cluster that read 11.98 v when the parking lights were on -- and then I connected the ground to the place where you screw in the cluster at the bottom left (it has a metal screw plate there).. however, they won't light up.. am I missing the obvious? I went down to the switch and used my voltmeter there and it registered a wopping 0 volts  so I know It's not getting any power.. any suggestions?
Tommy


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## Teknokid (Jun 1, 2002)

Wire it to something actually grounded to the body of the car.


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## samo (Apr 30, 2002)

Just 'cause you connected it to metal doesn't mean it's a ground. You have to find a wire or piece of metal that is somehow connected to the chassis. You could also find a connector that's labeled "Ground" or has the universal ground symbol - an arrow pointing down at a horizontal bar - like this:

|
V
--


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## Guest (Oct 16, 2002)

Ok. I'll try to find one; thanks guys


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## Guest (Oct 16, 2002)

well -- it worked; thank goodness! Lol, I dunno why I didn't know it had to be the chassis to make it grounded. I guess I'm never going to be that electrician I always wanted to be after all  lol. Naw, I just thought that any metal would ground it -- but oh well -- thanks guys for your help, I would have never gotten it without you! (no really, i'm that much of a moron)  Later!
Tommy


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## Guest (Oct 16, 2002)

Ok, installed finally.. but guess what.. my heat / temp doesn't work -- I think it may not be pushed in all the way? Plus my speedo sticks at *exactly* 49... and yes it's screwed in all the way . Umm... Looks like I'm going to have to fix it .. any suggestions? I could buy a new cluster.. and I might have too -- but why in teh world would it stick at exactly 49 and not go any higher?? it's accurate all the way there... Also, any suggestions on why my heat / temp doesn't work other than it may not be pushed in all the way? I've got all night tonight and all day tomorrow.. needless to say I'm gonna fiddle with it both days.. so even if I have to buy a new cluster I'm going to know exactly how it works... any help would be appreciated.. Strange though, at least my gas works fine  lol
Tommy


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## Guest (Oct 17, 2002)

Alright, I fixed everything. The heat gauge was stuck because the gauge overlay was too tall, and even when I pushed it down all the way it would still hit -- however I pulled it in with the face off and kept pushing and moving it .. until I finally got it to where it would move freely.. The speedo was sticking because the gauge was too friggen close to the needle... the space around it is not evenly spaced.. it got closer to the needle towards the bottom (hence the reason it stuck at 49).. so I got a box cutter and scraped just a tiny bit of stuff off the bottom and guess what.. it's free flowing now.. and by a little bit i mean a *tiny* bit.. like probably just a millimeter or two -- but now it works. I know someone said there tach was jumpy -- try this; it will probably solve your problem. Remember.. don't cut.. just scrape. Install was easy.. In fact here is the way I did it:

1. 2 screws top of console 
2. Pull console out (you have to pull straight out and it will just pop right out..)
3. 4 screws on each side of the cluster
4. Pull cluster out and disconnect all connectors
5. Pop the plastic face and actually black bezel off buy using a flathead to press down on the brackets.. (you'll know what I'm talking about when you see them).
6. Lay the white gauges *carefully* over the needle.. yeah it's OK to move the needle to get them on, just don't break/ pull the needle out . Same thing for the rest.. I moved the heat and fuel towards FULL and HOT. .and then put them on.. I found this to be the easiest way to do it.
7. Put bezel & plastic back on
----Wiring---
There is a black connector on the left side of the cluster .. on the far RIGHT-TOP connector it registers 11.98 volts.. connect to this one.. Connect the RED wire from the switch you have, to that wire (the one at the RIGHT-TOP).. make sure to use a voltmeter (9.99 at radioshack) to test for voltage.. remember the voltage won't be there unless you have your parking lights on. Ok, so connect that red wire into the right-top wire.. also, I believe it is red with grey spots. .but again i tell you to check with a voltmeter . Once you have this wire connected up.. you have to find a ground (something that I found the hard way.. has to goto the chassis) .. Personally I got lazy and used my seat as the ground (the metal bolt that connected the brackets on my seat..). However, one of those wires in the connector should be a ground wire. Now, mount your switch, put together your dash again.. and you're ready to go. Have fun and hope this helps!

Disclaimer
Btw, anyone who screws up b/c of me I'm not responsible for 

Hehe, ne way If anyone has any questions feel free to ask on here, later

Tommy


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