I did a search and came up with nothing on this:
We have a '97 Expy XLT 4x4 and it appears that we have a light out in our instument cluster. It is the light that back lights the lower left of the speedo. How easy is it to replace? Any tips on replacing it myself with out ruining the dash?

Thanks,
Big

 

Just be patient and get a Torx T-15.... You need to pull the bezel, then the clear cover and then the cluster..... If you take your time, no damage will occur.... I had to pull mine to get the fingerprints off the inside of the clear plastic cover.... it was driving me NUTS

'01 EB Expy - Added Skid Plates.

More when real performance parts become available

 

Actually, you should not have to remove the clear bezel - although it is perfect timing if you have an irritating fingerprint or something else in the gauge cluster that you want to clean up. Be careful, though, to touch the black backing (gauge faces) as little as possible. It has been my experience that these are often very dry or oxidized and pick up on dirt and scratches VERY esily that do not clean up well.
So, for the bulbs, here is a rough outline of what you need to do:

1. Remove the plastic farring that goes under the steering column.
2. There should be about 5 screws or so that hold the farring on that surrounds the headlight switch, left hand vent, and the gauge cluster. 3 of them go UP towards the dash pad. Remove this farring.
3. Now there are about 4 screws that hold the gauge cluster to the dash . . . one on each corner. Remove them carefully.
4. Pull the cluster forward just enough to reach around and disengage everything on the back side. Should be 2 wire harnesses and the speedo cable. They should all disengage easily.
5. Now the fun part. Carefully rotate the gauge package into a position that will allow it to be removed from the truck. This can be tight, but it should come out with some caressing.
6. All of the bulbs are on the rear side of the package. They are small black caps that twist out and hold micro bulbs in them. You may find that you can get them out without fully removing the cluster from the truck. . . give it a try.

Good luck!

 

I finally made some time to get this light changed. Here is how I had to do it:

1. Pull the cover just above the steering column.
2. Pull the trim around the radio.
3. I think it is a 5mm socket, but I used a 5/32 to unscrew all of the screws that hold on all the trims after this point.
4. I pulled all of the screws that I saw that looked like they held on the stuff I needed off to get to the cluster.
5. Here is the part that took me forever to figure out. You have to pull the left side trim that holds the headlight switch out enought to get to the release that holds the headlight switch. There is the last 5mm (5/32?) screw that holds that piece on. After that it is really obvious what screws need to come out.
6. Torx15 to pull the cluster face off (I didn't need to do this for the bulb, but had a mosquito that needed a proper burial).

The thing that took me the longest was figuring out that the headlight switch assy needed to come out to get to the last screw holding on the last trim piece I needed to take off. All down hill from there.

Thanks for your help.

Big

2000 F250 SD SC 5.4L Gasser 4.10s 4x4 L/S rearend Western 7'6" plow (hate it-have to have it)White with parchment cloth