I think my "BRAKE" light has burned out on my dashboard.

How do I remove the instrument cluster bezel to replace the bulb? Does the whole dash pad have to come off first?

 

There are screws in the top and bottom of the bezel. You take those out and ease the bezel off the steering column. Then the cluster has screws in the top and bottom holding it in the dash. Once those are loose, be careful pulling the cluster out. If you have an auto, you need to disconnect the shift indicator cable. It's a piece of fishing line looking wire in a plastic tube. It wraps under the column and around to a retaining stud. Ease it off and lift the cluster out. The bulbs should be easy afterwards...

 

You forgot the Wiper/Headlight *****.lol.

You will also need to remove the plastic shroud on the steering column.! screw on the bottom and it should come right off.

You don't have to remove the dash pad.If you have to remove the Cluster quite often,it gets to be really easy.

 

LOL!!!!!!

My interior is seemingly permanently disassembled (the pad has been off for years) and
there are only two screws holding the cluster on, makes it REAL easy.

 

You also need to disconnect the speedometer drive cable from the back before you can get the cluster out. Squeeze the tabs and pull. There should be enough slack in the wiring to disconnect those after it's out a bit.

 

Wow...I've pulled mine a few times...I guess the trama makes you forget a few things.

 

His may be like mine used to be, no *****...

 

Actually, to remove the speedo cable, you press down on the large tab on the plastic fitting on the cable's end where it fits into the speedo, so that it's at an angle instead of straight ahead toward the gauge (almost like you're trying to snap it off...but DON'T lol). Then just pull it out. Took me forever to finally figure it out, I had to look all over the internet til I found a video to show me how it's done. lol

Removing the cluster is not difficult at all, it's just a little tedious. I've gotten to be quite good at popping mine in and out, since I only removed it like 15 times when I was trying to get a new cluster's tach working earlier this year. lol

You might take this opportunity to go ahead and replace all your bulbs while you have it out. Bulbs are cheap, better to only have to remove it once than to have to remove it a bunch of times when bulbs start going out...lol

 

There are only three screws holding the Bezel in. All are on the top. The bottom is held in with tabs that go into the dash plastic. Remove the three bezel screws, the steering column shroud, and the headlight and wiper *****, then ease the top of the bezel out, then lift up.

[/quote]
You take those out and ease the bezel off the steering column. Then the cluster has screws in the top and bottom holding it in the dash. Once those are loose, be careful pulling the cluster out. If you have an auto, you need to disconnect the shift indicator cable. It's a piece of fishing line looking wire in a plastic tube. It wraps under the column and around to a retaining stud. Ease it off and lift the cluster out. The bulbs should be easy afterwards...[/quote]

 

While I am in there changing out the speaker and fixing the heater wire that seems to have stripped off its insulation, is there also a battery (like a hearing aid about the size of a quarter that holds the memory for the computer Duraspark II? My BMW has one and it is hell getting to it. I plan on moving it to an easier to get to place later this summer. But I don't know if my F-100 1981 302 has that battery also. other wise how can I disconnect the 12 volt battery for long periods of time?

motdranwod@gmail.com

 

There is no battery for the duraspark. This item is simply an ignition control module, not a computer.

 

When you replace the cluster lamps, use some dielectric grease on the contacts of the lamps.

Better yet, time for some LED's insted. Several writeups are here for the LED conversion.