its an S4. i'm trying to make everything as perfect as i can on my 10AE. it always seems like its the little things that find their way to go wrong. thats ok though, i'm really learning a lot about this car. going from having all first gens to the second gen is like learning a whole new beast. i'm really enjoying it though!

 

This is from an s5 cluster, I'm pretty sure the s4 is the same piece. This one is held on to the lens frame with 2 phillips screws.

 

from this picture, it looks as if i will have to disassemble the cluster to find out if the piece is still there. is this correct?

 

Should be able to see it just above the white outer casing... ... Please hold.. taking picture of mine.

 

ok, cool. thanks!

 

Well, that little clear piece on the last one is how you can tell... the other ones are a bit hard to tell.. but thats what it looks like fully assembled.

 

it looks as if it screws in from the bottom upwards. thank you for the pics!!! after i get my lazy self in the shower i'm going to go over to the garage and start having a look at things. i'll have a look at it, diagnose what i can, take a few pics, and post them and what i find.

 

The crappy part is.. if you don't have that piece, or can't find it, you'll have to buy an entire guage cluster just to get that piece.

 

before i shoot over there, here's a pic of what it started out looking like. perhaps you can tell just by looking at it if something isnt correct. i'm sill going to take the cluster back out but if someone could point out something wrong, it'll just be one more thing that i can fix while i'm overe there.

 

It might be that the guy you got the car from had a glow gauge overlay kit installed and didn't need the acrylic piece that you need. I have an overlay on my '90 GXL and I have transparent Lexan needles that I will be lighting up from behind. I don't have my acrylic piece installed.

 

ok, here's a pic of what i found. i think i need that transparent piece.

 

Yep.. no transparent piece... You need it.

EDIT: I have a spare guage from an automatic that I'll probably have a hard time selling the gauge... If I can't sell it, I'll let ya know... you can have the little clear piece. and I'll junk the gauge or put some EL-wire under there...

You could rice it out with a cold-cathode tube/neon thing... If you did it right, and with a WHITE light, it wouldn't look too cheesy.

 

well, my search will begin at least i now know my problem!! you guys have been an awesome help! thank you!

 

No problem. Good luck

 

i wont rice it. not in the slightest bit. let me know what you are going to do with that gauge cluster.

 

well, i'm heading to the junkyard this morning to pick up that piece. i found an 86-87 GXL that i have been sourcing a few parts off of and i remember that the cluster is still in place. hopefully the part will fit!

 

well, i made out well. $35 later, i got a whole air cleaner assy w/ mass air flow sensor(i only needed the lid and the intake tube), an ash tray, my clear plastic piece for my needles, a maitenance guide, a left speaker cover(grey but i needed one), a few cut harnesses that were on the carpet, as well as some of the ***** on the cluster plastic!! i'll put some of the stuff in tomorrow! i'm satisfied with my trip!

 

tonight i installed the new clear piece and the thin cardboard strip that it came with and WOW, i have light to my needles!!! thanks for all of the help guys!!!

 

w00t!

 

Cool!....now try the #168 bulbs (50% brighter than 194's and 158's) and let us know what ya think.

 

I couldn't find these bulbs at my local radio shack... I'm assuming they don't have the little plastic anchor piece that ours do... but I still couldn't find them. Perhaps not ALL radio shacks have it?

 

The bulbs should pull straight out of the plastic sockets. Pep Boys has the 168 bulbs, they have the best selection of automotive bulbs anywhere. These bulbs are called "wedge base" bulbs and if you don't have a Pep Boys near you then do a Google search and buy them online.

 

Are they just called "168" bulbs? Or is there a preceding numeric string to that.

 

Nope....it's a standard bulb number. Should say 168 on the package, if they aren't sold in a package, then the bulb itself should have 168 right on the glass. Kinda hard to see but it's there.

 

i did replace all of the bulbs in the cluster with the 168's and wow, they're really bright!!! it almost looks as if the black backround is really being lit! i got the bulbs from napa. i bought abox of 10.