gauge modification questions
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From: austin, texas
gauge modification questions
Please excuse my ignorant questions:
Is gauge color determined by gauge face or light bulb?
Does color of light bulb transfer to gauge needle?
Is gauge needle painted or colored plastic?
Does miata or other mazda gauge needles fit rx7? (I know the connector is proprietary)
Does bulb surround the gauge face, or pass through from behind?
I saw a member on here with a blue glowing needle? How was that done?
Any information surrounding the gauges would be highly appreciated. I am trying to completely frankenstein this thing to make my gauge unique. I will post my results later.
Thanks in advance.
Is gauge color determined by gauge face or light bulb?
Does color of light bulb transfer to gauge needle?
Is gauge needle painted or colored plastic?
Does miata or other mazda gauge needles fit rx7? (I know the connector is proprietary)
Does bulb surround the gauge face, or pass through from behind?
I saw a member on here with a blue glowing needle? How was that done?
Any information surrounding the gauges would be highly appreciated. I am trying to completely frankenstein this thing to make my gauge unique. I will post my results later.
Thanks in advance.
Gauges are lit from the rear. #194 or #74 bulbs are the most common for this.
A typical black faced gauge with white markings is made using a translucent white plastic with an opaque black "masking" applied everywhere there are no Numbers/markings. This allows light to shine through on only the Numbers/markings. White-faced gauges are made the same way, but the Numbers/markings are the only black areas so the whole face lights up. A good example of color output comes from Ford in the 90s. My 97 Expedition had regular 194 incandescent bulbs in it with blue covers on them. As the gauge faces have a Light Blue filter on the backs, this results in a Green color when you turn the lights on (incandescent Yellow+Blue=Green). The blue covers nudged the color more towards blue than yellow, creating that familiar 90s Green glow we all know and love.
Since I replaced all of them with white LEDs, the gauges light up as Blue, due to the only color being from the gauge face. For the First and Second Gen RX-7s, I believe they added another step by covering the whole gauge face in Red-Orange (graphics layer), then applying the black "Masking" so everything lights up in the familiar shade of Red-Orange as found on Series 3 and Series 4. If you wanted to use blue LEDs, it would be Red/Orange during the day and Purple at night. Just use your imagination.
Yes, the color of the bulb is "added" to the color of the needle. Needles are usually transparent plastic with one surface painted, often the surface closest to the gauge face. This lets them light up the same way Fiber Optic does. As for replacing the needles, I'm not entirely sure. Most Japanese car clusters are made by Yazaki Meter Co.Ltd, so I would venture a guess that "don't reinvent the wheel" would apply here. Using the same tooling means production is simpler, faster and cheaper.
A typical black faced gauge with white markings is made using a translucent white plastic with an opaque black "masking" applied everywhere there are no Numbers/markings. This allows light to shine through on only the Numbers/markings. White-faced gauges are made the same way, but the Numbers/markings are the only black areas so the whole face lights up. A good example of color output comes from Ford in the 90s. My 97 Expedition had regular 194 incandescent bulbs in it with blue covers on them. As the gauge faces have a Light Blue filter on the backs, this results in a Green color when you turn the lights on (incandescent Yellow+Blue=Green). The blue covers nudged the color more towards blue than yellow, creating that familiar 90s Green glow we all know and love.
Since I replaced all of them with white LEDs, the gauges light up as Blue, due to the only color being from the gauge face. For the First and Second Gen RX-7s, I believe they added another step by covering the whole gauge face in Red-Orange (graphics layer), then applying the black "Masking" so everything lights up in the familiar shade of Red-Orange as found on Series 3 and Series 4. If you wanted to use blue LEDs, it would be Red/Orange during the day and Purple at night. Just use your imagination.
Yes, the color of the bulb is "added" to the color of the needle. Needles are usually transparent plastic with one surface painted, often the surface closest to the gauge face. This lets them light up the same way Fiber Optic does. As for replacing the needles, I'm not entirely sure. Most Japanese car clusters are made by Yazaki Meter Co.Ltd, so I would venture a guess that "don't reinvent the wheel" would apply here. Using the same tooling means production is simpler, faster and cheaper.
So I just checked and it looks like stock FC gauge needles are just plain white painted needles. Perfect for contrast on a black background with orange gauge graphics, but might not be illuminated as I initially thought. first Generation Mitsubishi Mirages (1978-82) use a similar setup, but have the tips painted Orange for contrast against the White gauge graphics as seen here:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/12479268316...gAAOSw249exOV5
In contrast, the 4th Generation (93-96 in the US, 92-95 for Japan/Europe) has the aforementioned clear needles with only one painted side. The way way to tell is from looking at them from the side, they form a "triangle" with distinct edges. See here:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/12461963281...waAipHEALw_wcB
This might give you some ideas on what way you'd like to go. There's 5 parts as of now, so better clear your schedule, you'll be watching all day. It's THAT good. Part of it includes transplanting the Mirage-style needles from an E90 BMW 3-series, then hybridizing them with original 70s Mazda ones so they fit and function properly on the GM/Nissan stepper motors used in the modified cluster.
They end up being quite similar to these:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/38216010761...3ABFBM2Mrj9d9f
Before my RX7, I had a CA-series Mirage and did some basic cluster mods that involved removing the needles so I could scan the gauge faces. The best tool to do is with is a common fork found in your kitchen. The gauge faces scratch VERY easily, so cover the fork with some tape and protect the gauge face with some paper towels. Slip the fork under the needle hub, wiggle it until the tines poke through the other side, then GENTLY pry up a little, using the fork's handle for leverage with two fingers at most. Remove the fork, repeat from the other side and it'll come right up.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/12479268316...gAAOSw249exOV5
In contrast, the 4th Generation (93-96 in the US, 92-95 for Japan/Europe) has the aforementioned clear needles with only one painted side. The way way to tell is from looking at them from the side, they form a "triangle" with distinct edges. See here:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/12461963281...waAipHEALw_wcB
This might give you some ideas on what way you'd like to go. There's 5 parts as of now, so better clear your schedule, you'll be watching all day. It's THAT good. Part of it includes transplanting the Mirage-style needles from an E90 BMW 3-series, then hybridizing them with original 70s Mazda ones so they fit and function properly on the GM/Nissan stepper motors used in the modified cluster.
They end up being quite similar to these:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/38216010761...3ABFBM2Mrj9d9f
Before my RX7, I had a CA-series Mirage and did some basic cluster mods that involved removing the needles so I could scan the gauge faces. The best tool to do is with is a common fork found in your kitchen. The gauge faces scratch VERY easily, so cover the fork with some tape and protect the gauge face with some paper towels. Slip the fork under the needle hub, wiggle it until the tines poke through the other side, then GENTLY pry up a little, using the fork's handle for leverage with two fingers at most. Remove the fork, repeat from the other side and it'll come right up.
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