My stupid EL gauges (angered) - Honda Prelude Forum

mr. r00t · 05-13-2003, 10:39 AM

Hello,
I've reviewed the EL posts around here and found some great information in hopefully changing my EL gauges in my 93 Si from yucky green to some sort of nice blue.

I pulled apart my dash, yanked out the EL gauge cluster, and tore it apart. First I tried some blue cello-film that I got from a party city. Put it back together, ran down, installed it. No dice, still very very green.

Next I went to Office Depot and picked up some report covers, cut them out, put them on and run down and installed them. Still green.

Next I plugged just the gauge itself in with no film. The stupid green is from the actual gauge itself, not the green plastic cover. How are you guys getting such good results on this? What are you using that is overpowering the green so hard that it's coming out looking like a nice blue? I've read the posts and they are generic saying 'got blue film you can get anywhere'... Well I'd like to know a bit more specifically while I have my whole EL gauge cluster apart here in front of me at my computer desk if anyone has better information. Thanks

Zimmlude · 05-13-2003, 12:04 PM

You need to put the film behind the gauge overlay. It is not very hard to get out, there are four small phillips screws.

HTH

mr. r00t · 05-13-2003, 12:59 PM

This is on the circuit board? Hm, I didn't see that but I guess I'll double check.

munscher · 05-13-2003, 01:33 PM

I removed the white backing to the whole thing to expose the circuit boards (maybe 10 or 12 little screws?) Then I pulled the actual time and fuel/temp gauges out and place the film between the screen itself and the clear cutout section of plastic you see it through. The point is that getting the film closer to the screen itself will create better results, too many layers too far away will cause bluriness.

Here's the blue acetate film i used, and i know others have as well. I used 2 layers i believe, maybe 3.

Blue Acetate Film

mr. r00t · 05-13-2003, 02:29 PM

Awesome dude you rock, I'll grab a roll of this immediately.

Machine Head · 05-13-2003, 02:35 PM

someone should do a writeup on this install with pics

mr. r00t · 05-14-2003, 10:47 AM

Ya, I pulled the gauge apart, I'm looking at the circuit board. There are no screws on the circuit board to get inside the gauge itself. I unscrewed the white back panel behind that, pulled off the circuit board, and no screws to get into the physical gauge.

munscher · 05-14-2003, 11:00 AM

i think i can take mine apart when i get home from work today, the problem is getting a digital camera.... hell i'll just pull it completely out and take it inside to use my webcam, i'll hafta pull it next week for my EL gauge install anyways. I'll take some pics and post 'em up here, If i find some time and a good camera i'll try and do a write-up on the install.... as well as one on the EL gauge install. But for now i'll just take a few pics to show exactly what i did, will that help??

mr. r00t · 05-14-2003, 02:08 PM

Thanks alot man, I'd really appreciate it. It seems the green that I so despise is inside the gauge where I can't get into that's soldered onto the board. I really appreciate it if you could do that!

munscher · 05-14-2003, 04:52 PM

I've got all the pictures taken and i'm trying my da*#dest to get them posted. My damn DSL is acting up and won't allow me to upload anything, everything keeps failing no matter how i try (we-todd, imagestation, clemson userspace, i can't even e-mail attachments). So until i figure out a way to upload these, or they fix their service im stuck.

mr. r00t · 05-14-2003, 05:14 PM

Check your PM, I sent you a lil sumthin sumthin.

PreludeRacer023 · 05-14-2003, 11:07 PM

ok are you talking about the Tach and Speedo?? those are the EL ones...the Gas temp and clock are digital...if your doing the speedo and tach you need to place film behind the guages faces, on the back of the piece with the numbers on it...any blue film will work, now as for the gas and temp, these are tricky if you want it to look god, i notice ALOT of people used flim over the hole in the cluster to cover the gas and temp, and this creates a blurry gauge, if you take them apart youll see a very lightly tinted piece of plastic that covers the gas and temp, and one that covers the clock, to get the desired effect you need to find some dark blue, optically clear, meaning if you look through it into light theres no blur, its nice and clear..cut these to replace the plastic piece in these respective places..heres pics of mine..enjoy!
note: i DIMMED the guages fully so that you could see the actual blue color, otherwise its so bright it makes the digi pics look a little funny.thanks

Zimmlude · 05-14-2003, 11:19 PM

^^ That looks pretty sweet. I might have to do this over the summer.

P.S. is that you actual mileage?!!?!?!

munscher · 05-15-2003, 05:51 AM

PreludeRacer023: did you remove that existing tinted piece of plastic? or just place the blue film behind it?

mr. r00t · 05-15-2003, 08:11 AM

Yeah yours rock alot man.

mr. r00t · 05-15-2003, 08:45 PM

So I got my gauges all setup. I put 8 layers of see through celafane there. It's a bit blurred and a little dim, I'm going to try to remove 2 layers. It does get the desired color and looks OK. Better than green.

munscher · 05-16-2003, 08:33 AM

that sounds like a lot of layers.... but i guess it depends on what kinda material you're using and how blue it is. If it looks good though, it looks good.

On a side note: Since i had mine out to take pics i decided to fool with it a little more. I removed the tinted piece of plastic from in front of the fuel/temp gauges but left the 2 layers of blue acetate. I added a third layer of blue acetate in front of just the fuel gauge. Then, I left the tinted plastic in front of the clock along with 2 layers of plastic. So now i have 3 different shades (temporary of course).

I'm leaving it like this for a few days to see which works the best. I want to see which one gives the best blue but without dimming the light too much so that its hard to see/read. I'll let you know what i find out. I think the 3 layers of blue acetate is gonna be the best though. Removing that tinted plastic seems to have allowed me to add the third layer of acetate without sacrificing any brightness.

PreludeRacer023 · 05-16-2003, 12:03 PM

i personally dont like film for the gas and temp..and yes u take out that plastic piece thats already in there for the temp and gas...and thats the milage that was on the cluster i bought, crazy aint it!

munscher · 05-16-2003, 12:31 PM

check your PM

concLude · 08-30-2003, 08:15 AM

where are you guys getting this film from?