The Dimming of the Day...

Ted noticed that the right side of the instrument cluster seemed a little dim.  Sure enough, it appears the lighting on that side of the cluster has gone out.  I took out the factory service manual and read the instructions for replacing the bulbs.

The manual lists this procedure right BEFORE the instructions for removing the cluster, which involves removing the steering wheel.  I am hoping the bulbs can be replaced with the cluster left in place.  This would seem logical but sometimes in cars like these, service of parts that don't often go bad can be troublesome.

I did find a message on the Crossfire Forum that gives me some hope.  Here is what the writer suggests. 

This is an FYI for anyone needing to service their own speedo cluster. You do NOT need to remove the steering wheel at all.

You only need to remove the bottom half of the driver side dash (fuse cover also) and

then remove the mid-section dash which includes the cluster garnish.

This part is tricky but once you have unbolted the bottom dash and lower screws and tabs to mid section, you need to carefully pull down the top part of the cluster garnish to release the tabs that go behind a lip under the upper dash assembly.

Having the steering wheel telescope positioned closest to the driver is a must.

I just did this whole process myself in less than 2 hours and it wasn't hard. This can be done in less than half an hour if you have the manual, I just didn't know where all the tabs and screws were.

There are about a dozen screws to remove in the whole process and that's about it.

It sounds plausible for removing the cluster but I am still hoping that I can get up behind the cluster by removing the lower dash panel and side cover.  We shall see...

We shall see...