The clear plastic cover over my gauge cluster has a lovely crack running up it. My questions about this are: does anyone know if this is available as a seperate part, and is it removable just by popping off the black plastic bezel, or would I have to pull out the cluster entirely?

It annoys me. Grr. :P

 

If I remeber correclty, you have to pull the cluster completely out to get it off. Not difficult though, just a little tricky. I had mine out when i was trying a new cluster (one with a tach). I can look at that other cluster tonight to jog my memory a little more, but i'm pretty sure you have to take the cluster completely out.

By the way, since I still have that other cluster, it has that clear plastic cover. If you decide you want to go through the trouble, let me know, and i'll send you that clear piece off that other cluster. It was in good shape as I recall.

 

I've never really looked at my cluster when I had my dash apart, but I know most vehicles the plastic cover is just held on with a couple of torx screws. The only reason you should have to take your cluster out is if they are screwed in from the back.

Again, I haven't taken the time to look at mine specifically, just speaking from experience on other vehicles.

 

And that's what I recall, the screws are not accessible until you have the cluster out.

 

Hey, on my 1997, there are four screws that are accessible after you take the dash off.
I only had to take out those four screws and the cover came off...

 

I he will just have to take his apart and find out!

 

Ok, I just looked at the spare cluster I bought for my '99, and it has 6 screws that hold the clear cover on, and they are all accessible from the front. So assuming that you can reach them when the cluster is in the dash, you shouldn't need to remove the cluster from the dash. I think you can reach them, because the install instructions for those colored gauge bezels don't require that you remove the cover to install them.

 

The screw in the lower center by the column shifter is tough to get at with the cluster installed. A stubby phillips might get it or pulling the cluster out without disconnecting the cables might work.

 

On mine, there are two male multi-pin plug connections on the back of the cluster. No cables or wire connections at all. When the cluster is seated correctly in its spot, those plugs are correctly seated into the dash receptacles. When you move the cluster out even a little, it is disconnects those plugs.

 

That might be what was going on with mine, but it was getting hung up on something when I tried to remove it.