dashlight replacment

[ygu]

sorry, I know that this has been brought up before but I searched and I couldn't find anything on a later model. I was wondering if anyone did a step by step on how to take the dash apart. Thanks.

 

[glc8937]

If you're looking for step by step you will probably want to get a haynes or chilton's manual. They include pictures that way as well.

 

[Stephen S]

This is exactly what you need. Scroll down a bit and I have a full description from when I did mine.

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And by the way ygu, WELCOME to the site and enjoy your stay!

 

[glc8937]

Stephen,

I am assuming you replaced with white bulbs? What do you think about colored bulbs? Would it make a difference?

 

[Stephen S]

Right, I just replaced the bulbs with regular stock replacement white bulbs. The thing about colored bulbs behind the guages is that the blue color in the guages is produced by a material of some sort inside the guage cluster itself, not by the illumination bulbs. So the colored light that is emitted from a colored bulb would have to filter through the blue backing of the guage cluster, hence changing the overall color seen in the guages. So if you threw a bunch of RED bulbs back there, the light you saw in the guages would be some combination of red and blue. It might still look OK, but I don't know, I haven't tried it. Besides, I haven't found any GOOD and INEXPENSIVE colored bulbs that didn't lose their color and turn white eventually anyway.

 

[glc8937]

You are correct about that. I could be wrong but I think someone said the bulbs for mine (1993) are 194's. I have extra sets of PIAA ultra blue 194 wedge bulbs. I was thinking of trying them but not if the blue goes thru the filter element that you described.

This is why I do ejoy this site so much! Thanks Stephen!!

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[Stephen S]

No problem Gary. I'm glad I could help!
What color are the dash lights in your 93?? The guages in my 95 are already blue. What color are you changing from when you put the blue PIAAs in there?? It might work better for yours, than for a newer model.

 

[glc8937]

I have ordinary white bulbs. Black face gauges. Kind of a boring look :-(

One of these weekends when I get frisky I might tear it apart and try them to see what they look like. If they work then I will take some pics and post them.

 

[Stephen S]

Gary, what I meant to ask is what color does your dash light up at night...blue? green? white? I've never ridden in a 1st gen Explorer at night to see. Any colored bulbs you put back there will have to shine through the colored stuff, but if the guages are white, then you should have better results with a color.

 

[ygu]

thanks for all your help, I will try it this weekend

 

[glc8937]

Stephen,

Mine lights up white at night. That's why I said it was a boring look. Sorta a dull white look. I'm not sure if that's what the early models are suppossed to look like?? If there is suppossed to be a color then maybe my filter isn't working..if that's possible.

 

[Stephen S]

No problem ygu. Good luck. If you have anymore questions, you know where to go.

Gary,
That's cool if your's lights up white at night. I don't think it is possible for the colored material in the guages to stop working. It's a piece of some colored material that is physically in there. But if your's lights up white, then whatever color bulbs you put back there they should shine through pretty good. Just try it. The colored bulb issue has been brought up here before and I think that many others would be interested to know what you find out.

 

[glc8937]

I will try it and see what happens. Might be a week or two. But I will post pics when I am done.