**i take no responsibility for any damages caused by doing this **
i did this on a 1994 x
1) remove stereo trim panel - 2 screws by the ashtray then just pry it off starting at one end and work your way around.
2) remove 7 ( i believe ) small gold colored screws from around the gauge cluster ( this will allow you to remove the clear plastic and black piece behind it)
3) pull out gauges - these will come out in sections starting at your far left with the battery gauge just lightly pull out remove first 2 then the tach.
to remove speedo there are 2 small phillips screws one on either side of the needle these need to be removed.
remove 2 screws from bottom of speedo to remove gear selection display from gauge to disconnect cable.
4) Remove needles from all gauges, be careful not to break the stoppers on them or your needles will spin all the way around and not stop where their gauges max out.
5) now unlike most vehicles ford glued their clear plastic behind the gauges in place so what i did was CAREFULLY peel the gauge faces off the gauges. try not to touch the left over glue to much as this is what is going to hold the gauges back on.
6) clear the gauges - to do this i used nail polish remover and q-tips just dip your q-tip in the nail polish remover and lightly rub the backside of the gauge face where you wish to change the colour ( i did all the numbers and marks ) till they are clear, you can check if they are clear or not by holding them up to a light. the number should light up white instead of that awful green color.
once you have done this take a Sharpie ( i chose red to make my gauges match my stereo) and color in the areas you just cleared out with your choice of color or leave clear for white.
7) re-align gauge face onto gauges and press on. The glue from before should hold them in place, if not try some super glue or even a glue stick maybe.
8) push needles back onto gauges. ( i colored my needles as well )
9) put gauges back in starting with speedo then tach then gas gauge and finally with the battery gauge.
10) re-assemble dash, turn on lights, admire your new gauge light color.
i also changed the color of all my switched by puling them out ( self explanatory ) pull them apart ( 4 clips..2 on each side ) remove green rubber from light bulb and color the light bulb with your Sharpie. the only one i could not get to actually change were the 4x4 and 4 low lights that tell you that you are in 4wheel or 4low.
HVAC controls are same as gauges except just pull the controls off and selector knob and peel off the face just like you did the gauges, clear it out and color it back in.
good luck and enjoy.. oh and dont worry if when coloring them in you look at them through a light and they look faint, when i looked at mine i was worried cause they looked pink, but once put in the truck they are a nice deep red.
sorry i didnt get any pictures this write-up was kind of an afterthought
i will post pictures of it completely soon
:exporange
i did this on a 1994 x
1) remove stereo trim panel - 2 screws by the ashtray then just pry it off starting at one end and work your way around.
2) remove 7 ( i believe ) small gold colored screws from around the gauge cluster ( this will allow you to remove the clear plastic and black piece behind it)
3) pull out gauges - these will come out in sections starting at your far left with the battery gauge just lightly pull out remove first 2 then the tach.
to remove speedo there are 2 small phillips screws one on either side of the needle these need to be removed.
remove 2 screws from bottom of speedo to remove gear selection display from gauge to disconnect cable.
4) Remove needles from all gauges, be careful not to break the stoppers on them or your needles will spin all the way around and not stop where their gauges max out.
5) now unlike most vehicles ford glued their clear plastic behind the gauges in place so what i did was CAREFULLY peel the gauge faces off the gauges. try not to touch the left over glue to much as this is what is going to hold the gauges back on.
6) clear the gauges - to do this i used nail polish remover and q-tips just dip your q-tip in the nail polish remover and lightly rub the backside of the gauge face where you wish to change the colour ( i did all the numbers and marks ) till they are clear, you can check if they are clear or not by holding them up to a light. the number should light up white instead of that awful green color.
once you have done this take a Sharpie ( i chose red to make my gauges match my stereo) and color in the areas you just cleared out with your choice of color or leave clear for white.
7) re-align gauge face onto gauges and press on. The glue from before should hold them in place, if not try some super glue or even a glue stick maybe.
8) push needles back onto gauges. ( i colored my needles as well )
9) put gauges back in starting with speedo then tach then gas gauge and finally with the battery gauge.
10) re-assemble dash, turn on lights, admire your new gauge light color.
i also changed the color of all my switched by puling them out ( self explanatory ) pull them apart ( 4 clips..2 on each side ) remove green rubber from light bulb and color the light bulb with your Sharpie. the only one i could not get to actually change were the 4x4 and 4 low lights that tell you that you are in 4wheel or 4low.
HVAC controls are same as gauges except just pull the controls off and selector knob and peel off the face just like you did the gauges, clear it out and color it back in.
good luck and enjoy.. oh and dont worry if when coloring them in you look at them through a light and they look faint, when i looked at mine i was worried cause they looked pink, but once put in the truck they are a nice deep red.
sorry i didnt get any pictures this write-up was kind of an afterthought
i will post pictures of it completely soon
:exporange
