I hate my white instrument cluster. What can I do about it?

[pjw73nh]

Like many others here, I have the white instrument cluster with green backlighting. It is very hard to read at dawn and dusk whether the backlights are on or off. I have seen a few posts around the forum but nothing conclusive.

I am not particular on color, but with age, by eyesight is staring to deteriorate in low light conditions when trying to read small-ish print.

What, if anything can I do to make these dreadful white gauges more readable in dim light situations?

Thanks.

 

[4X4Bauer]

You have two options. Your first is to get an aftermarket cluster, which probably costs upwards of $100. And after a quick search on car iD, it seems like nobody really makes an aftermarket cluster for your year explorer. Your next option is to take out the dashboard and change the color of the accessory lights. These are cheap little bulbs, usually a buck a piece at most. That will not change the white background however. I guess you could try to carefully paint i but I'm not sure how well that would work. Were all of the clusters white for that generation?

 

[pjw73nh]

I am told (read here in the forums) that the bulbs are white, and that there is a green film/mylar within the cluster that makes them look green. Any confirmation?

Tnx

 

[nleipziger]

pjw73nh, you are correct. Standard incandescent lamps......

 

[Lukas2009]

I know exactly what you mean! And I hate it too!
For me it's even worse because I live in Germany and have to look at the smaller numbers that show kilometers.

 

[96firephoenix]

OP: $150 for a black faced I/C on ebay, plus whatever a dealer will charge to re-program the odometer, or you'll have to report the BMV/DMV/RMV that you changed it out for one that doesn't show the actual mileage.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/371417226849?ul_noapp=true&chn=ps&lpid=82

I know exactly what you mean! And I hate it too!
For me it's even worse because I live in Germany and have to look at the smaller numbers that show kilometers.

Lukas, you could probably get an I/C from Canada... KM/H are the bigger numbers.

 

[MotorCityFats13]

if they kept this like all the other clusters then you could remove the needles and the faces will be a plastic overlay.... on the back you can scrap off the color and then they will be white...I dont think you have many options on colored bulbs so you would then spray on a color tint for the color you wish.... other option is buy a full cluster off ebay that is black and swap out the overlays... removing the needles can suck because you need to be able to replace the needles in the spots that they should be and fuel and temp are easy because you know where they are at full and cold... the tach you need an external way to see where it is and the speed same thing but no programing because doing a full swap will get you for $300 minimum and you have to match the cluster with exact part numbers or ford cant program it... I really doubt these overlays are bonded to the cluster since that would make it cost more for ford to swap options.... I did this on my 1998... swapped out my black boring overlays for the white 2002 sport white overlays I scored at a junk yard for $5... too bad these trucks are kind of too new for a wrecker .... damn I with my 2007 had white gauges!

this was not an option on a 1998 XLT