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 Figure 1: The result |
The digital dimmer circuit on the Element's dash lights just doesn't go low enough for my taste, so I thought I'd try red bulbs.
It started with a discussion of alternatives in this thread at Element Owners Club. Some owners simply paint the stock bulbs with stained-glass paint. Others have experimented with retrofitting LEDs to fit in the #74 bulb socket. One owner ordered LEDs that are claimed to fit the OEM socket, but reports that they don't fit. I decided to go with colored #74 incandescent bulbs, and found them at an attractive price here.
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Installation Remove the side dashboard cover panel on the driver's side. Taking care not to damage the soft plastic, pry the panel out from the right edge, where it is secured by clips in five places (red ovals, Figure 2). Tilt the panel slightly away from the dash, then pull straight out. Tabs hold the panel in place on the left side.
Pry the instrument panel garnish just enough to release five clips on top, then four on the bottom (red ovals, Figure 4). Then pull straight out to release two tabs on the right side (red rectangles, Figure 4). Once the garnish is out of the way, remove four Phillips screws holding the gauge cluster (arrows, Figure 4), then two electrical connectors in the back. You can now take the gauge cluster to a secure working area to change the bulbs. There are seven identical plastic sockets in the back of the cluster (red circles, Figure 5). Turn each a quarter turn counterclockwise to unlock, then lift out. Pull the bulbs straight out of the sockets—some may be very tight—and carefully press the new bulbs in. Note: According to the 2003–04 Service Manual, the seven instrument panel bulbs (Honda part 1095662) are 1.2 watts, while the two odometer bulbs (Honda part 1095663; red squares, Figure 4) are 2 watts. |
Figure 4
Figure 5
Later, I changed the color of the radio buttons and display to match. [More]