Dave1970

iTrader: (2)

Since the company that offered the blue reverse glow gauge cluster has discontinued them, I went with a Camaro cluster. I know the Camaro's mileage is nowhere close to the mileage on my TA. Where (what kind of shop) can set the Camaro cluster mileage to what is on the TA? What is involved in this process? For example, do they need to remove the old and put the new in; can the dealership handle this task? Please advise.

6LITEREATER

iTrader: (56)

Switching out the LED displays that shows the mileage is not a problem, pretty easy.... ALTHOUGH, I am pretty sure you can NOT switch out Camaro and Trans-Am guage clusters with one another...

They both have completely different setups and functions (ever see a "rear hatch is open" symbol on the cluster of a Camaro? No, but there's one on a Trans-Am...). To be honest, all that is going to happen is smoke if you get that thing plugged in there...

Maybe not immediately but eventually something will get triggered and when it tries to indicate it on the cluster (like if your hatch was left open) and there's not a place for it, bad things will happen...

And yes, I've had a cluster smoke on me before when I tried to plug it into the wrong car...

You MIGHT be able to just swap out the face of it (the paper that is the gauge overlays) just as you would do if you had bought the Camaro overlay... Some things might not line-up/light up perfectly but it won't be any better/worse than if you just bought the overlays AND you wouldn't have to worry about swapping over the mileage

Dave1970

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for the info Demonbird. From my research, nothing has been attempted in swapping the clusters out, let alone any potential problems. After I get off this shutdown (currently on nights), I'll look into changing the front faces. On which part of the cluster is the film on?

6LITEREATER

iTrader: (56)

When you have the cluster in your hand, pop off the clear plastic and then you will have the cluster bare faced with the needles exposed...

You'll have to pull off the needles (they pop straight off) and then the paper/overlays will literally peel right off (they are attached to a clear piece of plastic that their gauge units are attached to)...

They should be sticky enough to just transfer one to the other... REUSE YOUR TRANS-AM CLEAR COVER because it outlines the gauges, looks better, and will hold the overlays on to some extent...

You will have to break one tab off of it (top middle of the bezel) but you'll figure that out when you try to put it on and it won't sit on flush...

NOW, BEFORE YOU DO ANY OF THIS you need to figure out where the needles are going when you put them back on...

1) Fill your gas tank up close to your house...

2) Make a note of where your car idles at...

3) Make a note of where your car's oil pressure is at idle...

4) Make a note of where your car's amp gauge needle sits at idle (and make sure you note whether the headlights, radio etc... are all off or on so you can accurately recreate the scenario to put the needle back on)...

5) AFTER YOUR CAR HAS SAT OVER NIGHT make a note of where the temperature needle sits when you have just cranked it up...

If you aren't going to re-use the Trans-Am gauges for anything you can just make marks directly on the gauge face with a marker for needle position to give you a reference when you are re-installing the needles later...

To do this you will have to have taken the guage cluster out, removed the plastic clear cover and then put them back in without it and started the car...

You will have to do the same thing in reverse for installation... Put it in, start the car, push the needles back on (speedometer is easiest, you are going 0mph so you put the needle on the peg) where they should be... Pop the clear/plastic back on and put the rest back together...

NOTE: Pulling the cluster in and out is easiest if you pop off the plastic cover behind the steering wheel tilt arm (small square black plastic cover)... It'll give you a little more room to manuever it out... It's a LOT easier if you re-install it with the clear plastic off and then snap it on once the cluster is in.

Dave1970

iTrader: (2)

Good info, looking forward to changing the color and putting some gauge overlays on.

6LITEREATER

iTrader: (56)

P.S. While you're in there change the 5 bulbs (found by simply pulling on the clear plastic that the overlays stick to, you pull it out and the gauges all unplug exposing the housing and circuit board) to 194 Xenon WHITE bulbs (not LEDs) and then the gauges will have a blue-ish tint instead of a green tint (the stock film is blue but the stock bulbs emit yellow light making the end result green).

You can buy these bulbs cheap on ebay... Just search for 194 Xenon white light bulb and make sure you don't order the LED's.

Dave1970

iTrader: (2)

I've experimented on the HVAC controls using 194 5-LED matrix bulbs. The final color looks to be a darker green (toxic green). I like the effect, not sure if anyone has done a Green interior lighting on a TA. IMO, blue has been over killed on interior color.