GUIDE: Removing the Instrument Cluster, Replacing Bulbs, Fitting Dials

[Eeyore]

Why do you need to remove the dials? Maybe you're going to paint them so they are awesome? Maybe you're going to change the dial sheet to be a bit different? Check out the bottom of this guide for more information about that.

Do not remove your dash if...

You are fitting LEDs
If you're putting cheap ones in then youre going to find that they start flickering in a few months and then you'll have to take it out again to either replace them or go to standard bulbs. Also you end up with bright spots everywhere. Go ahead but don't say I didn't warn you!

Your best bet for LEDs is to go to crazyleds.co.uk. For £7.50 you get 10 correct LED bulbs and two filters. Note that the dial fac has to be modified in order for blue and white to work. Instructions are supplied by email. Colours available are Blue, Red, Green, White and Pink.

Your speedo works intermittently.
Thats a problem with the speedo sensor on the gearbox! Not a problem with the dials!

Removing the Instrument Cluster Guide

1. First of all you are going to need to remove the steering wheel cowling. There are three torx screws which are accessed from underneath. There are two at the front of the cowling (nearest the seat) and one at the back. Best to get on your hands and knees for the later.

Seeing as you have got the cowling might want to look at Cullys fogs on high mod. This means that when you flash your high beams the fog lights come on too! Good for quickly getting the light out on country lanes and not properly flashing people when they are sitting in the fast lane.

2. The cowling should split apart into two sections. Put the bolts somewhere safe. You can see now that there are two bolts for the instrument surround that we couldnt access before!

3. Now to remove the dial surround. You need to undo the two torx screws on the top of the instrument surround.


4. Remove two more screws at the bottom of the dial surround.


5. You can now remove the dial surround.

6. You should now be able to see the torx screws that hold the instrument cluster in. Next you need to undo these three. They screw into little metal tabs that sit on the dash plastic so make sure that they dont get lost!


7. Now to remove the cluster. Best if you centre your steering wheel and turn about 15 degrees to the left. You need the gap in the wheel to get the dials out easily. If you pull it out a little bit it should drop down a cm or so. If you bring the front down it should come out enough to access the plugs at the back.

8. These plugs are yellow and blue. In order to remove them you need to pull the black securing levers down so they parallel with the wires going into the plug. Check out the picture below to see how they look once removed.


9. Once the plugs are out of the way you can start to pull the cluster out more. It may come out all of a sudden so make sure you have a good grip on it. Once its out you may need to move your wheel to get it out all the way. Its easiest to remove it towards the passenger side of the car.

10. Hey presto! You should now have one instrument cluster and a massive hole where it should have been. Inside the dash collects a lot of dust etc so maybe give it a vacuum out if youre fussy.

Removing the Instrument Cluster (Speedo) Guide
As always its the reverse of removal...
1. Put the cluster in from the passenger side and get it lined up to go back in.
2. Reconnect the yellow and blue plugs and pull the black securing levers up.
3. Push the cluster all the way in. Take extra care to make sure the holes line up at the bottom otherwise it wont sit right.
4.Put in the 3 wide headed torx screws.
5. Grab the dial surround and put it back into place. Make sure the screw holes are lined up at the bottom and push the top in to make sure its in place properly.
6. Add the two remaining large torx screws to the bottom of the surround and do them up.
7. Put the two smaller more rounded torx screws into the top of the surround and do them up. Just the steering cowling to put on now.

8. Finally you need to refit the steering wheel cowling. This is a bit of a bastard and takes a while. First of all you need to work out how the third bolt at the back actually works. The metal mount on the steering frame goes inside the lower cowling section and then screws up. Once you've worked that one out the other two screws can be done up. There are little black foam discs on the indicator and light stalks so make sure those are tucked inside.

9. Job Done!

Replacing bulbs in the instrument cluster
Sometimes bulbs go and need to be replaced. The type of bulbs for the instrument cluster are T5. There seem to be two version though. you want the fatter one that screws in not the long thin one.

If you are fitting LED ones make sure that they have resistors built in. They either wont work or will melt the tracks on the circuit board which is not repairable! If you're intent on fitting LED bulbs after all of this then remember that they only work one way round so if they dont work straight away take them out and turn them round 180 degrees.

Guide to Dials
For fitting dials please see Cullys Fitting Plasma dial face's Guide. Its pretty much the same for fitting any dials.

Plasma Dials
There seem to be different designs floating around these days. They cost about £40 and they light up themselves instead of using the standard bulbs. No birght spots as its the dials themselves that light up. You should be able to find them easily on ebay. There was a group buy on these mid 2012 when the design was like this...


(Pictures from kentiiboii)


Lockwood Dials
The lockwood dials are the dials of choice for 90's car modders. However they havent really aged well and look a bit tacky. They cost about £30 and sometimes they come in different colours too but very rarely. My car came with them so you may have noticed them in the guide above. They are pretty shocking at night.



Metal Monkey Dials
These are fairly uncommon. You can get matching metal bits for the heater control panel too. Shop here.



Ebay Specials
For £5 - £10 they seem like a bargain. They look incredibly cheap and not many people fit them.

Bonus Info
Its also worth knowing that the Phase 3 306 came with white needles where as the phase 1 and 2 came with orange needles. You can swap them if you like but make sure you make a mark on dials so that you know where they were pointing wen you took the old ones off. Otherwise you'll end up with needles pointing where they shouldn't be!

Don't think that you can just swap the instrument cluster from one car to another. The mileage stays on the clocks so you will not be able to take your mileage with you either. Bare this in mind when buying a 306 too. The mileage on the clock is only one thing to bare in mind!

[samass]

Good guide mate, have a re read of the start of the second paragraph tho, seems like you missed a bot or something.

[Just Sean]

Good guide mate.

[Toms306]

Good guide Sam, you can change the milage though, Cully done it somehow lol.

[Matt]

Changing millage is all a soldier job iirc


Cully did a guide iirc

[C.A.R.]

Nice one mate, I still need to do this (when I can feel my fingers). Thought I knew what I was doing but it's nice to have this here for reassurance!

[Eeyore]

yeh tbh all of my guides are fairly easy but I know when I was a 306 newb having a guide no matter how simple it was was all ways very helpful!

[Pugmarshall]

Changing the mileage on a ph1 is really, really easy. Public forums are probably not a good place to explain how though...

[Frosty]

Does anyone know of any good bulbs that are a good upgrade to the standard dash bulbs to change the colour?

[Eeyore]

Changing the mileage on a ph1 is really, really easy. Public forums are probably not a good place to explain how though...

electric drill and backwards Im guessing? D:

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Does anyone know of any good bulbs that are a good upgrade to the standard dash bulbs to change the colour?

Youll be looking at LEDs. By all means do what you want but as far as im aware most people keep them for a month or so before going back to the originals. Also because the dial sheet is coloured orange etc only some colours come through properly!

[Niall]

Look on crazy LEDs for the correct ones. If you just buy standard LEDs, there will be loads of bright spots and it will look terrible.
Unless you take the yellow backing off the dials, you cant use green or white otherwise they come out odd.

[Eeyore]

Look on crazy LEDs for the correct ones. If you just buy standard LEDs, there will be loads of bright spots and it will look terrible.
Unless you take the yellow backing off the dials, you cant use green or white otherwise they come out odd.

info added.

[Pugmarshall]

Changing the mileage on a ph1 is really, really easy. Public forums are probably not a good place to explain how though...

electric drill and backwards Im guessing? D:

---

Does anyone know of any good bulbs that are a good upgrade to the standard dash bulbs to change the colour?

Youll be looking at LEDs. By all means do what you want but as far as im aware most people keep them for a month or so before going back to the originals. Also because the dial sheet is coloured orange etc only some colours come through properly!

No, even easier than that, if you saw them you'd understand

[Toms306]

Probably just roll the counter round, they're not LCD milage are they...?

[Eeyore]

Probably just roll the counter round, they're not LCD milage are they...?

who are you and what have you done with toms306? the real tom would know that they are mechanical!

[Toms306]

Was a rhetorical question really Sam, hence I said roll the counter...but as I've never tried it I dont know if its possible.

[frsoar]

Thanks for your tips I am a newbee and need to get to the airbag light in my 306 Meridian HDI X reg (2000) will your instructions be applicable to my Pug?

[Eeyore]

Thanks for your tips I am a newbee and need to get to the airbag light in my 306 Meridian HDI X reg (2000) will your instructions be applicable to my Pug?

should be useful yeh. you may need to find a guide by cully about how to fake the airbag light so it passes an MOT!

[Grant]

Changing millage is all a soldier job iirc

Really?!

This guy quoted me £100 though..