Question about gauge cluster lighting... Help!

KMeloney · June 20, 2004

Hey all,

I've got an '02 Tahoe in which I put an Escalade guage cluster. Everything works fine -- just been attempting to get a different lighting effect. As you may know, the ('02) Escalade cluster's lighting scheme is like this: orange glowing needles, overall greenish-white backlight of the numerals, and an orange reflective glow on the gauge bezels. Well, I was tinkering with the lighting and got some RED bulbs to put in place of the clear (white bulbs) in the back of the cluster...

The problem is this: The casting of red light is not UNIFORM across the cluster. For instance, the tach needle is much brighter than the other needles (despite me switching bulbs around in back). Also, some of the light that reflects off the bezels is brigther on some gauges than others.

Now, since having WHITE bulbs in the cluster casts greenish-white and orange lights on the bezels, I understand that the bulbs have to shine through some colored plastic behind the cluster in oder to cast those colors. I understand that the RED bulbs need to shine through these plastics, too, and so the overall display is not as bright as with the white bulbs -- but, still, the lighting should be uniform, right?

Soooo... My QUESTION is this: Does anyone know if I can change the INTENSITY/BRIGHTNESS of the needles and of the light that reflects off the bezels by PUSHING THE NEEDLES DOWN further on theirs posts (or by PULLING THEM OUTWARD away from the cluster a bit)? (In either case, I'm talking about very minor adjustments.) Do you think that the lighting might not be uniform 'cause the needles are not a uniform spacing off of the face of the cluster?

Do you have any OTHER ideas?

Thanks for any and all input!

-Kirk