Mazda Miata
COLORED GAUGE FACE SET
Part Numbers 903-170, 903-175, 903-180, 903-185, 903-190 & 903-195
440 Rutherford St. P.O. Box 847 Goleta, CA 93117
1-800-642-8295 • FAX 805-692-2525 • www.miatamania.com
We know how terrifying it is to even think about
breaking into that sacred area of your car, the
instrument cluster. What if I scratch the plastic or
break a needle? I’m here to tell you, it’s not that
hard to customize your dash. All you need is a little patience and a couple of hours. You’ll feel like a
pro when your done and you’ll be able to show off
your accomplishment to your friends. In preparation for the job you’ll need to have a clean, uncluttered workspace. Don’t try to do this in the car. Use
your kitchen table if you have to. Place a clean
towel on the work surface. Lay it out like an operating room. For tools, you’ll need a set of jeweler’s
screwdrivers, a #2 Philips head screwdriver, a
small thin flat bladed screwdriver, an X-Acto knife
or new single edge razor blade and some paint to
paint then needles. Start with a full tank of gas. It
is also a good idea to make a pencil mark on the
gauge faces to show exactly where the needles are
positioned when the car is running and up to temperature.
holding the instrument cluster bezel in place. (See
Illustration 2)
Illustration 2
3. Remove the “clamshell” and put it aside in the
passenger footwell. (See Illustration 3)
Illustration 3
1. Start by removing the square plastic trim plate
on the top of the steering column. Gently put a flat
bladed screwdriver in the seam. Pop it off and put
it aside. (See Illustration 1)
Illustration 1
4. Remove the instrument cluster bezel by pulling
it toward you and up. It is held into the dash by
metal clips. Be careful not to scratch the face of the
plastic. Put the part aside in the passenger
footwell. Remove the four screws that are holding
the cluster in place. (See Illustration 4)
Illustration 4
2. Now, you’ll need to look under the steering
wheel and remove the screws holding the
“clamshell” together and the two screws that are
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Revised 09/02
Miata Installation Instructions
5. This picture was shot looking though the windshield looking down at the uncovered instrument
cluster. Reach behind and carefully unplug the two
wiring harnesses and the speedometer cable. The
cluster will then lift out of the dash.(See Illustration
5)
get them off. I’ve found that a plastic fork works
very well as a pry tool. Simply slide the fork under
the needle as shown and it will slide off. Repeat
this step for all five gauges. (See Illustration 8)
Illustration 8
Illustration 5
9. With a jeweler’s screwdriver, remove all the
gauge faces as shown. Lay out all the screws so
you know which face they originally came out of.
(See Illustration 9)
6. What the dash will look like with the cluster
removed. (See Illustration 6)
Illustration 9
Illustration 6
10. Unless your gauge face kit came with new stop
pins, you will have to cut the factory stop pins off
the old faces. To do this, place the face upsidedown on the edge of the table and carefully slice
through the plastic pin holding it in place. Only the
tach and oil pressure gauges have stop pins. (See
Illustration 10)
7. Now take your cluster to your clean, organized
and uncluttered worktable. Begin by separating
the meter glass from the gauges. The meter glass
is held on place with plastic clips that are attached
to the cluster housing. (See Illustration 7)
Illustration 10
Illustration 7
11. Now, take the original stop pins and put a drop
of super glue on the base and set them into the
new gauge faces. Let them sit for fifteen minutes
so the glue cure. (See Illustration 11)
Illustration 11
8. Now the real fun begins! The needles are not
that delicate but do require some upward force to
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Revised 09/02
Miata Installation Instructions
Blip the throttle to see if it looks normal.
12. Install the new faces. At this point, cleanliness
and aesthetics are important. Don’t get any fingerprints on the faces! (See Illustration 12)
Illustration 12
18. Do the same with the temperature, oil pressure
and fuel gauges. Remember to refer to the pencil
marks you made on the old faces. Turn the car on
and off a couple of times to ensure the needles rest
in the correct positions. When you are happy with
the result, clean and reinstall the meter glass and
reassemble in the reverse order. That’s all there is
too it!
13. In this installation, I painted the ends of the
needles in a green enamel nail polish that complements the color of the new font. You can be the
judge of what you think you’ll like on your car. After
all, this is about personalizing your Miata.
Whatever you decide you MUST remove the white
paint that is on the factory needles. It is only on the
underside of the needle and comes off easily with
a product like Speedy 500. The time consuming
part is getting the needles to look finished.
Remember, paint only the bottom of the needles
and let them dry completely before proceeding.
(See Illustration 13)
Illustration 13
14. Now, it’s time to reinstall the cluster. Do this
with the needles and meter glass off. Take the cluster out to the car and place it back in the dash,
reconnecting the wiring harnesses and speedometer cable. Reinstall the four screws that hold it into
the dash.
15. Start the car and let it come up to temperature.
16. Reinstall the speedometer needle first making
sure it is in the right position.
17. With the car still running, install the tach needle
to where the car normally idles (about 850 rpm).
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Revised 09/02