Installing el dials

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Installing el dials

Postby StewyD32 » Tue Aug 24, 2010 7:16 pm

Majority of you guys and girls will know, it is very easy but I don't think there is an installation thread on the forum so here we go :P

Step 1
Buy the el dial kit and wait a few days and you should get it in the post.

I bought mine at http://www.visualperformance.co.uk. It was shipped out that day and arrived within 3 days which was good.
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Step 2
Under the dash above the dials there are 2 screws either side. Unscrew these and you are able to pull out the surround from the dials. As you move this out of place you will notice wires connected to either side where the button beside your steering wheel is located. disconnect these and the surround is now totally free.

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Step 3
You will now just have the dial casing left. There are 5 screw holding this in place. 2 screws top left and right, and 2 screws bottom left and right. There is also one at the top centre holding the casing into place by being screwed to the underneath of the dash. Remove these and you can pull the casing towards you releasing it from the connections at the back. You can now angle it (as its a bit awkward to get out of the dash) and remove it.

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Step 4
Once it is removed, un-clip the clear plastic and black plastic on the dial casing and you are able to get at the now exposed dials.
Simply placed the new dials over the standard dials and fixed in place with a little glue, and then drill 2 holes in the back of the white dial casing for the wires connected to the new dials to be run through these holes and out the back for later connection to the convertor and power source.
Fix the plastic covers back on after a little wash and dry as you'll probably never get the chance to clean the inside of them again unless your really really bored one day.

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Step 5
To get to do the clock and voltmeter. Unscrew the gear stick know and pull the surround around this. Also remove connections to the lighter. This will pop off easy enough and when removed 2 screws will be exposed between the bottom of the top console and the stereo. Unscrew these and gently pull the surround towards you and it will come off. There are 5 sets of wires connected to the back. Disconnect these and the top console is now free. There are 3 screws holding the voltmeter and clock in place. Remove these and repeat step 4. However the clock is a little different. you have to remove the small screw in the clock adjuster and place the hands at 12 o'clock to fit the new dials over them.

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Step 6
Now all that left is to hook the converter. You will have to splice a live and neutral wire in the car to the converter. The best and easiest way to do this is to splice it with the lighter live and neutral (black = neutral and green = live). Doing it from the lighter will leave ample room to connect the dial connections to the converter and leave room for the dimmer/colour changer if you have one to secure it to under or near the steering wheel.

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Replace the units making sure the new wires are not stuck behind the dial casing

REMEMBER TO DISCONNECT YOUR CAR BATTERY UNTIL EVERYTHING IS FINISHED, ALSO WHILE DOING THIS GET DIAL RINGS TO SAVE TIME AND THEY LOOK GREAT TOGETHER. I WOULD SUGGEST GETTING THEM FROM JAYOD12B IN THIS CLUB. HIS DIALS RINGS ARE OUTSTANDING AND TOP QUALITY COMPARED TO THE ONES ON E-BAY

The finished product

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Sorry about the last few pics. my nephew got a hold of the camera and I can't work out what he did coz it woun't focus in now at night.
Anyway there you go.
Silver 97 Mirage Asti V coupe
Burgundy 95 GR
Silver 95 GPX
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Re: Installing el dials

Postby Sebastian » Tue Aug 24, 2010 7:50 pm

Very good guide Stewy . fair play
no1. manual GR 96 l no2. tip GR 95 l no3. manual Gpx 95 l no.4 manual Gpx 95 l no.5 manual Gpx 96 l no.6 tip GR 95 - in 2011 took a break from the FTO scene
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Re: Installing el dials

Postby Dragonheart » Tue Aug 24, 2010 9:01 pm

Excellent write up Stewy and brilliant clear diagrams to match. Well done. Looks well.
Always meant to use arrows in mine but never bothered putting them in. Makes it clearer though for the future I think.
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Re: Installing el dials

Postby TopCat » Wed Aug 25, 2010 9:45 am

Fair play Stewy. I know you think its easy, but a good guide like this will give people the confidence to have a go themselves, so these nice clear guides are great. Well done!
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Re: Installing el dials

Postby StewyD32 » Wed Aug 25, 2010 7:08 pm

Thanks guys. I'll get other pics of the dials at night and the wires in a few days as their not the best. Got a job finally so a bit busy at the moment. Have a company car so my baby became my weekend baby :(
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Re: Installing el dials

Postby gt94 » Thu Aug 26, 2010 12:54 pm

I like the new dimmer on them looks sturdy when i got mine a few years back it only had a not so strong plastic tape switch.
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Re: Installing el dials

Postby StewyD32 » Thu Aug 26, 2010 5:23 pm

Yeah its sturdy enough but i did have to solder 2 wires back on as I ripped them off the back.... (hardly even touched it infact).
The metal one i have now is sturdy enough. I cut a little groove out from where the 2 plastic components meet under the steering wheel so they fit nice and snug and hopefully will be free from damage
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Re: Installing el dials

Postby goz_83 » Sun Sep 04, 2011 4:05 pm

I have the very same kit in the 94 FTO i just bought. However, I kinda prefer when the clock is in Kilometeres, rather than in miles....do you know if I can get the main speedo face changed to show klms instead of miles and the small klms?
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Re: Installing el dials

Postby StewyD32 » Sun Sep 04, 2011 5:36 pm

The easiest way is to cover it over if it bothers you. Unless you want to buy a new kit.
I couldn't find one in km when u bought mine.
It make no difference anyway!
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Re: Installing el dials

Postby goz_83 » Sat Sep 10, 2011 11:20 pm

Found a company that does custom EL Dials and selling on ebay in australia. So I suppose it would be possible to get it in klms and it would appear you can choose any colour and even add a custom logo. link below.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Mitsubishi-R ... 256209334d
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Re: Installing el dials

Postby StewyD32 » Sun Sep 11, 2011 3:24 am

Yeah you could do, obviously the outlay would have to be the same so find out if they have a template.
Another way I'd you could try and make it yourself. If you look on the search, there was a gy on here a few months ago who got el sheets and was going to make some dials for himself. He didn't give update on his progress so who knows! You might get a reply off a PM.
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Re: Installing el dials

Postby goz_83 » Sun Sep 11, 2011 8:34 pm

OK I can't quite figure this out and I am sure others have noticed. The EL dials read up to 180 MPH, but the 180 mark is actually KMPH. I would assume that the EL dials many people have (the white ones shown in this thread) are designed to be used with a converter, which would allow the face to be read properly in MPH.

Strange thing with my EL dials is when they are switched to blue, a high pitched sound comes from them. It's not deafening, but it is noticeable. This does not happen when the Green colour is selected. The sound is louder when the light intensity is higher. Any ideas? Maybe a bad connection?
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Re: Installing el dials

Postby StewyD32 » Sun Sep 11, 2011 9:11 pm

The only difference with the MPH and KMPH dials is the letter K.
The speed numbers are in the same place etc so it makes no difference as it's not going to read a different speed.

As far the noise there is a slight difference but it shouldn't be very noticable.
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Re: Installing el dials

Postby goz_83 » Sun Sep 11, 2011 10:34 pm

My superman hearing is picking it up :). And yeah, it's cool for someone to collect lights. forgot to pm it to u
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Re: Installing el dials

Postby StewyD32 » Sun Sep 11, 2011 11:03 pm

I was able to hear it on my dial switch but it wasn't that bad that it was really noticeable.
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