FORD IKON owners!! Bored of that boring color on your DASH??

[bugboy180]

Hey guys i own a FORD IKON 1.3 Clxi 2002. been driving it for a while since it was passed on from my dad to me and im already bored of that Green Light in the speedometer Dash.
Im gonna try opening it as ive seen couple of Threads how to change the Caps of those bulbs. or maybe change the bulb it self.
Has any one done the change? do lemme know plz
will post a pic of the Dash in a bit.
thanks guys

[frankmehta]

you kidding? i am a fan of that cool green lit instrument cluster. quite fascinating when it was released!
anyways best of luck with the change of colour. check out in the DIY section for the baleno that got red lights. and post some pics. i suggest cool blue or try something wacky

[audiophile]

Same here @bugboy180, Im fedup of that green color, All the new cars have lovely cluster lights, even the indica. Ikon even the latest release has the same green light.

You can change the bulb from green to white, thats what I would suggest.

But what would really excite me is if we can get the lit up speedo and the needle lit up (glowing) in red.

[greenhorn]

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modif...board-diy.html

it seems the job is not as easy as it seems for ikons - their lighting system is somewhat different

[bugboy180]

Hey guys Da Ford Ikon finally has a different lit instrument cluster...and that is the neon Blue color i got.
the whole job was pretty easy to get around except the 2 clips which were pretty hard to get out(and i broke one).
Here the Pics to the STEP BY STEP D.I.Y. for changing your dash light color.

Im sorry i started to Click pictures only after opening it...so basically the pics were taken while i was bolting it back on to the car with my cell phone.
but i have posted in a series way showing how to remove the cluster.

Pic1: The cluster with the original green Light which im gonna change to Blue + i also had a pair of White Led bulbs

Pic2: First i started by removing the covers behind the steering, it just gets easier to remove the whole Dash board later.
4 srews = 2 screws under + 2 screws in the sides

Pic3: once u unscrew them removing the plastic covers

Pic4: then there are 2 screws on top marked in Red(remember to store the screws safely so u can i dentify them later while fixing it back)

Pic5: thers a hidden screw next to the A/C vent which is covered with a small plastic. u need to remove the plastic and then u get access to the screw.

Pic6:THE TRICKY PART.There are 2 clips on either side between the back of the steering.
U need to be a bit careful here cause ur goin to be applying quiet a force to remove these lock clips. I really had no idea how to get it out so i applied a lot of force and ended up losing one clip.
Once these are removed u can remove the whole thinggy( im sorry i dont know wat you call it.please do lemme know wat its called.

pic7: 4 screws. ull need to remove them to gain access to the White box on the top of the speedometer. do not pull the whole speedo meter out as thers a speedo cable behind attached which is hard to fix back.

pic8: you dont really need to remove the glass.but then i got it out to clean up the dust from the cluster.

pic9: this is the White box. firstly remove the bulbs.BE VERY CAREFUL...u will know why in the next pics.

pic10: VERY CAREFULLY remove the green power supplier.That delicate plastic+metal powers the bulbs. if it tears ur bulbs might not power up
Once that is removed, slide a Flat screw driver under the white box to remove it.

pic11: im sorry i didnt get a pic of the white box with the green plastic which helps in illuminating the light uniformally

pic12: remove the green plastic from the white box.and fix it back. ive also slightly modified the box to give a brighter illumination effect in the next Post.

pic13: The difference - the left is the Neon blue LED(pretty powerful and the Stock yellow on the right

pic14: thats where the light illuminates from

Pic15: once in a life time opputunity for the needle touching 210. i wonder why is ther a 200 220 on the meter anyways??

pic16: this is the white LED i tried. Didnt really like it.

sorry if i missed anything. Do feel free to ask me anything regarding it.

[bugboy180]

Heres a lil change i made so that the White box illuminates a lil brighter.
All you have to do i find reflective sheets...a kitchen aluminum foil would work well or aluminum sticky tape would also do. the more reflective the better...
all i could find was a used Aluminum tape on one of my Furniture boxes. i used it...

cut it exactly and stick it around the inner side of the white box, leaving 2 holes for the bulb/LED.
P.S. get rid of the green plastic while fitting a new color bulb.

i will take snaps of the cluster light as soon as it gets dark.

[audiophile]

a great DIY @bugboy180. After your experience of taking out the cluster and changing the lights, do you feel that the ikon speedo can be made like those of the new cars, where the all the numbers are lit as well as the needle is glowing?

[benbsb29]

Didnt look all too easy to me. :(
Would it be possible for you to repeat the steps, and with better pics from a digicam, for eg?

Originally Posted by audiophile

a great DIY @bugboy180. After your experience of taking out the cluster and changing the lights, do you feel that the ikon speedo can be made like those of the new cars, where the all the numbers are lit as well as the needle is glowing?

Most newer cars have a backlit display including the instrument cluster on the 'new' Ikons. Traditionally, Ikons had light being thrown onto the meters, and hence they dont look all too great in the dark. As for having the needles glowing, why not have some kind of phosphorescent material/coating on them, in red? That would work.

This mod is something i have always wanted to do. Just feeling slightly jittery though.

[audiophile]

I agree Benson, however, Im sure that someone will try to change it from light being thrown on the speedo to a backlit display. Im just waiting for someone to gimme some ideas...then im sure to get it done in my car.

[bugboy180]

@audiophile you could actually do wat @benbsb29 said,have some kind of phosphorescent marked on the needle itself which would make the needle really glow as normally under blue color LED , orange , red normally glows. i was thinking of doing it today when i switched on the lights in the Dark. it really looks something different. there are pics of it below.

OR... i remember checking out some kinda fine glass tube with LEDs on either sides + a glass tube with almost around 12 LEDs along the tube which make the glass glow really Bright(connects to the 12V Cigarrette lighter). Ive even seed Glow in the Dark Tubes online.
They look somewhat like miniature street glows which would actually look really nice again.And if u do that i guess you will have to change the needle to a transparent plastic or a glass one for it to glow. Ofcourse you will have to place it behind the Black Printed dials

@benbsb29, I dont own a Digicam, the cyber shot i had had a swim in the pool weeks back and needs a whole Circuit board replacement....sorry.
But i think once u start unscrewing, ull understand better.

[bugboy180]

Hey guys
Got Pics of it in the Dark, its looks awesome and i think phosphorescent paint would definitely glow looking at the Fuel Guage and Temp guage.
Any idea where i would get it from ??