Greetings all...bare with my on my first post. I have an '80 L-48 and am doing a little interior work. I need to replace the shifter bezel and the power window switches and i figured i'd replace the burnt bulbs that illuminate the center gauages while i had it all apart. I'm also installing a new radio. I have managed to get the shifter bezel off and i have unscrewed the gauge cluster bezel and it is now free. But i cant remove it from the dash because all the gauges are still attached to it. I need to know how to get behind there to replace the bulbs that illuminate the warning lights as well as the lights that backlight the gauges themselves. Please help! ALso can anyone tell me what that device is on top of the bezel? indicated by red arrow in the picture



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The red arrow points to a light bulb. Turn it and it will pop out. As far as taking the gauge cluster out, reach around back and you will feel the cable going into the gauges. Push down on the top of it and the bottom of and squeeze to pull out the connection. Be very careful when you do this because on the back of the gauges (the circuit board) the wire connector makes contact with some flimsy copper contacts. it should pull right out after that.

 

Riley is right, the arrow points to a light bulb. It isn't one of the normal dash illumination lights though, it is a high intensity light bulb (Ecklers carries them) that projects down across the guage faces and center console area. This can sometimes hang up on the dash pad when you remove the guage cluster... be careful as you pull it out. If you want to actually remove the guage cluster, or if the wiring is short, you might have to pop the two screws out of that grey cover and detach it.

bill.

 

I'm concerned about removing any of the gauge connections. There is so little room to work behind there that i'm afraid i'll never get them connected back properly. The only reason i need to remove the gauge cluster is to replace the bulbs that illuminate the gauges as well as the bulbs for the warning lights. riley said to disconnect the gauge cable and the bezel would come out, but i'm wondering if there is just one cable for the cluster or if there is one for each gauge?

 

Not sure if the '80 cluster is mounted the same as the earlier Sharks or not but they had a stud at the bottom of the cluster that attaches to a bracket that's attached to the tranny tunnel. They're a PITA to get the nuts off but doable.

 

I have a 79 and it looks exactly like that. There are not any screws on mine. Grab the cable at the top and bottom and squeeze and pull out. It is the same type of connector that is used for the tach/speedometer.