[Mattlovescars22]

Alright, I wanna change my green backlight on my gauges to red....How do I do this. I heard that if i change my gauges the color changes as well.... I dont believe it... All I want is the color chnged to red.....HOW???

 

[slipster17]

search the web for gauge overlays specifically made for the Focus. That is the only real way to change the color of the backlight. The green color you see is due to the green plastic layer sandwiched in the gauge face. The bulbs behind it are actually white.

 

[Mattlovescars22]

alright, but how do i take off the original
overlay???

 

[ChrisRobin]

I don't think you need to. All the ones offered on ebay or speedhut sit right on top of the original.

 

[slipster17]

look through the how-to section here and you should be able to find a write up on that. You'll need to pull the dash around the steering column and gauges apart. You have a 2007, which as I recall was a bit more difficult to get done that the earlier models.

Once everything is apart and you have the gauge cluster out of the car, the real fun begins. The easiest way to do this is buy one of the custom indiglo gauge overlay from a place like www.speedhut.com. Those will be self-powered (you'll have to wire in a new switch or rig them to your headlight switch) and the overlay will slide on overtop of the needles. The only problem with that is that I don't think you can do any colors other than blue or green with the indiglo.

There is another site that sells the entire cluster face is a wide variety of colors and styles... but I can't locate the link at the moment. Their product would replace the entire interior face of your cluster and use your current bulbs for backlighting. The problem with those is I believe you will need to use the needles from your current cluster and recalibrate them when you put them in the new cluster.

This really isn't a simple task you're taking on and you're probably best finding someone in the area who has done one or two swaps to help you out.

 

[Ezpimpin]

I really want the entire cluster face, not the gauge overlay does anybody know where I could get one

 

[SkyPilot]

there is a way to change the color of the stock face, it involves sanding the green off the back of the face then putting whatever color film you want across the back. dont take my word for it, and i cant find the how to right now.

however what i did find is a how to, to change the color of everything else (window, hvac, ect)

http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=73417&page=4

its an old thread goto page 4 post #44 and you can download the how to for the rest of the car if thats what you want to do eventually

 

[slipster17]

I really want the entire cluster face, not the gauge overlay does anybody know where I could get one

Sorry, but the closest thing to the entire cluster face you'll find are the products from US Speedo Exotic Gauges. Those will still require you to swap you old needles.

There are stepper motors and other mechanicals that are part of the cluster face, so no company is going to take the time and effort to make custom versions of the whole thing.

 

[ChrisRobin]

there is a way to change the color of the stock face, it involves sanding the green off the back of the face then putting whatever color film you want across the back. dont take my word for it, and i cant find the how to right now.

however what i did find is a how to, to change the color of everything else (window, hvac, ect)

http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=73417&page=4

its an old thread goto page 4 post #44 and you can download the how to for the rest of the car if thats what you want to do eventually

I tried that and I think what happens is whatever film you put back there, it's going to be a thicker material than whatever they used for the stock green colouring. Using the stock bulbs won't light up the gauges evenly.

Don't mind my negativity, I seem to reply to all these gauge colour threads with "it's not going to work" comments. I guess I've tried A LOT of different things and none of them worked.

 

[justjake]

I just did this the other day. All you need to do is remove the cluster from the car, carefully peel the stock face off of the actual gage cluster (after removing the needles) then sand the colourd backing. Use 220 grit sand paper, then I stuck it all back on, threw some red bulbs in place of the clear ones and viola. It looks perfect. I'm eventually going to get LED's to replace them but my total cost was 4 dollars and an hours worth of my time.