So I decided to tackle my gauge cluster today on my boat, all the gauge glass is made of plastic and over the past 16 years its turned a yellowish hazy color. Looked pretty bad.
Step 1: Turn off key / disconnect battery or you risk shorting your gauges out.
Step 2: If you can, remove the screws holding the instrument panel to the console and pull out as far as the wires will let you.
Step 3: Label all wires as you remove them
Step 4: On my gauges once I flipped over, there were little indents on the gauge face cover that fit over the back of the gauge. I used a small screwdriver to pry these up and out, working my way around the gauge face cover until it popped off. Be careful....after 16 years plastic gets brittle and tends to crack. Every gauge of mine was already cracked like this:
... Its ok though, it didn't go all the way around and I'll just use CA glue to bond back together
Step 5: Get a cup of water, paper towels and some toothpaste.
Step 6: Slightly dampen paper towels, put some toothpaste on it, and start swirling on the plastic. Be sure to keep applying toothpaste and water as you see fit, until the paper towels start coming off clean. Then wipe it down and reassemble in reverse.
Check out the before and after:
Step 1: Turn off key / disconnect battery or you risk shorting your gauges out.
Step 2: If you can, remove the screws holding the instrument panel to the console and pull out as far as the wires will let you.
Step 3: Label all wires as you remove them
Step 4: On my gauges once I flipped over, there were little indents on the gauge face cover that fit over the back of the gauge. I used a small screwdriver to pry these up and out, working my way around the gauge face cover until it popped off. Be careful....after 16 years plastic gets brittle and tends to crack. Every gauge of mine was already cracked like this:
... Its ok though, it didn't go all the way around and I'll just use CA glue to bond back togetherStep 5: Get a cup of water, paper towels and some toothpaste.
Step 6: Slightly dampen paper towels, put some toothpaste on it, and start swirling on the plastic. Be sure to keep applying toothpaste and water as you see fit, until the paper towels start coming off clean. Then wipe it down and reassemble in reverse.
Check out the before and after: