Acura Integra Indiglo Electroluminescent Gauge Face Install
Introduction
Indiglo faces replace the flat printed panels of the Integra instrument cluster with thin electroluminescent sheets that light up evenly across the speedometer, tachometer, and secondary gauges. The kit includes four gauge faces, a small inverter that steps up voltage to drive the panels, and a dial that adjusts brightness or color. This guide covers pulling the cluster, splitting it open without cracking the trim, seating the new faces so the needles still sweep freely, routing the panel leads out of the housing, and powering the inverter from a parking-light-switched 12V feed. It applies to the Acura Integra and the same approach carries over to other Honda/Acura clusters with a similar snap-together bezel. Take your time on the face fitment: a face that sits proud of the dial will drag a needle and throw off the reading. Adapted from a community writeup by MorningZ on Team Integra (https://www.team-integra.net/threads/indiglo-gauge-install.342473/), including corrections from the follow-up discussion.
Reference
Tools Required
- Magnetic Phillips screwdriver
- Small flat trim/pry tool
- Wire snips or side cutters
- Wire strippers
- Electrical tape
- Zip ties
Parts Required
-
Indiglo electroluminescent gauge face kit (four faces, inverter/transformer, and color-control dial)
-
Thin double-sided tape (e.g. Scotch craft tape, around $2.50) or super glue to seat the faces
-
Electrical tape and a few zip ties for the wiring tap
Safety Warnings
- ⚠ A gauge face that sits too high will drag its needle and produce false speedometer or tachometer readings; verify free needle movement before final reassembly.
- ⚠ Disconnect the battery before splicing into the 12V feed to avoid shorting the lighting circuit.
- ⚠ Do not pry the inner black bezel until all three brass screws are removed, or the cluster trim will crack.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1 Drop the column and remove the bezel
Lower the tilt steering column to its full-down position so the trim panel around the cluster clears the wheel. Back out the two retaining screws at the top of the bezel, then pull the panel toward you. Its lower edge is held by push clips that release as you pull, so work it loose evenly rather than forcing one corner.
2 Unbolt the cluster from the dash
With the bezel off, remove the three screws that hold the gauge cluster into the dash opening. A magnetic screwdriver is worth using here, since any screw dropped behind the dash is difficult to recover. Ease the cluster forward just far enough to reach the wiring on its back side.
3 Disconnect the harnesses and free the cluster
Reach behind the cluster and release the three electrical connectors. Free the main harness where it is retained by a zip tie, either releasing it or cutting the tie. With all connectors off, lift the cluster out of the car and take it to a clean bench where you can work on it flat.
4 Open the cluster housing
Lift off the clear protective lens; the outer black bezel comes away with it. Before prying the inner black bezel loose, locate and remove the three small brass screws that secure it. These are easy to overlook, and attempting to unsnap the bezel while they are still in place will crack the plastic.
5 Trim clearance and seat the gauge faces
Each Indiglo face slips down over its needle and lays on top of the original dial. To keep a face from bowing up and rubbing the needle, trim away the small raised sections of the stock face that hold it proud. Secure each face with thin double-sided tape or a light bead of super glue. Bulk tape or an uneven glue layer will lift the face into the needle path and cause the needle to drag, so keep the bond thin and flat.
6 Route the panel leads out of the housing
The four faces each have a lead that must exit the sealed cluster body. Use snips to notch away enough of the internal plastic that the four connectors pass cleanly to the outside of the housing. Keep the leads clear of the needle sweep and of any moving gauge internals.
7 Locate a switched 12V feed for the inverter
Push the dashboard dimmer out from behind to reach its wiring. The Red/Black wire carries 12V whenever the parking lights are on and sits ahead of the dimmer circuit, so tapping it will not load or damage the dimmer. The Black wire is ground. If you prefer, any parking-light-switched 12V source, such as the parking-light fuse, works as the power feed.
8 Splice into the power wire
To tap the feed without cutting it, strip a short window in the wire's insulation, open a small hole through the exposed strands, and thread your inverter lead through it like a needle. Twist the tap tight, wrap it in electrical tape, and add a couple of zip ties over the tape to keep the joint from flexing loose. Connect the inverter ground to the Black wire.
9 Mount the control, reassemble, and verify the needles
Snap the four face leads onto the inverter and place the brightness/color dial somewhere within easy reach. Close the cluster back up, reinstall it into the dash, and reconnect the harnesses. Before buttoning up the bezel, switch on the parking lights to confirm the faces glow, then check every needle: each must sweep and rest freely with no drag from the new face. Only reinstall the trim once the needles read correctly.
Pro Tips
- 💡 A magnetic screwdriver keeps the cluster screws from disappearing behind the dash.
- 💡 Cutting away the raised portions of the stock gauge face lets the Indiglo face lie flat and greatly reduces the chance of needle drag.
- 💡 Thin Scotch double-sided craft tape (around $2.50) is a clean alternative to super glue and is easier to reposition.
- 💡 Tapping the pre-dimmer Red/Black wire, or the parking-light fuse, gives you illumination that comes on with the parking lights without harming the dimmer circuit.
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