Blue Gauges

[lemon]

Ok..cheapest and easiest mod ever. Good Work RXREY. The acetate film cost me 97 CENTS each. I bought two red and two blue. The red ended up looking pink, and the gauges appeared darker than with the blue. Didn't like so went with the blue. I didn't use tape - instead I cut the pieces in the shape of an arch. This way the flat end of the arch sits way down below the rings and the film won't slide down.

One thing I'd suggest is use gloves to avoid fingerprints and the acetate film scratches and creases easily, so don't make the pieces so big that you have to bend them too much to fit them in.

Here are some pics I took without the car running so you can see all the warning lights. I even manage to get the low fuel light for you cduluk...haha. The first pic is with the dash illumination dial turned back 'ONE' click, which is how I usually drive (don't like the glare of full illumination when driving at night). The second pic is with the dash illumination dial at full strength. In the second pic, you can see a little bit where the film is missing. I just moved it over a smidgen and you can't see it now.

One thing totally unrelated that I found out is that my auxiliary battery is likely on it's last legs. Just leaving the light on for about 5 mins while I fooled around, drained it enough that I couldn't start the car. *sigh* Time to shop for a new one that will hopefully have a bigger reserve....So now that I think about it, the mod actually cost me $104.46. (guess $100 for a new battery, and 0.97 x 4 plus 15% tax).

[RXREY]

Very cool! Now go and fill your tank! Oh, and thanks for the much better pics!!!

I think this is something all of us can do and it really is an easy way to add to the car without any fuss. Glad to be of service! Rey

[lemon]

Very cool! Now go and fill your tank! Oh, and thanks for the much better pics!!!

I think this is something all of us can do and it really is an easy way to add to the car without any fuss. Glad to be of service! Rey

Fill my tank and buy a new battery....

Thanks again, Rey. I really like the look of my gauges now. I was even debating trying to trim a piece to fit over the stereo display to give it a blue tint, but I think it would look to obvious unless I can take the stereo out and get a piece behind the plastic window....The NAV screen is an obvious no-no as I think it would interfere with the touch screen.

[lexfourcam]

So i could do this to my ls400's tach? This would be sick in blue because i'm getting a new pioneer double din headunit and its lights are blue.

[RX400h]

If those guys can do it, so can you!

Thanks, Rey for coming up with this qiuick and easy mod,

Thanks, Lemon for proving Rey correct,

and last but not least, thanks, cduluk for starting this whole thing!

[lemon]

Went out to pick the kids up from school and discovered something odd. With the naked eye (and in my pics), the gauges look the same, but when I put my polarized sunglasses on, the power gauge (which had a piece of acetate film from a different sheet than the other two gauges) got darker blue, but the other two gauges got lighter blue. Regular sunglasses didn't do this (I tried a non-polarized pair)

Weird, and unfortunately, I didn't cut the pieces from one piece, which I might have been able to do if I cut more carefully, because I had two sheets. Anyway, I kinda liked the look of the lighter blue when I had my sunglasses on (since the sunglasses were making everything darker and the acetate already darkens the gauges). Unfortunately, the piece I had left over was the sheet that was coming out dark with the sunglasses.

Just to maintain some symmetry, I cut a new piece for the fuel/temp gauge so I have the outer two gauges a darker blue, and the speedometer a lighter blue. Again, without the polarized sunglasses, they all look the same. Might have to head back to the art store and try to pick out the sheet I like and do it all over again.

***Edit***

Went back to the store, put on my sunglasses (weird looks - it being dark out and me being inside) and started holding up sheets of blue acetate film against a white wall....nope, nope, nope, nope...oh here's a light blue one - put it aside..keep looking..nope...nope..nope. OK, I guess I found the only one. Picked it up to double check and mysteriously it's dark blue again.

Hmmm...did I take LSD today? Nope.

Finally figured out that if you hold the sheet with the 8.5" side at the bottom (portrait way I guess) it's dark blue. If you hold it with the 11" side at the bottom (landscape) it's light blue. But you can only see this with polarized sunglasses on.

So if you're doing this mod, and you have polarized sunglasses, you may want to make sure you cut them all the same way - obviously I didn't, but it's all fixed now.

[RXREY]

Went out to pick the kids up from school and discovered something odd. With the naked eye (and in my pics), the gauges look the same, but when I put my polarized sunglasses on, the power gauge (which had a piece of acetate film from a different sheet than the other two gauges) got darker blue, but the other two gauges got lighter blue. Regular sunglasses didn't do this (I tried a non-polarized pair)

Weird, and unfortunately, I didn't cut the pieces from one piece, which I might have been able to do if I cut more carefully, because I had two sheets. Anyway, I kinda liked the look of the lighter blue when I had my sunglasses on (since the sunglasses were making everything darker and the acetate already darkens the gauges). Unfortunately, the piece I had left over was the sheet that was coming out dark with the sunglasses.

Just to maintain some symmetry, I cut a new piece for the fuel/temp gauge so I have the outer two gauges a darker blue, and the speedometer a lighter blue. Again, without the polarized sunglasses, they all look the same. Might have to head back to the art store and try to pick out the sheet I like and do it all over again.

"lemon"

This is unrelated but I believe that you are using kilometers where you live? How many miles have you put on your 06 400h? I am at 43K and the car still feels brand new.

[lemon]

Roughly 780000 miles. (1 mile = 1.6 km). Bought it used, though, so can't compare to how it felt new. Aside from the $7000 CDN leaking inverter (covered under they hybrid warranty luckily) and a bad driver's side rear wheel bearing, it's all been good. Serviced the brakes when I bought it (I'm anal like that - just cleaned and lubed everything up) and was amazed at how much pad was left. The regenerative braking really takes a load off the mechanical brakes.

***edit***

That is 78 000 miles. Not 780 000 miles.

[cduluk]

It might have to do with the direction you look into the film with. It might not be reversible.

[lemon]

Didn't matter what direction (or what side - i.e from the front or back) I looked at the film with. All that mattered was if the sheet was held in portrait (where it was dark blue) or landscape (where it was light blue). It was weird...and like I said, with the naked eye, and regular sunglasses, it looked the same shade of blue no matter which way it was held. Only with the polarized lenses did it change shades.

[RX400h]

Roughly 780000 miles. (1 mile = 1.6 km).

That's gotta be a Lexus record (780,000 miles in less than 5 years) if I ever saw one! How far is your commute, 300 miles????

[lemon]

Hahah..no my commute is about 100km round trip, and I work 21 days out of every 35 (shifwork). So work alone should put on about 21000km/year. Hmmm..times 5 years... I should be at about 105000km. But factor in some personal use of the vehicle and it gets up there. The average (so the insurance companies say) in my area is about 24000km year.

Keep in mind, though, that I bought the vehicle used just this last June (the end of June) with about 115000km on it. So I've put 10000km on it about 6 months. So I'm actually doing a bit less than the average. Part of it is I use the wife's company vehicle when she's not working and I am.

Totally unrelated, her company vehicle is a new 2010 Chevy Equinox (the new redesigned model) and while it's no Lexus, I think it's probably the best in that class of vehicle - a lot to say considering I've never ever ever been a GM fan.

This thread, btw, is now officially off topic...

***edit***

OK, now I see the typo...hahahaha...and still on my original traction battery...gotta call Toyota about that one...

[pauljcl]

Didn't matter what direction (or what side - i.e from the front or back) I looked at the film with. All that mattered was if the sheet was held in portrait (where it was dark blue) or landscape (where it was light blue). It was weird...and like I said, with the naked eye, and regular sunglasses, it looked the same shade of blue no matter which way it was held. Only with the polarized lenses did it change shades.

That's what polarization is adn why it is used in sunglasses: it cuts down reflection in one plane, leaving it in the other. If you rotate sunglasses, you get the same effect, not only with your acetate sheet but on anything (e.g. windshield, painted surface etc...) on which there is a reflection. In particular, one pair of polarized sunglasses rotated over another pair of such glasses will really show the darkening effect when the polarization is at 90*. My polarized sunglasses cause the radio dial transparent faceplate on the RX350 to show distortion (from manufacture). I checked a couple of other RXs, anbd they had the same 'problem' in the same place.

[lemon]

That's what polarization is adn why it is used in sunglasses: it cuts down reflection in one plane, leaving it in the other. If you rotate sunglasses, you get the same effect, not only with your acetate sheet but on anything (e.g. windshield, painted surface etc...) on which there is a reflection. In particular, one pair of polarized sunglasses rotated over another pair of such glasses will really show the darkening effect when the polarization is at 90*. My polarized sunglasses cause the radio dial transparent faceplate on the RX350 to show distortion (from manufacture). I checked a couple of other RXs, anbd they had the same 'problem' in the same place.

That's why I like using polarized sunglasses. It greatly cuts down on the reflection of the dash in the windshield. I've noticed that it distorts the radio as well, and also the lcd display at the gas pump. They're great for use on water as well if you fish go boating.

[RXREY]

A designer/special effects man, friend of mine, who happens to own an Infinity FX35 was riding in my RX 400 and loved my blue gauges and thought my car came like that. He mentioned that he hates the gauge color, or lack of color in his Infinity, and wished his came like mine, that nifty blue color......I told him what I did...he laughed and said it was clever. He's a former student of mine at the design center, ya know the one Chip Foose graduated from......now he did the acetate trick to his FX and everyone is happy...even non Lexus Forum members love this five minute mod! Very few people are really going to take their dashes apart, no offense to CDULUC but that's a bit much for me.

[pauljcl]

A designer/special effects man, friend of mine, who happens to own an Infinity FX35 was riding in my RX 400 and loved my blue gauges and thought my car came like that. He mentioned that he hates the gauge color, or lack of color in his Infinity, and wished his came like mine, that nifty blue color......I told him what I did...he laughed and said it was clever. He's a former student of mine at the design center, ya know the one Chip Foose graduated from......now he did the acetate trick to his FX and everyone is happy...even non Lexus Forum members love this five minute mod! Very few people are really going to take their dashes apart, no offense to CDULUC but that's a bit much for me.

I think this is super-neat, and also so easily reversible. How do you slip the acetate in front of the gauge'windows? Do you start in the middle or is the side gauge large enough (since the acetate sheet must be larger than the gauges).

[cduluk]

Very few people are really going to take their dashes apart, no offense to CDULUC but that's a bit much for me.

We did two totally different things <_< which require two totally different processes. No one could complete the white gauges/blue rings mod without taking the cluster apart- you can't really compare them. All you did was add an overlay, like tinting a window...

I certainly wouldn't call it a true "mod".

[RXREY]

A mod is of course, a modification and it is that no matter how simple. It's no big deal, just a different thing , you are right, it's not a competition, it's two different things. But as I said, I work with entertainment designers and time is always considered...so this is just the five minute solution. Rey in L.A. ...finally, it's raining!

[cduluk]

If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing ;)

[RXREY]

A designer/special effects man, friend of mine, who happens to own an Infinity FX35 was riding in my RX 400 and loved my blue gauges and thought my car came like that. He mentioned that he hates the gauge color, or lack of color in his Infinity, and wished his came like mine, that nifty blue color......I told him what I did...he laughed and said it was clever. He's a former student of mine at the design center, ya know the one Chip Foose graduated from......now he did the acetate trick to his FX and everyone is happy...even non Lexus Forum members love this five minute mod! Very few people are really going to take their dashes apart, no offense to CDULUC but that's a bit much for me.

I think this is super-neat, and also so easily reversible. How do you slip the acetate in front of the gauge'windows? Do you start in the middle or is the side gauge large enough (since the acetate sheet must be larger than the gauges).

Yes, you can start with the larger center gauge and then decide, as I did, to do the two flanking gauges. As LEMON stated and I have since redone mine...you need only to cut them like arches, bigger than each gauge and carefully and with perhaps gloves, slide them on top of the plastic gauge window and under the gauge rings. It looks really nice, night or day. They just sit there, no tape needed as LEMON found out. Rey Bustos in rainy L.A.

[RXREY]

If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing ;)

To cduluk:

Well, it makes you happy. I have my career that takes my time and happily I might add...I am very fortunate... we all spend our time in different ways so I don't spend that time on a car. But it does seem to make you happy and we all like to see what you do...so keep doing it!

Rey Bustos in rainy L.A.

[pauljcl]

A designer/special effects man, friend of mine, who happens to own an Infinity FX35 was riding in my RX 400 and loved my blue gauges and thought my car came like that. He mentioned that he hates the gauge color, or lack of color in his Infinity, and wished his came like mine, that nifty blue color......I told him what I did...he laughed and said it was clever. He's a former student of mine at the design center, ya know the one Chip Foose graduated from......now he did the acetate trick to his FX and everyone is happy...even non Lexus Forum members love this five minute mod! Very few people are really going to take their dashes apart, no offense to CDULUC but that's a bit much for me.

I think this is super-neat, and also so easily reversible. How do you slip the acetate in front of the gauge'windows? Do you start in the middle or is the side gauge large enough (since the acetate sheet must be larger than the gauges).

Yes, you can start with the larger center gauge and then decide, as I did, to do the two flanking gauges. As LEMON stated and I have since redone mine...you need only to cut them like arches, bigger than each gauge and carefully and with perhaps gloves, slide them on top of the plastic gauge window and under the gauge rings. It looks really nice, night or day. They just sit there, no tape needed as LEMON found out. Rey Bustos in rainy L.A.

I guess that by the time you get this it will be Rey in stormy LA..... and this is from Paul in sunny Miami (tomorrow we hope).... Can you pull out the black plastic 'gauge cover and sunshield'. I looked for some screws holding it, but could not find any, was afraid to pull too hard.... of maybe CDuluk could know since he dismantled the entire cluster???? ( tried different colours with transparent folders, and it is really really cool + I am amazed at how much space there is between the black 'cover' and the transparent window...

[cduluk]

What do you mean black cover and transparent window?

If you're in the drivers seat, the first thing you notice around the cluster is what's called the outer "bezel". It's the piece with the chrome rings.

This piece is only held on with clips, and can be removed by pulling it directly towards you. Grab the left and right dividers (the pieces that separate the three holes) and pull out.

When you've got this piece out, you'll be face to face with the gauge cluster. You'll see the tinted cover over the cluster.

It's only held to the cluster by some clips, but it's almost impossible to remove without taking the cluster out of the car. You can remove the cluster by removing the four philips screws (one at each corner). Then there are 3 plugs on the back, and that's that!

[pauljcl]

What do you mean black cover and transparent window?

If you're in the drivers seat, the first thing you notice around the cluster is what's called the outer "bezel". It's the piece with the chrome rings.

This piece is only held on with clips, and can be removed by pulling it directly towards you. Grab the left and right dividers (the pieces that separate the three holes) and pull out.

When you've got this piece out, you'll be face to face with the gauge cluster. You'll see the tinted cover over the cluster.

It's only held to the cluster by some clips, but it's almost impossible to remove without taking the cluster out of the car. You can remove the cluster by removing the four philips screws (one at each corner). Then there are 3 plugs on the back, and that's that!

Thank you very much: the outer bezel is the part I wanted to pull out, but did not dare. Where are the clips (e.g. right and left, top and bottom.... and how many?) I had already pulled reasonably hard but was scared to pull more strongly.... Great info. Tks. again! [i'll let you know how it went, and what colour I chose to put over the 'window' - I have to see what red looks like - I've got that colour in the BMW and it is very easy on the eyes at night while being very legible = like fighter planes during WWII!].

[cduluk]

There are two clips at the top around the speedometer hole, then the two bottom ones are at the opposite corners. Just yank and it will come out.