How to Replace Gauge Cluster & Heater Control Panel Light Bulbs - 1991 Honda Civic Wagon
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- Pretty easy install and only a few tools are needed to complete this job. My heater control panel lights were both burned out and I had 3 bulbs out inside the gauge cluster. It was annoying not being able to see the heater controls as I use them frequently since the weather has changed. I did not want to use LEDs because some of them do not have the same light direction as a stock bulb and can look odd inside the cluster or control panel.
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Jon Widmer
PO Box 13594
El Paso, TX 79913
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Thanks for watching!
Damn almost 400,000 miles 😳 that's why Hondas are amazing 👌🏻
jonathan cabrejo Lol, I hope to surpass 400,000!
+Jon Widmer haha I'm sure it will ! I'm almost to 200,000 lol
jonathan cabrejo im at 128k on my sedan its got a long way to go.
It'll get there, I'm sure!!
I've been watching some of your very informative videos since summer 2017 after I purchased a 1989 DX. The 2 owners before me really Frankensteined the hell out of it -- it has a VTEC engine swap from either a '94 or '95 CRX SI, the entire dashboard and transmission are out of a '92 CRX that hit a deer, and they didn't convert the ECU and electronics to OBD-1; instead, they notched out the bolt hole on the 0BD-0 distributor so they could swing it far enough to "trick" the engine. Some income and worsening medical issues prevented me from properly working on it for a couple of years and then it sat, untouched, in the garage from September 2020 until January 2024. Now I'm finally ready to get serious about restoring it. Your videos have been a Godsend for my ability to study the ins and outs of the workings of this car! I greatly appreciate it!
hey man, I love all your content. It is the most thorough walkthrough there is for just about everything I need to know about my EF.
Thanks Daniel!! I try!
Thanks for the videos man, it makes my life a lot easier. I watch them everyday and never get old. Keep up the good work 👍
Glad to help Enrique! I really appreciate that you're watching them too!
Love this video because 2 years ago a few of my bulbs burned out was wanting to remove the cluster for cleaning of the inner plastic glass bezele so I purchased these dark blue led bulbs for my sedan without having to modify anything and uses the oem part number
👍
Lots of good info here. I'm restoring my RT4WD wagon. I just found out that the squeaking in the dash was my speed cable! I gotta fix that next.
Nice, not too tough to get to!
How did you fix the squeak? I'm about to take mine apart and see if can be lubricated.
Replacement cable. The lube might work though.
Thanks for this video, it was just what I needed to know.
Thanks Jon cool and helpful videos I can honestly say im addicted to your diy bow to videos and any car guy or gal would agree keep posting this awesome stuff and tbth better than a chilton or haynes manual lol
I'm trying to be the "go-to manual" for all future EF fixed! 😀
Great how to as usual man. I need to do this to my eg.
👍🏻
Hello. This is a very informative easy to follow tutorial video. I have a 1991 Honda CRX DX with 377,000 miles on it. About 3 years a go, the bulb that illuminates the speedometer needle went out. Now, the bulb that illuminates the tach needle has went out. If i'm not mistaking, I think it is the 2 bulbs that shine down, correct me if I'm wrong. Can you please provide a part number for a link for those bulbs. Also, the bulbs for the hazard light button and the rear window defroster has been out for years. Your help will be appreciated. Again, thanks for the video. Ryan
You're right about the bulbs that shine down. I picked up my bulbs at Autozone, I didn't buy them online. I took the old ones over and matched up the sizes, they had all of them in stock.
cool man a wago vid been waiting for it
Rick James Got a few more planned in the next couple of weeks!
Thanks for the info. I was able to do it myself.
Awesome, thanks for sharing!
This is exactly what i needed to replace mine. I just got a 1991 civic EX with 126k in great condition. The heater control panel wont lit at all so i am assuming that the bulbs are burned. Do you know where to purchase new bulbs and the size? Thanks!
I bought mine off of eBay.
@@GarageBuiltHondas Thanks! You showed two different sizes of bulbs for the heater control. Do you know what size they are? I am trying find the LED equivalent for those two.
I don't. I just punched in my vehicle on eBay and purchased some that said they fit. And it's been a long long time since I made this video and I haven't bought LEDs for any clusters since then.
Hey Jon, I took my stock motor out my ef and not my back and front lights are not working, I’m not sure if it’s my ground because I have check that and it’s getting spark but not lights are coming on
Check all your fuses
Another great video!
AutoTechDale 👍🏻
nice video thankyou very much.
👍🏻
the two bulb sizes that you used were they 74s and 194? planing to do this soon
I am not sure. I matched these bulbs up to two sets at Autozone and they were Sylvania and the part #'s on the boxes were 24LL.BP2 and 37LL.BP2.
What's the number on the smaller bulbs, sorry I didn't catch it?
Will the bulb's that you recommended fit on a 91 Honda Civic Hatchback DX?
Yes
So what if u don’t have an aftermarket steering wheel then how it’s in the way
Bro i dismounted like you did did went to chinese store and now it has light bro !! I fkin love you for the rest of ma life
Awesome Hugo!!
Jon Widmer bro you gotta see soon my car ill try to show you as soon as i get my wheels on tires ! And propper fitted
Nice, let me know! Make another video!
jon you should do a video on how to set ignition timing.
I will, next video I make I'll do a couple updates. I need to set my ignition timing on the wagon anyway when I do the MPFI swap.
did you have any problems with the gauges when you swapped it to si? Having troubles with mine where the fuel and temperature gauge is always up.
Check my other reply
Hey Jon I have a question, I'm from Chicago and I have a 1991 Honda CRX. A couple of weeks ago, the temp reach freezing and I had to jumpstart my CRX. As I started driving it, I noticed the clutch was more sensitive than usual. Maybe because of the freezing weather and today, I had it in 1st 2nd or any gear and as I'm driving, when I press the gas to the floor the speedometer goes up normally but the RPMs skyrocket, it's like I have it in neutral which it isn't. Any help is greatly appreciated. Also could you do a video on how to do timing belt, tensioner and water pump plus timing
So the tachometer goes up more than it should when gas is applied and in gear? Sounds like you have a broken tachometer. They can break. I had this same issue but it was my speedometer which broke and did the same as your tach. Here is that video.
ua-cam.com/video/uZRvIN5MErk/v-deo.html
Hello excelent vídeo once again but id pior to know the bulb sizes for the heat control also ????
You can use Sylvania 37LL.BP2 for the heater controls and also for the 2 on top of the cluster. The 24LL.BP2 are the larger bulbs for the back of the cluster.
All my cluster lights dont work on my hatch, but sometimes if I hit it, theyll turn on. Is that just the bulbs?
EF Hatch Life most likely yes
I agree, I've seen some of these cluster break off small pieces of the white housing. They have gotten brittle with age and the bulbs may not be making good contact. Swap the bulbs first.
John, do you know if every light on the cluster is lit up by one bulb? but more specifically, like the check engine, oil regulator, e-brake. the ones that are all paired closely together. Is each one powered by it's own bulb or are some paired to one bulb?
+Braden All are powered individually.
I think my check engine light is out. it's never lit up. Thank you!
+Braden When you first turn your key in the ignition switch it doesn't turn on as the fuel pump primes, then turns off like 3-4 seconds after it finishes priming?
It's never turned on with the fuel pump, like it's supposed to, all of my other lights surrounding it turn on but no the CEL. Maybe you can give me some more insight to this. Although, I know the 1st gen integra setup for storing the ecu codes is different for each honda. So, technically, there's supposed to be a 10 amp fuse on the positive battery terminal that is used, somehow, with the memory storing of codes for the ecu. Someone before me tried to bypass that 10 amp fuse, and just got rid of it entirely, putting the small wire that feeds the ecu with the 60a battery wire feeding from the positive terminal to the firewall fuse box. I threw a 10 amp fuse on the positive terminal, paired with the small ecu wire, thinking that would solve the issue.. but to no avail. Maybe you know someone who has had this same issue bfore? Any detailed help is much appreciated. I want my CEL to function proper. help. lol
Or is it just simply a fucking, little bulb?
Did you put a si cluster in it ? Is then much wiring to do the swap from a dx c x to a si cluster?? Thanks keep the videos coming very help full
No, this is the wagon cluster. Cluster swaps are easy, they just mount in, no wiring needed. What car do you have?
Garage Built Hondas 1991 civic cx hatch back
I'm thinking to do the intake swap you did aswell
You can use an 90-91 cluster. The 88-89 will not work.
Garage Built Hondas so a 90 91 si cluster will plug in ? My cx doesn't have the rpm just water and gas and speedo
jon, long time bra were u been hiding at. thx for the excellent video
joethecollector Dude, the holiday season is the busiest time of year for me at work. It's over now, back to work on the cars!! 👍🏻
Excellent, btw im finally gonna get my fenders rolled so i can have a more aggressive stance.
joethecollector Are you going with a wider set of wheels and tires?
Jon Widmer bingo! i was thinking 16x8 with like a +30ish offset but for now ive got new tires so im using wheel spacers for an aggressive stance.
Gotcha, what kind of wheels did you have in mind?
are you ever gonna do a dpfi to mpfi conversion vid?
Yup, when I have time.
What bulb type is it if I want to get different colors? For the cluster
I couldn't tell you. Ask whomever you plan on buying them from, they can probably help.
What size bulbs did you use for the gauge cluster? All mine went out even though the turn signals work. When I turn my lights on, the cluster won't light up but the climate control will. Do you know what it could be? AutoZone said to replace them, but I'm now sure if that's it or not.
I would try to replace the bulbs first. I can't read through the comments because I'm on my UA-cam dashboard but scroll down. I responded to a couple posts with the bulbs that I found at Autozone made by Sylvania.
I have a Dx 89 Sedan does my climate control have lights or are they just Ment to be dark?
+Jose Hilario Your light bulbs are fine.
When I said dark I ment like there’s no light, I was asking if my model comes with lights on the climate control
Sorry lol
+Jose Hilario ok got it! Lol. Yes all have lights, replacing them will fix your issue just like mine did.
Okay thanks man, you have an Instagram?
Why did one of the clusters you showed have that extra plastic cover with the blue plug?
Cruise control I believe
Garage Built Hondas are the wires for the cluster harness the same for the civic hatch and the crx? I have a civic dx and I’m trying to put a crx si cluster in it but it isn’t working right. I found some pin diagrams for the crx and was wondering if I just re-pin my harness to match the crx harness will it work?
I am in the middle of swapping a cluster with a tach into my dx that did not have one. I got everything working but the fuel gauge in the new one is barely moveing. Its sooooo slow you cant see it moveing. My original one was fine. Anyone know what to look at or scuff up to get it working better? The sending unit is fine. Its the gauge itself.
Don't believe they're repairable. May need to change that portion of the cluster.
Will this be the same for ef hatch?
Yes
What bulbs should I use if I wanted to go LED?
I don't know. You'll have to find the correct sizes.
Did you possibly consider doing the white led cluster mod? I'm looking into buying the kit for it for my hatch. What are your opinions on it.
I thought about it but didn't want some cheap LEDs to not shine in the cluster well. I may do so in the future. If you can get some LEDs that are multidirectional like a regular light bulb then I would go for those. The ones that have the LED shining just forward will not work well in the clusters leaving darker spots where the light doesn't reach.
Hmm I know password JDM and a few other sites sell good kits but they do cost a lit. For now I'll just do the replacement bulbs like you. Great video btw. Cheers :D
Check the comments below, 2 guys were having a conversation and he put up a link for the LEDs he got.
What size are the heater control panel bulbs? I want to see if I could switch them to leds
Reno 194 i believe
The sylvania part #'s I had found at Autozone which matched these bulbs were 24LL.BP2 and 37LL.BP2. I cannot remember which one of those is the larger one. You need the smaller bulbs.
The 37LL.BP2 are the smaller bulbs.
nicee .. any idea where to get LEDs?
Not really, I know eBay has a ton but I would bet a website that specializes in LEDs would be better quality. Probably more expensive but worth it.
Carlos oreillys auto zone carry the 194s go to super bright leds for the 74s they are quality led bulbs worth the money or ebay but most are junky
EFsedan91LX www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/instrument-cluster-gauge/74-led-bulb-3-smd-led-miniature-wedge-retrofit-car/228/ and these?
Carlos yes!! you can find the 194s in leds as well in superbrightleds.com also you can find the regular (stock)74s at oreillys. So you can either go leds or stock 👍
Carlos m.ebay.com/itm?itemId=301236257111
you can also find cheap chinese on ebay and give them a shot
What part of Texas are you in? There is a white EF in forth Worth with a blown motor for $500 and looks super clean....if you're looking for a flip car
Ryan Ramirez is it at a junk yard? i live in denton tx 1hr away from forth worth.
EFsedan91LX go on Craigslist in Waco and search 1991 Honda Civic hatchback. It's white and says $500
Too far for me, I'd scoop it up for $500 if it's decent! I'm in El Paso.
Jon Widmer there is one in Phoenix. White and running and all original. It's been up for awhile. I've been looking for one but all the ones around here need a decent amount of paint and body.
What's the price of the one in Phoenix?
would a si cluster work on a base model honda like the tachometer
Yes, has to be similar year tach though. 88-89 or 90-91
Jon Widmer but i mean going from no tach to a tach cluster
Yes, just get the same year as your car!
i bought some led bulbs for the climate control but they came out looking weak and bluish. any one might know why?? the led bulbs light up perfectly fine and are white.
Francisco Razo because a regular (stock bulb) doesnt light up white its more of a yellowish. thats why with the led u get a bluish color.
Do they shine light in all directions, or just forward? The build of the LED can affect the pattern it shines inside the housing.
Jon Widmer its one way only. the regular bulbs look way brighter than the led when in the climate control housing. the store i bought them from have pictures of them installed and the pictures look way better than mine
Did you happen to ever find a fix for it? im currently experiencing the same issue. installed white led but get a blue dim light. im assuming its a plastic cover
I wish my interior was blue but it's brown
I like the interior colors that the EF's came with. Embrace it, it's rare.
Thanks g 🙏