Hi folks. I am summoning the collective wisdom of this forum for the first time and I thank you in advance for any advice you can offer. So here's my question: How do I remove the bulbs from the gauges in my 1986 911?

See picture attached (I hope). The bulb post is the metal cylinder with the red top and the blue wire extending from it.

TX911

UPDATE - Feb 16, 2005:

Thanks for everyone's advice, I successfully removed the bulb. Here's how I did it - I gripped the crimped area above the black plastic sleeve with a pair of needle nose pliers. After twisting back and forth a bit I pulled up and away from instrument, and the mechanism that holds the bulb slid out of the barrel which is covered by the black plastic sleeve. There is no need to un-crimp the top, as this merely secures a washer that keeps the red plastic cap in place.

I hope this helps future readers of this thread.

 

what happened when you pulled on it?

 

I played around with the red cap, thinking it might pull out of the post with the bulb attached, but in doing so the bulb fell into the gauge. I haven't pulled on the post as it looks permanently fastened to the back of the gauge.

 

pull & twist the black dingus .. see if it comes out

might have to take the gauge apart to get the bulb out

 

I am here to rescue you! All the gauges in my 86 Carrera are hanging out by their wires and I'm in the process of replacing all the bulbs. You need to pull the bulb and socket out as a unit, and to do that you just use a small screwdriver or knife and pry up gently on the metal lip that surrounds the red thing. The black cylinder part stays put. The bulb and socket will come out very easily and they go back in the same way. Just push them in. In fact, they come out so easily you can probably just use your fingernail to pry them up. Have fun.

 

Thanks for the advice-- i am having the same issue

 

FYI on the bulbs. I replaced every bulb in my instrument cluster. I picked them up at the foreign auto parts store. Take one with you to match up, they are the same ones that Volkswagen used so you can get a bunch of them for very little money.

In answer to the original question, pull hard!!

 

Pull hard on what? Thanks.

 

They slide right out very easily. No hard pulling necessary.

 

Grab onto the metal ring below the red plastic with your fingers and just wiggle them out.... i Just pulled mine out 1 hour ago to get new bulbs for all the gauges.

 

it's the silver ring they are talking about

just note that these gauges amy have changed over the years.. so you might need to pull and wiggle on some other part

 

I know that this will sound stupid but.........if you are replacing them, do it one by one so you don't cross up your wires and have the wrong light in the wrong hole.

I take digital pictures of all my instrument backs before I start, just in case I get interupted in the middle of something.

 

This is good advice and exactly how I did it.

I ran into a small snag tonight doing my 86 instruments. There is one bulb in the temp/pressure gauge that is bigger than all the rest - a 4W monster. It's the only one like that in the whole cluster and I don't have a replacement for it. All the rest are either the 1.2W indicator bulbs or the 2W illumination ones.

 

I will apoligize in advance, but what would you do if you needed to change a flat tire. Now
that would probably have about four pages of postes.

Again woke up quite feisty this morning, so forgive me.

 

Oh Ernie you are SO dim!! (bulbs - dim errrr?)

PJC