nmurphy

somehow a bit of moisture got under the lens of my tach and has clouded the guage. looks lousy.

is there a way to take the front glass off without removing the entire tach from the dash? so yes......

quicksilver

The quick answer would be "No" but removing the gauge is easy. The rubber ring around the gauge is the only thing holding it in place. It may be a little stuck from time but it will pop free. Taking the gauge apart is a different story. I think that the best solution would be to remove the lamps from the back and use a compressed air source to blow in one side and out the other. I would look for a very low pressure and let it evaporate slowly.

If there are water spots on the glass you should be able to find a way to chemically remove them. Perhaps someone else could suggest a way to deal with that.

I have talked to some people who have removed the glass but it doesn't look like a very safe process to me so I wouldn't try that. If someone has a surefire way of removing and replacing the glass I would like to hear it.

Wayne

emac

I repleaced all the gauges on my 81sc. along with the glass. Not really hard but you must have patience! If you attempt this make sure you mark all of the wires, I used a paint stick and marked both the wires and the gauge itself. Its on the back so It will never be seen and if you have to remove again that work is done. Anyway, since I have done this I have had the same problem a few times. I did NOTHING and the moisture evaporated on its own without leaving any marks on the glass. I would be very leery using any compressed air. Just my 2cents.

rfuerst

I would think that the weather in Calif. would allow you to put the car outside in the sun for a few hours and I would think it would be gone.Maybe park the car so the sun hits the gauges,just a thought.

Carlos Artal

I got this as well on the last heavy rainy day. I would not be worried about the moisture going OUT (as it did a few hours later)... but how did it get IN? and if it is affecting something worse!

ZCAT3

I had this happen on my first 87 coupe and it has now happened a few times on my "new" 87 coupe. It has never concerned me as the vapor dries up while driving. The gauges are actually exposed inside the front trunk - you can see them if you look up in there. The trunk is far from water proof and rainy or humid weather will allow condensation to get in there. No big deal.

jimcabc

I had the same problem after I bought my '87 Cabrio. Except the moisture appeared after the instrument lights were on for a few minutes. This generally occurred on a warm humid day. For a few weeks, I just drove around with at least the parking lights on and eventually the condensation did not return. I assumed the heat of the instrument lamps dried up any moisture. The last time I saw any condensation was early last summer.
There are no remaining water spots that I can see. Jim H.

arerrac

Yes, the glass can be removed, but VERY carefully. I had the moisture and stains on the inside of my temp/oil press gauge on my '88 Carrera. Looked terrible Goto pelicanparts.com and do a search for "face gauge replacement". You'll get an article for replacement on a 914 but the article shows pictures of the bezel removal to get at the glass.
Here is the text from the article;
All of the VDO Porsche gauges have faces that are attached with a ring that is bent and wrapped around the outer edge of the gauge. The factory must have a pretty good tool for performing this, because the seal is both real good and also very smooth. Any modifications or repair to the gauges requires the removal of this ring.
Figure 3: Removing Outer Retaining Ring
Figure 4: Removing Outer Ring and Face
Figure 5: Tachometer with Front Face Removed
Figure 6: Using Magic Marker on Rim of Gauge
The removal procedure must be performed very carefully, otherwise the edge of your gauge will look like your dog has chewed on it. To remove the outer ring, place a small screwdriver in-between the side of the gauge and the retaining ring. Gently push out with the screw driver and pry a small section of the ring away from the wall. This is shown in Figure 3. Repeat this process until you have pushed the retaining ring out from a little more than half of the gauge. At this point, you should be able to remove this retaining ring by pulling on the ring, or by prying it off with a screw driver. Remember to do this carefully or you will damage the retaining ring. When the ring is loose, it will come off of the gauge face as shown in Figure 4.

rich 36

I had terrible trouble just getting the tach out from behind the steering col/schroud, how do you get the steering column top and bottom off?

k9handler

it happens!

I have noticed this quite a bit since I moved to Germany, while I never noticed it in Albuquerque.
From what I have heard, it's very common and nothing to worry about.

pjc

Moisture on the inside of the instrument glass is common - in the UK VERY common! doesn't matter if you manage to get to the inside of the glass and remove it it will re-appear at another time. Leave it alone and it will dry out after a while. Anyway, forget the dials just drive the beast!

Dickran

This happened to me too until I had the windshield re-sealed with a silicon type sealing agent. I had a Auto Glass place do it, thereafter it was fine.

Dick

quicksilver

[quote]Originally posted by rich 36:
<strong>I had terrible trouble just getting the tach out from behind the steering col/schroud, how do you get the steering column top and bottom off?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Yuup...! It is a pain. The steering wheel has to come out for the tach to be pulled. I believe it is a 27mm socket to remove the wheel. At that point you need a wheel puller. Once that is removed you will find 4 screws behind it and there is an additional screw on either side of the column.

It is a bit of a pain but not to hard. (Why didn't they design it with 1/4" more room?)


Wayne

rich 36

cheers quicksilver, project for new years i think!

Stephen Masraum

Nope, steering wheel doesn't have to come out to get the tach out, at least not in my '88 with stock wheel. It is tight, but it will come out.