Disclaimer - Please note I only recommend professionals undertake any work on vehicles. Spdkilz.com is not liable for any damage or harm that may come from the use of instructions given in the following how-to section(s).

 

. : List of Materials Needed : .
(1).  Seven LED's and Resistors	(2).  Dremel With A Sanding/Cutting Attachment
(3).  Flathead Screwdriver	(4).  Towel
(5).  10mm Socket With Extension	(6).  T-15 Star Bit
(7).  3/8" Socket With Extension	(8).  7mm Socket With Extension
(9).  Soldering Gun	(10).  Solder

(click on pictures for larger versions)

 

Foreword:  I am going to be re-using a few steps from other tech tips, mainly from my Hurst shifter install and from my door panel LED install.  Also, I am sorry if this Tech Tip is not as thorough as it could be.  I actually "re-did" this entire procedure for the sake of the site.  I had numerous people asking me about this modification, so during my spring break I spent a few hours in 20 degree weather for you guys!
(1).  Here is a picture of a few things you will need.
(2).  First we will pry up the AH trip plate using a small flathead screwdriver.
(3).  Disconnect the three plugs underneath (I forgot to mark them in the picture, but if you look hard enough you should see them).
(4).  In this picture you can see two 10mm nuts.  Remove them and put them in a safe place so you don't lose them.
(5).  Now we move to the inside of the center console (lift up the cover).  You can see in the rear of it, two covers.  Use a small screw driver to pry them up.
(6).  Underneath the covers are two more 10mm nuts.  Remove these also.
(7).  Before you can pull the center console out you have to remove one more plug: the fuel door popper.  In the picture it is the plug with the orange and pink wires.  It is simple to get off, yet tricky at the same time (it is hard to lift it up and maneuver your hand underneath it because the wires are short).  Just take your time and it will pop out easily.
(8).  Shows the center console removed.  Some people seem to have problems getting it out, because they try to pull it straight up.  Instead, pull from behind (get your fingers under the plastic lip) and pull it toward the trunk while steadily lifting it upward.  That is a very easy way to remove the center console.
(9).  We move next to removing the stock shift knob.  Get a very small and thin flathead screwdriver, and wedge it in-between the plastic and leather part of the shift knob.  Then, carefully pry the plastic piece out (have a cloth underneath the screw driver so no damage will occur to the stock shift knobs leather, in case you want to re-use it at a later time).
(10).  Next we remove the "Demon Key".  I have heard more than a few people curse about this small piece of metal over on Corvetteforum.com.  I, however, don't know why.  If you take two relatively beefy flathead screwdrivers and wedge one on either side of the "Demon Key" and then slowly but forcefully lift up, the demon key should pop right out (it did for me on my first try).  Remember to use a cloth to cushion the knob.
(11).  With the "Demon Key" out, we can now unscrew the shift knob.  After that is done, we must remove the boot.  Pull gently towards the shifter, then up.
(12).  The instrument panel must now be removed.  There are three T-15 screws that must be removed.  Lift up the ashtray door and you will discover two of them (remove the ashtray to reveal the second one).
(13).  The last screw is right next to the ignition switch.  In this picture you can see that we have to pop off one more small panel that is hiding the last screw.  Again, use a small flathead screwdriver and cloth to do so.
(14).  Before fully removing the instrument panel, you need to reach back around behind it and unplug the gray electrical connector attached to the cigarette lighter.
(15).  Next, using a small flat head screw driver and cloth, gently put the screwdriver behind the plate of the hatch release button.
(16).  As soon as the plate is partially pried up, you can use your hand to pull the rest of it away from the dash.  You should expect there to be a bit of resistance when doing this, because there is a metal clip that is holding the panel to the dash.  In this picture you can see the panel pulled from the dash, exposing the backside of it.  There is a plug that you need to disconnect from the back of the panel.
(17).  Next, we move to under the drivers side dash.  Using your size 15 torx screwdriver, remove the two size 15 torx screws along the bottom of the knee panel.
(18).  After the two screws are removed, pull the bottom left side of the knee panel downward then pull the left side of the panel that faces the river toward the driver seat.  There are a few clips holding the panel on, so resistance is expected.  Before you can fully detach the knee panel, you have to look on the right side of it.  You will notice a plug, which is the temperature sensor.  Unplug this and you can now remove the panel.
(19).  To the right and left of the steering column you will notice a 7mm screw head that you will need  and extension to remove.  Remember to remove the 7mm screws on both sides of the steering column.
(20).  If you look at the steering column, there is a metal bracket that has four 7mm screws holding it in.  Using an extension and a 7mm socket, pass through the "holes" in this bracket (you will see this in the picture shown) and unscrew the two 7mm screws on one side, then go to the other side and unscrew the other two 7mm screws.
(21).  Once you have removed the metal plate, there will be two more nuts you must remove from under the dash.  On either side of the steering column, there is a 13mm nut.  Unscrew both of these, and gently push the entire steering column down.  It should move a good few inches (which will help us have enough space to remove the DIC later on).
(22).  Now move to the gauge assembly.  Along the top of it there are two size 15 torx screws.  After removing these screws you will notice that the washers on them are a bit larger than the other size 15 torx screws previously removed.  Obviously, the size 15 torx screws cannot be interchangeable, so be sure to reuse these screws.
(23).  With the two 15mm torx screws removed from the gauge assembly, you are now ready to pull the entire assembly forward.  First, tilt the steering wheel all the way down.  Second, obtain your towel and put it on top of the steering column (to prevent scratches).  Then, begin the removal of the gauge cluster by tilting the top portion toward you.  There is a white tab that needs to be lifted out of its alignment within a square opening that is formed in a horizontal metal plate (illustrated in step 40).  Once it is free you will need to tilt the top back to access the two plugs connected to the back of the assembly.  The first (shown in the picture) is a fairly large plug connected to the back left of the assembly.  To disconnect this plug from the assembly, squeeze inward on the tab while at the same time pulling the housing, thus pulling the plug away from the back of the gauge assembly.  Once that plug is removed, you must disconnect the heads up display plug.  This is near the center and top of the back of the gauge assembly.  The plug is only friction fitted, so gently pull on the wires just where they enter into the male plug.  The last two pictures show the assembly removed from the car.
(24).  Now we will begin the actual disassembly of the gauge assembly.  Three are six screws that need to be removed using a size 15 torx screwdriver.  In this first picture, there are four screws to be removed on the back lower left and right of the gauge assembly. [Note] When the cluster is removed from the vehicle, DO NOT set the cluster on its face for more than 15 minutes or damage to the fluid filled air core gages could result.
(25).  In this step, you remove the remaining two screws from the top of the gauge assembly as shown in the picture.  You continue to use a size 15 torx screwdriver to remove the screws.
(26).  On the right and left side of the gauge assembly there is an electrical male plug that is only force fitted into the female.  Simply pull up on the two plugs to remove them from the face panel of the gauge.
(27).  This picture shows the face plate removed from the actual gauge cluster.
(28).  In these next two pictures, I am showing the location of the factory lights.  Again, I did this modification months ago but re-took apart my entire dash for the sake of this how-to.  Therefore, ignore the resistors shown in the pictures (the LEDs are already installed in the pictures).  There are seven total lights that need to be replaced.  Let me be the first to warn you, on one side of the DIC the lights are smaller than the normal (if you have done the side door panel LED swap you will notice this immediately).  Just take extra time while doing the LED swap.
(29).  Get your flathead screwdriver again, and unlock the lights.  Works in the same was as if you were taking out a screw (lefty loosey, righty tighty, heh).
(30).  One of the lights out of the panel.  These guys are small.
(31).  This is a shot of the back of the light.  If you look closely, you can see that part of the wire from the light ends at the back.  You are going to need to pry up those small wires, and unwrap the light from the plastic holder (this is hard to explain unless you are looking at an actual light...if you are doing so you will know what I'm talking about).  I was able to pry the wires up by using a one of the leads from an LED.
(32).  Shows the wires undone from the plastic holder.
(33).  Now, we need to separate the small light from the plastic holder.  You can first try to pull up on the light.  This worked about half the time.  The other half I had to push the wires from behind to help nudge the light out of the holder.
(34).  Go grab one of your LED's.  If you have purchased LED's that are small enough to fit right into the plastic holder, you can bypass the next step.  However, the LED's I purchased were a bit to large, so I had to tailor them up a bit (I would recommend purchasing 3mm LEDs if you want to avoid "modifying" the LED to fit).  On a side note, I choose to use Blue LED's to replace the factory white lights.
(35).  As said, if your LED is small enough to fit into the plastic holder, bypass this step.  If not, go get your dremel and either a sanding or cutting attachment (I used a sanding one).  Now, we are going to shave off just a little of the sides of the LED, and a good chunk of the top (just be sure not to cut to deep thus affecting the diode).  All the cutting of the LED does, is diffuse the light of it more (which doesn't matter in our case).
(36).  The LED's leads should fit perfectly into the stock holes on the plastic holder.
(14).  Obtain your solder, soldering gun, and resistor.  Put a little bit of the paste on the longer lead of the LED, and the resistor (will make the solder take better).  Next, heat the gun up, put a little solder on it, and attach the resistor to the longer lead (the +) of the LED.  The resistor orientation does not matter.
(37).  A shot showing the LED, plastic holder, and resistor soldered to the LED.
(38).  Next, we wrap the LED lead and resistor lead back in the same manner as the original bulb.  Again, this is hard to explain unless you have the actual assembly in front of you.
(39).  Here is a shot showing all seven modified lights back in the DIC face panel.  You are going to need to push down the top and bottom two resistors to make room when you put the panel back on the gauge cluster. [NOTE]  The LED's have polarity, thus if you put them in the wrong way they will not light up.  Make sure the LED's are all lit up before putting the panel back in the door.  If they are not, simply take them out, and screw them in the opposite way.  BE SURE TO TEST THE LEDS BEFORE REINSTALLING THE GAUGE ASSEMBLY.
(40).  Now, reattach the face panel to the gauge cluster with the six 15 torx screwdriver.  With the assembly back together, we must now put it back into the dash.  There is one last step that needs to be shown so you don't get frustrated trying to put your car back together.  In the two shown photos, there is a metal late located horizontally above the steering column, and the plate has a square hole in it.  There is a white tab protruding downward from the gauge assembly that has to clip into the square hole.  Hence, when reinstalling the gauge assembly, after you reconnect the two plugs, you will encounter a bit of resistance as you have to left the white tab above the metal plate and then push the assembly toward the front of the car so that the white tab snaps in place inside the square hole.
(41).  Begin the reinstallation of your car and be prepared to enjoy a unique lighting experience at night!  These pictures do no justice.  The LED emits a deep, bright blue at night.
UPDATED LED NIGHTTIME PICTURES!  (Click Me)

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Install a unique look to your DIC in an afternoon.