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Instrument Cluster Backlight Dead in 2003 Outback


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My car is a 2003 OB Limited Wagon with 74K. One of the backlight bulbs lighting up the left portion of my instrument cluster seems to have died (fuel gauge, lower left part of speedometer).

 

For the last few months it would intermittently not work, but could be resurrected with a whack to the dashboard. This morning, no such luck.

 

How difficult/labor intensive (expensive?) of a fix is this?

 

How many bulbs are there? The right side (temp gauge) occasionally needs a dashboard whack, so I'm thinking it might be on the way out too. Probably a good bet to replace them all at once?

 

Thanks,

Brian

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It is an easy job to do, you guys just have burned out light bulbs. The cluster only takes about 30 minutes to yank out if you have never done it before, ten if you have.

 

And how long to put it back on? :lol:

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On the impreza:

  • Put the steering wheel in the lowest position
  • Undo the two philips screws in the top and remove the plastic rim (the bottom is held by two square things that 'click' in the dash these have to be pulled horizontally forward towards the steering wheel).
  • Undo the 3 philips screws (each corner and 1 on top) and tilt the gauge cluster.
  • Remove the three connectors (unique so don't bother labelling as I did with the first two I removed).
  • Take the cluster out and replace the broken bulbs.
  • Putting back in reversed order

 

flip the 'virgin-switch' back to off :clap: otherwise no lights will work anymore after a day or so.

put key in 'on' position and check the lighting and adjust the clock

 

Really should not take longer then 30 minutes

 

On the OBW it might be similar, check if there are two screws in the top of the plastic detailing.

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