Removal and Service of VDO Instrument Cluster
Bulb Upgrade
The last section of this article is the easiest, but it makes a big difference. As long as you have the cluster out of the dash, take the time to make sure all of the bulbs are working correctly, especially the battery light.
You may also want to replace the two instrument lights at the top of the cluster with 5-watt bulbs. Original OEM spec is a 3-watt bulb, but I've found those to be just too dim. A 5 watt bulb works much better -- I used Sylvania part #2825.
Replacement is easy; take a pair of needle-nosed pliers and turn the bulb housing a quarter-turn to take it out of the back of the cluster. Once it is out, wiggle the bulb a little bit to remove it from its housing. Clean all the connection areas with electrical spray cleaner (available at Radio Shack, Home Depot, etc.) then simply slide the replacement buld into the slot. Installation is of course the reverse of removal.
The photo below shows my cluster with the 3 watt bulb on the left and the new 5 watt bulb on the right. The photo doesn't do it justice, but it makes a big difference when driving at night.
