Gauge Overlays for 2003 Xterra

Does anyone know of a place to get gauge overlays for the 2003 Xterra? The gauges are recessed in a lot and have a black background. When I wear sunglasses (often in CA), I cannot see the gauges. I'm not opposed to custom made ones, I just want to be able to tell my speed on sunny days.

Thanks!

DNA GRL

Keep your eyes on eBay. You're not alone as most of us have that seeing problem. All I've seen so far is the indiglo gauges like this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2407770264&category=33695

I think most of us are waiting for the rev-glo where it's white gauges, but not inglo at night, just reverse colors. They have those available for the '00/'01's, but not the '02/'03's yet.

If the dashes are the same on the X and Frontier (I think they are) there is a group buy underway (need 10) to get them into production. Here is the thead on TUNFS... Reverse Indiglo Group Buy

Ag Bullet,

Thanks for the link, I just bought in. It still says 4 of 10 to buy, but I did just sign up. The reverse indiglos look a lot better than the normal ones. That was exactly what I was looking for. I hope to get the faces soon.

Thanks so much!

DNA GRL

If it's these, I'm definitely interested. I have a 2000 though.

Can you keep us updated, Ag?

TatsuoX,

Indiglo Gauge Faces

Actually it is the REVERSE indiglo that needs a buy-in to be made and only for the 2002-2003. The one that you show above is already made for the 2000-2003 and you can buy it on their site.

Nissan gauge faces

Thanks DNA..

I think I'm in too! I'll post everything else related to this at the other site.

OK, I'm in, but I can't post on that other board yet. I think I have to wait for some sort of approval.

Hey Ag Bullet, do you know if we can get a group buy for the AC/heater conrols too? That way the entire dash would match up and look pretty sweet. I'm trying to post this over at TUNFS...

I wonder if they'll come out with the reverse glo gauges and not the indiglo where they're white during the day, but like this at night:

i would love to have those.. white in day colored at night

Todrick, I've seen them listed for the '00/'01 models, like yours, but not the '02/'03 like mine.

That's exactly what they're trying to have made. They only need 10 buyers (4 so far) at like $69. if you go to the manufacterers website, there is a list of potential new products. They only need 6 more people to get the reverse indiglo (white during the day, red/blue numbers at night). I wrote the company to see if they can make a matching AC/heater control panel.

Here's the page where to "buy in" if intersted. http://www.streetracerparts.com/reverse_style.htm

I just got word back from them. They are already doing the AC panel for the frontier, so the Xterra should be the same, right? That's what I told them at least... They're right here in town, so I volunteered for test-fitting etc. No word back about that though.

I would assume that they would set up something similar for the AC controls. As for joining TUNFS make sure you have your e-mail listed or PMs on and one of the other Admins will approve your membership.

We are now up to 8/10 buyers for the reverse indiglo (the one that NismoXse02 shows)2002-2003 version!

rockout77-- I tried to post on the board too, it took a while to confirm my account and then I couldn't post because I'm not part of the club or something. I just hope they are watching the numbers go up.

The only one I see denied is RIxterra. You have to go into your profile and publish your e-mail or turn the private messaging on to join.

Rockout is accepted so he/she can post. DNAGRl, not sure what SN you are using, but the SN you use here isn't in our directory...

It really isn't a big deal but 2 more total is sweet, hopefully others will join up soon!

I pre-ordered one for my X yesterday....

Does anyone actually know how difficult installation is going to be for these? I heard one guy say that his TEMP gauge doesn't work anymore, and the install was a pain in the ass.

I am gonna pay a mechanic to put it in. Yeah, it's $70 for the face and probably $200 in labor, but that will still be cheaper than the speeding ticket I'm going to get from not being able to see the gauge.

DNA GRL

From what I gathered on the Frontier Forum, it looks like enough people have bought in! It hasn't been reflected on the site yet though. So I guess you guys are on your way!

wow this is what ive been looking for. i am going to jump on this great deal as soon as i can manage to get 100.00.. by the way, what is the "UPGRADE TO A DIGITAL INVERTER with Touch-pad?" cuz it sounds neat so i decided to get it

Killer,

From their website:

This is a Six-Color Changing Inverter with a digital Touch Pad. It is an upgrade from the standard Two-Color Inverter which we normally supply. It will let you choose between several shades of Blue and Green, copared to the Two-Color Inveter which limits you to one shade of Either of the colors. The Digital touch-pad also has a built in Dimming control which enables you to set the level of brightness.

Would ya'll who bought in be so kind to post some pictures when you get them? Thanks!

are these going to be hard to put in? im a complete newbie..

really ppl... they are not hard to put in. I have done it for yrs. Even a newbie can do it. when needle gets stuck that means that the installer didnt get the face fully mounted down. If it is that means they took off the needles and pushed it TOO hard back on. That means u just have to pull out the needle a bit. PPl post all the time taking off the needle is REALLY not recomended. Even the manual says that. I admit, I have broken that rule a few times. There IS a trick to that and if ya wanna know ill post it. Just too lazy to type it all down now. Best way to do it is just to slide it on. The cover holes for the indiglos are larger than the circle of the needle. That makes sliding it on EZer. Im talkin from experience doing this to a CRV, Civic (SI included), accord, camery, mustang and the Xterra. If n e one needs help or advice. Feel free to send me a email CPLCHEN@aol.com. Ill be more than happy to help. Im selling my current indiglos for some reverse ones that are out now. Im getting them this friday :oP. So ill take step by step pics on putting them on and ill post it.

Thanks, asian... that would be great!

I got it, my reverse indiglos are in and I postsed it with detailed install instructions with pics. I hope this helps you all. http://www.xterraownersclub.com/cgi-local/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=002232# 000002

Would the reverse gauges work in an '02 X, and how much are they, and where'd ya get'em, thanks for the help

no sorry

just out of curiousity, why is it not recommended to take the needles off?

Because there's a big chance it might affect the accuracy of your speedometer (or/and tachometer) if you didn't put it back correctly. If you do take it out though, you can always get a shop to recalibrate it.

Has anyone received their reverse indiglo gauges from the buy-in? It has been four weeks. I got a statement, but no product yet. I've written to them, but I wanted to see if anyone here has heard.

DNAGRL

I just got finished installing a set of Indiglos in my '00. Removing the dash and gauge pod wasn't hard at all - see asianusmc's great installation photos in this forum. The hard part was trying to fit the faces over the needles and needle stops, then making sure they would work. It's not something I would recommend for an amateur and you really have to work to get the faces down flat and the needles operating freely. On my 2000 I found that the connector tabs for the wires were keeping the faces from laying flat and I had to remove some of the white plastic housing to eliminate this problem. Also the faces had to be flexed a considerable amount to get them over the needles - especially the speedo and tach because they have that little tail piece you have to clear - and seemed to bind a bit at the hubs even after the screws were reinstalled. You can pry the needles up slightly at the centers to gain a bit more clearance (carefully!) It just takes a bit of trial-and-error to get it right. I also did not care for the sort of unfinished look of the 6 color control pad, so I fabbed a little housing out of styrene and mounted it to the top of my steering column cover with the flat cable running down behind and practically invisible. I would have to take issue with asianusmc and say that the install is not quite as easy as he represented. I would also recommend checking the gauges carefully by hooking them up and testing them (I drove around, revved the engine, got the temp up, got up on the interstate, filled my gas tank) before you put everything back together the final time.

So are these things shipping? I just ordered a set with out doing the buy in thing. 2003 Xterra was listed.

Bling Bling
Kevin

After not getting an email response, I called SR Motorsports. They changed the desgin without asking anyone, got complaints, and are changing it back. It will be another few weeks before these are shipped. I not very happy with them not notifying anyone, but what am I going to do, they already have my money.

Will the '03 reverse indiglo overlays fit in an '02?

Yes, these overlays are for 2002-2003 Nissan Frontiers and Xterras.

Does anyone have pictures and/or a "how-to" to remove the dash trim around the gauge cluster???

I'm talking about a 2002 X.

Thanks.

DNAGRL,

Do you know what the changes were that people didn't like? I have a feeling that the ones they made first were reverse indiglo around the outside where all the numbers are, but with the center of each gauge being in regular indiglo (the old style glow-in-the-dark looking stuff). I've seen that design and I sure hope they don't come like this for our trucks.

I really hope the ones sent out to us will only have the red/blue "reverse indiglo" lighting scheme. I don't care for the looks of other style.

Rockout,

You can see the changes on their Model Development page . They are refered to as the "halo reverse" design. They made this style for the Camaro IROC without asking the people who bought-in to the original design and the customers complained. They then stopped the tooling of the Frontier/Xterra gauge and changed it back to the original reverse style as well. They are now taking buy-ins for both styles.

DNAGRL

Hey all,
FWIW, ebay now has the 02-03 overlays for Frontiers and the X !!! Only $40 too !!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&category=33695&item=2415809117

eBay's had those for awhile now, and for the Xterra. This is for the reverse glo, not the indiglo .

Mike,

If you notice, the ebay auction is listed by srmotorsports, that stands for Street Racer Motorsports, the same people we are doing the by-in through. They often list their all ready produced gauges for cheaper on ebay.

Since it has been a couple of weeks, I called SR Motorsports. The gauges are in and are being shipped out! It's been a long month and a half. I hope they fit well. I'll post pictures if I succeed at doing this myself on my 2003.

Great news!

Keep us posted. Thanks!

Are the '03 gauges the same as the '02?

yes... that's why it says Xterra 2002-2003.

Hmmm...obviously I missed that part.

My bad.

I to have fallen to the "reverse" style gauges from my old Acura. I called s/r motorsports to see what exactly the deal was with them since the post on this site seemed to be a little confusing at times of what is being done. They do have the "reverse" ; "halo" ; and "indiglo" styles all in stock. What can I say I purchased the "reverse" syle. If anybody is interested in the before and after photos let me know and I will post some pictures.

Yes, New_X_O, please post your pics. I think DNAGRL might too, so the more the better. I want to see what design they went with and how it looks in the X.

Since I STILL haven't received the gauge, I called SR Motorsports again. This time they tell me that the gauges are still being made. It has been since April 3rd since the buy-in was complete. I am starting to get very pissed off here. Their customer service really leaves something to be desired. Every step along the way I've had to call them and check up on things. This isn't worth the trouble!

a very mad DNA GRL

Sorry to hear of your troubles with S/R motorsports DNAGRL. I don't want to rub it in your face but, I ordered my "reverse" style on
Thursday and recieved them in the mail yesterday. Needless to say I have a weekend project now and will let you know how it turns out.

really? Damn! I was part of the "buy in" too and haven't received anyhting yet. My credit card was charged a long time ago too! I just want my gauges. I've been pretty busy, so I haven't really been bothered by SR motorsports' bad customer service. But this sucks... Let us know how the gauges turn out.

New X_O,

Are you serious??? This is some serious bull now. I just check the thread from the frontier club that was also buying in and no one there has received their gauges either. Several of them have also called S/R to find up what is up. Seems everyone who has posted has heard a different story from S/R about when these things where made, came in, and were shipped. People on that board are talking about disputing the charges on their credit cards. If this gauge doesn't arrive by Friday, I think I'll have to go that route as well.
Has anyone who did the buy-in get their gauge????

Sorry if this is not working out DNA. At the time it seemed like a good idea to get the Xterra folks and Frontier folks working together.

We had crazy waiting periods when we did the gauge pillars too.

New _X_O,

Are you sure that you received the reverse style that we all bought into and not the reverse halo? I went onto the website to verify that they are selling the same gauges that we bought into and the only styles that are being sold are the indiglo and the reverse halo (the difference between the reverse and reverse halo is a white glo in the middle). If you got the reverse halo, then I am not so mad because that is not what I ordered. Those are the gauges that they made without telling anyone that they were changing styles and people didn't like them. Before I call and complain, I want to make sure I have the facts straight.

DNA GRL

Oh and Ag Bullet, it was an awesome idea to get the Frontier and Xterra people together on this. Who knew SR Motorsports was going to have such crappy service? They had an excellent rating on Ebay (although have had 10 negatives in the last month from people not receiving items and SRM not answering their emails....sound familar????) and all they sold were gauges so I figured they were cool. If I ever again need a custom part, I'd still hook up with the Frontiers. Thanks for suggesting it!

DNA GRL

DNA,

I have not installed them yet but when I placed the order over the phone the sales person that I spoke with said that they only carried the reverse halo. I then said could you check and see if you have the just the reverse because that is what you web-site says. He then got back on the phone and said that yes he did have just the reverse in stock with out the halo around it. From the way they look now without being installed it looks like they are indeed the true reverse style without the halo. I can take a pic tonight and post it tomorrow and let me know what you think. If they are the halo style they will go right back in the box and back to them. All in all I think they are the right ones.

new_X_0

OK, I got my gauges yesterday. I won't have time to install them until maybe the weekend. From the looks of them, they are the true reverse style (not reverse halo). But without plugging them in, how can I tell if they're really halo's or not? The material the gauges are made out of is consistent from the center of each gauge to the outer edge. This is what leads me to believe there is no halo (which would look different in the center area of the gauge, right?).

Overall, It didn't bug me too much that the gauges took longer than a month to make. I didn't like being charged for them before they shipped though. The quality looks good and they look really nice. I'll post a report when I install them.

...come to think of it, I remember the wiring harness that came with my new gauges has a switch that I think is labeled with a "B" and a "G". This is probably for the halo-style gauges, right? DAMN I hope not!

Is there any reason why the real reverse style gauges would have this switch?

Looking at them last night I don't recall mine having a "B" and "G" switch on the power box. Does anyone have a quick way to hook them up to some power so I can see exactly what they are before I go through the 1 1/2 hour install job?

IT ARRIVED!!!!! My gauge is also consistent with the non-halo style from the look of the backside. My power supply has the B and G switch as well as the dimmer. I believe that comes with all gauges, not just the halo style. I remember asking what the optional 6 color inverter was like and they explained that the one that you get comes with the green/blue option. This was before the whole halo thing came up. I'm really tempted to cut work tomorrow and put this in. If I go to work, I'll put the gauge in on Sunday and post pics.

DNA GRL

Well with some free time last night I TRIED to put the guages in the X last night. It seems to me that once you put the overlay in it still seems to be to high and does not sit correctly and then needles were sticking to the guage. I tried taping it down but was kind of limited to the space so it would not show. Does anyone know if there is a way to raise the needles with out breaking them. To be honest I get a little scared when screwing around with all that stuff and don't want to hurt the brand new X. Another problem that I ran into was which wire is the parking lights. In the previous install instructions from this forum it says the black and white striped wire, but I have the 03 X. Does anyone know which wire is the parking light for the 03 or does it remain the same.

S/R just told me that the B/G switch comes with all their stuff. I suppose I did get the correct style and the Blue/green switch is just ignored.

I might try the install this weekend, but I would hate to run into trouble. I don't know how I'm going to slip on that whole big piece (the gauges are one piece) over all 4 needles without messing something up... But I'll probably give it a shot anyway.

Well? Anyone install them this weekend?

It seems to me that once you put the overlay in it still seems to be to high and does not sit correctly and then needles were sticking to the guage. I tried taping it down but was kind of limited to the space so it would not show. Does anyone know if there is a way to raise the needles with out breaking them. To be honest I get a little scared when screwing around with all that stuff and don't want to hurt the brand new X. Another problem that I ran into was which wire is the parking lights. In the previous install instructions from this forum it says the black and white striped wire, but I have the 03 X. Does anyone know which wire is the parking light for the 03 or does it remain the same.

I got mine in and they look good. The biggest hang-up for me was finding the parking wire to tap into. I used one of the wires (the blue/red one) from the wiring harness (brown plug - left side) that goes to the instrument cluster. I was trying to search online and found nothing, then the XOC was closed. I ended up using my DVM to test wires individually. I got the right one in two tries.

The second thing was that the speedo needle was getting stuck around 70MPH. this was because of a high spot where the gauge wasn't sitting flat against the old gauges. I fixed this by doing a better tape job around the gauges.

Also, in order to really line up the idiot lights, you need to temporarily hook up all the connections and turn on the ignintion. this was you can line up the lights and tape it up so it won't move.

All in all, it was slightly difficult, but I could easily do it again.

Want to do it again on mine? What's up with the tape? Why tape? Anybody try 3M spray-on upholstery glue?

Thanks

So, who's going to post some pics? I'm curious to see what it looks like on the '02/'03's.

As far as tape vs. 3M spray-on upholstery glue, I imagine this was done in case he wanted to remove them later on or something? That's probably what I'll do.

I'll try to post pics ASAP... I used tape to hold the gauges down flat against the old gauges. Otherwise, if there is a high spot, one of the needles could bind up with it.

The high spot that I had (where my speedo gauge stuck) was in the center of the speedo gauge. Taping down the edges wouldn't remedy this until I pulled the edge tight and then taped it. One thing that would be handy though is double-sided scotch tape. I think that stuff would be perfect for holding down the inner area of the gauges. With regular scotch tape, you are limited to taping down only the edges.

...oh yeah, spray-on glue would work well if you wanted the gauges to be permanent. But it would be very hard dealing with slipping the gauges onto the needles without it getting stuck everywhere and making a mess. If the needles could be removed/replaced easily, it would be best to take them off. It would make the whole job a lot easier. I don't think this is recommended recommeded to remove the needles though.

Somebody on TUNFS already posted pics. It's a Frontier, but it's the same.

the guys ID is "threemi1esd0wn" ans you can see his pics here: reverse indiglo

I can still get some pics of mine maybe tonight or this week sometime.

rockout77,
When you did the electricial work, how did you tap into the parking lights. What I mean is did you cut the wire and then just twist them together or did you use those "snap down" things that taps down in to the existing line and then just ground it to anything in the steering column. If you don't mind it would be a great help if you could post a pic of exactly how you wired it and where you taped it down. As you can see from my post I had some real trouble with the gauges laying flat and did not want to overdue it on the tape job for cosmetic reasons. Let me know if you just want to send them via email and I will give you my email address.
new_X_O

New_X_O,

I used the actual "snap down things" from Radio Shack ($1.99/pack). They eliminate the need for any cutting and are way too easy to use to consider any other method.

I really don't want to disassemble my dash for the 3rd time, but I'll try to explain everything here. When you have the gauges out, remember there are two wiring harnesses that plug into the gauge cluster? You will need to tap into the left side (brown connector). There will be a blue wire with a red stripe. This is the one you want to tap into. I found this by testing the voltage across the wire with the parking lights on and off (12V/0V respectively). I grounded the black wire to an existing screw that was within reach. You just loosen the screw a bit, create a hook shape on the end of the wire, loop it around the screw and tighten.

As far as the tape is concerened, lots of the area will be covered by the black piece that divides the gauges into 3 pods, so be as liberal as you can with the tape. If you have high spots, try bending them back a little by hand. This might help a little. I did that as well as making sure to pull out any slack as I was taping.

I hope this helps. I should have snapped some pictures when I was doing the job, sorry... I just wanted to get the damn thing together cause I was getting a little frustrated myself. Thinking back, it's easy now.

Thanks!

Those look freaking sweet. As soon as I complete my move, I'm buying those babies. The "hard-to-see guages" will soon be a thing of the past for me. (And, without the rice indiglo)

rockout77,
Thanks for the info. Trust me I am in your boat as well. Let see this will be the 5th time that I have taken that freaking dash apart. I will be making two stops on the way home tonight one to radio shack and the other to office depot to pick up some double sided office tape. I read some where that will help with the lifting of the gauges and will begin to work on it tomorrow. If it doesn't work out this time I'm seeding them back to S/R. Thanks again.

new_x_o

New_X_O,

It should work this time. You've got all the info you need. I'm sure you're a pro at taking that dash a part by now. You should have no more problems with getting your gauges taped down.

Tapping the wire should be very easy as well. There's plenty of room in there to route wires for the harness behind the dash. I mounted my switch right next to the stock dimmer switch. I had a "blank" location there.

Any updates on this with pics? I just got a 2003 and I'd like to see how some of yours came out before I buy one.