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Fuel warning light for NB
Aug
This is a simple guide how to install a fuel warning light from NBFL (Mk2.5) into NB (Mk2) Mazda MX-5. You will need tools to remove the instrument cluster, soldering equipment, a bit of thin electrical wire and of course a donor NBFL instruments which have the warning light (we’ve heard that not all do), from which you’ll take the warning light circuit board.
Preparation
Source a donor instrument cluser from 2001-2005 NBFL Mazda MX-5 and always check, if it has the warning light (some 2001-2002 might not have). Remove the instrument cluster from your car: remove the trim around the steering wheel, then undo the 4 bolts holding the instrument cluster in place and carefully disconnect all the cables.
1) Open the spare instrument cluster and remove the warning light circuit board
2) Carefuly open your instrument cluster and make room for the circuit board in the same spot as it was in NBFL
3) Install the circuit board into your cluster the same way as it was in the donor cluster.
4) Take off the light shade from the donor cluster and put it into your.
5) Carefully put some solder onto the bulb’s contact points.
6) Put the bulb into the cluster and solder wires to it’s contacts.
7) Connect the wires as on the photo (best is to use crimp rings).
8) Put your NB instrument cluster back together, install it in the car and test if everything works.
That’s it. You should get at least 50km (30 miles) of range from the moment it comes on. We hope you found this guide useful. If you’re disassembling the instruments for this modification, we recommend to do a coolant temperature gauge linearisation and optionally an installation of our oil pressure warning light (also includes parts for linearisation and can be purchased here).
Ciao
do you know if donor cluster must be european in KM or cna it be US version in Miles?
In my Italian NBFL without fuel light I directly swapped a US cluster, but fuel light didn’t work.
Giacomo
Hi, all clusters from 2003 onward should have fuel warning light, while 2001-2002 might or might not have one. If your cluster does not have it, then it’s probably older cluster which might not have the warning light.
Ciao Samuel, mine is 2001 and I have a spare 2004 cluster with fuel light, I’ll test the transplant!
Another question, using a led light, do I connect positive to fuel signal or the the other screw? (Of course not to gnd or ign)
Thanks
Giacomo
You will need to test it, because we used standard incandescent bulb which is not polarity-sensitive.
Thanks, I will test it, take a picture and update you, so you can have also the scheme for led bulb!
Ciao
I can confirm that it works also with a UK version of donor cluster.
At the end I used a standard bulb and not a led one!
Thanks for the hint and tutorial!
Giacomo