Expert: Mike Evans - 10/16/2009

Question
What I was wondering was if if was possible to just replace a bulb in the dashboard cluster of a 1999 Lincoln Continental or if the whole cluster has to be replaced?


Answer
    The bulbs can be replaced individually.  You have to reach up into the space behind the instruments (best done lying on your back with your legs out the door) and remove the bulbholder with the bulb.  There are several of them back there.  They are little black plastic doohickeys that hold the actual bulb and twist into a socket on the printed-circuit board behind the actual display.  Twist CCW to get them out and CW to put them back in.  If you're going to all this trouble you should probably figure on replacing all of them so that you don't have to do this for a while.  You'll need a flashlight so that you can see what you're doing.