How to Repair Yamaha Boat Gauges Faded LCD (In-Depth Tutorial) Polarized Lens Replacement

Refurbish your old hard to see Yamaha boat gauges with linear polarized film. This DIY tutorial breaks down the process, step by step, on how to take the gauges apart, repair the damaged lenses and put everything back together again for many more years of use.
Save money and do this project yourself. The materials used are below:
Linear Polarization Film - amzn.to/3jFjyax
Platic Weld Epoxy - amzn.to/3d7UUg8
Razor Blades - amzn.to/33BSPGf
Sand Paper - amzn.to/33C571x
Rubbing Alcohol - amzn.to/3d6dHZn
Cheap Dremel - amzn.to/2GGn4Tt
Compressed Air - amzn.to/3jCqJjH
Precision Pick Tool - amzn.to/3iAtpNx

[@daviruml]

Yes! I have 4 Gauges on my boat that I can barely read. To replace them would run over $1,000. To send them all out to get redone would run about $500. I bought the polarizing film as soon as I watched this and already had the Plastic Weld. I will admit, I was a bit nervous but figured I would give it a try. The only thing I did differently was acetone seemed to work at the adhesive a little better than the alcohol. Got everything together and YES it works like new! Now I have to work on the crazed clear plastic cover. Thank you for a very useful moneysaving tutorial.

[@danielmid6022]

Awesome!! Glad you took a stab at it. It's a rewarding fix.

[@JohnColeman-ul5rj]

Guage Saver charges $75 ea to fix. But I will be doing this to save $300 a two weeks of down time for all 4 of my guages

[@benjamenperry2379]

Can confirm this works like a charm. Just completed this repair on my Yamaha speedometer this weekend (27 March 2022) and it was as easy as it looks. Getting all the residue off the screen, even with acetone and a razor blade, was still a chore, and while others have apparently successfully used a hot glue gun to reassemble instead of the recommended epoxy, I tried hot glue but went to epoxy after hot glue failed to keep the bond. Otherwise, if you don't try to cut corners like I did, virtually guaranteed to work.

[@Rogun987]

Had the exact gauges. My polarized film did NOT come off as easy as yours. It was practically melted onto the lens. But after some elbow grease everything worked just great. Thanks for saving me $600

[@JoseLopez-dy7iz]

Great video Daniel! It gave me the confidence to rebuild all three of my Yamaha gauges. Instead of using the plastic JB Weld I actually drilled out the plastic and used SS screws to tighten the housing down. so far so good.

[@JohnColeman-ul5rj]

Im going that route as well. That way, you have better serviceability.

[@MikeFritz-lq4bo]

Daniel, thank you. Your video was extremely well done. I ordered the polarized film from Amazon and just completed two 1999 Yamaha gauges. The gauges read perfectly again. I used my 12-volt cordless drill battery for power. Make sure to "cut the line" you mark on the polarized film because if it is too large it will buckle on the LCD glass. Three suggestions, before reassembly I cleaned the inside of the lens cover with Windex. Make sure to use a lint-free cloth. I also had a fair amount of crazing on the outside of the lens. I used 100, 200, 400 wet-sandpaper and then buffed with auto rubbing compound. (There is a KZbin video on this too.) Reducing the crazing was also a major improvement. Finally, I bought two GuageSaver covers for $5 each on Amazon. So for about $20 I saved $900 by not buying two new gauges! Thank you again!!

[@danielmid6022]

Awesome!! Thx for the suggestions as well. Good stuff

[@garyvoss8152]

Thank you very much! This worked. I used adhesive laminate and it worked OK but is a little fiddly if you get a bubble! Just remember which way the plastic 'contact' its inserted - it fell out and took some trial and error to get it the right way.

[@390cray]

WOW! I just finished both my Yamaha tach & speed gauges & after following your video step by step they both work as good as new!!! Not bad for a 81 yr. old "Old Salt"!!

[@Jeremywalsh7]

That is an awesome little straight forward tutorial. Helps alot of people out.

[@charlesthomas3791]

Thanks!! Great video. The glue on my 20 year old guages was way harder to remove than yours, but I got it done. I did both at the same time and inadvertently switched the LCD's. I didn't know they were specific. Once I switched them back, the tach worked, but the speedo gave an E1 error on startup. I had to replace the LCD and now all good. Still need to work on the crazing but I'm happy. Now that I can see the guages I can see the trim sender needs to be replaced.

[@danielmid6022]

Thanks for the comment, glad u got them working!!

[@manuels7857]

Thank you Daniel, the beers go on my own when you come to Puerto Vallarta......

[@erichansen1102]

This worked like a charm on 22 year old gauges. Just saved almost $600!

[@larryshindler8499]

Awesome video worked great on my 2004 gauges. Gauges look brand new. Thank you.

[@kylemacarthur3177]

I used this video as a guide to repair my 40-year-old depth meter. Thanks for being willing to open this up (see what I did there) for discussion.

[@johnt7776]

Thanks for this video. I used this to replace my dead lcd. Awesome instructions. Really appreciate it!

[@jeffsyard6326]

WEAR YOUR SUNGLASSES WHEN INSTALLING THE FILM!!!! Worked great EXCEPT… my sunglasses are polarized to where I have to tilt my head sideways to read the gauges clearly! I suggest wearing your sunglasses when placing the film, so the front film piece is clear when you look at it with your polarized glasses. Too late for me now… gauges glued shut and installed. They look fine if I don’t have the polarized sunglasses on. Still happy to have saved $600.

[@OzIodaina]

Great video, thanks a lot. Just fixed 2 of my yamaha gauges. Saved $300

[@CyberCuban]

Yep it work!! I got may done, it does take time and patience but got them done and they are like new.

[@marocucuk1177]

Thanks man you help me alot,my gauge now looks like new

[@miketheriot1]

Just wanted to add another Thank You to the list. Got my 20 year old gauges looking sweet.

[@jeffsyard6326]

Incredible! Fixed my two gauges today. Thanks !!!

[@cristianvalenti8418]

Badass! Just did ours following your video and recommended supplies! They work great now. Thanks for the video

[@kwh9583]

Thanks for your great tutorial! You saved me a lot of money and now my gauges are good to go.🤘

[@rodneythompson4264]

Can someone please tell me what thickness dod you purchase on the uv film?

[@kwh9583]

@@rodneythompson4264 0.2 mm is what i used and my gauges worked like new

[@kwh9583]

@@rodneythompson4264 i dont know about uv film but i used polarizing film.

[@mattbrennan4277]

Very helpful! My display is much more readable now. Unfortunately, I used a bit too much pressure trying to get the old film off and now have some black spots, particularly in one corner. Will be more careful when I start on the speedometer.

[@Jetskifisher100]

Great video! Thanks for sharing. I considered sending mine off to be repaired. Had no idea how it was done. Just ordered some polarized film!

[@joey3375]

You saved me a bunch of money, thank you very much! 🙏

[@PC-bm1ph]

Amazing. I followed your link and placed order for the film then used your video... thank you so much it absolutely worded perfectly. I didn’t use epoxy I used hot glue gun.

[@danielmid6022]

Awesome! Thanks for the feedback. Hot glue sounds like a good choice. Let me know how it holds up!

[@asifshams1456]

@@danielmid6022 is this process same in bike digital speedometer

[@TheGravytrain107]

thank you for the information 🙏 😊 just did my 2011 yamaha tach and it looks great 👍 👌 😀

[@chipinlhp]

Thank you for sharing this video. Can wait to try it out. Thanks again - your video is well done sir!

[@johnernst1708]

Excellent video, thanks for taking the time to make it.

[@harryyubank]

Awesome vid, 100% real… just got done my yamaha speed tach

[@gottalovethephilippines5417]

Great video Daniel, can you tell me how to replace the front clear screen on a Yamaha 6XK speedometer?

[@walijumaat2158]

thanks for this video. it will help to replace my filim not a boat but 04 yamaha fz6 motorcycle. it using the very same style lcd where the glass contact with the rubber and same style metal rataning clip but in much bigger size...

[@larryw5083]

I really found this clear, concise and helpful! I need your help with reinstalling my Yam speedo/fuel gauge which is same as yours. Behind the console, I found the corresponding Yellow, Blue and Red wires and connected them. That leaves me with 2 Black and 1 White wires which I cannot identify a match. Are all 3 required? Can you tell me what their function is? You mention that Black is Ground, what about the 2nd Black wire? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the great videos.

[@danielmid6022]

Hi, thx for the comment! I'm sorry I just can't remember where each wire hooks up. It's been a while and I no longer have the same motor or gauges. Hope u are able to get it figured out, sorry I'm not more help

[@mcasman52]

Thanks you are the man, worked like a charm

[@danielmid6022]

Awesome!

[@cslider]

Worked like a charm. Thank you

[@PortCanaveralFlorida]

Yamaha rep has entered the chat, DON'T DO THIS!!!! ALWAYS BUY A NEW ONE... LOL. Just kidding, thanks a bunch will be doing this today! Great help!!

[@uittyman]

Where did you purchase the film

[@vajtswvhmoob]

Thanks so much just got done with my gauges they work great! To my surprise both of my gauges are screw on no Dremel nor epoxy, no bending tabs. What took me no longer was removing the old glue and error on Amazon part, third times from Amazon is a charm.

[@sgshin117]

Dang I did not know angle makes difference! Thanks!

[@CSJiGSaW08]

Best adhesive remover would be KOCH CHEMIE EULEX TAR AND ADHESIVE REMOVER. Its amazing to remove PPF glue from wraps and films. It should work on this.

[@FinCityFL]

Thank you sir for a great explanation and video!!!

[@davidpesek5621]

What is the yellow screen behind the display screen. Is that the backlight?

[@marcocaetano464]

Great video Daniel! Wich color do you recommend for the polarized film? I´ve seen there´s many of them... black, lucent, frosted... so wich is better? Thank you for the great video!

[@danielmid6022]

I'm not sure which color will work the best. I think I just used a basic film, been a while I can't remember 😆

[@waynezeman1773]

Great job! Thank you!

[@hobbsdaniel]

Thanks for this video. Very helpful. What if the outside plastic or glass is faded or small webbing like cracks/scratches? Do you restore it or replace it? And how?

[@barratheo]

Use 3000 then 5000 grit sandpaper

[@mapquest681]

Can you use any brand of polarized film for this? The one on Amazon listed has a long wait while there are others that can be delivered much quicker.

[@danielmid6022]

I would think so. They are probably the same

[@dillerdog1]

Super job. Thank you!!!

[@michaelfulmer3039]

Great video. Worked great. Thank you

[@VietLe-nm4rz]

Hi Daniel, Awesome video and thank you. Can you advise what I may doing wrong for my tachometer bc when I positioned the two films like you demonstrated so they are black and not transparent the numbers on the screen are white and the background is black. Shouldn’t it be the reverse? Thanks again

[@danielmid6022]

Hi. It's been so long since I have messed with it I'm not sure what the answer would be. But I would suggest to keep rotating the film until it is correct. Try both rotating and flipping.

[@weblu2000]

Hi. Do you have a suggestion if the lcd has black stain becoming bigger and bigger? Is the only options to change it and replace with a new one? Please really need help. Thanks in advance.

[@danielmid6022]

I think u would have to replace the LCD from what I've read. But I'm not totally sure

[@brittoncorbin7144]

This didn’t work at first until I realized that the lcds screens were different between the tach and Speedo!! DUH

[@milesganske4051]

I unfortunately some how cracked the lense when pulling off the old film. It cracked in the middle and the layer with the contact strip separated from the other layer. Seemed very brittle because I was being very careful. I’m sure I need a new lense. Any suggestions?

[@charokoposmichalis9237]

Thanks so much from Greece ! BTW one question: I change LCD, it is ok now but backlight is not working any more. (Blue cable is connected). Do yoy know what is the AC voltage of inverter that gives to EL Panel (the yellow plate in your video) ? I measured and and it gives me 67V AC but I am not sure if it is ok. Thanks in advance !

[@alexandersovrlic2177]

Thanks for these Great Video 👍👍👍

[@raysfandan]

Could you provide a link to the film? I see the polarizing film advertised for many different applications.

[@danielmid6022]

Hi. There is a link in the description. Let me know if you need anything else!

[@uittyman]

Would this work on a yamaha fz1 2008 motorcycle display instrument cluster ????

[@gustavopire6230]

Excellent this instructional, I wanted to ask you a question, my two watches work perfectly but their orange lights I think are already very opaque, they illuminate very little, is it possible to repair that?

[@danielmid6022]

Hi. Sorry I'm not sure about if this method will work on your watches

[@nowthatsfunny1]

So if i use polarized sunglasses i should see my gauges better?

[@BadRap2012]

I did my Yamaha guage and it’s crystal clear but……. When I put on polarized glass It’s a black blur

[@miketheriot1]

If you haven't yet, you need to swivth the back and front layers of polarization film. The one on the front needs to visible with polarized sunglasses. @@BadRap2012

[@odisarp2642]

Where did you purchase the polarized film

[@danielmid6022]

Hi, there's a link in the description

[@tonymoors5486]

Daniel. do you have any suggestions on how to open a 6y8 Yamaha gauge? It only had a male plug built into the case . No wires to pull thru grommet. Very well done video.

[@danielmid6022]

Hi, sorry I haven't messed with the newer gauges yet. I would imagine it would be similar once you get it apart, but don't know for sure

[@JesseDrosdick]

Tony, have you tried to open the 6y8 gauges yet? The back is much different and i don't know where to begin drilling out. How about you?

[@tonymoors5486]

@@JesseDrosdick Jesse. Not yet. As soon as I get up some courage I'll dig into 1 of 2 gauges.

[@DonWallwork]

Can the replacement LCD be used as it comes without removing and replacing the polarized film?

[@danielmid6022]

I'm not sure, sorry

[@dz-9orsane464]

Which polarized film did you used please?

[@ivesbrito73]

Olá Daniel, bom dia. A luz do TACH não acende, será que tem reparo? Obrigado!

[@LUIS-DE-BOA]

Olá, sabe me dizer onde o fio branco é ligado? O meu está desligado e não sei qual é a função dele no painel.

[@rcamoonpie648]

Not seeing the link for the type film you used? Great video by the way! Thanks for sharing

[@rcamoonpie648]

Never mind!🤬 Found it

[@stuartracing1]

@@rcamoonpie648 I`m not seeing it...

[@rcamoonpie648]

@@stuartracing1 Look to the right of the title for the small arrow pointing down and click on it. Should provide a drop down menu you can see all the links.

[@stuartracing1]

@@rcamoonpie648 Aaah got it..

[@robertolimongi8932]

helllo, many thanks for you video :) do you know if there's a way to replace the front glass?

[@danielmid6022]

Hi. I don't know if that's possible

[@danielmcginnis6630]

What is the white wire for?

[@randyfernandez8639]

Do have a video or make a one on a 2000 Kawasaki stx gage .. or send a link to one thanks

[@ivesbrito73]

Hi Daniel, good morning. The TACH light does not turn on, is there any repair? Thanks!

[@mapquest681]

The back light is powered by the blue wire on positive and the black wire on negative. Hope this helps.

[@ustrade3362]

what film was used. I see they have different specs on the material. A2, A4, A5?

[@ustrade3362]

is there a source to buy the gasket between the case and the back cover?

[@marcmaczis5907]

works great only problem i have is you cant see it when you have sunglasses on guess because the are polarized oh well im happy better then b4

[@phillipanderson9925]

How do you connect a fuel gauge onto this gauge?

[@pavellescano3129]

what is the name of that plastic

[@michaelsessa699]

I did this. Cant see i did anything wrong. When it powers on i dont get the 0. Mine comes on with some jibberish like 4 a pp a A9. Any ideas? I took the screen out twice to see if anything on the rubber connector was messed up.

[@danielmid6022]

No clue what might be causing that issue, please lmk if u figure it out

[@paulkuiper1077]

I'm attempting this also but I flip the polarized film and uncut its perfect but after I cut it and put it in front and behind the plastic lens it doesn't go dark? I'm baffled?

[@danielmid6022]

Make sure to cut each piece in a different direction. How that helps!

[@castineirachannel]

Good video you have speed gas honda 2003 for sale ?

[@aaronp7872]

Is it possible to replace those studs? I had one break off when removing from the console

[@danielmid6022]

I don't think so. I had one break also

[@adc-professionalunderwater7775]

Good video

[@danielmcginnis6630]

What is the white wire for on the speed gauge?

[@vajtswvhmoob]

fuel sender

[@justing6582]

Will Elmers glue work if I don't have epoxy?

[@danielmid6022]

I don't believe so. But you could definitely experiment and let us know how it works out. Thanks!

[@JeffBattleFish]

Elmers is water base and dissolves in water.

[@danielmcginnis6630]

Anyone know if the white wire is for the fuel sender?

[@vajtswvhmoob]

yes it is

[@bmazzone7]

Can anybody confirm this would work on a digital motorcycle gauge cluster? I’ve got an ‘06 Yamaha fz1 that the Florida heat has been putting a beating on, can hardly read my speed as of lately because of it

[@sukirmanbairiswan]

Hi i got Yamaha FJR speedometer same problem. Pls kindly share if you already done yours thank you in advance.

[@bmazzone7]

@@sukirmanbairiswan about a week after I posted this comment I did in fact commit to taking apart the gauge, in hopes it would save me the cost of a new one. Worked wonders for me!

[@rodneythompson4264]

Can someone please tell me what thickness on the film?

[@danielmid6022]

There is a link in the description to the film I used. It should have the thickness listed. If not lmk. Thx

[@kasunrathnayaka3910]

How to back sticker

[@lawrenceheneveld7016]

so thank you for the tutorial wanted to electrically test it before i glue it back together i have a 2003 tach with black (ground ) and blue ; yellow ; and green wires coming out with bullet connectors dont want to fry the thing how do i check it ?.....was also wondering if the rubber connector placement is critical as long as it touches both surfaces with the glass and board thanks

[@mapquest681]

I worried about the same thing. Yellow bullet connector on positive and the black wire on negative. You can check the backlight as well by touching the blue wire to positive with yellow bullet connector.

[@jonb8451]

Hello, can you tell me how to reset the temperature light, thank you

[@sonnyson7381]

Too much epoxy makes it hard to take it apart the next time you need to do another repair.

[@danielmid6022]

Hopefully u never have to do it again 😆

[@lamprosxatziantonakis6851]

thangs

[@shabelecheverri3173]

Y el