NW99XJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Gresham, Or.
Here's how to re-light those rocker switches in your center console that have gone dark.
If your Rear Defrost/ Rear Wiper / Fog Light switch(s) have lost their illumination, I've got an upgrade that doesn't involve a trip to the dealer or the junkyard.
>
If your unfamiliar on how to get access to these switches, I'll give a brief description, but left the pics out of the first few steps of this as it's pretty self explanatory.
-First, pull the center bezel of the dash off, this is the large trim piece that goes around the stereo, heater controls, and the switch panel we'll be working on. It's only held on with spring clips and it shouldn't take too much force to get it free.
-Once that's out, you'll have access to the three screws that hold the switch panel to the dash. Remove those three screws, and the panel will be loose.
-Next remove all the plugs from the various switches, and the power socket/cigarette lighter. You should at this point be able to take the switch panel to your bench to work on:
-The switches are held in place by two little tabs, one top, one on the bottom. A small flat blade screw driver will get one tab undone, BE CAREFUL, the plastic is a little thin in this spot, so watch out for how much you pry here:
-Just getting the head of the tool under the flap will give you enough room to rock the switch out of its location. Now that the switch is free you'll have an easier time handling/working with it. Although this whole procedure can "probably" be done with the switch in the panel, it;s much easier to have it "in-hand."
-The switch I have here is the rear defrost, there are two light-ports (not sure of the correct technical name for these) on this particular switch, one if for the illumination, one is for the indicator (little orange light letting you know the rear defrost is ON) For this thread we'll be dealing with only the one for the illumination. If I remember correctly it's the one on the bottom.
-They are of the twist lock type, and can simply be removed by twisting them out of the socket. There's a thin recess thru the middle of the top of the twist lock similar to a flat head screw, use a small screw driver to turn it about a quarter turn , and it should be free. A pair of pliers can also be used.
The bulb is rather small, and yes it is a bulb. The little blue condom type wrapper on it is to change the color of the switch illumination to something that more closely resembles the instrument cluster lights.
The leads are wrapped around the base from the top into small indentations to keep them in place and to create contacts on the same side of the "locking" part if the base. These can easily be undone with a sharp pick-tool or good pointy knife (be careful.) In this picture below I have unraveled/unseated the leads and have removed the blue bulb cover.
Once done the bulb simply pulls out from the housing and can be replaced. This in lies the problem, as no parts store (I tried 5 different ones in my area -Knechts, Shucks/Oriely, Auto Zone, Napa, Car Quest) all didn't have anything that came anywhere close to a replacement for this, and several told me that I'd have a hard time finding just the bulb from a dealer, and that they'd more than likely try so get me to buy a replacement switch. -this of course made sense - but I had a better idea.
If your Rear Defrost/ Rear Wiper / Fog Light switch(s) have lost their illumination, I've got an upgrade that doesn't involve a trip to the dealer or the junkyard.
>
If your unfamiliar on how to get access to these switches, I'll give a brief description, but left the pics out of the first few steps of this as it's pretty self explanatory.
-First, pull the center bezel of the dash off, this is the large trim piece that goes around the stereo, heater controls, and the switch panel we'll be working on. It's only held on with spring clips and it shouldn't take too much force to get it free.
-Once that's out, you'll have access to the three screws that hold the switch panel to the dash. Remove those three screws, and the panel will be loose.
-Next remove all the plugs from the various switches, and the power socket/cigarette lighter. You should at this point be able to take the switch panel to your bench to work on:
-The switches are held in place by two little tabs, one top, one on the bottom. A small flat blade screw driver will get one tab undone, BE CAREFUL, the plastic is a little thin in this spot, so watch out for how much you pry here:
-Just getting the head of the tool under the flap will give you enough room to rock the switch out of its location. Now that the switch is free you'll have an easier time handling/working with it. Although this whole procedure can "probably" be done with the switch in the panel, it;s much easier to have it "in-hand."
-The switch I have here is the rear defrost, there are two light-ports (not sure of the correct technical name for these) on this particular switch, one if for the illumination, one is for the indicator (little orange light letting you know the rear defrost is ON) For this thread we'll be dealing with only the one for the illumination. If I remember correctly it's the one on the bottom.
-They are of the twist lock type, and can simply be removed by twisting them out of the socket. There's a thin recess thru the middle of the top of the twist lock similar to a flat head screw, use a small screw driver to turn it about a quarter turn , and it should be free. A pair of pliers can also be used.
The bulb is rather small, and yes it is a bulb. The little blue condom type wrapper on it is to change the color of the switch illumination to something that more closely resembles the instrument cluster lights.
The leads are wrapped around the base from the top into small indentations to keep them in place and to create contacts on the same side of the "locking" part if the base. These can easily be undone with a sharp pick-tool or good pointy knife (be careful.) In this picture below I have unraveled/unseated the leads and have removed the blue bulb cover.
Once done the bulb simply pulls out from the housing and can be replaced. This in lies the problem, as no parts store (I tried 5 different ones in my area -Knechts, Shucks/Oriely, Auto Zone, Napa, Car Quest) all didn't have anything that came anywhere close to a replacement for this, and several told me that I'd have a hard time finding just the bulb from a dealer, and that they'd more than likely try so get me to buy a replacement switch. -this of course made sense - but I had a better idea.