interior lights | Ford Explorer Forums

  • Register Today It's free!

interior lights

izackary

Explorer Addict
Joined
December 14, 2002
Messages
2,012
Reaction score
0
City, State
AZ
Year, Model & Trim Level
'06 Mazdaspeed6 GT
I have some interior lights going out on me. Namely, the lights inside my rear window defogger switch, fog lamp switch, and the left-most lights on the rear fan/stereo control unit. Any idea how i can buy replacement bulbs instead of switches? They look more like tiny LED's than incandescent bulbs. I have no problem in dissecting the switches either, and am able to tell which way an LED should go in without identifying the leads visually.

Thanks!
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year or try it out for $5 a month.

Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





You can find some LEDs at Radio Shack or any electronic store. I took apart my switches and replaced the bulbs with blue ones to match my Indiglo gauges.
 






pics?
 












Cool, I'm quite interested to see what you did.
 






i'd be interested to see pics as well.
 












ppppprrrreeessssssssssssssssuuuurrrrreeee


well?
 






is there a light in the fog light switch to lite up like the defogger switch...i know there is a little light that comes on when the switch is pushed, but does the fog light switch light up like the defogger switch?
 






All the buttons should light up. With the fog lights and the defogger, there's a little LED light that can be activated if you turn it on.
 






yea, i know theres a little light turns on when the button is pushed...but if ya have the parking lights on, the defogger switch stays lit and the fog light switch doesnt...i want the symbol to lite up...like the defogger switch
 






Yeah...the symbol should be lit when your exterior lights are on. You probably have a burnt out bulb.
 






back to MY question! ;) the LED's are in some kind of, um, holder or something...how did you deal with those?
 






HMMM....thats funny, cuz i got three of them, and they are all burnt out then....guess its time to change...
 






Originally posted by TAS98xlt
Ok guys, don't pressure me.:p

must....see.....pics.....:p :bounce:
 






Originally posted by TAS98xlt
Ok guys, don't pressure me.:p



Nothings worse than peer pressure. So where are the pics? :p
 






This is a really bad pic, sorry.:( I don't have a digi cam.

My dash at night with blue switches:
14802dash-at-night-med.jpg
 






Now, this is just an idea that I had and it worked for me.

I wanted to change the color of my switches from green to blue. At first I tried to color in the switches from the inside with a blue ink pen. It worked, but the color was not the correct blue. So I went to Radio Shack to find some blue bulbs or whatever I could use.

First remove the switch assembly containing the fog,defogger and wiper switches from the dash.
1_Switch1.jpg


Then remove each switch from the assembly and take off the top button. On the side of the switch there is a bulb holder(that's what I call it) that you can unscrew to remove the bulb. Just use a small flathead screwdriver to turn and pop the holder out of the socket.
Switch8.jpg


Here are the new bulbs and blue covers that I found at Radio Shack. This was all I could find at the time. You could probably use some LEDs.
Switch4.jpg


Now remove the old bulb from its holder and replace it with the new one. Thread the wires into the holder and twist them around making sure the wires do not touch. When you take out the old bulb you will see how it is attached to the holder and can reattach the new bulb in the same manner.

wires threaded into holder
Switch2.jpg


Reinstall the holder with the new bulb into socket and tighten. The bulb should stick out of the top opening of the switch.
Switch5.jpg


You can use any kind of colored bulb cover. I just used the blue covers that came with the bulbs and fit it into the top opening of the switch. You will have to trim the cover to make it fit.
Switch3.jpg


Reassemble the switch and use another blue cover over the exposed bulb above the wiper switch.
Switch7.jpg


Reattach the switch assembly to the dash and test to see if all switches light up.

All the dash lights along with my aftermarket gauges light up blue. Crappy picture but you get the idea.
1_114_1422.jpg


Gauges.jpg


AutometerGauges.jpg
 






Can you get these pics working again???

Thanks!
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year or try it out for $5 a month.

Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.











Featured Content

Back
Top