Replacing Switch Lights.

[PlasticStan]

This is a copy of a thread I have posted on gtr.co.uk, hope you find it useful.

The hazard warning and rear window demist buttons have never lit up in my car, so I thought I would take a look at them tonight and replace the bulbs in them.

Took about 90 minutes to do, and it must be the most fiddly job I've done yet on the skyline!

I took a few photos while the switches were out so you can see how it's done.

The hazard warning switch has one bulb in it and it should light up when you turn on the headlights.

Once you have the dashboard out and the switch removed, lever off the top cover (see pic 1) with a small screwdriver, be careful because there is a spring and a small piece of plastic for the latching mechanism.

Now you can separate the button from the rest of the switch. Pic 2 shows all the separate pieces of the switch.

The bulb lives in a grey piece of rubber that you can just slide off the lamp terminals. Once removed you need to unloop the lamp wires from the lamp cover, I used the end of a sharp knife to pull the wires until there was enough free to pull the bulb out. Now remove the coloured lamp cover from the old bulb and place it on your new one (60mA 12V). Thread the wire through the lamp cover and loop them back through the holes for the bulb terminals. Slide back onto lamp terminals.

Putting the switch back together was the trickiest bit. The easiest way is to take the top cover and line it up over the button and push it straight down. Make sure the latch mechanism is lined up the same as in pic 1. Turn it over and do the same with the bottom part of the switch, remember to put the spring back in first though. (Not like me!)

The rear window demist switch is exactly the same, except it has two bulbs, blue when the headlights are on and orange when the demister is on.

PART II:

How to fix light in electric window switch:

1. Prize off cap inside door handle, and remove screw. The trim is now just held on with 2 clips and should just lift away.

2. Unclip switch from wiring harness. Now remove 4 screws holding switch onto door trim.

3. Prize cap off window lock button.

4. Remove three screws from back of switch.

5. Lift white plastic cover enough, so that you can use a small screwdriver to prize it over the clips

6. Remove screw holding black connector to pcb. Now for the tricky bit. The bulb can't be removed without taking the black connector off. The easiest way would be to desolder it, or you can try and unclip the connector (Not easy! Involves lots of swearing and brute force ). First unclip the back of the connector and lift away.

7. Lever the two clips free. Now this bit is very tight and you have to bend the connector up a little so that the cover will slide off.

8. Now you can finally get the bulb out, just give the plastic holder a twist and it'll come out. Unwrap the wire of the old bulb from the holder and replace with 60mA 12V bulb. Swap over blue cover.

Putting it back together should be easy! Just read this backwards

Cheers,

Simon.

[mitchy_]

heh, i didnt even realise the window switches had a light, guess i should replace mine,

thanks!

[Ant]

Great thread PlasticStan, have done this process myself after realising that the Hazard light button thing is supposed to light up....

Only one other thing to add, watch out for the spring when taking it apart, can go flying out if you aren't careful!

If you are in Aussie or NZ, replacement bulbs can be found at Dick Smiths, part number P8140. They are a 50mA bulb, so are very slightly dimmer than stock, but I don't really notice the difference compared to the other lights in the dash.

These bulbs can also be used as replacements for the lamps behind the R33 climate control buttons.

[mitchy_]

Great thread PlasticStan, have done this process myself after realising that the Hazard light button thing is supposed to light up....

Only one other thing to add, watch out for the spring when taking it apart, can go flying out if you aren't careful!

If you are in Aussie or NZ, replacement bulbs can be found at Dick Smiths, part number P8140. They are a 50mA bulb, so are very slightly dimmer than stock, but I don't really notice the difference compared to the other lights in the dash.

These bulbs can also be used as replacements for the lamps behind the R33 climate control buttons.

any idea on the code for a blue replacement led of the same rating?

i want bloo!

[uneekwahn]

yeah, is it easy to put an LED in instead of a globe?

[Ant]

yeah, is it easy to put an LED in instead of a globe?

Would be difficult, you'd need to put an LED plus current limiting resistor in, and the space available is about enough for the LED and nothing else! And you need the resistor otherwise the LED will not last very long.

Best to try to find the right coloured sleeve thingy for the globe.

[mitchy_]

oh.. thought it was an led form the look of it...

is it possible to get a blue globe of the same rating then?

[DJSimmo]

i checked the DSE website they are sold out and the stores that it says have some in stock dont have any left because people steal them and to top it all off P8140 are now a discontinued product.

Any ideas on where might sell the stock bulb?