Gen 4-4.5 DIY Changing your bulbs inside your center console - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

xpeed · 02-09-2011, 07:29 PM

I believe this is the only DIY on how to change your bulbs for the center console for the Gen 4-4.5.

I've searched and found little help so I decided to take it apart and see what type of bulbs I would need to replace it with LEDs. I'll list what type of bulbs you'll need.

Well here we go. It's quite easy. Doesn't take no more than 10 minutes total if you're good at taking off the panel and unscrewing some parts.

Tools:

Smallest flathead screwdriver you have available.
Phillips Screwdriver

I got my LEDs at superbrightleds.com
Bulb types:

74
http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-b...ini-wedge.html

You need two 74-xHP3 LED bulbs for the brightest 360 degree dispersion if you want it bright.

Twist-lock type.
http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-b...nstrument.html

You would need 2 NEOx 4mm and 1 NEOx 3mm.

That's about all the bulbs you'll need. 5 total if you want to do the whole thing. But if you only want to change out the AC controls bulb, you only need 2 74 bulbs.

NOTE: You don't need to unplug your battery for this but if you want to be extra safe, go for it. I did this without unplugging my battery only because I needed to check during installation if I put the bulbs in correctly. Saves time you know.

Okay onto the DIY.

This is before. Ugly green bulb.

1.

Take out the panel around the shifter. Pretty easy if you have manual but get's tricky with automatic. Unplug the adapter to your 12v outlet

2.
Take out the center console panel. You might need a flathead screwdriver to help pry the clips out.

3.
With your Phillips screwdriver, just unscrew the four screws on the corners.

4.
Before you pull the whole thing out, make sure you pull out the knobs first. It's pretty easy. Just grab and pull out. If you can't do it by hand, get some pliers with a rubber grip and pull them out.

5.
Same thing goes with the AC vent shaft. Just pull out the head.

6.
Once you pull it out gently, there are two clips holding the controls in place. Using your fingers, you can easily lift up the tabs and pull it out.

7.
Once you've pulled it out, your defroster and AC button cable connectors will come out. You need to unplug them in order to get the control hub out.

8.
After you've done that, the bulbs for the main center console will be available. This is pretty easy. All you have to do is pull the bulb out. No need to unscrew the outlet and all. It's a wedge type so just pull them out.

9.
To change the bulbs for your AC and defroster buttons, they are clipped onto the center console hub. They're easy to pull out, there is a tab under it and you can just lift the tab up to pull them free.

10.
The defroster has two bulbs as the AC only has one. The AC uses the NEOx 4mm led. I picked white as it it matches with the rest of my color scheme I'm going for. To change the indicator light from green to whatever color you want, you need to actually buy the LED itself and solder it into the module as it's attached to it. But for the defroster there are two. The orange light bulb can be changed to a NEOx 4mm LED bulb and the smaller one uses the NEOx 3mm. Use a screwdriver to unscrew it and then start prying them out little by little so that you won't break anything. After you've taken them out, put your new bulbs back in the same way, you don't need to screw it completely, just slightly until it stops moving.

11.
After you're done installing all the bulbs, just put everything back in reverse order. It's pretty basic.

12.
This is the finished look. I chose cool white as I like it to match with my head unit. It's cleaner and way brighter than that ugly OEM green. I also didn't change the bulb for my defroster since I got the wrong size bulbs. I'll post those once the correct size come in.

The light for the cigarette lighter is different. I need to find out what type of bulb that is but that's for a later time.

Well cheers. Hope this helped you guys out a lot.

***Mister_Perkins*** · 02-09-2011, 07:44 PM

Very Nice DIY Man.. I Vote Sticky

pmesfun · 02-09-2011, 07:46 PM

Sweet!

Did you change the cig lighter bulb, when I had my coin tray out it looked like the neo 4mm, but with a long base on my avalon.

BoyBlue · 02-09-2011, 08:17 PM

Awesome!! I was taking that apart the other day and I was like hmmm... glad i dont have to think to hard now

xpeed · 02-09-2011, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pmesfun

Sweet!

Did you change the cig lighter bulb, when I had my coin tray out it looked like the neo 4mm, but with a long base on my avalon.

I'm going to take a look at it later. It might be different since you have a Avalon.

pmesfun · 02-09-2011, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xpeed

I'm going to take a look at it later. It might be different since you have a Avalon.

Forgot I had a spare, pulled it from the junkyard a while ago. Its probably the same for the Camry.

t3chnique · 02-10-2011, 04:13 PM

FYI, this is only for Gen 4s. 4.5s have a different HVAC console...

sensei_ · 02-10-2011, 10:46 PM

Whats the small orange connector in the 3rd pic?

xpeed · 02-11-2011, 12:09 AM

It's the adapter to your 12v outlet.

sensei_ · 02-11-2011, 02:33 AM

If you dont mind me asking; how can I install the 12V outlet?

Is it as simple as drilling the bottom bit of plastic to mount a 12V outlet.

xpeed · 02-11-2011, 12:16 PM

I don't know how to do it but there should be a model where there's a panel for that outlet. Try looking around and see if there's a car in the junkyard that has one.

DSM_Lara · 02-12-2011, 04:13 AM

This can be useful for Gen1 Solara owners.

skuttduck · 02-12-2011, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xpeed

The light for the cigarette lighter is different. I need to find out what type of bulb that is but that's for a later time.

Well cheers. Hope this helped you guys out a lot.

I can tell you about that. I replaced my cigarette lighter bulb. It is technically part of a piece called the lighter stay.

I was able to break out the original bulb and use a Radio Shack 7219 Micro bulb. (from this post *LED Work* A/C and Rear Defrost Button Access/size...)

guccimane · 07-24-2011, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skuttduck

I can tell you about that. I replaced my cigarette lighter bulb. It is technically part of a piece called the lighter stay.

I was able to break out the original bulb and use a Radio Shack 7219 Micro bulb. (from this post *LED Work* A/C and Rear Defrost Button Access/size...)

question: is the cig lighter bulb a 3mm LED like the blue one in this picture from that thread?: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y27...ta/recirc2.jpg

cuz I'll be damned if that's not a 3mm LED. haha

any ideas?

radioshack's site shows no results for "7219" in a search on their site, so I'm assuming it was discontinued, but from what i can tell it was a T1 bulb, which is the same size, as far as i know, as a 3mm LED.

xpeed · 08-06-2011, 07:06 PM

No, it's a totally different bulb. I think it's a certain type of 3mm bulb. There's no LED bulb for the type of bulb the cig light uses. Unless you opt to custom solder it......good luck. I don't find it that important to spend 2 hours on a tiny bulb that barely lights up at the bottom of your console. I just opted a easier route by taking the green condom off. As for the AC, when I said there's a green film bulb, I'm talking about the on/off indicating light, not the "AC" face, that lights up whatever color bulb you pick. You can't change that bulb btw because it's part of the unit.