Shifter light burned out

[hdsalinas]

The ligkt on the shifter console is not turning on anymore. Might be a loose/dirty contact or a blown bulb.

How do I get to the light bulb?

thanks for your help

[vseth]

I had to do it on my 1998 Corolla. Basically, you have to take-off most of the trim in the front of the car. So the lower trim panels on both the driver and passenger sides have to be taken off, as they hold the centre trim panel ( the panel with the shifter, between the driver and passenger seat ). To take-off the lower passenger trim panel, you'll ofcourse have to take the glove compartment out, and also some small trim pieces on the sides. There also some small trim pieces that you'll have to take out for the driver's side.
Now the centre trim panel is not held up on the sides, but all the stuff in the centre trim panel has to be taken out ( i.e. stereo, ashtray & lighter, little storage box, and ofcourse the heater/cooler knobs ). And don't forget to take off the little trim plate that's around the shifter.
You're almost there, the centre trim panel is also latched and screwed along with the centre arm-rest, so you'll have to remove the arm-rest as well. Un-latching these two pieces was not that easy.
Now you're ready to take out the centre panel. Once the panel is off, you can see the bulb from the driver's side, below the shifter. Make sure to save the screws and bolts, and note down the exact order for taking them off.
I would'nt open it all just for the bulb, but because I was souping up my stereo wiring and installing an alarm starter, I had to remove the trim pieces anyway.

[vseth]

Forgot to mention, you'll also have to remove the metal plates behind the lower trim panels on the passenger and driver's side.

[hdsalinas]

Just for a bulb!!!!

[hdsalinas]

Vseth,

do you have the bulb part number? I dont want to go through all that just to find out that they dont sell them here.

[vseth]

Well the Toyota Part Number is 9008081064, but I don't have the specs for it, i.e. amps or voltage, etc. But your best bet would be just to open it up, take the bulb out, and just go to any auto-parts supplier, as these bulbs are generic.

[BLUEMEANIE]

on my 95 its a normal 194/168 wedge bulb (same one in your corner lights). The Haynes manual says your suppose to remove just about everything from the center console and pop the socket out from underneath ... but ... I managed to do it from the top with only removing two small pieces.

I popped off the trim from around the shifter and on each side of the "PRND21" piece there are clips. I popped all four of those with a small screwdriver and was able to pull the bulb out from the top without removing the socket. I dropped a new bulb in and closed it all up.

[hdsalinas]

Thanks Bluemeanie, I will give that a try this weekend.

[BLUEMEANIE]

fyi ... I had to use two screw drivers to pop the four clips on the PRND12 piece, it kept snapping back down.