Replace Burnt Gauge Lights

Disconnect Your Battery First
Wait 5 minutes​

​

1. Remove Gauge Bezel-Tilt the steering column to it's lowest position.​
2. Remove the two screws along the top of the bezel-look up from seat level.​
3. Pry carefully at the lower sections of the bezel with a screwdriver to release the clips on the bottom.​
4. Grasp the bezel and set it aside​
5. Remove the bolts attached to the white part of the instrument cluster, there are four of them.​
6. Carefully disconnect the electrical connectors that are attached to the back.​
7. Remove the instrument cluster​
8. On the Rear of the instrument cluster lights can be identified as black circles with a rectangular section protruding from the middle.​
9. Locate the light you wish to replace and grab the rectangular section and twist it to the left, the bulb is now free and ready to be replaced.​
10. Installation is reverse.​
11. Now connect the battery​

Do Not Connect Battery Until Job Is Complete​

 

I just did this. Here is a full guide to what I did. Pictures included.

I don't know if this is the best way. But this is what I did. Correct me if I'm wrong.

In the "change holder" behind the e-brake you want to lift up that little piece of carpet in there and remove what I remember is four screws. Follow that center console trim up and near the floor just before the shifter you should see a blot on each side of the console. Take those out. You should now be able to remove this. I tried to remove the trim pieces on either side of the shifter but couldn't figure it out. Don't worry I still got it done.

There should be a rounded that is directly around where the letters are. Carefully pry this out. Since you did that. The plate where the shifter slides up and down through and where the PRD21 are written should now be exposed.

This was the most difficult part. Make that the second most difficult (hold that thought)

If you look around this plate you will see four tabs. NOTE: I FOUND THE TABS WERE BEST REMOVED FROM RIGHT.....RIGHT TO LEFT. I almost broke this. Pop the top right one and pull up a little on the plate, pop the bottom right tab, and it should swing up from the right side and by doing so, slide out of the setting on the left. You then turn this plate 180 degrees and your light is exposed.

Now. I had never changed a 194 bulb before. I assumed...I now feel like an idiot sharing this story, but I hope some of you take enjoyment from this. I laugh now. Lets prevent another mistake though.

I assumed the 194 bulb unscrewed... DON'T DO THIS. The 194 bulb can be pulled right from the socket no different from you're regular fuse. Since I unscrewed the socket from deep in the setting, and couldn't get the side trim pieces off. I FOUGHT THAT FUCKING SOCKET FOR 40 MINUTES BEFORE I GOT IT BACK. So... Be smart, pull out, push the new one in, and be done with it. Also. Thoroughly test your new bulb by switching on your headlights before you replace everything. Just follow these steps backwards to put everything back.

Also, your e-brake is also easily tightened with the console off. Just loosen the top nut on the cable. Once loose, tighten the bottom one driving the cable up, then retighten top nut.

In this picture the round thing is what you want to get off before you can get access to what I referred to as "the plate"

This is what the 194 bulb looks like...

What it looks like when the center console is removed and the bulb exposed. Notice how I rotated "the plate"

And this is a closeup of the bulb, in the socket, deep in the well. It was a pain getting it back up in there. Don't remove the socket. Just the bulb. If you removed the socket I hope you have long fingers.


PM me or reply here and let me know how it went.

 

BlackMagic, you gave instructions for something completely different.

zwhz, check out my guide. If there any holes email me at oysterfuzz@gmail.com and I can get back to you.

 

Please let me know where can I find your guide? I've searched around the post, and did not find it.

Thanks,

 

That works too!

N.E.O.

 

Thank you all guys for the quick reply, especially for nickreich. I will try your instruction this weekend and inform you the result.

 

I gave instructions for what was asked, use the correct terms for things and you will get the correct answers.

 

It's true...

What was asked and what was needed were 2 completly different things !

If this helped you, I ask that you stop by TCSportline.com and contact them submitting a request to make a REAR STRUT TOWER BAR for the 93-97 Corolla. It only takes a minute and I would greatly appreciate it. I'm trying to get them to make the part for our generation car.
Thank You

 

I tried nickreich's instruction today and it worked well. Theoretically you just need to pry out the ring and the PRND12 plate and it is not necessary to take out the large console around E-brake. However doing the last procedure gives you more working space and it is very easy to do (just unscrew five screws - three in the change holder and two just behind the shifter and close to the floor). To pry out the PRND21 plate is really difficult for the first time (it is very easy to take out the ring, even with your bare hand and no screwdriver), since the left side of the trim surrounding the shifter console is softer, it is better to pry the plate out from the right side, which is also suggested by nickreich. I first pry out the lower right corner since the console around E-brake is taken off and I can apply my screwdriver horizontally, which makes the job a little easier. To lift up the upper right corner takes a long time. At the beginning I was afraid of damaging parts and later I decided to apply more force. Finally the right side was lifted and for the left side, you just need to slide it off, which is much easier. It took 30 mins to uninstall all these parts. After changing the bulb, the reinstallment just took 2-3 mins. Thank you again, nickreich, for all your detailed informations.

 

glad it worked.

 

thanks for posting the writeup nickreich.

i'll forward it to my buddy who needs to have his bulb replaced.

 

I just found this thread again and wanted to say you're welcome and i'm glad atleast one person got some use out of it. Stay posted I have a couple more "random part fix" writeups coming soon.

 

Just giving out credit where it's due.

Sounds great, can't wait for more of your DIYs!

 

I just tried out nickreich's instructions. They work great! I'd like to share my experiences since I've been trying to figure this out through the Haynes manual for a few days before I went on here.

Removing the rear console is pretty much unnecessary, unless you did what I did and accidentally unscrewed bulb holder.

I managed to not spend 40+ minutes getting it back by inserting one of the screwdrivers in an opening that was from removing the rear center console. I definitely didn't have long enough fingers to screw it back in! I thought removing the light bulb by hand was a pain, but it's A LOT easier than unscrewing it!

Another note: the Haynes manual is incomplete for removing the rear center console. As described above, the NON-lid version has those three screws underneath the felt that lines the bottom of the recessed box that is in between the seat backs.

BlackMagicCorolla's description seems quite apt, but it's a bit more intensive if you're unfamiliar with the interior body work like I am.

Now I'm curious to see what colors work since the white LED has a pretty cold white beam...I'm not sure if I'm feeling that. Anyone with photos?

 

This DIY should be put in the main thread at the top of the forum. I've got to this on my girl friend's car at some point lol

 

You read my mind . I've just added this thread to the DIY sticky at the top of the forum. If anyone else finds any other threads which may be suitable, please let either me or PhatRoyale know :thumbsup:

 

Thank you all for the information. The learning curve is real short for me. It took me 10 mins to get this done. I used a screwdriver to insert & ply the tags off. A long nose pliers with double sided mounting tape to the ends & pulled out the bulb. I can't post pics cos the web site is asking for a URL??
Thanks again to all.

 

I can't post pics cos the web site is asking for a URL??

You'll need to upload the photos to an image hosting website such as PhotoBucket or ImageShack :thumbsup:

 

shift plate

Hi im new to TN and need to do this to my 95 corolla and was still wondering if all you have to do is pry off or unscrew the plate once you get the ring off?
Thanks!!!

 

Thanks it works! Lots of Pics. 1995 Corolla.

You Da Men Toyota Nation!

1 Pry up outer ring with taped screwdriver. Easy. Lift it off shifter keeping track of proper orientation.


2 Detach, lift, rotate plate. This part was tricky. Nickreich et. al was right. Start with right side, end with left side. I proceeded as shown to undo the 4 clips. This link @ step 6 helped a lot. The hardest one for me was #4. I think it's because I undid #1 and #2 and then lifted right side to disengage left side which didn't work for me. If I were to repeat this I would detach all 4 clips before lifting upward. Sorry about the dirt. (For reassembly: To seat plate get all the flanges in and simply press until it snaps into place.)


3 Plate detached and lifted.


4 Plate rotated to expose the bulb.


5 Pull bulb straight out, DO NOT TWIST. You need very narrow fingers. Or insert needle nose thusly. Open them and GENTLY pry up bulb. Do not grasp or apply force to the glass.

6 I spent hours trying to verify the retail bulb from dealer mumbo jumbo. Press bulb into socket with base oriented left to right.


7 Be sure to test bulb before reassembly. You won't be able to tell afterward in daylight. Reassemble in reverse.

 

Thanks to all who contributed to this thread. Helped me this evening. Saved me some money, too. ;-)

 

My advice if you choose is to use rubber bands around the tips of the pliers so you can grip a little better without the chance of busting the bulb. Wouldve helped me a bit if i thought of it when i replaced mine but 3XX,XXX miles of crud somehow found its way into the socket...

 

Thanks for those tutorial, I changed my bulb in the five minutes

 

I joined this forum just to say "thanks" for this tutorial. That bulb has been burned out since I got the car two years and 15,000 miles ago.

:thanks:

Now, let me go disinfect the knuckle I busted up from trying to dig that bulb out of it's socket!

 

Another thanks for this tutorial, finally I can see what I'm shifting to in the dark!

I searched but I could not find a proper tutorial for replacing the dome light in a 7th gen Corolla. Anyone have any tips?

 

The bulb in the dome light? Turn off the light, pop off the white cover (I just stick a key under it and twist).Then just pull the bulb out and stick a new one in. It's literally a 30 second procedure, very easy.

 

Sweet! Thanks for the pics and info...just replaced all of my cluster lights with SMD LEDs earlier today along with all of my tail lights and license plate light. Tomorrow will be my shifter light since it burnt out, throwing another SMD in its place! Waiting on LEDs for my dome light and hvac control light as well.

 

Thanks

Thanks a lot for this post, especially CorollaG's tutorial.
I changed the light bulb in my Corolla 97.
For the 4 clips in Step 2, I undid the #2 first.
In this step, I found that using a flat head screwdriver to pry the edge of the plastic cover
seems easier than the original method.
Thanks again!

 

I just tried to do this. It was ridiculously annoying prying the second panel off but I could not get the bulb out for the life of me, how are you all getting it out? I tried leather man pliers and my fingers and nothing was working

 

Were you able to do it? I just came across this thread, AMAZING. I tried this AGES ago back when I converted everything to LEDs. There was TWO I could not solve. This ONE and the SECOND ONE behind the A/C Panel, I got to the bulb but NO idea what bulb it is! (HELP?!?!)

I did this today, right after I read this post.
Thanks to ALL.:wink:





EDIT: How do I adjust the Ebrake, COULD NOT figure that out, it is really lose, the light even flickers when I take turns.

 

The BRAKE light is a dual purpose light, it's for the ebrake and when you are low on brake fluid.

EDIT* Thanks halo I said park light the first time.