Difference between revisions of "Replace headlight level switch bulb"

Revision as of 11:21, 12 January 2007

Replacing this bulb is an easy task. However if your not happy with the standard green light that the stock bulb produces, you can take off its green condon, or even replace it altogether with a bright LED.

1. Remove the switch from the dashboard (below and to the right of the steering wheel next to the security LED).

This can be quite fiddly. It is in fact clipped top and bottom, so its easier to stick a penknife or a flat-head screwdriver in at the top then twist, then at the bottom then twist, then remove it from the sides.

2. Disconnect the switch from the wiring.

On one side of the white connector there is a clip that must be depressed so that the unit can be disconnected from the wiring. I found this quite stiff on mine.

3. The front face is clipped to the main body of the switch at the top and bottom. Unclip this again using a penknife or flat screwdriver.

4. Unclip the side face from the main body (held by 4 clips)

5. Remove circuit board from casing. This is held in by 2 clips at the white baseconnector.

6. Remove the stock bulb from the circuit board. This is done by a quarter twist. The stock Toyota part number for this bulb is 90010-08100. Cost at this date was £3.50 (plus VAT). If you simply wish to replace the current bulb with a new stock one, just replace and re-assemble and reconnect the unit back.

7. If you wish to replace the stock bulb with an LED then it may be possible (i have not done so myself) to do so without soldering but you would need a 12V LED. If you have one, you can still of course go the soldering route below if you wish, but it is possible without soldering by disconnecting the bulb from its blue plastic base and feeding the LED legs throught the holes and bending the legs wiring around the plastic as per the stock bulb. Just ensure the correct legs are connecting to the positive and negative parts of the PCB.

The bulb connects to 2 semi-circles on the circuit board. The correct leg of the LED must connect to the correct part of the PCB.

Most LED's are around 3V. You can get 12V LED's which will make things easier, but as I already had a load I bought off eBay (nearly all eoff eBay are 3V with resistors), i decided to do it this way as after examining the assembly I saw that there was enough room to house the resistor. It can be put inside the circular level adjustor switch itself.

8. Solder the negative leg of the LED to the negative copper semi circle.

9. Solder one leg of the resistor to the positive copper semi circle, then solder the other resistor leg to the positive leg of the LED.

10. You now have a nice new LED. Ensure placement of the resistor is roughy as shown in the picture. This is so that it fits in the inside of the circular adjustor switch.

11. Clip the casing back together.

12. If you went the LED route then I recommend sticking some reflective material over the hole that the bulb is exposed to. This is because LED's also emit light from their base, and this will throw more light back into the switch unit itself. I stuck some silver foil onto some adhesive tape, and covered the hole with it. Please note that if you do this that no parts of the LED legs are sticking up through the hole so as they do not make contact with the foil.

Job done!