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Replace burned light-bulb in the AC panel !

Discussion in 'Generation 1 Prius Discussion' started by cozmisu, Sep 17, 2013.

  1. cozmisu

    cozmisu Junior Member

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    Hello everybody,

    I have a burned light bulb in the AC panel; any ideea about how I can change it?
    It's a bulb or a led?

    Thanks!


    Location of the burned light-bulb:
    Burned light-bulb location.JPG
     
  2. xpcman

    xpcman Senior Member

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    That picture doesn't look like my 2008 Prius ???
     
  3. cozmisu

    cozmisu Junior Member

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    I have 2 cars; one 2002 and one 2008.
     
  4. xpcman

    xpcman Senior Member

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    Just a guess since I don't have a gen I Prius - a burned out bulb might require replacement of the entire switch.
     
  5. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    It's just tedious. The center finish panel comes out with the radio, MFD, and all controls attached. You have to find two screws at the bottom, behind the lower trim containing the power receptacle, and two nuts below the MFD (concealed by the hazard flasher switch). The edges of the panel, where secured by clips, do not require any pry tool; one is shown in the manual, but it is possible to use gentle, well-distributed finger pressure to lift the edges, with less risk of breakage. You could possibly break it anyway, it is likely to be brittle. It is more brittle when cold; your luck will be better in a hot car (left in sun for a while, etc.).

    Find the manual on techinfo.toyota.com or various pictorial threads in this forum to see exactly how to do this.

    Once it's out, you take off the radio and MFD, and the clock and the heater controls (there's a ribbon cable to deal with in there somewhere, with a zero-force clamp connector to find), and about the last thing you get to before having nothing but parts in your lap is the circuit board with the lights. Replace the bad ones (the originals are incandescent, with little green covers) and put everything back.

    -Chap
     
  6. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    I just assumed you meant the illumination lights. Some of the lights, like the button indicators, are LEDs, I think.

    -Chap
     
  7. cozmisu

    cozmisu Junior Member

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    Yes, its about the retro-illumination of the AC panel.
    Any ideea about what type of bul is there, so I buy it before I try to change it?

    Thanks!
     
  8. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Yes, see "center cluster illum." on the NHW11 lighting page on the PriusChat Wiki.

    -Chap
     
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