ES300: Replacing Cluster Backlighting Bulbs

[LW ES300]

Originally Posted by Lexucan

Thanks for the comments and the suggestion - done.

Glad I could help. That's what this board is all about.

[alee15]

Old bulbs won't pop out of the sockets. Any idea's?

[Lexucan]

Originally Posted by alee15

Old bulbs won't pop out of the sockets. Any idea's?

Sometimes they are a bit stubborn to get out, so put a damp face-cloth (not soaking wet, just a bit damp) over the bulb and GENTLY squeeze it with a pair of ordinary pliers (just enough to get a grip on the bulb through the damp cloth) and wiggle and pull the bulb out. If the bulb breaks off inside the socket, carefully dig the remains out with some needle-nose pliers or tweezers.

[alee15]

Originally Posted by Lexucan

Sometimes they are a bit stubborn to get out, so put a damp face-cloth (not soaking wet, just a bit damp) over the bulb and GENTLY squeeze it with a pair of ordinary pliers (just enough to get a grip on the bulb through the damp cloth) and wiggle and pull the bulb out. If the bulb breaks off inside the socket, carefully dig the remains out with some needle-nose pliers or tweezers.

Thanks lexucan, I actually ended up just pulling on them for awhile with the blue plastic cover still on them and they eventually all popped out, and I got everything up and working, but the bulbs from superbrightleds say they're white and they look alot more like a bluish color..

[Lexucan]

"White" LEDs usually have a hint of blue in them. It might also depend on the amount of ambient light around them when you turn them on. In bright sunlight, they'll look whiter than they do at night. On the other hand, maybe superbrightleds.com sent you the wrong color?
Are they as blue as those in LW ES300's cluster posted above? If so, I'd say you were definitely sent blue LEDs by mistake.

[nikkilee]

i have went to the auto part stores and tried bulb # 24 74 194 and toyota part no 90069-98004 not one would work #194 was to big #24 #74 and toyots part no. 90069-98004 bulb no 203 were all to small they wiggled a lot and now wouldnt stay in now toyota order part no 83119-24570 from lexus and i dont know what i am going to do if it dosnt work i have taken apart the instrument cluster 4 times i dont need any instruction on how to do it any more but i am wonder why the bulb work for others but not me what gives i have a 95 es300

[alee15]

They might have sent the wrong ones but the package they came in said they were the 74 W white's, I'm not sure if they really were though.. I'd say the color looks like the bluish white tuan got for half of his lights. I'll put up a picture soon

[alee15]

Sorry it took so long to post these they're not the greastest quality of pictures though..

[charley240]

do you have pn for the ones you ordered alee?
are they led or incandescent? if they are incandescent they look great.
only spotting i see is the full fuel gauge.
charley

[Esource]

I have to say this is the best article on the subject I have seen on the web.

I just completed the process and then found the article and it is completely on the mark. Just a few more comments hoping they will help others.

1. For rugular bulbs, you may buy Eiko bulbs on the internet for about $5 a box of ten.

#74 Miniature Indicator Lamp - 14 Volt - T1-3/4 Sub Mini Wedge Base - EIKO #74
Manufacturer: EIKO International
Manufacturer's Part Number: 74
14V .1A/T1-3/4 Sub Mini Wedge Base
14 Volts
Filament: C-2F
1,000 Life Hours
T-1 3/4 Bulb
Sub-Miniature Wedge (W2.1x4.9d)
Length: .80 in.
Sold by Full Case Only (10)
$5.31 per box.

2. Since I do not have a Lexus dealer close by, and since Avalon uses the same instrument POD, I ordered Toyota Part No. 90069-98004. Since these bulbs are direct replacement, I could reuse the blue diffuser cap on the original bulbs with these bulbs.

3. Also noticed a few of the bases were brown at the point of contact with bulbs and a couple were actually crumbling possibly because of the contact with heated bulbs. The dealer ordered the bases but got wrong parts and I landed up reusing the original bases.

2. The trickiest part I found was to get the Instrument POD out, taking the connectors off prior to taking the POD out and the reverse procedure of reconnecting the connectors and getting the POD back in. For the last part, I had to get rid of the wiring sleeve for the three connectors that go on the back of the POD. Also had to pull some on the Reset Trip Switch Connector (3 pins, on the right side on the Black piece that goes in front of the Instrumentation cluster, which has two connectors connected to it) cable-set to gain extra length.

3. While replacing the bulbs, I used some household metal glue on the connector ends and some household glass glue on the sides of the wedge to ensure that bulbs stay connected when in a high vibration application.

Good luck with your project.

[cligslayer]

always fun to look through the years of replies to this original topic

Anyway, i just became owner of an SC400 and i am going to go ahead and try this trick on mine. i haven't gotten a chance to pull out the cluster but will get to it soon. i am really hoping the bulb numbers listed here are interchangable with the SC. if done correctly, based on pictures i've seen on here, very reminiscent of the newer OEM Optitron electroluminescent from lexus directly. very very cool.

thanks again for the helpful directions

[cu2cool]

Has anyone tried to do this on a 97' ES300? The light indicator for the headlamps are out on my cluster. I don't think I would need to replace all of the bulbs? Any help? Please include a write up or link to write up for the 97 model if possible, thanks.

[Lexucan]

Originally Posted by cu2cool

Has anyone tried to do this on a 97' ES300? The light indicator for the headlamps are out on my cluster. I don't think I would need to replace all of the bulbs? Any help? Please include a write up or link to write up for the 97 model if possible, thanks.

I've never tackled a '97 cluster but it can't be too much different to the 2gen cluster. You'll probably find that the indicator bulbs are in sockets and easy to replace. Shouldn't have to replace all of them, just the one that is burnt out, but, you could replace them all if you wanted to. Not sure there is a write-up for the '97 model, so you could be the one to write one up!

[cu2cool]

Yeah, I wouldn't mind trying it myself for the first time. What is the deal with having to reset the needle gauges though? If I take it apart will I have to worry about messing with any of the settings?

This forum has been helpfull to me. So far I've replaced the LCD on my radio, and replaced the license plate lights. I just wish there was a subforum specific to 97' ES300's though so I wouldn't have to worry about seeing something different from the write-ups when I take things apart.

[Lexucan]

Re-adjusting the needle positions is sometimes necessary when doing work on the 2nd generation ES gauge needles, but that has nothing to do with your 3rd generation ES or with replacing the cluster indicator bulbs. You shouldn't need to reset anything.