bobinyelm

All gear selection lights work in my 2003 RX-300 (just purchased with verified 31,000mi for my wife) except for the "D."

My wife insists the car be perfect, but the dealer quoted about $200 to replace the bulb.

I am frugal, so would like to try to change the bulb myself.

I don't want to invoke the Wrath of Khan by screwing it up, so thought I'd ask here first.

There are two screws visible at the top of the instrument cluster (pointing upward) that would appear to retain the cluster in the dash.

Can anyone tell me what is required to remove the cluster just far enough to replace the faulty bulb behind the "Drive" transmission selection.

Also, is the shift quadrant supposed to be illuminated (down on the console where one actually selects the desired gears)?

Ours is not illuminated.

Thanks!
Bob

maxSteel

It's in the sticky list of DIY stuff
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...ght-out-3.html

bobinyelm

Doh!

I did a "Search," but must have screwed it up.

Thanks!

Anyone know if the shift quadrant at the shift lever is back lit from below as well?

hypervish

The lights on the shift lever are illuminated, but only when the headlights/parking lights are on.
When only the daytime running lights are on, the lights on the shift lever are off.

bobinyelm

Perfect.

Thanks.

Xtom73G

I just ordered a new D bulb Saturday at the dealer. The excellent pics and instructions are in the DIY section. I would advise disconnect negative battery cable, don't want to take even the slightest chance of airbag deployment. I also could not get an answer from the dealer about whether or not there is a light in the ashtray. My ashtray has a little eisinglass window, so I think there should be a light so you can find it in the dark while driving. I shall explore the console when I have time.

99rx

iTrader: (6)

That's amazing... 31,000 miles??? WOW. Any Pictures?

bobinyelm

No pix, but it's your standard white over silver w/ beige interior RX. Not highly optioned (no heated seats, for example, but I guess in FL they figured they didn't need them), but very lightly used, and looks nearly new as one would expect.

Had to give $15k to get it, but my wife felt more comfortable w/ a low mileage car. It was owned by an elderly lady (82yrs) and wife of a judge.

When she passed, the husband kept it about a year before selling it to a local independent dealer who sells most cars to Latin and South America, which I understand.

The story sounded suspect, but when I found the Lexus dealership it was sold new at as well as serviced at, everything checked out, and I Googled the owner's last name and found the obit, so it was a straight story. Had the indy dealer take it back to the Lexus dealer for a check-out (and to make sure the car existed), so felt better about it.

Wired the money, then flew 1500mi to pick it up and drive it home. It's always scary wiring $15k to folks you never met (that was the only way he would hold the car), but it worked out OK this time.

Now, I can't get my wife to drive the car. She just likes looking at it in the garage, and keeps driving her '98 Acura that she was thoroughly tired of before. Go figure...I can't figure women out.

hypervish

I would have paid $15k myself. That's a great find!

jbl-1985

A note on the "D" bulb, at least my experience with it. Tore open the dash a few years ago and replaced it. Wasn't too big a deal, but the lamp went out again less than a year later. After that, I didn't bother to replace it again.

hypervish

I haven't bothered to replace it either.

bobinyelm

I just bought two lamps at Radio Shack (2 for $1.99) that someone in the DIY thread said work very well.

Only downside is you have to use the old fixture, and replace the old bulb with the new one.

Frankly I like it better w/ the bulb OUT (I don't like more lights on in the cluster), but my wife is obsessed with everything working perfectly or it drives her up a wall. Now that she knows it's out, she won't even drive the RX until it's fixed. I think it's a woman thing.

To me, no light means it's in Drive, cuz' all the OTHER gears HAVE lights.

Raoul

A burned out 'D' light is best explained thus:

The female mosquito bites, the male mosquito does not.
The male mosquito makes a buzzing sound, the female mosquito does not.
So, if you hear buzzing do not worry.
But, if you hear nothing.....

bufferdan

I just swapped the bottom L bulb into the burnt D spot. Free diy lol

2001cobra

This is my next project now that my pulsating brake pedal problem is solved.

Is buying a factory bulb the best option? Can't imagine one bulb could cost that much...then again it is Lexus I'm talking about.