Harold57

How do you remove the bulbs in the footwells and in the glove box ('02 SC430)? I'm trying to replace them with LEDs but can't get my fingers around the bulbs enough to pull them out. Is there a secret to removing them? (I'm having a similar problem with my '02 Camry.)

Also, is there a different fuse for the glove box from the foot wells? I managed to get the bulb out (with a toothpick) from the glove box but when I went to insert the new LED bulb, I heard a pop/crack sound and the bulb doesn't light up. I tried installing the old bulb (incandescent) back in and it doesn't light up either.

Harold57

Okay, I answered the 2nd item. It is a blown fuse. It is fuse #2 in the driver's side kick panel. It is a 5A fuse. Time for a auto parts store run.

Now if I could just find a tool to remove the bulbs without breaking them...

Harold57

Shawn or Retro or Mandyfig,
Didn't you guys replace the foot well lights with LEDs? How did you remove the bulbs?

mandyfig

I thought about replacing them on the SC, I have done it on my other cars. Like you I could not figure out how to remove them so I have not done it. My dome lights are LEDs and they are much better lit than stock. They also dim like the bulbs. My door courtesy lights are LED's as well and I have the puddle lights with the LEXUS logo, they still catch everybody's attention.

ShawnOk

iTrader: (1)

Yes, i've replaced both the foot well and the glove box. If I remember correctly. both are very easy. On the passenger footwell, the entire plastic footpanel can be pulled with gentle force toward the rear seat. This will expose the bulb wire. Just twist the bulb holder out and it will remove the bulb from this side. Not exactly sure what the bulb number is anymore (maybe a T5 wedge type bulb). Same concept, on the drivers side footwell. Glove box, worked similarly. I think you can use a smaller screwdriver and that should pop off the clear plastic cover. (Not 100% sure on this one as it's has been a very long time). But remember the glove box will only illuminate with the headlights illuminated.

Harold57

I finally got them. Boy what a pain too.

The bulbs are T5 wedge or 37, which are somewhat equivalent. The bulb itself gave me the problems. I finally gave up on pulling the bulbs out with my fingers, as I had read where others had said that some of the bulbs are very difficult to pull out. (Mine definitely fell in that camp.) So I went and got my small angled needle nose pliers and wrapped a few rounds of electrical tape on them (with the hopes of protecting the bulbs) and was able to remove the bulbs with that set up.

Unfortunately, the insertion of the new bulbs were not quite so easy. I think that the problem is that the glass bulb has rounded edges and is (of course) made of glass. So the rounded edges allowed it to be inserted easier and the glass material slides easier than the plastic. Also, the LED bulb has a square end at the contact end and from what I could tell (not sure because I couldn't see well enough) didn't quite fit in the hole provided by the metal contacts, so there was an interference fit. Perhaps if I had rounded off the edges of the LED bulb, it would have inserted easier. But I did manage to eventually force the bulbs into the sockets and now they are working just fine.

To get the glove box light out, I found it easiest to reach in to just behind the light fixture and just pop the fixture out and then disconnect the cable. (There's a hole right next to the fixture that is large enough to stick your finger in behind the fixture. It pops out quite nicely.) After that you can work on it anywhere. Just check it before you pop everything back together to make sure the polarity is correct. The lens pops off with a very small flat screwdriver by poking it into the little slots on each end of the lens. (You have to press pretty hard to pop the lens back on though.)

I wish that I had looked at the footwell panels closer, Shawn. I didn't realize that the entire panel popped off. I wound up working on it fully installed. The light fixture for these is part of the panel, so you can't just pop the fixture out of the panel like I did with the glove box light. The little lens on both of these will pop off by inserting your flat panel remove tool (I stick with the plastic ones so that a metal screwdriver doesn't scratch up the surrounding area). There are two pressure fit tabs at each end, so pop off one end and you can wiggle the other end out. These bulbs were very difficult to pull out and definitely required the needle nosed pliers. The replacement bulbs were also more difficult to insert but I finally got them in also. You just have to just keep pressing. I'd recommend rounding the edges first though, maybe that would help.

Now I wish that I had taken pictures but by the time I finally got them out and the replacements in, I was just ready to be done with it, plus they are located in such an awkward location, I doubt that I could have gotten good pictures.

So I now have replaced all the "easy" bulbs with LEDs in my interior and in my trunk and I like it a lot better. (Plus I don't have to worry about someone leaving the map lights on after she gets out of the car and coming back to find a dead battery.) The only LEDs I haven't replaced require dash disassembly, of course now I'm starting to eye those also.

Shawn, you mentioned twisting the bulbs out, I wouldn't recommend that because that may break the bulb. These are wedge type bulbs, so it is straight pull out and press in.

ShawnOk

iTrader: (1)

I was recommending twisting the bulb holder/"socket"out of the plastic housing panel. You are correct about removing the bulb though, they must be pulled straight out, which I did not have a problem with. Easiest way for each:
1) Passenger footwell: pull the entire footwell panel toward rear of car. Twist out the bulb holder, change bulb. Replace the bulb and holder. Replace footwell panel (two guides on the bottom should fit into the "ring holes" nearest the engine firewall.
2) Driver footwell: reach behind the actual bulb cover and twist out the bulb and holder. Change bulb. Replace bulb and holder back into hole.
3) Glovebox: Using a pry tool or small screwdriver, pop off the clear cover using the large gap. Change bulb. Replace clear cover.

Pics below. Hopefully self explanatory.

Harold57

Dooh, I missed the socket part. I will definitely have to keep that in mind if I ever have to do this again. Hopefully these will last the rest of the life of the car.

Thanks for the pictures.

Harold57

Here is a picture of the OEM bulb and the LED that I used. I opted for the LED bulb with the lens on top with the hope that it would spread the light a bit better than the ones with only the LED chip on top.

You can see how the connection edges are very rounded with the OEM bulb whereas they are very blunt/squared on the LED.

Harold57

I didn't use grease or file down the bulbs, though that may help. I'm not sure that you can file down the glass though.

JohnSenior

Super helpful - THANKS

GmanSC

I replaced all my SC lights with LEDs. I did not run into any problem at all. I wonder 07 SC is different from the previous models.