Bulb replacement for gear shift and ashtray???

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sh8wn9
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Joined: Sat Nov 14, 2009 4:32 pm
Car: 2003 nissan pathfinder se

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Can anyone help me and tell me which lighbulbs I need for the gear shift and ashtray on a 03 pathfinder se??? And also how do I access the bulbs in order to change them out??? Or could it possible be just a fuse??? :gotme
Thanks for the help!


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Beancooker
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You will have to download the FSM, but I am sure the info is in there. I know for a fact it will show an exploded view of how to take it apart. I am almost as positive that it will have a description or part number for the bulbs. Hope that helps.

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Pwnin O'Brien
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To replace both lamps you need to begin by pulling the ash tray out, just open the lid and pull it up, it will pop right out. Then you will need to remove the plastic trim that surrounds the shifter base and ash tray. If you start pulling up the trim around where you just removed the ash tray you will see that it just pops right off. Once it is off you will be able to see the ash tray lamp, you can remove the bulb and put in the new one. For the shifter light if you look to the front of the shifter base assembly (between the shifter base and the little tray under your radio) you will see the wires going to the shift indicator lamp, you can just rotate the base and pull it out and then replace the bulb. The old bulb will have a little blue cover on it, it's not necessary to put that blue cover on the new bulb. Like Beancooker said, you can get a better idea of where all of the trim clips are and whatnot by looking in the following file...

http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/pathfinder/ ... der/bt.pdf

It's not a fuse since the fuse that powers those two lamps also powers the rest of the interior illumination (instrument cluster, glove box lamp, radio illumination, clock illumination, etc.) and it would be very evident that the fuse has blown.

sh8wn9
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Ok cool. Thanks a lot for the information. That was extremely helpful, and Im going to look into that link. Thanks:)

sh8wn9
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Car: 2003 nissan pathfinder se

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So, the link was great at showing me how to actually take the trim apart, but it didnt list the bulbs I need. I tried looking elsewhere but havent found anything yet. Any ideas???

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Pwnin O'Brien
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I think the shift indicator is a 194, not sure about the ash tray lamp. Your best bet is to just pull the bulbs and check, I could be wrong about the shift indicator.

sh8wn9
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Ok thats a good idea. Im gonna work on it tomorrow. Thanks again:)

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GRNMACHINE
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Car: 1999.5 Pathfinder SE 4x4

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Spot on info as usual. I have my console taken apart. Now is a great time to clean out crumbs etc as well.

And on a side note--Beancooker, that is one disturbingly funny avatar pic....

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CanuckQx4
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The gearshift is supposed t be illuminated???

How so?? Mine must be dead cause I got no lights on my shifter in my 01 qx4....

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Empty V
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CanuckQx4 wrote:The gearshift is supposed t be illuminated???

How so?? Mine must be dead cause I got no lights on my shifter in my 01 qx4....
The base of the gearshift i.e. P N D 2 1 should be illuminated. I changed mine out for a blue 921 size 168 base LED which is awesome thanks to Slick Roger's suggestion. When purchasing make sure you don't go beyond the 921 size. The 168 socket might fit but the the bulb will be too large.

Billy

sh8wn9
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Car: 2003 nissan pathfinder se

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So, I finally got around to starting changing the bulbs. I got the ashtray bulb out today...now I just have to get a new one. The trim pops out super easily, and Im working on finding the gear shift bulb. Thats as far as I can get though, I cant seem to find the bulb for the gear shift? Im assuming theres more trim I have to take off?

Ryman
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Car: 2001 Infiniti QX4

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Empty V wrote:
CanuckQx4 wrote:The gearshift is supposed t be illuminated???

How so?? Mine must be dead cause I got no lights on my shifter in my 01 qx4....
The base of the gearshift i.e. P N D 2 1 should be illuminated. I changed mine out for a blue 921 size 168 base LED which is awesome thanks to Slick Roger's suggestion. When purchasing make sure you don't go beyond the 921 size. The 168 socket might fit but the the bulb will be too large.

Billy
Wait? i don't understand "The 168 socket might fit but the the bulb will be too large." aren't they the same size so shouldn't they fit? cuz i have an 01 qx4 too and was thinking about doing this

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Innovazn
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Ryman wrote:
Empty V wrote:
The base of the gearshift i.e. P N D 2 1 should be illuminated. I changed mine out for a blue 921 size 168 base LED which is awesome thanks to Slick Roger's suggestion. When purchasing make sure you don't go beyond the 921 size. The 168 socket might fit but the the bulb will be too large.

Billy
Wait? i don't understand "The 168 socket might fit but the the bulb will be too large." aren't they the same size so shouldn't they fit? cuz i have an 01 qx4 too and was thinking about doing this
same "size" different wattage.

921 bulb specifications:
amp/watt: 1.4A / 17.9W


168 bulb specifications:
amp/watt: .35A / 4.9W

as well... these bulbs can come with multiple "bulbs" or "leds" or "SMDS". my reverse lights have 24 SMDS, my gear box has 3 or 5 i dont remember.

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Empty V
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I believe 168 is the socket/connector type and 921 is the size the actual bulb not the wattage. You can have different wattages in the same size AND socket number.

Billy

Ryman
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oh ok..... so i'm going if I were to get the 168 base with the 921 bulb it will fit? just to clarify

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CanuckQx4
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well hell my shifter console DOES NOT light up
Guess I have some trouble shooting to do now then
All the fuses are there, I guess Ill pull it apart and change the bulbs if I can find them

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GRNMACHINE
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I have my console apart, out of curiosity today I looked for the shifter bulb, it must be buried under the shifter? Do the colored lights make that much of a differnce?

sh8wn9
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I dont know...but Im very interested if anyone has any pictures or diagrams as to where exactly the bulb for the gear shift is. I got around to replacing the ashtray bulb, and was looking forever for any signs of the gear shift bulb...but cant see anything. Anyone have pics???

psiebe
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Car: 2001 Pathfinder SE 4x4

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I can't find the gear shift light on my 2001 Pathfinder either. There are no wires visible near the front of the gear shift box.

Anyone have luck with the number of the ash tray bulb?

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Empty V
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psiebe wrote:I can't find the gear shift light on my 2001 Pathfinder either. There are no wires visible near the front of the gear shift box.

Anyone have luck with the number of the ash tray bulb?
There aren't any visible wires. As I said before it's a 168 socket with a 921 sized bulb. It's located at the bottom left towards the back of the gear shift and sits a an angle. It's not easy to find so just dig around in that area.

Billy

psiebe
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Thanks Billy. I found it by taking off the plastic cover over the shifter (which was easy one I got the main plastic cover out of the way). It was on the drivers side directly in front/below the P. If you think of the shift indicators as being a vertical line, then it is directly in line with the indicators. The shift indicator front is The wires actually run inside the shift "box" and are barely exposed outside of it. An earlier post threw me off by saying follow the wires.

Gear shift is 168, like was mentioned. The ashtray looks like a 74.

ferrariowner123
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Car: 1996 Nissan Pathfinder SE

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(for reference i have a 96 R50 W/ manual, 4X4, and all of the options if that matters, just trying to cover all of the basis's)

So i have read through this post, and it seems i have the similar problem.

Only thing is that i am trying to change the ash tray bulb to an LED,

The LED is a generic LED i bought at Radio Shack

Its a 5 volt, 20mA 4.0 mcd (thats what it says on the package)

But from what i read the standard bulb that goes into the ash tray is a 1.7A ( i think, if i remember that right)

But the point is if i could get some advice from how to make this current LED work, because i am installing a new Kenwood deck and i have the AUX port routed through the back of the stereo and down the center console and up through the ash tray to keep a nice clean look, so i was hoping i would fix the light at the same time, but it turned into a bigger problem than i expected.

What i have done so far:

I ruled out a fuse from reading up above how the same fuse that runs that bulb works the instrument panel and that works fine.

I have done a little of voltage checking, but i just got this ridiculously complicated Volt meter, so i doubt i was in the right setting, but ill read the manual and get back to you, to see if the plug even works, lol

But im current waiting on an adapter for the stereo that makes the Kenwood fit right up to the Nissan plugs, should be here tomorrow or Saturday (had it two day aired) so there is no hurry on this, but i would like to get it fixed as well.

Any instruction are very much appreciated!

Thanks

Kyle

eurodaytona
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Over the weekend i replaced my light bulb in the shifter selector area,,,,id like to post some pics but didn't see an area to upload any pics.

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Towncivilian
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You can upload pics to www.imgur.com. Options for posting on forums will be given after uploading.

QX4ME
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I tried replacing the gear shift bulb with the LED. I touched the LED terminals and found the right polarity. I guess I shorted the 12 V wires at some point so the LED does not light up, nor does the clock back light.

Someone please let me know what I can do to to find what's wrong? Since the lights for gear shift and clock share the fuse with other stuff, and all other lights are fine, I am out of idea what to do...

Thanks

QX4ME
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I need to correct myself: Gone are all lights in the center console, clock back light, radio back light, AC light, gear shift indicator. All those functions are working, I can turn radio on, AC on, etc.

All related fuses are checked OK.

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Towncivilian
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TAIL fuse is your probable culprit.

QX4ME
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Thanks Towncivilian.


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