Gear shifter illumination

[DrewQ45]

Does anyone know how to pull off the plastic cover of the gear shift selector? (the part that has P, N, D.... etc.)

I need to get to the illumination bulbs underneath it. I can see 4 screws at the base but they will be hard to get to unless I pull everthing apart or bore holes in the carpet which covers the hump. It seems that the top can separate about 3/4" down but I'm not sure.

Installing LEDs all over. Tedious and tiring so I lost patience.

[Ozzie]

I tried opening mine, but couldn't find out how, so I left mine alone.......Besides, I have a shift indicator in the gauge cluster.

Sorry Drew, I had to go there....

[DrewQ45]

I tried opening mine, but couldn't find out how, so I left mine alone.......Besides, I have a shift indicator in the gauge cluster.

Sorry Drew, I had to go there....

It's okay man, I'd flaunt it too if I had it like that.

Am I on my own with the shifter cover? Sigh... nothing in the FSM.

[TBrack]

I couldn't figure it out either...

[DrewQ45]

On both sides of the transmission hump, I am able to bore holes in the carpet, push in a screwdriver through accomodating holes in the metal to reach the screws at the base of the cover. I also might be able to use a phillips bit placed in a socket and a 3/8 rachet... overcomes low clearance. It's either that or take the whole area apart. Just thought there may be an easier way.

[lino]

Besides, I have a shift indicator in the gauge cluster.

What doesn't your car have!!!! I love your car. I keep thinking about your A8s

[Ozzie]

Surely they wouldn't have made it that difficult to get to?

Crazy Japs and their little hands

[Ozzie]

I had a really good look at it, and it seems that there are 4 screws WAY down the bottom of the surround.The only way to get at them properly is to remove the center console, and the A/C ducts leading to the rear.....What a PITA job....

[DrewQ45]

Yeah,

Forgot to post this but I looked at one in a junkyard and the screws do have to be pulled. Looks like they could be accessed by pushing a screwdriver through the carpet from the outside.

[Ozzie]

Mine has ducting to the rear for the A/C...... Which completely blocks access to the screws....If your car doesn't have the ducting in the way, you could use one of these to get to them...

[DrewQ45]

I got it done today. I pushed through the carpet with a scratch-awl and stuck a phillips head screwdriver through to access the screws. I think this is actually the intended method since there are accomodating holes in the metal for the front screws.

I didn't use LEDs by the way. I went to a local pep boys and found red gel cap bulb covers. Simply removed the blue bulb cover and pushed the red caps onto the bulb. It looks great and the nice thing is, I have lots of these bulbs laying around. So I have a combo of LEDS and bulb covers now. I'll be using bulb covers on the final step...the cluster. I think the bulb covers diffuse the light evenly eliminating bright/shadowy spots. This is why manufacturers use the blue covers in the first place.

To be honest, If I could have found red bulb covers small enough, I never would have bothered with LEDs.

http://www.elcovaforums.com/fo...age=2

[DrewQ45]

Pics don't do this mod justice, you have to see it with the naked eye.

[TBrack]

nice work!

I've decided I want to use super white leds on my shifter, hvac, and clock

[Ozzie]

I got it done today. I pushed through the carpet with a scratch-awl and stuck a phillips head screwdriver through to access the screws. I think this is actually the intended method since there are accomodating holes in the metal for the front screws.

I didn't use LEDs by the way. I went to a local pep boys and found red gel cap bulb covers. Simply removed the blue bulb cover and pushed the red caps onto the bulb. It looks great and the nice thing is, I have lots of these bulbs laying around. So I have a combo of LEDS and bulb covers now. I'll be using bulb covers on the final step...the cluster. I think the bulb covers diffuse the light evenly eliminating bright/shadowy spots. This is why manufacturers use the blue covers in the first place.

To be honest, If I could have found red bulb covers small enough, I never would have bothered with LEDs.

http://www.elcovaforums.com/fo...age=2

what size were the shifter bulbs? Were they T10 (wedge) bulbs?How many were there?

[DrewQ45]

what size were the shifter bulbs? Were they T10 (wedge) bulbs?How many were there?

It's a single 158 bulb... Same bulb as those backlighting the cluster. I guess 194 would work also.

...Drew...

[speedingminivan]

Be careful with this. On some of the cars to make it out of the factory the entire rear suspension, the doorsills and the rear license plate are hooked to the car by way of these 4 screws. Really a shame, some people changing to LED's and the car falls apart...

Time to sit back and enjoy the show.

[lino]

Awesome work Drew! You're almost done. Does your car stereo change colors?

[Ozzie]

Be careful with this. On some of the cars to make it out of the factory the entire rear suspension, the doorsills and the rear license plate are hooked to the car by way of these 4 screws. Really a shame, some people changing to LED's and the car falls apart...

Time to sit back and enjoy the show.

ZOMG!!! dude, you are so right..... my rear license plate fell off last night. Is there any way I can save my car before it completely disintegrates?

[DrewQ45]

Awesome work Drew! You're almost done. Does your car stereo change colors?

Unfortunately, no. I'm tired of it anyway since it doesn't have MP3 capability and I don't want to use one of those cassette adapters or FM transmitters.

I'm looking towards changing it to a bluetooth model... one that has customizable lighting so I can change the color to match. I'm not even sure if the combo exists at this point.
Modified by DrewQ45 at 9:12 AM 4/24/2007

[DrewQ45]

Be careful with this. On some of the cars to make it out of the factory the entire rear suspension, the doorsills and the rear license plate are hooked to the car by way of these 4 screws. Really a shame, some people changing to LED's and the car falls apart...

Time to sit back and enjoy the show.

Crack is wack!

[TBrack]

It's a single 158 bulb... Same bulb as those backlighting the cluster. I guess 194 would work also.

...Drew...

orly?

[lino]

Is this where the screws are?

[DrewQ45]

Is this where the screws are?

**EDIT**Just took another look... those are not the screws...they're the horizontal screws laying just to the left on the plastic housing. If you extended your arrows past the holes you're currently pointing to, you'd be pointing to them.

The carpet on either side can be bored thru for screwdriver access. The gearshift knob must also be removed. Pop out the shifter button with a flat-head screwdriver and use a deep throat socket, 12mm?
Modified by DrewQ45 at 3:20 PM 4/24/2007