Automatic shifter bulb

Post Mon Apr 15, 2013 11:36 am

Any body know which bulb I need to buy to replace a blown bulb in an automatic gear shifter? (ie the bulb that illuminates PRND etc)

I've searched through the wiki and can't seem to find any info for this.

Post Mon Apr 15, 2013 11:39 am

from memory its the standard dashboard bulb- cant remember code but use the halfords look up guide in store-

or pop the cover off with the brush on and take it out to take with you

Post Mon Apr 15, 2013 11:52 am

Thanks, I think I found what I need now on the Halfords website.

Post Mon Apr 15, 2013 12:24 pm

Is the bulb definitely blown? Failure of light here is normally due to the wire to the bulb holder being broken.

Post Mon Apr 15, 2013 1:20 pm

I'm not sure, I haven't had a look under the cover yet. Where does the wire normally break?

Post Mon Apr 15, 2013 1:30 pm

Remove the brush cover (it just unclips) and you'll soon see if the wire is broken. The wire tends to weaken with age due to repetitive movement from Park to Drive.

Post Mon Apr 15, 2013 1:30 pm

Wire breaks where it flexes the most as you move the selector. All should be obvious when you remove the brush plate.
Bulb is the same 1.2W capless lamp that's used for most of the rest of the dash illumination and warning lamps. It's an incandesant lamp and will fail eventually, so you may be lucky that it's just that.

Post Mon Apr 15, 2013 8:20 pm

As darkchild suspected... popped the cover off and the wire had completely snapped off. didn't have the tools to fix properly so will have to wait for another day

Post Tue Apr 16, 2013 1:19 pm

ThomasBellamy wrote:As darkchild suspected... popped the cover off and the wire had completely snapped off. didn't have the tools to fix properly so will have to wait for another day

Very, very common on slushmatic E30s. Time to get busy with the soldering iron! I've had to fix mine a couple of times.

Spookily, the bulb in mine has actually died today and will be replaced later.

Post Tue Apr 16, 2013 1:52 pm

darkchild wrote:
ThomasBellamy wrote:As darkchild suspected... popped the cover off and the wire had completely snapped off. didn't have the tools to fix properly so will have to wait for another day
Very, very common on slushmatic E30s. Time to get busy with the soldering iron! I've had to fix mine a couple of times.

Spookily, the bulb in mine has actually died today and will be replaced later.

A butane powered portable soldering iron set and a box of assorted heat shrink wrap is already in the post! I have to get cracking with this and the red/black door mod too as my central locking is knackered!

Post Tue Apr 16, 2013 6:46 pm

No good soldering the wire to repair it. The constant flexing has changed the crystalline structure of the copper in the wires, which can only be reversed by heating to cherry red and cooling slowly - difficult with PVC insulated wires.
The whole length of wire, complete with bulb holder should be replaced, or it will fail again in a short time.