Auto gear lever bulb still doesn't light despite new bulb

Guest · Post Fri Feb 04, 2005 3:25 pm

Hi guys, changed the bulb today but it still doesn't illuminate! Any idea where to check now???? The contacts seemed clean and sliding the new bulb in would have created some new contact points anyway - as it's a tight fit. This is the bulb that lights up the PRND321 gear selections below the lever.

Post Fri Feb 04, 2005 5:52 pm

The cable often gets routed where the movement of the selctor can crimp or cut the wires.

Check the wiring condition back to the connection with the main loom.

Make sure the loom is OK and keep it away from the movement of the selector lever.

Post Fri Feb 04, 2005 11:10 pm

Also it's got fuse 9 all to itself.

Guest · Post Fri Feb 04, 2005 11:32 pm

Damn, checked the fuse and it's ok. Any other ideas?

Post Fri Feb 04, 2005 11:38 pm

Most likely is as Emotechnik says. The last three inches of the wire to the lamp gets a lot of bending, and can break inside.

Post Fri Feb 04, 2005 11:41 pm

Brianmoooore wrote:Most likely is as Emotechnik says. The last three inches of the wire to the lamp gets a lot of bending, and can break inside.

I think that might be the case as well - on my car, the plastic covering had started cracking in places, luckily I noticed it and covered it up with electrical tape.

Guest · Post Sat Feb 05, 2005 10:32 am

hiya. I had this problem, so I re-routed the rear ash tray light, de-spliced some of the loom to make it reach (centre console needs to be removed and front centre console needs to be loosened) and now use that. Costs nothing and problem solved (unless you're a back seat smoker!!)

Guest · Post Sat Feb 05, 2005 7:34 pm

Hi, found that my selector bulb cable was cut and couldn't find the other end despite removing the centre console and centre dash section! Most bizarre. Ended-up doing as was suggested, just extended the cable from the rear ashtray light and now use that. Trouble is, the gear selector obviously only illuminates now when the lights are on. Better than nothing! Kind of crucial that it's lit in the dark but would have liked it 'always on' from the ignition. Not a big job to wire direct to the ignition so I may do that some other time.

Post Sat Feb 05, 2005 9:06 pm

Selector light wires come straight out of a six pin plug and socket with four wires, mounted on a bracket just in front of the selector. Other two wires are for reverse light.

Guest · Post Sat Feb 05, 2005 9:38 pm

Hi, none of the wires are broken though. I looked around for two broken wires to join to the two broken bulb wires but there was nothing, not a single wire!

Post Sat Feb 05, 2005 10:16 pm

The bulb wires are only 3" - 4" long before they reach the socket. They must have broken off at the socket. Four wires go into the plug/socket from the loom at the front, and four come out at the rear of the plug/socket - two to the bulb, and two into the base of the selector mechanism for the reverse light switch.

Guest · Post Sun Feb 06, 2005 2:31 pm

Ah, that'll be what's happened then. How do I reattach them to the connector - how do they fit in?