legacycentral bbs

Anyone know if the switch panel with the rear demist/front & rear fogs and headlight washer switches light up? I know that most of the switches have an orange panel which lights up when they're on, but is there a light which comes on with the headlights (like the nice one in the centre console shining on the tray and the one which illuminates the heater controls.)

I have a '93 Turbo Estate (wagon) manual 5-speed. I know I could look but I can't be bothered to start taking it to bits on the off-chance! (Lazy or what....?)

Yes, the bulbes usually dont get a very good connection so they dont light. They also burn out alot. Its a pain to replace because its near impossible to remove the switches without taking the dash surround off.

OK - I may have a go when I feel up to it (pencil that in for sometime 2005 then! )

It's just one of those little things that gets a bit irritating but takes way too long to sort out.

Wait -- we're talking about these switches?

http://www.graphics.cornell.edu/~v/pics/switches.jpg

They're a pain to take out? I thought you just take a little flat blade screwdriver and pop the rectangular surround out, and then you push tabs on the switches to push them out of the rectangular surround.

Yeah, those are the ones

Well, I haven't actually taken apart one of the switches to get at the bulbs, but the switches themselves do come out easily just as I described above.

Ill have to try that. From the way they attach to the dash it didnt look like they would come out the front. Wouldnt you have to press hard enough to damage the plastic?


edit: WOW! Thanks dude! You can remove each switch individually pretty easy using two screw drivers. One in the top and one in the bottom then pull opposite directions.

The screw driver blade touches against the plast that is part of the button face while the shaft touches the edge of the "gauge pod"

To remove lights you use a flat screw driver to turn the small grey
"screws" about 1/4 turn. They are a pain to come out, just hit the switch against you hand to make them fall.

Take a really thin blade screwdriver or something (I actually usually use a small pocketknife) and stick it in the seam between the console itself and the rectangle surrounding the switches. You only need to get it about a centimeter in. Then, gently pry -- moving along the edge to the other sides of the rectangle if you need to -- and it'll come out.

I've done this on countless Legacies and never broken one. I suppose if the plastic were extremely hardened from exposure to wide temperature changes and stuff it might break, but this is how it's supposed to come out. It's held in place by little plastic tabs that wedge in and lock, so you just need to flex them enough to come loose. Just be gentle and progressive.

After that the switches do have to come out through the back of the surround that you just removed, I think. If I'm wrong about this last point it should be pretty obvious. In either case, you squeeze plastic tabs around the switch to make it come loose.

Crazy, we are both on at the same time. Read my way, its FAR easier on the plastic! I barely used any pressure at all and it just popped right out. No need to remove the rectangle part.

I even have spair bulbs! This is great.

Hehe, yeah, it's weird when we're both posting to the same thread at the same time. :)

I don't have my car around at the moment but I see what you're saying about taking the switches out. So I was mistaken -- the come out the front rather than the back. But in any case, you can now see what I was saying about the surround; it's held in the same way the switches are.

Thanks for the info about getting at the bulbs. What kind of bulbs are they? Like, can I get them from an auto parts store or a light bulb warehouse? Or do I have to get them from FHI?

The bulbs, AND the switches from later cars will fit and work. Mine are from a 98 legacy.

I think the easiest way after doing this today is to remove one switch partly like I said and then use a finger to pull the surrounding portion off you mention.

The switches are easy to take apart. You can remove the cover of the switch and plug it in to make sure the bulbs are working (they are very hard to see in the daytime).

The bulbs themselves wouldnt be that hard to replace with something else you just have to reuse the base.

Its hard to get some of bulbs out. Taking the switch apart lets you push them out from the top.

Cheers guys - need to replace my rear demister on lightbulb and now I know how easy it will be

haha, didnt even know it had lights.

Guess I'll add that to my list of bulbs to buy. lol

Just visit the junk yard and grab bulbs out of switches. Any vehicle based on the legacy that I have seen has the same bulbs. I even grabbed some spairs from a 98 impreza.

sweet. on my "to do" list at the yard tomorrow.

just did this for both switches, total time spent 15 min, following these instructions: http://www.med.uc.edu/pstp/students/for ... lights.htm very easy.

the bulbs at my local radio shack came in 2 packs for $1.49. pretty darn cheap.

they also reccommend using a prop to extend the shorter bulbs, i did not do this, i just shoved them in there and as you can see there is no lackage of light.

anybody able to replace the hazard switch lamp?? it appers the only way to do so is to remove the entire top part of the dash. also if anybodys is still working, does the lamp blink while the hazards are on?

Wow! Those are super bright.