Celica Forums General Discussion Exterior A/C console issues...

Ok, last night I decided to peek into my ac console and see the two led lights that I wanted to make blue somehow. I took them both out and took off the green covers to take them to the store so I could compare them to pick out the right ones. I put the lights back on, and only the right one works now. Great. So I screwed back on the rear defrost and A/C button panel, and I dropped one of the screws into the shifting mechanism. Great. So I decided to try and replace it with one that I found almost the exact same size. Well, I guess it wasn't exactly the same size, because it split one of the plastic holes that the screw was supposed to go in, so now no screw will grip. This means that now the shift boot and the whole panel is back on, both buttons are extremely hard to push down, and the a/c button doesn't even work.

Is there anything that I can fill the hole with so that I can screw a screw back in? What I mean is, is there any kind of cement I can pump into there, wait until it hardens, and then screw a screw in and have it stay in place? I don't want to have to buy a whole new panel cause I will get reamed up the ass price wise, so is there an easy fix for this??

Thanks in advance guys.

Also, I noticed that the led lights on the ac console have a plastic "plug" on the end. Do I have to buy the lights like that, or can the plastic piece be removed to be put onto another light, and if it can, then how?

Thanks guys, I'd be fucked without ya.

I would just pump some Apoxy into the old screw spot. not sure what type of glue would set up hard and not shatter when re:Screwed into.. BTW when you get it fixed let me know how it looks w/ the blue. May do mine this week after getting my CAI put in on Newyears.

Will do, but I have to find out how to get the led's out of the plastic on the end of them, or if I can buy them already like that.

I'll post pics when I get it done though.

I swapped the one in my Cig lighter last night when I was wiring up my Neon switches, It jsut pulled straight out, not sure if the others are like that. It looks a lot like Xmas lights, if you pull hte glass lens out it had the 2 wire connectorrs going up the sides and just slide in and out. Hope that helps.

It does. I guess now all I have to do is pull the broken bulb out and find a buld and somehow bend the prongs and fit the bulb into the plastic piece. I'm gonna call the dealership though, and find out how much they sell them for, and see if they have any on hand.

And then after that I need to find out what I can fill that hole with so a screw can fit in and hold.

Ok, last thing...maybe.

Are the two led's size 1206, the same size of the other led's found in the radio and gas/temp gauge?

yes they should be the same

Thanks. Now all I have to find out is how to get them into the plastic plugs.

plastic plugs?

Yeah, the two led lights in the ac console have little plastic plugs on the end of them. They attach to the circuit board by being twisted into place via the plug. They are unlike the other led's found throught the car because they aren't secured to the circuit boards by being soldered.

There is no better way to explain it, and I can't find any pics of it, but perhaps you know what I am talking of if you have ever opened up the console and seen them yourself.

oh got confused for a sec...thought you were still talking about the LED for the radio.

Nope, the two in the ac console. I guess I'll have to go to the dealership and buy the bulbs, unless someone can tell me how to get them in and out of the plastic mount, or if they are bought that way.

Also, does anyone know of a compound I can use to repair the crack as stated in the first post of this topic?
I'm afraid that if I use something that sets too fast and too hard, I won't be able to fix the way the buttons are mounted if I mess up. What I mean is, when I was screwing the mount for the ac and rear defrost buttons back on, if they are not both screwed in exactly the same, both will not work, or only one will work. Anyone have any ideas at all on how I can go about fixing this problem. I really don't want to have to take it in to the dealership and have them charge me for repairs and have them wind up breaking something else.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I am at the end of the line.

I would try a craft shop / hobby store ask them f they have a glue that sets up hard but wont crack easy.. I used some 2 part Aproxy on another application and screwed into it.. worked great... Wish I could remember the type

Same thing happend to you???
Or did this happen to another part?

This was accualy part of my paintball gun but its basicly the same... If I understand correct.. you have a cracked piece where the holding screws go into to hold the face on the AC console correct?

I have lots of experience with this...

You cannot buy the bulbs from the dealer, there is no part # for them.

You'll have to buy the AC control board assembly to get the bulbs. Also, if thing that you stripped needs to be replaced, because the buttons for the defroster and the ac work off of spring tension. The act of screwing the black piece to the white control unit created a tension, and it pushes the buttons out. Yours are hard to push in because there is no tension.

Also, if you took the bulbs out (very bad idea, they are not designed to be removed, toyota doesn't even sell replacement bulbs) and one of them does not work, then you broke/snapped the filament connector on the back of the bulb.

It's $60 for a new board, and my guess is that you will need to buy one. Also, to replace the board, you need to unsolder the broken one, and solder in the new one.

The LED's for the defroster and ac controls are not the same as the radio, they are longer, and stick up about 1/4" off the board.

Similar thing happened to me too.

I removed the lights and soldered in some hyper blue leds drectly to the board... slipped and the shorted the board.
Neither of the lights worked anymore. Bought an LED strip in blue and just hooked them up to power source switchable by headlights.

Have no dimmer function as a result.. but i'm working on it.

Question for you: Does your Defrost, and AC still work? Mine do. Just curious.

Defrost only.

Do you mean the ac and defrost buttons can't be replaced, or the two green bulbs? The one bulb that doesn't work for me is the left green bulb.

The two other bulbs are just fine.