Related link:
Remove the
Dome Light
Having broken the tabs off my
dome light base before learning how to properly remove it
from the car, I wanted a new dome light. I picked up a
used one from a salvage car, only to find that the internals
were junk - the car had been in a flood. I now had two
bad dome lights - one with a good base & bad internals, and
one with good internals and a bad base. I figured I
had nothing to lose in trying to combine them into one good
one.
The pictures in this guide are a
mix from tinkering on both lights.
Remove Lens
Tools:
Small flathead
screwdriver
The lens is held on at 3 points.
Pop the tab loose on the end of the light assembly with your
small flathead screwdriver as pictured, then hinge the lens
up, and it will come loose.
Remove Switch
Cover
Tools:
2 small flathead
screwdrivers
On the backside of the light
assembly, insert the two small flathead screwdrivers on
either side of the tab holding the switch cover on.
Then twist the screwdrivers gently. The cover should
pop right off.
Remove Switch
from Switch Cover
To remove the switch from the
switch cover, it will need to turn 90 degrees so the knob
will clear the hole. There is a raised ledge that
holds the switch from twisting, but it has a gap in it that
allows for removing the switch. See pictures below.
Remove Switch
internals
Tools:
Welding picks (a.k.a.
"dental tools")
The switch is made up of 3 parts
- the plastic switch, a metal plate, and a spring. The
spring is held in place by the plate. The plate is
held in place by two tabs - one on each side. To pop
the plate free, use one of your picks (or some sort of small
prying tool) to pry the tab inwards. Watch out for
flying parts!
Remove / Install
dome light internals
Tools:
Small flathead
screwdriver
Welding picks (a.k.a.
"dental tools")
The dome light internals are
made up of 4 shaped pieces of metal. They're thin and
easily bent, so be gentle with them. The 4 pieces are
indicated by the different colored lines in the second
picture below. Also, the 3 verticle lines indicate the
3 wires on the harness, and their colors - red, black, and
white wires.
For reference:
Red wire = positive
(always on, since dome light can be on with the car off)
Black wire = ground
(constant, for the "on" switch position)
White wire = ground
(switched, for the "door" position - not always grounded)
Pink metal = positive
connector to bulb
Yellow metal = ground
connector from bulb to switch
Green metal = ground
connector - switch to white wire, for "door" switch position
Blue metal = ground
connector from switch to black wire, for "on" switch
position
The metal pieces are held in
place by small tabs on the metal, which click into place
with small tabs in the plastic. The welders picks will
help get these free with minimal bending of the metal.
I apologize for the blurriness
of the pictures for the rest of this guide - I didn't take
enough time to get good pictures.
Remove bulb:
The bulb is just wedged in, and
should easily come out with a gentle pull.
Remove "pink" metal:
This piece is held in at two
places - the wire connector end, and by tabs at the bulb
end.
Start with the bulb end. I
used a curved welders pick to get underneath the metal and
pop it free. You may also be able to use a straight
pick from underneath.
Once the bulb end is free, push
the wire connector prong free with your flathead
screwdriver. Once it's out, the metal piece should be
loose.
Install "pink" metal:
Start with the wiring prong end.
Insert it into the hole, and push the metal in with the
flathead screwdriver. There's a small bend in the
metal that is a good place to push on, as pictured:
Next, push the bulb end down
into the plastic tabs with the flathead screwdriver.
It should easily click into place.
Remove "yellow" metal:
This piece is held in place by
tabs on the bulb end, tabs in the middle near the switch,
and a single tab on the switch end, which is inserted into a
notch in the plastic. Start with the bulb end.
As with the "pink" piece, you can pop the tabs free by
getting the welders pick underneath the metal, or by going
at it from behind, through holes in the plastic. Then
do the same for the middle tabs. Once these are free,
the piece should hinge upward, freeing the last tab from its
notch.
Install "yellow" metal:
First, insert the tab on the
switch end. Then, click the tabs into place by
pressing downward with the flathead screwdriver.
Remove "blue" metal:
This piece is held in place by a
tab on the switch end, tabs in the middle near the switch
end, and the wiring connector prong. Start with the
middle tabs, which are most easily popped free using a
straight welders pick from underneath. Next, pry the
prong free. Last, the whole thing should wiggle out
easily.
Install "blue" metal:
NOTE: if you're swapping all the
parts like I did - wait to install the "blue" piece until
after you've done the "green" piece. The pictures do
not reflect this advice - I learned the hard way and had to
re-remove the "blue" piece.
Start by pushing the wiring
harness prong into its hole. Next, lift on the corner
near the switch to get enough angle to insert the tab on the
end of the metal. Last, press downward with the
flathead screwdriver to snap the tabs into place.
Remove "green" metal:
This piece is held in place by a
tab on the switch end, and its wiring harness prong.
Just use the flathead screwdriver to pry the prong loose,
and the whole piece should come free.
Install "green" metal:
First, insert the tabbed end.
Then swivel the piece to insert the wiring harness prong,
and press it into place with the flathead screwdriver.
