hpservertech

I believe they use the same bulbs. Should know tomorrow when i hear from Ian.

billthe3

So I went in and took pictures of the bulb because I was bored and felt like doing something to the car. Ended up breaking the new trim piece in the exact same place I did with the old one (the stupid top tab that holds the emergency flasher switch in place), so that had me pissed off for a while, but I ended up getting both fixed so now I'm all happy.

As you can see in one of the pics, the stupid tabs on the connector for the emergency switch button are to big to fit through the slot in the dash, so they always get caught and are a true pita to get out. I cut the tabs off the switch (it stays held on quite well without them) and then realized I could use the cut-off tabs as replacement tabs in the trim pieces. Luckily I had some really small screws that I could use to hold them in place, so all is now well.

Also took some other pics of the differences between the two trim pieces - the bulb holder is on one and not the other, and then the one that doesn't have the bulb holder also has some sort of metal bracket thing around the glove box opener hole. I figure the one without the bulb holder is from a later car that has the twist style glove box opener, and the bracket is something to help brace the twist ****.

So yeah, here's what the pics are:
1. ashtray bulb in its holder
2. ashtray bulb pulled out in view - the wiring on the left side of the pic is the wiring for the bulb, I just routed it on the side and then underneath the end of the armrest to make the ashtray fit better
3. the hole in the ashtray for the light to get in
4. the wires for the cigarette lighter bulb (no bulb in the socket) there are three wires going to the socket, just can't see it in the pic
5. the two trim pieces showing the bulb holder area
6. the two trim pieces showing the glove box button area
7. the emergency switch connector
8. the emergency switch connector not fitting into the slot in the dash
9. the broken tab on the trim piece from the switch getting ripped out
10. some of the tabs cut off of the switch connector
11. picture showing the difference in thickness between the new tab and the original (the original is that extremely small slit)
12. the new tab installed

Yeah, I was really bored tonight and felt like putting off some school work.

hpservertech

didn't hear back from Ian today. But I will tag him in the morning to see if he can help us with the bulbs.

01gt eibach

Dumb question for sure, but... what does the bulb for the lighter illuminate? Anything when the lighter is in the socket?

Robby

That's what I've been wondering.... Also:

Pic #5- are those two dif style plastic panels?

Pic #6 shows the two dif types of glove box openings- one is turn-style & the other push-in- I realized the dif when trying to adapt an early dash into a late car to delete the airbags- what I'm wondering- can one install the turn-style button into an early push-in style box? I never finished my project b/c my donor dash was not in good enough condition, but that should be fixed soon- I don't have the early style face panel anyway & am thinking I'll just throw my newer style button & be done & hopefully wont run into probs... This way, I wont need to rekey either...

BTW- I bored out the ashtray hole a bit to let more light in & also painted the inside of the ashtray a shiny silver, since I wont let anyone smoke in my car anyway- it becomes storage for small items...

Thanks for all the pics....

BT

billthe3

About the pic 5 question - They apparently are different ones, but I don't know when the different design came out. I assume it was the later ones?

pic 6 - from another thread I had read it sounded like you are unable to switch the buttons between the twist style and pushin style, something about how the buttons fit into the dash or whatever. I think the push style buttons' mounting bracket it to big to fit behind the airbag dash, or something along those lines. Here's the thread about it. The seperate button design starts getting talked about on page 2.
https://rennlist.com/forums/924-931-944-951-968-forum/312830-how-to-open-glovebox.html

I think I'm going to drill out the hole in my ashtray to be larger as well. I figured out after a while that one of the previous owners apparently smoked in the car because all the parts I kept in there kept coming out of the tray covered in ashes, but I've washed it out and only use it for holding all the random parts I find through out the car. I found some brown screw-hole plugs underneath the front carpeting even though the interior of the car is black - wonder if someone at the factory dropped them there or something?


As for what the light in the cigarette lighter lights up, it is a backlight for the cigarette lighter. Basically its there so that when you pull the lighter out of the socket at night, the socket is lit up so you can see where to put the lighter back. A lot of newer cars with cigarette lighters have the same sort of deal where the socket is lit up so you can see where the lighter goes at night.

Robby

Bill-
yes, I think the change occured w/the 1987 models, since that's when the airbag cars came out, so only 1986 would have the push-in type. BUT, I'm trying to put the twist-style into a non-AB one- keeping my 1988 push-in button while using a 1986 dash- hope it works- I like the twist-style better & would rather not have to rekey the push-in one to put in there, but I will if I have too...

Yes, that makes sense about the cigarette light- but many newer cars actually illuminate the outer ring where the ligher goes in, so that it's visible all the time- I remember a thread where someone adapted a newer VW one to fit- would like to dig that one up- I THINK he also got the advantage of a deeper socket, but may be inccorrect there- our's, if you've noticed, are rather shallow for newer socket plugs like radar detectors, etc...

billthe3

Yeah, it did seem rather shallow. I've only used the socket once to plug something in - was running two electric tire pumps off of it with a splitter I found in the car left from the po, but after a minute or so the splitter died so we stopped. lol

Good luck with the buttons - it sounds like it should work, but I don't have any experience with any of the mechanicals, so I can't say anything for sure.

hpservertech

Figured I would update this. Went to Autozone tonight. Picked up some Sylvania 2721 bulbs. These puppies fit the lighter bulb, ashtray bulb, defroster light in the vents at the top, as well as the bulb for the temp control ****. Went back up there and bought 5 more sets so i can have some spares.

billthe3

Cool, thanks for the info.