In that cavern under the A/C and heater controls, behind the cigarette lighter, there is a light. I have done my dome lights blue and green, but would like to complete the look by changing this one as well. Has anyone had any luck replacing it? If so, how did it go? Did it take a long time? Do you have to remove the center console in order to access it? I searched for an article in the tech section and found nothing related to this specific bulb.

 

Yes you have to remove certain panels size 74......Blue/Green?

 

yea it's called the cubby hole. LOL Check out the the tC Faq Site on the General tC site.

 

If you don't want to do much but you want the color changed, just get a lighting gel or any colored piece of plastic film and tape it over that light. It should be out of view and easy to switch if you don't like it.

 

I just changed mine to a blue #74 LED. You have to remove the HVAC panel and pull the light out from the back of the cubby hole. Just pull straight out, replace the bulb and push it back in. Replace your HVAC panel and yer done.

 

the easiest way to get to that light is go over to the passenger side, squeeze your hand in between the floor carpet and the console, and feel around for the light. pull straigt out to remove and it's just long enough to stick out from behind the console. there is also a little plastic fixture that holds the carpet down right there. you can take that out and pull back some of the carpet to give you more room.

 

Nice tip. What I'd really like is an orange bulb that would match the colors on the stereo and the gauges - anyone have a part and source for that?

 

sure! http://autolumination.com/74.htm

they have amber colored leds and incandescent bulbs.

 

So #74 is the right one? Are those used for anything else in our cars? Did you go with LED or Incandescent?

 

yes, #74 bulb is the right cubby whole bulb. the only other place the #74 bulbs are used in the scion tc is if you have automatic transmission. the bulb that lights up what gear you're in on the shifter is also a #74 bulb.

and personally, i'm using an led for my cubby whole and an led for my shifter light. both white. they give off a slight hint of blue, as do most "white" leds.

 

Nice - I've got a stick, but I think the amber would look good. I'll pick one up.

 

I have an automatic tC and i recently bought a #74 blue led to switch out the stock led.the problem is i cant figure out how to get to the stock led. Obviously the 1st step is to unscrew the shifter ****, then remove that first panel. After that i am stuck. i looks like the box isnt screwed into anything but i pulled and tugged on every part of it and i cant get it loose.

does anyone know how to get to this led?!?!! this thing is starting to ____ me off

 

Just a little review - I installed my amber #73 LED today - the good part: Scion really missed the bus on this one. It takes care of all my complaints. The amber totally matches the gauges and it's a little less bright, which I like since you can't turn it on and off seperately. The bad: Installing it is kind of a PITA for something so small. icededppl is right that you can reach in under the passenger's side (after pulling the carpet back) and reach the bulb. You pull it straight back and you can *almost* get it in the clear. If you're lucky, you can pull the bulb out (stright) and put in the new one. But the superillumination bulb I got doesn't fit as well as the stock. I think it's because the LED has some resistors or something in the base, but it's more roughly made and it didn't want to stay in. If you combine techniques, you can pull off the shift ****, take off the console piece surrounding the shifter, then take off the HVAC piece. After this you can pull the cable with the light at the end of it up easily into the clear to get the bulb situated just right. After this you can feed it back down and then with your hand coming up from the bottom again stick it back in. Once it's done, it sure is a nice *little* touch, but you have to ask yourself how much work you're willing to go through for a bulb. It was perfect for me, but if it was harder or you had to take apart more stuff, I wouldn't want to do it.

 

I would recommend getting your LED bulbs from SuperBrightLEDs.com I kept on hearing about the other site's LED Bulbs burning out.

 

After reading the first part of this thread, I ordered the blue LED from autolumination for my 2006 TC , since I am in the midst of painting the interior pieces. I plugged it in and it didn't work. Plugged the original back in just to make sure it wasn't a fuse or something, still no workee. Even checked the wires on the LED to make sure they were making contact. Dunno...only a couple bucks, but...don't like wasting money. Has anyone actually ordered from the other website? (superbrightled)

 

did you turn on the car with the key in the ignition..? along with turning on the lights?

was it lit up before you removed it..? etc.. etc..?

also... for the led... make sure if it's non-polarized... flip it around... see if that works

 

That LED bulb is polarized. Make sure you insert it in correctly.

 

well.. when he said he put his stock bulb back in and it didn't work.. that's where the issue is....

i've ordered from superbrightleds before and so have many others... haven't seen any issues with theirs

 

Maybe he accidentally put the stock bulb the other way around. :D Or do you think the bulb was busted???

 

sorry, I meant when I put the stock one back in, the stock one works. I forget LED's are polarized as it is a diode (Light Emitting Diode..duh) so I am going to try flipping it the other way, I bet that is the problem...thanks for all the input!! Will post again once I try it...