Hazard/Rear Defrost Button Lamp Replacement
05-16-2007, 12:12 AM
#1
Hazard/Rear Defrost Button Lamp Replacement
I'm going to be prolific enough towards bulb replacement, so I'm hoping anyone reading this understands how to get to the switches themselves.
Short version- Carefully pry around the edges of the center console vents. Pull straight out. Disconnect plugs. Push wedge shaped side into switch and shove assembly out the front.
Welcome to the how-to... Most of this is specific to the rear defrost switch, but it's mostly the same for the hazard. The hazard rachets in/out, whereas the rear defrost doesn't actually rachet.
Start by prying around the edges between the blue base and the outer case. I found that with the blue facing up, it goes easiest in the order shown.
Lift up on the blue portion while keeping hold of the rest of the switch assembly. (It's spring loaded, and will want to fly apart.)
Short version- Carefully pry around the edges of the center console vents. Pull straight out. Disconnect plugs. Push wedge shaped side into switch and shove assembly out the front.
Welcome to the how-to... Most of this is specific to the rear defrost switch, but it's mostly the same for the hazard. The hazard rachets in/out, whereas the rear defrost doesn't actually rachet.
Start by prying around the edges between the blue base and the outer case. I found that with the blue facing up, it goes easiest in the order shown.
Lift up on the blue portion while keeping hold of the rest of the switch assembly. (It's spring loaded, and will want to fly apart.)
05-16-2007, 12:28 AM
#2
Once seperated, you'll end up with three basic peices.
Make sure that this little piece hasn't flown off somewhere...It's a small cam being pointed to that's held by a plastic pin in the outer case.
For the hazard switch, this is the rachet mechanism. I'll explain a bit more later. Just make sure it's still there; usually held by the grease.
So now you're looking at the bulb(s).
Pull off the offending bulb in it's rubber base.
Make sure that this little piece hasn't flown off somewhere...It's a small cam being pointed to that's held by a plastic pin in the outer case.
For the hazard switch, this is the rachet mechanism. I'll explain a bit more later. Just make sure it's still there; usually held by the grease.
So now you're looking at the bulb(s).
Pull off the offending bulb in it's rubber base.
05-16-2007, 12:38 AM
#3
Offending bulb from the bottom:
See the end of the wire pointing out the side? Bend that straight so it's sticking straight out the "bottom". Then with a pick of some sort, pull up on the wire from the top.
After the wire is up and loose, go back to the bottom and pull again with the pick.
Do the same with the other side...
And pull the bulb out of the base...
See the end of the wire pointing out the side? Bend that straight so it's sticking straight out the "bottom". Then with a pick of some sort, pull up on the wire from the top.
After the wire is up and loose, go back to the bottom and pull again with the pick.
Do the same with the other side...
And pull the bulb out of the base...
05-16-2007, 01:02 AM
#4
So now you have the old bulb loose, peel the "mouse condom" off, and get your Radio Shack #272-1092 bulb(s) ready.
Safety first!! Put the "mouse condom" on the new bulb and get ready for insertion.
Thread the leads of the new bulb into the rubber base.
Push the bulb in all the way and then thread the leads into the "slots"
Pull it barely tight
Do that for both sides, make sure the bulb is seated all the way down and that both sides are even.
Safety first!! Put the "mouse condom" on the new bulb and get ready for insertion.
Thread the leads of the new bulb into the rubber base.
Push the bulb in all the way and then thread the leads into the "slots"
Pull it barely tight
Do that for both sides, make sure the bulb is seated all the way down and that both sides are even.
05-16-2007, 01:12 AM
#5
Now you've got a bulb with leads sticking out the front. Time to point them back where they should be. From the front they can be hard to see, but by now you should know where those holes are, so thread those leads back into the holes.
Gently pull those taut and bend them off to the sides.
Give them a good bend flush with the rubber base and snip them even with the base.
Plug it back on to the blue base. You're done with that part.
Gently pull those taut and bend them off to the sides.
Give them a good bend flush with the rubber base and snip them even with the base.
Plug it back on to the blue base. You're done with that part.
05-16-2007, 01:44 AM
#6
Here comes my spin on this... well, I can't claim credit for something I'm sure many others have done. It's all about the reassembly. Nothing is ever fixed until you put it back together.
Step One for reassembly. Remove the button face!
Ther are four wedge-style bosses for the button face. I found first prying up to release the two bottom ones worked best. Either hold the button face out by hand, or use a second tool to keep them from re-catching while you pry and release the top ones. Once the button face is off you'll be looking at something like this
NOW it's time to reassemble. This is more of a motion than a step, therfore it was hard to capture in still(s). There's a pin on the back of the switch body, which is pointed to here:
That pin rides in the grove of the "cam" pointed to earlier. I'm sure there's more than a few ways to do this, but my method was to set the spring of the switch body into place on the housing while compressing the two peices together at a (very) slight angle. Once the body was into the housing deep enough that I could be confident the pin would seat in the cam I pressed it together flat, engaging the pin into the cam. Carefully squeezing together in the direction of the coil spring while holding them flat together I could confirm that the action was indeed correct.
With the action confirmed, insert the base into the housing at an angle to clear the bulbs, then snap it down into place! QUICK!
It'll stay after that. Reconfirm correct action. Rear defrost bounces back. Hazard rachets in and out.
Step One for reassembly. Remove the button face!
Ther are four wedge-style bosses for the button face. I found first prying up to release the two bottom ones worked best. Either hold the button face out by hand, or use a second tool to keep them from re-catching while you pry and release the top ones. Once the button face is off you'll be looking at something like this
NOW it's time to reassemble. This is more of a motion than a step, therfore it was hard to capture in still(s). There's a pin on the back of the switch body, which is pointed to here:
That pin rides in the grove of the "cam" pointed to earlier. I'm sure there's more than a few ways to do this, but my method was to set the spring of the switch body into place on the housing while compressing the two peices together at a (very) slight angle. Once the body was into the housing deep enough that I could be confident the pin would seat in the cam I pressed it together flat, engaging the pin into the cam. Carefully squeezing together in the direction of the coil spring while holding them flat together I could confirm that the action was indeed correct.
With the action confirmed, insert the base into the housing at an angle to clear the bulbs, then snap it down into place! QUICK!
It'll stay after that. Reconfirm correct action. Rear defrost bounces back. Hazard rachets in and out.
05-16-2007, 02:03 AM
#7
Hopefully you're now staring down the barrel of a repaired switch, minus a button face.
Action? Check. Go plug it into the car. Lights work? Function work? If not, then back up a few steps and figure out what's not right. Otherwise, you're almost done. Line up that button face and snap it back on.
Nissan logo goes on top.
Enjoy!
___
JLD
P.S. If anything's terribly unclear, let me know and I'll try to clear it up for you and for future owners in need. Full size(BIG) pics available for all images used.
Action? Check. Go plug it into the car. Lights work? Function work? If not, then back up a few steps and figure out what's not right. Otherwise, you're almost done. Line up that button face and snap it back on.
Nissan logo goes on top.
Enjoy!
___
JLD
P.S. If anything's terribly unclear, let me know and I'll try to clear it up for you and for future owners in need. Full size(BIG) pics available for all images used.
05-18-2007, 07:21 PM
#11
Thanks for the compliments!
It's my good 'o Olympus C700. No adjustments, just resized. The extreme closeups are with a screw-on macro lens.
___
JLD
Originally Posted by Digitized
... and great pics to go along with it..
___
JLD
08-23-2009, 01:03 PM
#12
About the only thing I'd add...
Is that get the switch out, after you disconnect the wiring harness from the switch, and after you push in the black detent or wedge, as it's referred to, you have to push like an SOB on the back of the switch to get it to pop out the front. The faint of heart may give up too easily, but it WILL come out the front.
The second thing I'd mention is the small white or black plastic piece that the pin engages in, is confusing when you try to place the little part back on the bed of grease. The flat side of this small plastic part is on the bottom and the carved out innards face up, to engage the pin.
And third, if you didn't mention it here, was that taking the switch COMPLETELY apart makes it MUCH easier in assembly. This was an excellent posting, and I've already done the climate control (4 bulbs) and the hazard switch (1 bulb) and the defroster switch (2 bulbs). All took that same Radio Shack bulb mention earlier and they are rated for 10,000 hours, so this should be a once-in-a-lifetime repair.
Excellent work
Regards,
Christen
The second thing I'd mention is the small white or black plastic piece that the pin engages in, is confusing when you try to place the little part back on the bed of grease. The flat side of this small plastic part is on the bottom and the carved out innards face up, to engage the pin.
And third, if you didn't mention it here, was that taking the switch COMPLETELY apart makes it MUCH easier in assembly. This was an excellent posting, and I've already done the climate control (4 bulbs) and the hazard switch (1 bulb) and the defroster switch (2 bulbs). All took that same Radio Shack bulb mention earlier and they are rated for 10,000 hours, so this should be a once-in-a-lifetime repair.
Excellent work
Regards,
Christen
Last edited by Christen; 08-23-2009 at 01:06 PM.
08-25-2009, 04:45 PM
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 472
So I finished the Defrost button easily. But the Hazard button is giving me trouble. When I put it back together, the button won't stay on when I push the button in. I would have to hold it down for it to say on. Can anyone help?
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