When I had the center console off, I decided to see what it would take to change the light on the auto shiftplate. The stock light is a nasty dull white.

I have seen alot of interior dash LED projects but never really seen the shiftplate light changed out. I might be mistaken, or most of them might have been 6-speeds.

On to the pics. I have a flat headed LED in there now that concentrates the light out the tip rather than all sides. I am going to get a regular rounded bulb LED that will hopefully disperse the light out more the "P" and "1", but you get the picture.

Before


After

 

Nice Do u have how to?

 

I can make one. Really all you need to do is remove the center console and you can get to it. I have those steps in the Escort Passport Hardwire How-to I just made. How-to

Once you have that off, you can unscrew the black light housing attached to the two red wires in the pic below.

 

very cool... too bad i covered mine with a leather boot nice look!

 

nice thank you

 

I did the same thing on mine.
I don't think a round tip led will help. They tend to focus the light in a much more narrow pattern. I was planning on adding a second one and space them evenly out under the indicator.
For the most even distribution, and brightness.. probably the best idea would be simmilar to what Metal Maxima did with the climate controls, and have one led per detent(P R N 3D 2 1)

As for a "how to" it's pretty much the same as replacing a standard bulb. I forget but I think you can just use a 194 wedge led replacement. I used 5 mm inverted cone that I had. Just placed i into the bulb sockect, then soldered the resistor, and wires to the original harness.

 

Narrower pattern? The flat tip does that. If you remember, the incadescent bulb that came out was rounded and you can see in the first pic that there is more light on the edges. I definately know a rounded bulb would do a better job of light distribution than a flat headed one.

The problem with that is the same as when people do that with the climate control-way too much light per opening. If you do that, def let me know, would like to see how that comes out.

 

That's the thing with led vs. incandescent bulbs. Generally the flat tip / inverted cones have a wider viewing angle compared to the round tip.
I agree, I'd rather just have it illuminated in color, than be overly bright.. which is why I was thinking 2 evenly spaced would work well..
I have pics of mine but my camera isn't good in low light so it looks much brighter in the pics, when it actually looks the same as yours , just a 2000 shift plate.

 

Wait you coverd it with a leather boot how did you do that??? which boot did you use????

 

I think he went 6 speed, so not sure why he is saying that.

 

Full length dash pic. Slowly it is all becoming blue!