Hello fellow Prius drivers! I've sifted through a few threads, and couldn't get a clear answer on how to replace the Map bulb? I able to replace the 2 front "click" lights, 2 front visor lights and rear dome. But I can't figure out how to put in a new LED for the Map light (attached inside of blue dots) Thank you for your help in advance!
The "map" lights are the ones you click on. The one you've marked in the photo is there to illuminate the shifter. I'm sure there is a way to change that light but I don't think I've seen it done.
It's an LED soldered to a circuit board. They probably last so long that replacement wasn't considered. Has yours burned out, or are you trying to change its color?
I think that if you want to change color, the way to go is to get a gel and cut it to size, and fit it into the hole. I found a website that sells loose LED's, but I think you would need a surface-mount LED on that circuit board, and it takes a lot of skill to de-solder and re-solder a surface mounted component. It can be done, I know technicians who do this stuff all day, but it's a skill. Discrete 3mm LEDs, white 3mm LEDs, blue 3mm LEDs, Green 3mm LEDs, Red 3mm LEDs
Funny you should mention it. I was just doing this a few days ago. I'm currently working on replacing all of my interior green LEDs with red LEDs. That shifter "mood lighting" LED is where I started. Here's a couple of snapshots of the work in-progress. You first need to yank out the cover on the forward edge. Then yank out the main panel, pulling down on the forward edge -- don't pull down on the rear end because of the retainer prongs are hanging on to the roof liner. Removing the circuit board is a matter of removing the Phillips head screws. Then you'll unsnap the lens cover. Changing the LED requires some work with a soldering iron. It's easy. I put in this red LED and reinstalled the panel in my car. This LED is too weak. It doesn't put out the same amount of light as the one it replaced. I suggest choosing an LED which has a narrow beam angle and a high luminosity rating (a.k.a MCD). I can't suggest any exact values because I haven't determined what those values are.
Using a filter to shift the color of a non-white LED doesn't work very well. In fact, it hardly works at all because the emitted light is of a very narrow band. The colors you try to shift too just are not present. BTDT in a previous career. Is that a standard T1-3/4 or T1 package? If so, the installation work will be easier than with any common SMD package. Part selection may be tough. The vast majority of the legacy LEDs in that package did not have sufficiently narrow beams, so their total luminosity was spread out too far for this use. But very narrow beam choices do exist.
Really interested to see this project finished and get some of the details off you. I see folks in Japan with custom colored interior LEDs but haven't the clue where to start myself.
Maybe this vendor has some: 5mm Colored LEDs, Blue LEDS, Green LEDs, Amber LEDs, Orange LEDs, Red-Orange LEDs, Red LEDs
I bought this one at the local Fry's. This casts a red glow comparable to the OEM white LED. For the other LEDs I've been using this thread as my guide. Blue led dash conversion | PriusChat I bought these surface mount LEDs. Here's a cellphone snapshot. I'm very please with the results!
