Removing the LED Shift Lever Light

Honestly, since it's so small and recessed in it's little hole I think your best bet might just be to get something opaque and stick it up in the hole... probably a lot quicker and easier than disassembling anything.

 

I wouldn't mind changing mine to something a little brighter.

 

I'm not crazy about it myself!!
At night I like it dark when I drive ,I turn everything down!
What I have done is take a foam rubber ear plug and stuff the hole with it works great!!or a black M Marker will tone it down!

 

At night, I just wear a blindfold so the light doesn't distract me.

Maybe this thread is just an early April Fool's joke!

 

Chewing gum works well.

 

+1 on plugging the hole, or putting a dab of fingernail polish (or sharpie ink) to tone it down, or block the light. You can always remove a cap, dab of paint, ear wax, or whatever you stop the light with later.
If you're reeeeeeeeally hard-over on killing the light all the way dead, and you go through the trouble if disassembling the roof panel to get to the offending LED, you can always cut and cap the power lead to the LED. This might be preferable to removing the LED itself.

Prius drivers are a persnickety, tech crazy bunch, and if you go to sell your vehicle then this non-optional 'option' may be one that your perspective buyer knows about and cannot live without.

Oh yes...and :welcome: to Priusdom!!!

Good Luck!
Let us know how it works out!

 

That light is great. Why remove one of the best things about this car? It works, and it is not too bright.

 

I like having that light there. Its just enough to see everything without distracting your eyes.

 

Until summer when the temp in the car gets up to 100+ ...

 

Right! I bought my prius for that light. Afterwards I found out that it gets pretty good mileage. Bonus!

 

That's funny as a lot of people are unaware of this light until it's pointed out to them.

 

The first time I backed the Prius out of the dark garage I didn't turn on the headlights and wondered why I couldn't see the gearshift lever. Once I turned on the lights the gear shift appeared. I like the LED light.

 

I wonder if there is any correlation between 'Prius drivers who came from a stick shift' and 'Prius drivers who don't see any point in having this light'.

 

I have owned and driven both manual and automatic transmission vehicles. Yes, when you drive manuals, you just know where the shifter is - day or night. However, the Prius shift "knob" is something a little different. When you put a joystick on the middle dash next to the HVAC controls and a cup holder, I think it is good to remind the front seat passengers where it is. From time to time, people unfamiliar with the car will drive it. The night light could be of assistance.

 

Another side benefit to this lamp is that it is switched on with the headlights. For those of us who want to add a Homelink mirror system, that circuit could be tapped into for the auto-dim feature of the mirror.

 

I rather like the light. As others have posted on here it isn't really that bright. Just enough light to see the shifter. I have very good peripheral vision and I don't find the light distracting.

 

Nice suggestion, except if the mirror has a compass, then it will only display when the lights are on.

I actually appreciate the small LED light for some of the same reasons as previously stated. The joystick does not have a lighted indicator on it, so in a dark car you could accidentally hit the lever and drop the car into neutral (at least if you hit it into reverse accidentally the annoying beeping would let you know it!).

 

A small round Band-Aid.........

 

Insert a 1K ohm resistor in the circuit just before the LED. That will dim it. If not enough, go to a larger value resistor.