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Defender TD5 Air Con Control Bulb replacement

Paul TD5 XS 90

Overdrive!
141302

To replace the lamps in the air conditioning controls, remove the speaker below it (4 x posi drive screws)
Now you can put your hand up and push the control out of the lower dashboard.
Unplug the 2 electrical sockets

Now you can prize the rear of the switch from each housing by releasing the 4 white plastic clips
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141304

The small 3mm diameter lamp is soldered onto the two uprights, de solder it and fit new lamp, solder connections, clip back together and re-fit into dashboard
The temperature control has a blue lamp, the fan speed has a green lamp.
The lamps are ones with 2 long steel connections and about 3mm diameter & 6mm tall, heaight not an issue loads of room.
141305
 
Hi just stumbled upon this useful post! Can you please tell me what replacement bulbs you used and where you got them from?

Thanks

Mike
 
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Hi Mike, going to second this as my switches no longer illuminate either.
I didn't know they were supposed to illuminate until I found this post, now it's going to bug me!
I had the switches out last night to have look, little fiddly but easy enough, the bulbs are small filament types not led by the looks of it, I have no idea what type to replace with though.

I am not sure if the op is still a member though?

Mike
 
I didn't know they were supposed to illuminate until I found this post, now it's going to bug me!
I had the switches out last night to have look, little fiddly but easy enough, the bulbs are small filament types not led by the looks of it, I have no idea what type to replace with though.

I am not sure if the op is still a member though?

Mike

Yes know what you mean, I was all blissfully ignorant until your post Mike...

I did find that replacement switches are Ā£40.. each... Eeeshk....
 
Ouch!!

Well looks like bulb replacement is the only sensible option if we want them to light up. Annoying that they didn't make them easily replaceable so you would know exactly what to buy!
 
Hi just stumbled upon this useful post! Can you please tell me what replacement bulbs you used and where you got them from?

Thanks

Mike
Hi, sorry only just seen this question, I can't find any info on the bags, I've had them maybe 10 years plus, I dare say you'll be getting LED ones now that will last longer as I'm on the 3rd round of swapping these in 12 years of ownership, hope you found some. I did include the sizes in the post to help members.
 
Hi, thanks, but in the end I bought some small blue and green led strips off ebay on wires, trimmed down the wires and soldered these in.
The strips were small enough to sit behind the ac illuminated section and it worked well, damn fiddly and probably a bit of a bodge solution but they are still working and look great
 
Hi, thanks, but in the end I bought some small blue and green led strips off ebay on wires, trimmed down the wires and soldered these in.
The strips were small enough to sit behind the ac illuminated section and it worked well, damn fiddly and probably a bit of a bodge solution but they are still working and look great
Precisely the direction I was planning on going. Bought the led strips about 4 months ago... Still have the job to do...

Did you just dab a bead of glue to hold the strips in place or something much more fancy?
 
It took some searching but thought this would be the best solution as the original type bulbs would only blow again and it's a fiddly faff, in addition to this, the little coloured covers had broken.

Nothing fancy, I just wedged them in and hoped for the best! šŸ¤ž Fortunately they haven't shown any signs of moving since, they are a pretty tight fit in there to be honest so don't think much chance of moving about.

Good luck with sorting yours
 
It took some searching but thought this would be the best solution as the original type bulbs would only blow again and it's a fiddly faff, in addition to this, the little coloured covers had broken.

Nothing fancy, I just wedged them in and hoped for the best! šŸ¤ž Fortunately they haven't shown any signs of moving since, they are a pretty tight fit in there to be honest so don't think much chance of moving about.

Good luck with sorting yours
That'll do then...

I am worried that having the switches illuminated might be too distracting when driving at night ;) Coming from a 200tdi to a TD5 it only took a few years to realise the heating levers were supposed to be illuminated...
 
To be honest you don't really notice them as they are so low down on the AC unit, but yes having had a 300 tdi years back and now the td5, the heater illumination was a pleasant surprise šŸ˜® šŸ‘
 
Great work! I pulled mine out as I have one that doesn't illuminate but I chickened out at prying apart the back off the switch in case I broke it! I will try great with more faith and the correct LED ready to replace, thanks!
 
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