Dashboard lights

[JimWilson]

Okay, here's a silly one -- especially considering it's my truck I'm talking about. I may have a couple of dashboard lights out, but I wanted to be certain before I took it apart.

Neither the wife or I smoke, so we use the ashtray strictly for garbage. She's driving the other night with the kids and she went to put something in the ashtray. When she slid it open there was no light, so she asked me if it was broken. Um, for the life of me I can't recall if there ever was a light for the ashtray. Is there?? :confused:

Also, the wheel used to adjust the dome lights intensity has a pictogram directly above it. All the other settings -- off, parking and headlights -- light up at night, except for the dome light adjuster. Again she asks me if it's supposed to be lit and again I have no answer. Duh! Okay, is there supposed to be a light there too?? :confused:

Geez, maybe I shouldn't let her drive my truck anymore... :eek:

[Hound]

Jim,
There IS indeed a light for the ashtray! That being the case, you may have paid around 40K for a truck that came without all the required lightbulbs to make such a light operational :eek: I didn't find the little ashtray gem till I was browsing my service manual. I had always wondered why they didn't put one there anymore. In my case it seeems they were rationing the lightbulbs and I just happened to be lucky enough to NOT get one.

If you do find it necessary to look, remove the ashtray from the dash and look up inside the dash where it resided. You should see two small black plastic protrusions sticking out on the right side. These two protrusions clip the light on the top side of the silver metal plate. I didn't feel like going through and pulling my center console and lower dash, so here's what I did. I removed the face trim from around the gauge cluster, removed my empty cubbyhole (crew cab), and popped the two protrusions back thru the plate removed the light bulb cover, installed the lightbulb in the socket and replaced light bulb cover. I got the left protrusion seated into the socket on the plate and used a small thin bladed flat tip screwdriver to push the right protrusion to the left while pushing it down into the plate. In all a 5 min job that was much easier than trying to type it out. smile.gif

[RVGuy]

FOR SALE: One OEM ash tray light bulb. Non-smoker! Only on when putting trash and gum in tray. Will remove traces of gum before shipping. $10 with gum, $15 with gum removed. Buyer pays shipping.
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