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#1
11-22-2011, 05:54 PM
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Over-head reading lights
'07 Grand Caravan SXT. The bulb (I believe) has gone out in the driver side over-head reading light, the one on the left hand side of the over-head console. How does one go about getting to the bulb to replace it. There is one screw that I have been able to find, located at the rear of the console, which can be seen when the sunglass compartment is lowered. I removed the screw, but the console still seems to be attached to the roof somewhere in the middle of the console. I thought by removing the screw the console might slide rearward, allowing it to be removed from its cavity in the headliner, but such is not the case. I tried to slightly pry (being exceptionally careful so as not to break the plastic nipple that the lens roatates on) between the lens and console frame, but not sure there will be enough clearance to remove the lens as there are some tabs on the rear end of the lens that keep it from coming out of the console. Any ideas? Thank you for your time and consideration.
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#2
12-02-2011, 11:59 AM
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Re: Over-head reading lights
i did it per this site http://www.paulstravelpictures.com/D...ide/index.html
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1999 Escort SE 2.0 ltr sohc, 5 speed - old one 1999 Escort SE 2.0 ltr sohc, auto - new one 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan sport 3.3, auto located in beautiful New England. "You know failure isn't failure If a lesson from it's learned-I guess love would not be love Without a risk of being burned" ~ Garth Brooks
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| The Following User Says Thank You to chevyn0va1 For This Useful Post: | ||
bignoisey (12-07-2011)
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#3
12-02-2011, 12:59 PM
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Re: Over-head reading lights
Thank you so much for the bulb replacement procedure link. One would think (but obviously not from the manufacturer's standpoint) that a replacement bulb would be made available from the dealership that would fit in place without having to modify it. Thanks again, chevyn0va1.
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#4
12-02-2011, 01:41 PM
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Re: Over-head reading lights
Quote:
__________________
1999 Escort SE 2.0 ltr sohc, 5 speed - old one 1999 Escort SE 2.0 ltr sohc, auto - new one 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan sport 3.3, auto located in beautiful New England. "You know failure isn't failure If a lesson from it's learned-I guess love would not be love Without a risk of being burned" ~ Garth Brooks
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#5
12-02-2011, 04:01 PM
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Re: Over-head reading lights
I will definitely be shopping around for the best fit/price. $5 for a little bulb seems kind of pricey, but the individual did mention that they had gotten it at the dealership.
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#6
12-07-2011, 10:29 AM
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Re: Over-head reading lights
I had the same problem with my '07 Caravan, but both map lights were not working. The procedure was valuable since I was trying to not break anything while getting to the bulbs. On mine both bulbs were still good, but some of the plastic holder was warped due to heat from the bulbs. A little scraping with a knife restored the electrical connections. Lets hear it for plastic car parts?
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#7
12-07-2011, 12:20 PM
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Re: Over-head reading lights
I have not as of yet removed the lens, so am not sure what the problem is. The high temps are only in the 30s and I am afraid that I will break something. Haven't had the time to go out with a hair dryer and warm things up, but will post some results once I do. Thank you for your responses.
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#8
12-10-2011, 03:37 PM
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Re: Over-head reading lights
Along the edge of the clear plastic lens there is a small notch. This is the pry point using a medium sized flat blade screwdriver. You might use a small piece of electrical tape to keep the metal blade from scratching the surrounding trim. I doubt that cold weather will cause the lens to crack.
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#9
12-10-2011, 04:09 PM
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Re: Over-head reading lights
Just to be on the safe side, I used a hair dryer to heat things up. Once I had the lens removed, it was obvious that the heating step was not necessary. With the lens in place, all that I could see was a plastic nipple protruding from the console. I figured that the lens had to clear the nipple in order to be removed, as if the lens had a hole in it that the nipple went through. The lens has a what I would call a c-clip (on both sides) that attaches it to the nipple that sticks out from the console.
I discovered that the bulb was not burned out. It seems as though there is not enough clearance/ventilation to allow the heat generated by the bulb to dissipate. The base of the bulb was discolored due to overheating (I noticed the same thing from one of the photos in the linked procedure). One of the electrical contact tabs was actually embedded and melted into the plastic of the base, not allowing it to come into contact with the power supply/ground connection (didn't investigate it that far), so no light. I was able to pry the contact up from the plastic quite easily, clean it up with some fine sand paper, and it worked fine upon reinstallation. Not exactly sure what the proper fix would be regarding the removal of more heat that is generated by the bulb. Looks like one could open up the upper end of the reflector a bit, as it already has somewhat of an opening (kind of a cross pattern). Seems to me that this is a design flaw; the bulb's power draw is excessive for the area that it is enclosed in. Anyone else have any proven methods of removing the excessive heat from around the bulb? Thanks so much for all of the info already given; I am very appreciative regarding such.
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