Lexus rx450 overhead light switch unit

[Morkunas]

Hi

overhead light switch with ambient light.does anyone else guessing where to place finger in order to switch roof lights on?as in the dark they are not glowing like window switches.only ambient light is on.

drives me nuts each time by pressing around.

is mine faulty or they all are like that on those models?

[Silversalmon]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds locating the roof lighting totally hit or miss. Can't think of any solution mind you. Just nice to have some company.Also, why no illumination for under dash buttons???

[Morkunas]

Under dash mine illuminates🙄 

[Silversalmon]

Just checked, mine do actually illuminate, was mixing it up with my wife's CT200! 😯

Still lack of upper illumination. I'd quite like the starlight roof lining you get in a Rolls Royce Wraith mind you. At £9000 it is perhaps a little excessive

[Illogan]

If one adds a small drop of a latex glue, or Sugro * (*other materials are available) to the light switch during daylight hours (!) - it is much easier to operate it when dark    (😁)

 

Just think of Braille dot

Edited November 25, 2019 by Illogan

[Barry14UK]

I find it fiddly too.  Also, allied to this, I find the main internal light rather dim.  I wonder has anybody maybe upgraded with LED's - assuming existing conventional bulbs or tubular type?

[Fatts]

Never considered this an issue until I saw this thread.

i simply put my hand up and touch the any of the three light covers and they come on.

[Herbie]

9 hours ago, Barry14UK said:

I find it fiddly too.  Also, allied to this, I find the main internal light rather dim.  I wonder has anybody maybe upgraded with LED's - assuming existing conventional bulbs or tubular type?

Yep, all my internal lights are LEDs now after I swapped them all out and they are much brighter than the OEM ones.

The photo below was taken at night on my phone camera - without flash. I'll take some more from different angles tonight showing the load area and back seats if you like, but it's a very worthwhile thing to do.

[Barry14UK]

Thank you for your confirmation and posting pic which speaks for itself about difference made.  

Do you think that if I removed my existing main bulbs and took them to Halfords  they could provide replacements or using any markings on present bulbs I could order from somebody specializing in bulbs?  Also, does it just involve a direct replacement or does a resistor or whatever have to be fitted? No doubt this is obvious to someone with your electronic experience but for some of us we would have to check.

[Herbie]

I doubt that you'll get them at Halfords, or if you do they'll cost a lot more.

I got mine from https://www.auto-lighting.co.uk/

These are the cabin ones:

and they can be found here.

The bulbs in the luggage area are the festoon type as you can see below:

and it looks like they don't do that exact one anymore. I think the original filament bulbs are about 29mm long but the smallest LED festoon I could get was 31mm, which means you have to modify the spring contact a bit. The only 31mm LED festoon they seem to do now is this one, which may be as bright, I'm not sure.

No resistors are needed as the CANBUS system doesn't monitor internal lights. I switched over to these LEDs within a month of buying the car, which means that they are now 20 months old and still as bright as they were.

[Barry14UK]

Thank you Herbs.  I will do as you have done but use the alternative festoon bulb, the one you fitted being no longer available.  I assume the fade down will be as before, although this is not critical.

[olliesgrandad]

I had the same issues until I changed my car yesterday and the light came on and I couldn't find a switch. My Grandson found that the light unit on 4th generation has a touch on and off feature on the light itself😂

[Guest]

I also changed all my interior and boot lights to leds and it is well worth it, i bought mine as a complete kit which also included the door mirror lights.

The puddle lights were also changed.

[Herbie]

57 minutes ago, Eame64 said:

The puddle lights were also changed.

For these I hope?

[Guest]

Yes i have those and they work very well.