Automatic Shifter Gear Number light mod

[Chromed CoUgaR]

I did some searching and didn't find my answer so I'm gonna ask it...

Has anyone changed the green gear numbers beside the shifter to another color, such as blue?
Is it a green filter or a green light thats inside?
Can LEDs be used to change the color and if so would it be easy to take all that apart to even get to it?

[papatedroach]

its a green filter thats built into the plastic.

There is 1 white bulb that lights up everything. Then there are green filters built into the letters and a clear red plastic marker.

Im working on a custom setup but its taking me a long time due to being so busy with work and school. Im gonna etch plexi and use leds to light it up, in such a way that only the gear selected will appear in the blue, the rest will not be visable. It will require a lot of custom wiring but it will be worth it.

[Chromed CoUgaR]

Is the green filter built into the plastic hard to remove?

Is it hard to remove the base of the Shifter to get to the bulb?

[nightcat]

ive done it and its not hard....just replace the bulb with a bule one and then carefully remove the green paint with some nail polish remover........CAREFULLLY...........

[Chromed CoUgaR]

Do you have to remove most of the dash and center console to get to where the bulb is?

[papatedroach]

no the panel around the shifter just pops off.

The hard part is removing the shift handel without breaking it. There is a set screw that holds the shift handle in place, its under the O/D button. Losen it as far as you can, then very carfully lift straight up, DO NOT TWIST. If you twist it you will break the tiny plastic clips that hold it in place and it will never stay on tight again. You will have to cut the O/D wires to fully remove the handle, ( you can just splice them back togather later). Then pull out the ash tray, and ciggy plug surround. Then gently pry up on the panel. It will pop free. Reach under it and turn the bulb to remove it. Now you have the handle, panel and bulb to do with as you please.

Panel ( with the black pastic part cut out, I did this for another project)
http://inlinethumb44.webshots.com/18475/2452159610068918892S500x500Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2452159610068918892VfBVYa)

Bottom of panel
http://inlinethumb43.webshots.com/17194/2704792780068918892S500x500Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2704792780068918892zauMnL)

To remove the back you need to pry and break the plastic welds ( you will glue it back togather later)
http://inlinethumb53.webshots.com/20724/2080025730068918892S500x500Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2080025730068918892dJkZeO)

Then you can carefully lift out the "PRND21" Piece to do with as you please
http://inlinethumb53.webshots.com/19572/2690672850068918892S500x500Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2690672850068918892xaiicT)

[nightcat]

couldnt have said it better:rofl:

[Chromed CoUgaR]

So once you have the "PRND21" piece out, then you can remove the green from the back side of it?

Is there only one bulb for the whole thing?

You mention that you have to reach in and remove the bulb... is it possible to remove the whole light assembly so that I can solder my own LEDs where the light bulb used to be or is that going to be a huge PITA to get to?

[whitecougar]

wow odd all i had to do waz put 2 blue leds in it.

[papatedroach]

When you twist out the bulb from the bottom, the whole light assembly is in your hand. It only consists of the bulb and a small plastic holder. You could remove the bulb and just soder 1 or more leds w/ resitors to the pins that bulb originally touched (its a wedge style bulb with 2 metal pieces that touch bare metal conections that you can see when you remove the bulb). Then the bulb holder will twist back into the shifter plate. The "PRND21" will prob still be green, the clear area next to to them will be the color of the led, and the gear indicator will still be red.

You only have to dissamble the whole thing if you want to completly remove all the other colors and have only your custom ones.

Actually you can just buy a colored buld that will replace the factory one and you wont have to soder anything.

[contrapaul]

My PRND21 is clear, there is one yellow bulb that lights it up. 99 specific?

[Chromed CoUgaR]

Ok, so, if I just soder my own LEDs in place (or use a blue bulb) it will turn blue even though there is a green filter film on the PRND21 part? I dont want to change the gear indicator light, I just want to change the green light parts.

[whitecougar]

yea i looked at mine and it will:)

[Chromed CoUgaR]

When you put 2 LEDs in place is must have made all the numbers and dashes all blue right? Because if I do the mod to my 2000 Cougar then I will have everything blue instead of just the numbers... I figure that the green filter has to be removed first though.