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05-07 Map Light Removal

By goatmonger, February 23, 2007



Hey all,

I wanted to try to change the map light in my rear view mirror to either an LED or some other color. I just can't seem to get it out though. I was wondering if anyone knows how to do this. It seems like maybe I must twist it. Looking inside (as best I could) it kinda looks like maybe it's hardwired in there. Does anyone know?

"Map Light?"....I didn't know I had one, but wish I did. What model does that come with?

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"Map Light?"....I didn't know I had one, but wish I did. What model does that come with?

I don't know about the 2003 and 2004, but for all 2005 and later, every trim has a maplight. If you don't have a sunroof or an automatic dimming rearview mirror, the maplights are mounted in the bottom of the rearview mirror. This setup is similar to what is found on a lot of convertibles.

If your Corolla has a moonroof or a factory auto dimming mirror, you get a roof mounted maplight that is integrated into the moonroof switch assembly or what would contain the moonroof switch if your car had one. It is easier to change, but for whatever reason it doesn't feature battery save like the mirror mounted maplight does.

I really don't know why Toyota couldn't make the maplight that is intregrated into the roof work with the car's battery save feature like the mirror mounted lamps do. I guess one possible reason for this is that it is easy to accidentally activate the mirror mounted lamps when adjusting the mirror and harder to tell if they are on. My 1st car was a convertible with mirror mounted maplights and I can't tell you how many times I accidentally switched on those lights while adjusting the mirror.

How does the batt save feature work? Is it basically just an auto-off timer? This is the first I've heard of it.

But more to the point, how do I remove them? The plastic lens is removeable, so I would think that this means the bulb is too, but if it is, it's in there tight.

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How does the batt save feature work? Is it basically just an auto-off timer? This is the first I've heard of it.

 

But more to the point, how do I remove them? The plastic lens is removable, so I would think that this means the bulb is too, but if it is, it's in there tight.

Battery Save started appearing on cars in the early 1990's. It is a really useful feature that every car should have, because what it does is start a countdown after you turn off the ignition off, when that countdown reaches zero, any light left on in the interior of the vehicle is turned off. It keeps a partially opened door from keeping your dome light on all night and draining your battery.

About removing your bulbs, I would think your owner's manual would have the procedure outlined pretty clearly. Have you checked in the owner's manual yet?

If it isn't in there, there is a chance that the bulbs aren't user replaceable. I know the bulbs on my Chrysler's mirror were directly wired in and to replace them you had to remove the mirror from the car and do some soldering.

The maplights don't seem to be available on the Canadian models of Corolla, even up to the '07's.

Ti-Jean

The maplights don't seem to be available on the Canadian models of Corolla, even up to the '07's.

Exactly. My '05 doesn't have one but my ex-girlfriend '06 Matrix XR has the maplights. Both cars without sunroofs or auto-dimming mirror.

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The maplights don't seem to be available on the Canadian models of Corolla, even up to the '07's.

That is just another way in which you got less than we got then. IIRC, you guys didn't get automatic lights either.

So you guys don't have any way for passengers/drivers to read stuff while up front? Because the dome light isn't really good for anything but the most meager amount of light.

Ti-Jean

Yep, all we have is the dome light and we don't need automatic lights because we have DRL's

Actually, that's where the free wind up flashlight from Toyota comes in...that I got with an oil change last year.

Bikeman982

Isn't there a light in the glovebox that can be used by a passenger to read while driving?

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Isn't there a light in the glovebox that can be used by a passenger to read while driving?

No, virtually no low end cars have glove box lights or footwell lights anymore. As far as I know, no 9th generation Corolla has a glove box light, I know mine certainly does not.

Bikeman982

Isn't there a light in the glovebox that can be used by a passenger to read while driving?

No, virtually no low end cars have glove box lights or footwell lights anymore. As far as I know, no 9th generation Corolla has a glove box light, I know mine certainly does not.

That's a shame. I bet it would not be hard to put one in.

 

 

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That's a shame. I bet it would not be hard to put one in.

 

It isn't difficult providing you know what parts to get and how to do automotive wiring and soldiering.

The thing is, it takes over an hour for most cars because of the assembly and disassembly required.

Disassembly and wiring aren't things most people want to dive into.

Even if you can get a kit for your car to do certain lighting projects like you can for the Mazda Miata to put in footwell lamps, it is still time consuming, even though everything has the holes already drilled and the wiring hooks into existing wires they tell you how to find and splice into. I believe the interior disassembly alone takes over an hour, then it takes 15 minutes or so to install 2 rather small lights and then another 30 minutes for reassembly.

Unless I really wasn't satisfied with the interior light level in my car when I got into it, I would not put the time or effort into such a project.

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Yep, all we have is the dome light and we don't need automatic lights because we have DRL's

We have DRLs too, but we have automatic lights. The DRLs come on everytime you start the car, but when it gets dark, all the lights automatically switch on. Do your tail lamps automatically switch on and do your low beams come on at full power automatically when it gets dark, or do you still have to turn the end of the turn signal knob.

Bikeman982

I would think the taillights would come on at the same time the headlights come on - for safety reasons.

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I would think the taillights would come on at the same time the headlights come on - for safety reasons.

Daytime running lights and automatic lights are two different systems. A car can have DRL and manual headlights, automatic headlights but no DRL, both DRL and automatic lights or manual lights with no DRL.

Daytime running lights turn the low beams on at 17-23% power or the parking lamps on every time the car is started and the parking brake is off. The tail lamps aren't turned on, nor are the rear parking lamps or interior night time illumination.

Automatic lights come on at dusk and turn themselves off at dawn (of course providing the car is running). Automatic lights turn the headlamps on at full power, the tail lamps and parking lamps on, as well as the interior night time illumination.

9th generation Corollas (American) have both DRL and automatic lamps. When we start our cars the DRLs come on, and when it gets dark our lamps switch to full power automatically.

I personally think this is the only way to go if a manufacturer decides to put DRLs on a car. If a car only has DRL and no automatic lamps, it is all to easy to look in front of you at night and mistake the DRL illumination for having your headlights on. If you do that, you are driving with weak low beams and no tail lights. That is dangerous, and sadly it is a common occurrence. I see it all the time, and I've almost hit several cars at night because they had only their DRLs on and had not turned on their full lighting system.

There should really only be two types of systems. DRLs with automatic lamps and manual lamps with no DRL. That way people with DRL won't have to worry about turning on their lights and people with manual lights won't have DRL to fool them into thinking they have their lights on.

I didn't want to re-introduce a new topic if someone had the same question. However, the poster's question was never really answered. I need to replace the bulb on my '02 rearview mirror map light, but I just can't get it out. Has anyone been successful?

Hmm. Don't have those on mine - but they look exactly like the ones on my Dodge truck. Might be a push in + quarter turn type of deal to remove those bulbs (bayonet type).

Not too many ways to attach a bulb - wedge types, just pull them out. Bayonets, have to push in first, then turn. I've seen some threaded bulbs, so try to unscrew them and see if that does it.

Finally removed the bad bulb. Have to be very careful not to shatter the bulb or the complexity doubles. It pulls out; no pushing needed. Used a small pliers with thin towel over it. Took over a dozen tries to get it out (there is a bare amount of wiggle-room). Now I don't know where I put that darn plastic cover. I used a 194 license plate bulb (had some laying around - it's pretty much an identical match to the old one).

That is just another in which you got less than we got then. IIRC, you guys didn't get automatic lights either.



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