I didn't even realize our cars had this until I was leaning over trying to reach for my cd case on the passenger side floor board the other day

Now that I know it's there, it's SUPER DULL, like when it's dark outside you can't even see it's reflection off the top of the a/c control unit. Does anyone know how to get to it and replace the bulb on this thing? Does it just pop into place or are there screws holding it in? I kinda wanna put a blue bulb in there if I can find the right part #

 

If you didn't know the light was there in the first place, how will sticking a blue blub in improve the situation? Hey, I'm just playing the devil's advocate here .

JamesC

 

I too was shocked when I found that light too I was like wtf its so dim that it really serves no purpose

 

Well the one in the IROC is really bright (which is how I found out about it in the first place), so i'm thinking my vert just needs a new bulb.


How do you change these things?

 

I wonder what year these lights first made an appearance (my 85 IROC doesn't one)?

JamesC

 

I've been wondering myself, I noticed it when I had the dashpad off to install my new speakers ages ago and I forgot about it and I noticed it the other day when I had it off to put in my 145mph cluster. Mine doesn't work, I have no clue what it's for or what it does. Is it always on when the car is, when the headlights are, or maybe just when the doors are open?

 

I always figured it was there to help luminate a poorly lit HVAC control head. Where exactly is it located?

JamesC

 

Look under that "hump" in the middle of the dash for the two A/C vents, the light is under the left vent and all the way to the back.

 

I get at mine by removing the dash pad and it is visible. I am puting an LED in there tomorrow to see what it does. But I dont really expect anything to great out of it.

 

Ok so???Does anyone actually know what that light thing is for??Found mine last week when was doin dash speaker install.I have it in a box now and dunno what it was for.I unplugged it didn cut the wires.Don't see any way to open mine to replace bulb so was gonna run by rad/shack for a 12 volt clear or red LED to take it's place.But I wonder if it could be part of an auto lights on thing like in my blazer ?Then again if it was guess wouldn't be under the dash would it?Oh mines a 90 b/t/w.

 

Well I sure as heck don't want to remove the dash pad to take out a little light bulb, that might ruin my good luck streak for not having any cracks in my dash

 

The lampholder I have looks like it would mount to the underside of the dash using the 2 screws next to the left side of the center dash vents.It's meant to add light on the HVAC controls and the radio.I don't know what the first year they came out and I would have thought with the advent of the miror mounted lamps they would have been discontinued

 

mine didn have screws it just sort of popped out and the bulb seems to be sealed so to speak.Like it's a unit initself.With a yellow lens so since it seems sealed i don see anyway ta replace just the bulb.And since can't find a PN in any my books guess i'll try the diodes.But i'll prolly check the voltage at the hook up to see what it is.Don wanna try a 2 volt led in a 12 volt aplication.

 

so you can see the shifter at night?

 

The firebird's with lighted rearview mirror has a hole in it with a light that shines on the console shifter and cd player area.. Almost like the light you're talking about in the Camaro's. I've got one in my 1990 RS. Dim of course but the 1992 Firebird's is BRIGHT!

 

OK for what it's worth I replaced the lil blown light under the dash with a simple amber LED from rad shack for like 2.00.Diodes don heat up like bulbs do.And this location now illuminates the heater switch / radio / ashtray area from the dash down the center console.My guess is that it was just a simple courtesy light to this effect.If i finish the install the diode will even look stock.Right now it kinda hange out on wires.LOL.

 

Can you provide us with some pictures of what it looks like now? Thanks

 

I don't Know when it came out but my 86 and 88 have it.

 

Sure will try ta take pix on the way into work tanight and in the am with daylight.Just remember that i haven't finished the instal so it still sticks out a bit (about 1+inch)but all in all when i finish it will look ok and even look like it belongs.I'll even try ta stop by radshack and get the type/model# for the led.and write a description of how i did it.It will prolly be till this weekend for the pix and info due to work/chores/sleep.But will try ta get it on soonest.BTW the led's I used come in red/blo/grn/amber.Chose amber because it closest resembles the current color of my dash gages.Which since the #'s are orangeish in painted color look best (so far) with either red clear or yellow/amber bulbs.I tried the grn and blu but they were dim and ill lookin.I currently have red bulbs in to light the indicator/needle thingy and a couple of the (think they are called)night hawk G.E.bulbs.(x-tra brite)for the rest of it.and an amber bulb in the ac-heater spot and amber in the shifter console.

 

89 and older are replacable bulbs 90 and newer are leds and gm dicontinued them so you have wire them yourself maybe wire 89 socket in to 90 for a nice fit?

 

OK so sue me I forgot ta take the pix but will do so asap.As for the swap ..Tried that and the section that holde the bulb assemb in my 90 is actually smaller than the 1 i got from the older model.My holder insert is like 1.5 in square andthe other was bigger and i think rectangle.Also for some reason i'm thinkin the older 1 had screws where as my 90 just snaped in and out.And it wasn't a led it was a bulb with an amber cover.Thought it was a led myself till i said heck with it it's blown and used a pocket knife ta pry the lens off then found a lil bulb much like the smaller bulbs in my gage assembly.Not the 194's but the smaller 1's they look like mini194's.Ticked me off when i wired in 1 of those and it kinda melted the holder for the original bulb.Thats when i decided to go led.Will try ta get the pix and PN for the led i used this weekend.

 

my 86 didnt have one, my 87 has one but i replace the bulb and i can only notice it when its completely dark out or my hand is right up to the light. my 86 had a light which would iluminate the ashtray, the light was made of fiber optic cable which came from the shifter pannel. mayb they relocated the light in hopes that ppl would see where they are throwing thier butts.

in my 87 it has 2 screws under vents which i can remove and the bulb and wire comes with it, i didnt have to remove the dash pad

 

My 92 RS had it on the mirror, I always thought it was to light the ashtray...My 89 Formula has it mounted under the dash...Again it appears to light the ashtray area.

 

been tryin ta take pix but cams junk not turnin out worth a d@mn.But will keep tryin.

 

My '92 has it and my '86 does not. I was told by some experts it is for lighting the heater controls.

 

I have one on my 88, I never noticed it till I just went outside and looked. Mine is also a much larger one, attached by 2 bolts. Don't know if it lights up or not.

 

OK I believe the general consensus is that it's basicaly an opera light for the heater /radio/ashtray area.And BTW that pic is what mine looked like b4 i modified it.Still tryin ta get my blessed camera figured out here so pix forthcoming.But what i did was go get a 12 volt LED from radshack ,drill out the holder for the bulb itself,that yellow lens seen in pic is a removeable lens with pocket knife and a lil persuasion ,bulbs clear under it and 12 volt.Tried a simular bulb and almost melted the holder(original bulb rateing unknown as yet)after i drilled the holder out just sunk the led assembly into it and wired it up.Simple fix.Brighter than a burnt bulb but not so bright as to be distracting.

 

LMAO i had to actually walk out to my car and see if there was a light there cause i dident believe there was and ya its there i have owned a camaro for like 6 years n never noticed this light i was like wow kool

 

It's an ashtray light. I discovered it in my 89 RS a few years ago and went to the junkyard and grabbed a working one from another thirdgen. The reason I say it's an ashtray light is that I grabbed an auto shift plate from an 87 camaro a few weeks ago and noticed it has a fiber optic cable going from the shift indicator light to the ashtray to illuminate it. My 89 auto shift plate doesn't have the fiber optic cable, but it has that little bulb in the underside of the dash instead. Even though I have a good bulb in it now, you can still barely see it lighting up the ashtray. The fiber optic ones work a lot better. I put a fiber optic one in my 69 Camaro's ashtray years ago after I found out it was an option, and it lights up the ashtray really good. Those gather light from the tach/fuel gauge 194 bulb in the dash.

 

hey, not trying to change the topic or anything, but just a quick question. Can the gear shift light be changed to a different color LED? Sounds sweet, has anyone done it? Again sorry to change topic, just a quick question.

 

Dang someday need ta get sum rest work is killin me.LOL.OK The pic that 86 posted if what my 90's light looks like.Still need ta take pix of the mod and post pix and the radshack LED# was like 2.99 i think.Prolly less.
Just picked up that shifter cover like pat mentioned with the fiber optic cable in it.Got that cleaned up and adds more light to the area at ash tray.
And yea ya can change the bulbs in the indicator for shifter.I've tried blu grn red and amber.Since most my cluster and such have amber #'s not white i went with red or amber to keep it flowing nice.Rather have blu since my radios blu but at this time too much goin on to try ta change everything for that.
Sorry about takin so long on the pix gang just alot goin on between the weather in TN work and havin 3 cars to work on and then clean up after that work not alota time left for pix.But will get em soonest.Have a good one......Bill