Has anyone attempted or successfully repaired the lenses or "jewels" in the front and rear foglight switches?

What tends to happen, and did in both cases for my front and rear foglight switches, is that the little plastic frosted lens on the switch indicator light breaks free and falls into the switch.

This causes a couple issues, rattling to a small degree, and a less than ideal lighting of the indicator when the switch is engaged.

In my case I can hear the little lens rattling inside the switch, so they are in there.

What I'm wondering is if these switches can be opened, the lens re-glued, and the switch put back together reliably?

I see quite a few of these switch panels for sale used, but I hate to buy a whole panel when mine is known to be good, and of course the used panel is not free And a used panel may have its lenses pop out soon after too.

I have attached a few photos of the switches I am talking about, and you can see examples of the lenses in place, and when they've fallen inside. You can also see the rear of the switch panel, which doesn't look like it allows easy removal of the switches themselves.


Thanks,
Al

 

Does anyone know off-hand what size "T" bulb base these are in this panel?

I think the sizes are T3, T4, T5

Such as:

Subminiature | Specialty & Automotive | Universal LED Bulb Finder | Super Bright LEDs | Super Bright LEDs

 

My thinking is with the panel off hold it upside down and shake a bit till the fallen bit comes into view and if possible falls back into place then apply some clear drying superglue.

 

Thanks... someone on another similar thread recently confirmed that the rocker switch portion pops right off, and then you can glue the jewel back in.


Still curious what size bulbs I'll find in there if anyone knows.

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I can't remember.

But......

I think it's the "NEO" type bulb that you're after

Get a rough measurement of the hole size and then look up the specs (on any of a hundred websites) for various NEO bulbs....I think something like 3mm, 5mm, or 7mm.

Compare various LED specs vs. various incandescent specs. Some of the LED replacements are too bright. I tried some ages ago.....like a laser beam into my eyes. I ditched 'em and went to incandesecent....and even then couldn't match the exact color or intensity of the true Jaguar bulbs. But, actually, that isn't much of an issue unless the new (and slightly mis-matching) bulb is right next to an original

Cheers
DD



Cheers
DD

 

Finally got around to this now that the weather is nice again, and I was already in the dash doing a couple other things.

Sorry, I didn't take any step by step photos. But once the switch board is out of the dash, the rocker switch covers pop right off with a gentle pry from a flat screwdriver, and it is pretty obvious what one has to do.

One will find the "jewel" lenses running around free inside the switch housing. The lenses have a small flange around them that holds them in place in their hole, and a few drops of glue will re-secure them to the inside of the switch rocker.

Once glued back on, just snap the rocker switch back on, and you're in business.

BTW, as an aside, I had been curious at one point if adding older lighting and cruise control boards that had additional unused light bulb sockets could be used to get better indicator lights for both lighting and cruise control functions. But I've now verified that at least on the 97 there is no point in trying to fit earlier lighting or cruise control boards to add additional indicator lights. On the 97, the other backlit decals for lighting and cruise control options/status are blocked by plastic so even if one added additional lighting they can't be seen. So just sticking with the stock boards.

In my testing with older lighting boards, the other sockets all lit at the same time anyway. So even if the decals weren't blocked, there really wouldn't be any additional functional value.


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