How do you change the ashtray bulb???

Just got in my green (door panel, floor lights, ashtray) and white LEDs in (all other interior, license plate, trunk and underhood) and didnt see a easy way to pop change the ashtray bulb. Im assuming its a 198 like all the other bulbs but was wondering how the hell do i get access to it

You have to open the ashtray and lift the liner out, then take off the panel.

Do you have access to a service manual?  

Albertj

NVM figured it out. You gotta pull the dash to get access to the one phillips head screw thats holding the vent piece in on top. You also gotta take the panel over off that's on the left of the glove box (4 phillips screws) and the vent pops right off.

The bulb and its wierd holder is right there. My 6 LED bulbs wouldnt fit so i just placed the bulb over the opening and electrical taped it down. Will get pics tmrw night after i clean the interior up after almost 20hrs of putting the stereo in.

ghost88 wrote:

NVM figured it out.  You gotta pull  the dash to get access to  the one phillips head screw thats holding the vent piece in on top.  You also gotta take the panel over off that's on the left of the glove box (4 phillips screws) and the vent pops right off.

The bulb and its wierd holder is right there.  My 6 LED bulbs wouldnt fit so i just placed the bulb over the opening and electrical taped it down.  Will get pics tmrw night after i clean the interior up after almost 20hrs of putting the stereo in.

Sorry old thread but I've only seen maybe two other posts on this topic. I'm trying to visualize this. I originally thought you can take out the actual ashtray insert and reach under to replace it, but all I ended up doing was actually push the clip that holds the bulb farther out into a place that I definitely couldn't reach. Then I tried to pull the whole assembly out and the tension springs popped out / broke and now it won't even close lmao

🥴

LaFlare wrote:

ghost88 wrote:

NVM figured it out.  You gotta pull  the dash to get access to  the one phillips head screw thats holding the vent piece in on top.  You also gotta take the panel over off that's on the left of the glove box (4 phillips screws) and the vent pops right off.

The bulb and its wierd holder is right there.  My 6 LED bulbs wouldnt fit so i just placed the bulb over the opening and electrical taped it down.  Will get pics tmrw night after i clean the interior up after almost 20hrs of putting the stereo in.

Sorry old thread but I've only seen maybe two other posts on this topic. I'm trying to visualize this. I originally thought you can take out the actual ashtray insert and reach under to replace it, but all I ended up doing was actually push the clip that holds the bulb farther out into a place that I definitely couldn't reach. Then I tried to pull the whole assembly out and the tension springs popped out / broke and now it won't even close lmao

🥴

Much of the center stack can be reached from the firewall side of the stack, it is **open** back there.

Best thing to do is get a copy of the service manual set -- if you are going to be doing this level of work on your car then you will benefit greatly from the manual.  Even experienced mechanics get a little baffled by how simply the Riv is assembled because it was a bit different from its peers.  For instance, none of the switch panels in the doors are removable without removing the door panels -- but the door card panels are very very easily removed and then the switch panels are simply unscrewed from them.

Screenshot taken from the other thread,

But for sure was able to take the insert out but then when i reached up, I pushed the bulb holder clip up and from there it was gone lol...I will have to take a better look and also get a copy of that service manual online,


Edit: I got it, didn't realize how much play I had with more of the center piece being able to move

Thank you !

The red arrow in LaFlare's photo above points out the little spring-tabs molded into the bulb holder.  
To wind up this thread I thought I'd upload a diagram from the GM manual to show how to get in there:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/24229483@N07/52735897329/in/album-72157618540359112/

While you may notice that they were still using a "Gen8A" photo with the 1995 divorced CD player,  
the process is still the same...  Open the ashtray & cup-holder doors, remove the ash receptacle and reach above
the tray opening and below the CD holder to gently pull the trim/CD unit out from its 4 retainers.  
Alternately, I have used several fingers on each hand to pull on the protruding bezel around the CD slots.  

Mark