LED window switch specs

[wool]

Does anyone know what the specs are for the LED lamps that
illuminate the multi window switch ( console mounted ) The switch works
fine and I would hate to pay $60 to replace the switch for a bad light

Thanks

[Bill R.]

Have used a 14v grain of wheat bulb in amber thats available here
(http://www.walthers.com/exec/search?WALTID=7556526061530479.622.763.664.6347&quick=amber+14v)http://www.bimmernut.com/%7Ebillr/images/window%20switch%20led1.jpg

Then I started using an led as pictured here,only I had to add a 1/4 watt resistor to them, this one i used a 1/2 watt i believe....Now i find out that led's are available with an integral resistor so you don't have to jump through all the hoops.. I just went down to my local eletronics supply house, not radioshack, a real electronics store.. and they had test board that you can compare all the led's on for brightness and color and I looked through them until I found a color and brightness that looked correct and that would fit in the available space.. On a couple of them I had to grind the outside diameter of the led down a little to get it to fit. Hope that helps.












Does anyone know what the specs are for the LED lamps that
illuminate the multi window switch ( console mounted ) The switch works
fine and I would hate to pay $60 to replace the switch for a bad light

Thanks

[Russell]

Great advice. I went ahead and ordered from Walthers $7.65 for 3 bulbs + shipping.

An alternative is to get a clear 12 volt mini bulb from Radio Shack and tint amber/red with stained glass paint. This is what I did for my sunroof light switch.

Be careful when taking switches apart so as not to lose springs etc. Some posters have said to disassemble switch in a plastic bag. That works.

[wool]

Does anyone know what the specs are for the LED lamps that
illuminate the multi window switch ( console mounted ) The switch works
fine and I would hate to pay $60 to replace the switch for a bad light

Thanks

[Bill R.]

http://www.bimmernut.com/%7Ebillr/images/window_switch5.jpg
All of them that I have seen have an incandescent bulb just like this after you desolder it and inspect, and when looking at the part number for the switch assy.. Its the same part number from early 89 to late 95 models..
Only thing I can think of is that they changed them all at some later point in time and the part number is the same..

[Russell]

What year and build date is your car? My 95 build 1/95 sitll had bulbs in the sunroof switch. Interesting if they are Leds?

[wool]

I found bulbs in all the door mounted and sunroof switches, but the 4 gang has LED
( with the resistors ) The heater control / sliders are also LED. I have found that ordering bulbs for the instruments on this car has been a real problem. Thedealer sold me the OBC bulbs despite my concern that they were the wrong ones. They swore that it was the right part number, but 2 weeks latter they melted the inside. BMW replaced the OBC and found that the bulbs were indeed the wrong ones.

[Bill R.]

I found bulbs in all the door mounted and sunroof switches, but the 4 gang has LED
( with the resistors ) The heater control / sliders are also LED. I have found that ordering bulbs for the instruments on this car has been a real problem. Thedealer sold me the OBC bulbs despite my concern that they were the wrong ones. They swore that it was the right part number, but 2 weeks latter they melted the inside. BMW replaced the OBC and found that the bulbs were indeed the wrong ones.