[lassetjus]

Through my stupidity, one of the map light receptors got pushed up into the upper console somewhere. Anyone got any ideas? I thought about removing the entire console unit, but the eyesight cameras are part of it, and I'd better not mess with it. See photos of left and right map lights. Right one is the one that got pushed up.

 

[Sparkland]

Through my stupidity, one of the map light receptors got pushed up into the upper console somewhere. Anyone got any ideas? I thought about removing the entire console unit, but the eyesight cameras are part of it, and I'd better not mess with it. See photos of left and right map lights. Right one is the one that got pushed up.

I am guessing you were putting in some of those fancy LED lights?

To the point - I would use a short piece of coat hanger that would be just a little longer than the distance from the bulb opening where the remaining bulb is, over to the section where the bulb is missing. That way you won't be able to poke around any further than necessary. Make a bend in it, or even make a loop in the end of it, so you can get some leverage on the missing socket.

From there, attempt to push the missing bulb socket down a little closer to the opening until you can reach it with needle nose pliers. Just my idea on short notice.

Don't panic, you will get it done with patience.

 

[lassetjus]

I am guessing you were putting in some of those fancy LED lights?

To the point - I would use a short piece of coat hanger that would be just a little longer than the distance from the bulb opening where the remaining bulb is, over to the section where the bulb is missing. That way you won't be able to poke around any further than necessary. Make a bend in it, or even make a loop in the end of it, so you can get some leverage on the missing socket.

From there, attempt to push the missing bulb socket down a little closer to the opening until you can reach it with needle nose pliers. Just my idea on short notice.

Don't panic, you will get it done with patience.

Thanks for the suggestion. Tried finding it with a wire but could not feel anything. I think it's really gone... somewhere, probably forward and down. I should note the bulb was still attached. Even if I did find it, it's probably upside down with the bulb pointing up at this point. I believe I am screwed.

 

[BoxerRules]

Can you turn the light on and see where it is? Maybe a strong magnet might be able to bring it closer.

 

[lassetjus]

Can you turn the light on and see where it is? Maybe a strong magnet might be able to bring it closer.

When I turn the light on, nothing happens. There must be power contacts right at the hole the receptor sits in. Since there is no contact, there is no light. I thought about the magnet idea, but it seems like the thing is made mostly of plastic. And what magnet is that thin and small that would fit in that hole that is super strong? I'm screwed. My hope now I guess is that I can pay the dealer to detach that upper console and dig it out and put it back. Hopefully it takes under and hour for a fee under $200. At that price, I should have just paid them to install the LED upgrade. Sigh.

 

[cjkenton]

Through my stupidity, one of the map light receptors got pushed up into the upper console somewhere. Anyone got any ideas? I thought about removing the entire console unit, but the eyesight cameras are part of it, and I'd better not mess with it. See photos of left and right map lights. Right one is the one that got pushed up.

Oh man, I really feel sorry for you on this one. Definitely something I could see myself doing. lain: Keep us posted. I am curious how things turn out.

 

[lassetjus]

Oh man, I really feel sorry for you on this one. Definitely something I could see myself doing. lain: Keep us posted. I am curious how things turn out.

Thanks. I don't think this would happen to anyone else. This was truly dumb. This was the first bulb I worked on. I couldn't pull the bulb out so I thought I had to do something else. It looked like something (what turned out to be the receptor) could be rotated with a push to be released. Then the receptor got loose and I was trying to pull it and the bulb through the hole but it wasn't going. Eventually though my fiddling, it got pushed up into the abyss. You really have to go out of your way to release the bulb receptor.

 

[lassetjus]

Oh man, I really feel sorry for you on this one. Definitely something I could see myself doing. lain: Keep us posted. I am curious how things turn out.

Update for anyone interested in this story:

I bought a little snake with a camera that connects to your phone and went in there to look around and still could not find it. It was a lightning deal on amazon for $16. http://a.co/6PNtp6F

So at that point I gave up and scheduled a service appointment and resigned myself to paying $125 / hour of labor. I went today to the dealer to also pick up my license plates, registration and 2nd key FOB. It took them less than 5 minutes to detach the upper console and they found the map light receptor way forward near the eyesight cameras. They put it back and they ended up not charging me anything! It was free! So in the end, my stupidity did not cost me monetarily, and not even an extra trip to the dealer since I had to go there anyway, just a bit of aggravation. :smile:

 

[John Harrington]

Subaru's are awesome and finding a dealer like this makes the whole package! Congrats!