yesteday the tab that the ash tray lid spring slides into on the housing broke. for no reason, it just crumbled. i just raised the lid and i heard something snap and heard polastic falling onto the trans tunnel. so when i got home i removed the shift **** and the boot assembly/panel and then removed the ash tray housing after removing the two screws that secure it to the center console. i removed the connectors but i'm stuck at removing the light. i searched and found this: http://whatsmyip.org/ipodrx8/3.php but to no avail when i try and depress the white tab, it doesnt depress. i looked on either side of the bulb and saw a tab on each side that can be depressed with a smal pick tool. i deperssed the tab on each side (not at the same time) with the pick tool and the light didnt budge. i would like to fix assembly because i like to put my cell phone in the ash tray while i drive and the ash tray door needs that spring to be in place in order to stay up. i have the broken piece and the spring but i need to get the housing out and on the bench for repair. any help would be much appreciated.

 

If I remember right this is the page that has the video of some way of easily removing the light. Id verify but Im at work and can't stream videos.

http://eturkov.blogspot.com/2008/10/...o-removal.html

 

haha that's a great ? becuase i pissed with it one time for like 1/2 hour and cold not get it to come out that white tab should just push and it comes out but i couldn't do it so i just let is hang over the side while i did what i had to do!

 

so far i just let it hang. i'll check out that video though.

 

well, i'll give the video's suggestion a shot at removing the light. i'll post the results

 

haha that's the only way i did it i couldn't figure it out for the life of me hahaha it's probably some easy *** trick andit's out in 1 second

 

It will come out, but ya gotta know the secret.
I forget, unless I was to see it again.

 

it looks pretty brutal to be prying interior bits with a screwdriver. ihave a set of plastic tools especially designed for interior trim work/removal. i'll give it a shot though. cant hurt.

 

I agree that I wouldn't want to be prying away at things with a screwdriver. But with the location of the bulb...I dunno...I might do it if I had to.

 

thank you for the link, i really appreciate it. at this point, i have to at least try the prying method. i'm not sure i'll get to it tonight as my daughter is acting kind of wild and my wife and i have a newborn son (about thee weeks old) and he's been a handfull today...so i'm figuring the wife may need some help for a bit. then i work 7a-7p tomorrow so unfortunatly i might wait until tomorrow after work.. i do want to get it done and see if i can repair it so that i can avoid buying a new one.

 

I don't think that there are any active part outs going on. That would be the best place to get the part if you need a new one.

 

it would be for sure. i've got some pm's with people offering to sell me their housing for prices between $40-$55. a littler more than i want to spend at this juncture for an ash tray housing. perhaps parts are more expensive than i had anticipated for this car...guess i'm used to RX-7 parts prices (which arent all that cheap either anymore)

 

Did you get it out yet?

From what I see, it is not supposed to be removable, I looked at mine and there is one 'tit' at the front, with no release, and another on top of the dome of the white part, that sits in a dimple in the black housing,

That's it, ****'n'dimples!

Large screwdriver and pry the white part back in it's track, no other choice.

Even getting the bulb out is a biatch.....

S

 

hadnt tried to get it out yet i was busy with the wife and my kids tonight. i'll tear into it tomorrow after work and post some pics of whats going on in there. StealthTL, you're right, it really doesnt look like mazda ever meant for that light assembly to come out of there..