Shifter Position Light P R N D 3 2 1

Slim · 03-13-2007, 05:25 PM

Just picked up 1998 Aurora. Everything in the car seems to work okay. I'm wondering, however, if the little, red shifter position indicator on the console is supposed to light up when the running lights are turned on at night. The plastic piece with the shift position labels (P R N D 3 2 1) lights up, but you can't see where the shifter is positioned. The reason I suspect the little red shifter position tab should light up at night is because I own a 1997 Olds LSS that has the same type of console shifter, and it has a small red shift position indicator that lights up when the running lights come on at night.

Oldsfan · 03-14-2007, 05:56 AM

My parts catalog shows two separate shift indicator bulbs - a 194 bulb and something else. I believe the 194 bulb is just for general illumination of the shift quadrant. The other bulb is part #9436790, also known as a 73 bulb. It's just a little thing. I'll bet yours is burned out.

Paul

69ho aurora · 03-15-2007, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slim

Just picked up 1998 Aurora. Everything in the car seems to work okay. I'm wondering, however, if the little, red shifter position indicator on the console is supposed to light up when the running lights are turned on at night. The plastic piece with the shift position labels (P R N D 3 2 1) lights up, but you can't see where the shifter is positioned. The reason I suspect the little red shifter position tab should light up at night is because I own a 1997 Olds LSS that has the same type of console shifter, and it has a small red shift position indicator that lights up when the running lights come on at night.

It is a common problem for the wire leading to the indicator light to break. It's happened to mine twice. I've got to get around to taking it back apart and checking it again one of these days...

Slim · 03-15-2007, 09:16 PM

Gracias Amigos . . . This weekend I'm going to take a crack at the bulb replacement and/or fixing the wire (per 69ho). Based on my experience accessing the shifter area on my '97 LSS, by removing the (black felt lined) storage compartment in the console, I suspect I can likewise access the shifter area on the Aurora. Special thanks to Paul ("Oldsfan") for the bulb Nos.; this way I can have the new bulbs handy. Based on the replies, the No. 73 bulb is either burnt out or the wire is broken/disconnected because it doesn't make sense that Olds would not have illuminated the shift position indicator. I wish Olds had followed the same scheme on the Aurora that they did on my '97 LSS: the shift indiator in the console is illuminated, and there is a ("heads up") LED indicator display (PRND321) in the instrument cluster just below the speedometer. The Aurora is a lot of fun to drive, but my favorite feature of the car is how effortlessly the 4T80E transaxle works. The reason I was looking for a transmission shop in N. Cal in my original post is because the 4T60E transaxle in the LSS has, for the third time now, failed. The first time the torque converter clutch disintegrated; the second time the clutch pack failed, and now the clutch pack is slipping (a/k/a shuddering) again. My conversations with transmission builders is that GM fixed the weak aspects of the 4T60E with the introduction of the 4T65E (not interchangable with the 60E), but that the 4T80E is the best of the bunch of the TurboHydro FWD transaxles. At this point, I'm giving the LSS to my brother, and he's going to have a shop in his neck of the woods (SoCal) take care of rebuilding the trans. SY-O-NARA LSS.

03-13-2007, 05:25 PM	#1 (permalink)
Slim Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 2	Shifter Position Light P R N D 3 2 1 Just picked up 1998 Aurora. Everything in the car seems to work okay. I'm wondering, however, if the little, red shifter position indicator on the console is supposed to light up when the running lights are turned on at night. The plastic piece with the shift position labels (P R N D 3 2 1) lights up, but you can't see where the shifter is positioned. The reason I suspect the little red shifter position tab should light up at night is because I own a 1997 Olds LSS that has the same type of console shifter, and it has a small red shift position indicator that lights up when the running lights come on at night.

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03-14-2007, 05:56 AM	#2 (permalink)
Oldsfan Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 427	My parts catalog shows two separate shift indicator bulbs - a 194 bulb and something else. I believe the 194 bulb is just for general illumination of the shift quadrant. The other bulb is part #9436790, also known as a 73 bulb. It's just a little thing. I'll bet yours is burned out. Paul

03-15-2007, 09:16 PM	#4 (permalink)
Slim Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 2	Gracias Amigos . . . This weekend I'm going to take a crack at the bulb replacement and/or fixing the wire (per 69ho). Based on my experience accessing the shifter area on my '97 LSS, by removing the (black felt lined) storage compartment in the console, I suspect I can likewise access the shifter area on the Aurora. Special thanks to Paul ("Oldsfan") for the bulb Nos.; this way I can have the new bulbs handy. Based on the replies, the No. 73 bulb is either burnt out or the wire is broken/disconnected because it doesn't make sense that Olds would not have illuminated the shift position indicator. I wish Olds had followed the same scheme on the Aurora that they did on my '97 LSS: the shift indiator in the console is illuminated, and there is a ("heads up") LED indicator display (PRND321) in the instrument cluster just below the speedometer. The Aurora is a lot of fun to drive, but my favorite feature of the car is how effortlessly the 4T80E transaxle works. The reason I was looking for a transmission shop in N. Cal in my original post is because the 4T60E transaxle in the LSS has, for the third time now, failed. The first time the torque converter clutch disintegrated; the second time the clutch pack failed, and now the clutch pack is slipping (a/k/a shuddering) again. My conversations with transmission builders is that GM fixed the weak aspects of the 4T60E with the introduction of the 4T65E (not interchangable with the 60E), but that the 4T80E is the best of the bunch of the TurboHydro FWD transaxles. At this point, I'm giving the LSS to my brother, and he's going to have a shop in his neck of the woods (SoCal) take care of rebuilding the trans. SY-O-NARA LSS.