How To Access Back Of Cigarette Lighter 1995 Ls400?

[thisisludicrous]

Hi folks -

I've searched the forum as best I can with the new Google search tool. My #11 fuse keeps blowing, knocking out my clock (okay) and my a/c (not okay in July). I'm almost positive it's the cigarette lighter, I can feel and hear that its loose, and I've got to get to it. I've found an excellent post by blake918 that tells me what to do once I've got the wood grain off the center console -

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...aded&start=

but I don't know how to get the woodgrain off without breaking something.

And I've found several topics with this link -

http://carstereohelp.com/stereoremovalLexusLS400str1.htm - specific to 95-00 LS400

but they seem to have removed the part about stereo removal, leaving just amp removal.

Is there an idiot-proof post that has this procedure from start to finish? Or can someone explain how to remove the woodgrain without breaking it? Thanks in advance for any responses.

[AzHotLS]

This tutorial shows how to remove it:

http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/audio/headunit.html

While it's for a gen 1, I imagine the location should be the same for the gen 2.

CUMan suggests using putty knives in this thread:

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=59070

[steve2006]

Hi,

Before taking everything apart just make sure that a coin has not fell inside the cigar lighter as this has happened before.

[thisisludicrous]

Follow-up - blake918's excellent description of what to do when the wood grain center console cover is out is spot-on. I wanted to add a quick note on how to get the wood grain console cover off.

1. Raise the full armrest all the way up, releasing from the bottom lever.

2. Put the gearshift lever is Neutral, you'll need the clearance to lift off the console cover.

3. The wood grain console cover has got 6 tabs, 3 on each side - 1 at the back end of the cover just in front of the flip-out cupholders, 1 at the beginning of the upward bend in the cover just in front of the gearshift selector, and 1 at the top of the cover just underneath the stereo head unit. Similar to other suggestions on the board, use a wide-edged prying tool (I used a 1" chisel, putty knife is also suggested by others), beginning at the back, prying carefully at each side, straight up from the center console. Holding onto both sides when possible, pry up and lift back, in small bites, so hopefully nothing gets cracked, slow and steady wins the race here. The black trim ring surrounding the gearshift lever will come up with the console cover, it's not attached to the gearshift lever base, as I thought originally.

To clarify, removing the ashtray in a 1995 or newer LS400 does NOT involve pulling on the sides of the ashtray, as it seems to with the Gen 1 cars. You must remove the console cover to get to the back of the ashtray (to fix the short, in my case). If you simply pull hard enough on this ashtray, you'll just break something.

Last note - those goofy little springs that open the ashtray - the ashtray actually has small - very subtle - embossed lines to show you which spring goes where on which side. One spring has a 90 degree bend on one end, I think that goes on the left hinge (as you're looking at the front of the ashtray). The other spring does not have any bend on either end, I believe that goes on the right hinge. Not a huge deal, though, if you don't get either one back on, just one of those details that bothers a nutcase like me.

Thanks to the board and its archives for all the help!