Lighter socket replacement, ES300

[Chapol]

The lighter socket in my '99 ES300 is finicky, and I often can not get my Garmin to work with the socket. I managed to pull the original one out, but the wires are very short.

Can someone help me with the removal of the ashtray/door assembly so I can replace the 12V socket? or suggest ways of replacing the socket?

[Brian R.]

Download a FSM here. You may have to sign into the site to download.

See if the Body Electrical Systems file helps. This may be one of the "It's so obvious anyone can do it" procedures that are not well defined by the FSM. I couldn't find this procedure, but I didn't look more than a few minutes.

[Chapol]

I figured out how to replace a similar power outlet on Youtube. In my case, I pried off the woodgrain trim around the automatic shifter. This gave access to two phillips screws that held the ashtray unit in place. Removing the screws allowed removal of the total ashtray unit, and to unplug the original lighter outlet.

I purchased an OEM power outlet with wire harness/connectors on Ebay for much less than the dealer asked.

I videoed the process and uploaded it to Youtube for anyone else who is interested.