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Subaru Forester Dome Light Bulb Replacement Guide
How to change a burnt out overhead dome light bulb in a fourth generation 2014 to 2018 Subaru Forester SUV.

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2017 Forester Dome Light
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Insert Flathead Screwdriver
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Gently Pry Out Lens Cover
This automotive maintenance tutorial was specifically written to assist owners of the fourth generation (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018) Subaru Forester SUV in changing a burnt out dome light bulb located in the overhead housing attached to the headliner or upgrading it to a brighter LED unit.

Owners of other Subaru vehicles such as the Outback, Impreza, Legacy, XV Crosstrek, WRX, BRZ, SVX, Tribeca, Exiga, Trezia, Levorg and Baja may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful.

The compatible replacement miniature "festoon" style light bulb is part number DE3175. You can also use a compatible LED unit.

The only tool needed to access and change the dome light bulb is a small flathead screwdriver or a plastic pry bar tool.



 
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Lens Cover Removed
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Old Light Bulb Exposed
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Pull Out Old Light Bulb
To prevent from scratching the plastic surfaces, I recommend either covering the tip of your screwdriver with a thin micro fiber cloth or you can use a small plastic pry bar tool.

Insert the blade of the tool in between the lens cover and the dome light bulb housing.

Gently pry out the lens cover. You may need to re-insert the tool in several locations to fully remove the lens cover.

Set the lens cover aside in a safe place.

If the old bulb was recently turned on, it might still be hot enough to burn your fingers.

Grasp the old light bulb with your thumb and forefinger before pulling it straight out of the socket.

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Old Light Bulb Removed
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Empty Bulb Socket
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Push In New Light Bulb



 

The OEM (original equipment manufacturer) light bulb in this 2017 Forester was marked as Toshiba part number 12V8WAL:74.

Push a new number DE3175 festoon light bulb straight into the socket.

You can also choose to install a brighter DE3175 LED bulb.

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Line Up Lens Cover
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Snap Lens Cover In Place
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Test New Dome Light Bulb
Line up the translucent plastic lens cover and gently pop it back into place.

Double check that the lens cover is flush with the dome light housing at every edge.

To test the new dome light bulb, move the "On / Door / Off" switch to the "On" position.

Tip - If you installed an LED bulb and it doesn't work, try removing it and rotating it 180 degrees before pushing it back into place. Some LED bulbs are "polarized" and will only work in one orientation.

I recommend moving the rocker switch to the "Door" position so that the dome light will automatically turn on when a passenger door is opened.

For more, please check out all of my 2014-2018 Subaru Forester DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides.
 

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