radio lights

Before i go tearing apart my Radio, does anyone know if it is possible to replace the lights behind the buttons for the stock monsoon radio in the 2002 Grand am? this week one by one the lights are going out so it's getting harder to see the buttons. Just wondering if anybody knows.

Ok my bad! I though you were refering to the display backlight :oops:

The GT when I bought it didnt hav a light working back there. Went to a dealer, and luckily they had them in stock, looking for the part#.........

#16208443 lists for 8.28 they charged me $5.80, and well wort it!


Those are Leds behind the buttons, dont know if they can be changed. Kinda funny they'd go out at all.....

Even the EQ sliders are little individual Leds in there. If you pull one of the caps off the eq you can see the little red led and they just pull right out. been thinking of replacing mine w/green Leds! Having a time finding ones that small w/exact current specs.

Good Luck, and remember to disable that security if its enabled!

Honestly i wish it was the backlight since i know they can be replaced. Instead it's the buttons for the eq, tone, traf, etc. I don't have the sliders on my radio, I have the newer ones with the digital eq.
I just realized i don't even know if i have the security on or not, or how to work it. I don't even know if i have the code for it.... I guess I'll have to look into this....
Thanks

Ya know I was thinking about this and I hav seen the digital displays, but not had one out(or apart), I bet thier is 2-3 of those bulbs in this unit. Or at least the Leds are changable you would think, but Leds last for like 100 years or something, they usually dont burn out unless they are shorted out or over loaded.

Good Luck!

http://www.corvetteradios.com/Page7.html

Here is a website where you can buy those little Delco LED's. They are a bit pricey at $2.00 each, but they are the same factory Delco OEM LED's. They also have the radio main display bulbs too.
I've never replaced the radio LED's, so I don't know how to replace those..... but the main display bulb was easy though. There are also some photos on the website. Hope this helps.. Take care everyone.

Tommy

Thanks for that link Tommy, I think I had seen it before but didnt save the link. they do seem pricy though.


Ya good Luck grfnkl, soldering those leds to the PCB :shakehead
Even with an expensive soldering tool thats made for soldering pcb's its next to impossible not to melt other pins, pretty sure you need a CDP(conductive desoldering pump) to get rid of extra solder on the pcb and to keep it clean(dont need any shorts).

Hopfully you can just plug and play with whats out on your radidio !

Yup.... $2.00 each, ouch! But, I guess it's better than going without the light though..... I've never soldered onto a pc board before, so I', glad I don't have to !!!! Plus, the only solder gun I have here would get way too hot. Probably melt the board, lol.......

I've seen it done before, but haven't done it myself. I think the secrete is using plenty of flux, getting it hot, then removing the soldering iron & apply'n the solder. You can heat up the solder & use a flux brush to remove what you want to remove.

Find an old dial up modem or motherboard from a computer to practice with, even new modems are only like $15, alot cheaper then a new radio.

it is the excessive heat that will kill the pcb and its components , doesnt take much either.

I also hav one of those Cold Heat solderers. It work good but electronics is a :nono: it generates curent, hell I just soldered two LEDS together and it lite them up, thought I toasted them but they are ok.
Making my own replacment bulbs for I think they are 194s.

I hav soldered on pc boards quiet a few times, but I hav the CDP which is really great and its pinpiont tip helps bunches! Built some crossovers once for my home stereo speakers, needed different Ohms to work.

But ya, flux is nessesary for sure(not to much) and a good tiped soldering gun/stick whichever. Most solder has flux in it core, some does not.

Thanks for the tips guys, Hopefully i can get to this this weekend. I'm hoping though that it uses those tiny little bulbs, i think # 94 or 74 or something to that effect. I really don't feel like soldering in new LED lights. If it is the LED's I'm gonna be a little pissed that 2 burnt out already! DAMN GRAND AM! LOL