stereo lighting

Well things are staring to get depressing with the new/ used 2000 Silverado. Got the windows tinted today ,nice. Went for a drive tonight to see how things looked in the dark ,went to change station on stereo and what`s this only the clock is displayed. What now. Surely to goodness the controls on the stereo should light up, right? Does anyone know if there is a bulb or whatever in there and how the frig do you get the stereo out .it`s dark out so i can`t see much to night , just making inquiries. Some other day I will ask about the manual window crank mechanisim replacement procedures. Tint guy said something about cables and nylon bushings/wheels? Frustration is starting to set in with my new week old baby...........................LOL
Thanks Muff

Well your not going to like this but, the factory Head units in these vehicles are prone to having the lights burn out in them. I got tired of mine and took the unit apart and put LEDs in. It lasted for about 6 months before the job I did wore out and burnt the Traces off the Circuit board. If you take your time and find the lighting circuit and put a resistor in line with circuit that feeds the lights in the Head unit you should do better than I did. It was a good excuse for me to upgrade to an MP3 Unit.

If your interested I'll sell you my old CD Player and you can take it apart and see if you can make it work on yours possibly steal all the LEDs out of it...Happy hunting on yours...

"It was a good excuse for me to upgrade to an MP3 Unit. "



Thanks for the info and your right ,not really what I wanted to read but that`s the way it goes. Guess I`ll just ask Santa for a new system ...LOL
Thanks for the input. Muff
P.S is the stereo hard to pull out ? Trim probably just pops off or is there a trick to it?

Went out in my moms '99 Tahoe a few years ago. They just put in the one from my truck.

Right before I sold my truck, the lights for the ciruclation of a/c went out.

Just get an aftermarket unit. They look and sound better anyway.

It lasted for about 6 months before the job I did wore out and burnt the Traces off the Circuit board. If you take your time and find the lighting circuit and put a resistor in line with circuit that feeds the lights in the Head unit you should do better than I did.

How are your HVAC controls doing? Were the resistors you soldered with the LEDs not enough? Or did you not do that on the stereo? I already upgraded my head unit, but I was going to do the HVAC controls in bright blue to match it.

"It was a good excuse for me to upgrade to an MP3 Unit. "



Thanks for the info and your right ,not really what I wanted to read but that`s the way it goes. Guess I`ll just ask Santa for a new system ...LOL
Thanks for the input. Muff
P.S is the stereo hard to pull out ? Trim probably just pops off or is there a trick to it?


Trim is easy to remove, tilt your steering wheel down, start working your fingers under the bezel (it's usually easier for me at the lower right side) the bezel just 'pops' loose. You'll have to turn your switch to the 'on' position and shift your shift lever to a lower position to remove it (make sure to set your park brake). On some years, the radio just has push tabs holding the radio in. You'll be able to see it when you get the bezel out of the way.

If you are going to put in an aftermarket radio, spend a couple of extra bucks and get an plug in harness for your truck that splices to the radio harness. Down the line, you may be glad you did.

Trim is easy to remove, tilt your steering wheel down, start working your fingers under the bezel (it's usually easier for me at the lower right side) the bezel just 'pops' loose. You'll have to turn your switch to the 'on' position and shift your shift lever to a lower position to remove it (make sure to set your park brake). On some years, the radio just has push tabs holding the radio in. You'll be able to see it when you get the bezel out of the way.

If you are going to put in an aftermarket radio, spend a couple of extra bucks and get an plug in harness for your truck that splices to the radio harness. Down the line, you may be glad you did.


very true

How are your HVAC controls doing? Were the resistors you soldered with the LEDs not enough? Or did you not do that on the stereo? I already upgraded my head unit, but I was going to do the HVAC controls in bright blue to match it.


The HVAC Controls are holding out good. I think because the CD player was tight under the display that's why it fried on me. The HVAC controls has lots and lots of room under it to fit LEDs in it. Blenderwizard did his cluster; but, i'm not going to do that until the lights in there burn out...

Evan

The HVAC Controls are holding out good. I think because the CD player was tight under the display that's why it fried on me. The HVAC controls has lots and lots of room under it to fit LEDs in it. Blenderwizard did his cluster; but, i'm not going to do that until the lights in there burn out...

Evan

do you have a pic of your blue hvac lights??

The HVAC Controls are holding out good. I think because the CD player was tight under the display that's why it fried on me. The HVAC controls has lots and lots of room under it to fit LEDs in it. Blenderwizard did his cluster; but, i'm not going to do that until the lights in there burn out...

Evan

Thanks! That's good to hear. I already bought the LEDs and resistors to do the HVAC and a couple more, but I have only done my Ride Control switch so far. Turned it into an auxiliary input for my stereo. I'll post a pic once I get my digital camera back.

Kenwood guy, when I do my HVAC I will take photos along the way and post those too, if you're interested. I would have done that with the Ride Control, but a) it doesn't seem like many people have that or would care, and b) my digital camera is on vacation with my friend.

Thanks! That's good to hear. I already bought the LEDs and resistors to do the HVAC and a couple more, but I have only done my Ride Control switch so far. Turned it into an auxiliary input for my stereo. I'll post a pic once I get my digital camera back.

Kenwood guy, when I do my HVAC I will take photos along the way and post those too, if you're interested. I would have done that with the Ride Control, but a) it doesn't seem like many people have that or would care, and b) my digital camera is on vacation with my friend.

yea i have been wanting to do the hvac but they seem a bit more harder to do then the cluster which i have already done please post pics as soon as you can man -------if i get that done it would match my headunit:naughty:

by the way can you put blue lights for the headlight switch left of the cluster??? I would like to get that done too!!!

thanx

Alright. I'll wait to do the HVAC until I get my digital camera back.

As for the headlight switch, it probably can be done. Like I said,I just did the Ride Control switch, which, even though I gutted, I could have just as easily put back together. The only issue I ran into there was clearance for the LEDs I used. They were a little too thick for the space that was there for the bulbs, but I could have used smaller LEDs, and it was only due to the structure of that switch. The others may be different. I think the headlight switch is built similarly to the Ride Control, so it's probably no big deal to do. Of course, I had nothing to lose taking apart the Ride Control switch, since I took out the electronic shocks, but the headlight switch assembly is a little more tied into the whole system. :) I'll probably do mine eventually though. Same reason - to match everything to my head unit.

I've looked at the headlight switch and haven't done it yet but, I figure you should be able to do it....

I'll post pics when I get some time I haven't got any at present....

Muff,

What radio is in the truck? There were several optional radios, and the lighting in them is slightly different.

Muff,

What radio is in the truck? There were several optional radios, and the lighting in them is slightly different.AM-FM stereo with compact Disc.....

Does it have four smaller controls along the bottom edge for fade, balance, bass, and treble?

Does it have four smaller controls along the bottom edge for fade, balance, bass, and treble?yes it does

Then you'll need to get about eight #8098 lamps, disassemble the radio and faceplate, desolder the failed lamps:

http://mysite.verizon.net/strey/files/UNORadioLightingRemoved.jpg

And solder in the new ones:

http://mysite.verizon.net/strey/files/UNORadioLightingReplaced.jpg

If you have difficulty finding the lamps, you can order them here:

http://www.jaytronics.com/

Of any number of other places.

Ok, Thanks alot we`ll give it a shot or melt it down trying ....LOL
Muff

Then you'll need to get about eight #8098 lamps, disassemble the radio and faceplate, desolder the failed lamps:

http://72.19.213.157/files/UNORadioLightingRemoved.jpg

And solder in the new ones:

http://72.19.213.157/files/UNORadioLightingReplaced.jpg

If you have difficulty finding the lamps, you can order them here:

http://www.jaytronics.com/

Of any number of other places.


so its just a matter of replacing the bulbs??? I want to make mines blue do they carry them?

Then you'll need to get about eight #8098 lamps, disassemble the radio and faceplate, desolder the failed lamps:

http://72.19.213.157/files/UNORadioLightingRemoved.jpg

And solder in the new ones:

http://72.19.213.157/files/UNORadioLightingReplaced.jpg

If you have difficulty finding the lamps, you can order them here:

http://www.jaytronics.com/

Of any number of other places. um ,how the heck did you separate the face plate .Lots of tiny screws /bolts in there ,any tricks to it? oh ya ,do you know voltage of the bulbs .Parts guy at stereo shop got all pissy when I asked for 8098 bulbs , said that number meant nothing to him. He had 6,8 or12 volt bulbs .sold me the 12`s said it should do .hopefully we`ll see

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:
I wish I read all the way through this thread before I tried mine... I'll just use the dome light or buy a new radio - it'll be easier!

8098 is an industry standard lamp number designaion for miniature lamps, whether they are Sylvania, G.E., Chicago Miniature, or even some Chinese import. Going to an auto parts store for electronics is tantamount to visiting a drug store for a kidney transplant. 99-44/100% of the time, the person to whom you speak there MAY have some vague idea of that which you ask. "Umm... yeah. Light bulb? I know what those are - I think..."

You need a T1-1/4, 14V incandescent lamp (or a box of them) for your radio illumination. The voltage, light output, envelope size, lead configuration, and life hour ratings are all determined by that part number. For comparison, an 8099 lamps has the exact same characteristics, but is rated at 18V.

Try an electronics store, or call/email the link I provided. That's where I got mine. You can also get them from any TRUE electronics supplier, such as Allied, Newark, or any number of others.

Got the bulbs and sockets to do my cluster today! I also started on the HVAC controls. I've been taking pics along the way, so I'll post when I'm done. So far, I've done two of the bulbs. I've either guessed wrong on the polarity, or messed something up, though, because they do not illuminate. Chuck16, when you did yours, did you de-solder all the bulbs, then do the LEDs one at a time and test them, or did you pull the bulbs one at a time, then replace and test the LEDs in one step for each one? I'm not sure if the non-illumination is due to the fact that I have five empty connections (like maybe they are dependent on each other like old Christmas lights) or just because I've reversed plus minus. Or even worse, I fried something. I'm not that bad at soldering, so I don't think I fried anything, but you never know....

Got the bulbs and sockets to do my cluster today! I also started on the HVAC controls. I've been taking pics along the way, so I'll post when I'm done. So far, I've done two of the bulbs. I've either guessed wrong on the polarity, or messed something up, though, because they do not illuminate. Chuck16, when you did yours, did you de-solder all the bulbs, then do the LEDs one at a time and test them, or did you pull the bulbs one at a time, then replace and test the LEDs in one step for each one? I'm not sure if the non-illumination is due to the fact that I have five empty connections (like maybe they are dependent on each other like old Christmas lights) or just because I've reversed plus minus. Or even worse, I fried something. I'm not that bad at soldering, so I don't think I fried anything, but you never know....


Hey Guumbah,

I desoldered one then tested, then desoldered the next and tested. In retrospect I could have just put a volt meter on and found out which one was + and which one was - but, I was just being slow is all. I don't think that the lights could be in series cause then there would be no way of the LED working one at a time with the blown lights in place....
Happy Soldering....

Evan

Hey Guumbah,

I desoldered one then tested, then desoldered the next and tested. In retrospect I could have just put a volt meter on and found out which one was + and which one was - but, I was just being slow is all. I don't think that the lights could be in series cause then there would be no way of the LED working one at a time with the blown lights in place....
Happy Soldering....

Evan

That's what I thought about them being in series too. Thanks. :p I'll get off my lazy butt and dig out the multimeter from its hiding place in the garage and verify the polarity.

So, we were half right. I looked more closely at the circuit, and realized that it's two pairs of lights wired in series on the main board. The four on the small board are all parallel. But following the circuit back from ground, it's actually pretty obvious once I traced the lines with a pointer and not just my eye. I flipped two of the LED assemblies around, and all is well. I'll put up a thread tomorrow with pics and such for kenwood guy and anyone else who is interested.

where do you buy your leds? is it a gm product or any auto parts store?

Neither. Any electronics supplier should have whatever color and intensity you need.