Dash and Radio bulb replacement

KTack03DMax · October 31, 2006

Ok, what's up with the dash and radio lights in the 2003 2500HD trucks? What are the replacement part numbers I'm not replacing the gauges or the radio for the cost of bulbs!!! Has anyone replaced with LED's? Some help would be greatly apprecieated!

bobcat5544 · October 31, 2006

The insturment cluster you can replace the bulbs, just tilt the steering wheel down, place the shifter in 1st gear, pully on the trim panel it shouls pop off, get a 7 or 8 millimeter socket w/ extension, that the bolts out pull the clust out unplug it, remove the back cover, you should see this

twist the bulb out pull the bulb out of the socket and there should be a bulb # on it if not I do believe the bulb # is 161

Far as the radio goes, youe'r only choices are, replace the radio, take it to a radio repair shop, replace the leds your self, or live with it

KTack03DMax · October 31, 2006

bobcat5544

The cluster that is in my truck is not the "easy' one. If it had those type of bulbs, I wouldn't have asked! The bulbs in the cluster that is in my truck are soldered in under the gauge face in the unit. I'm trying to find out the bulb number and or an LED replacement and how to remove the needles on the meters without destroying it all!

bobcat5544 · October 31, 2006

If you have a standard GM insturment cluster that looks close to this

Then the only LEDs in it are at the top for ses, abs, batt, brake.

For the gauge needles they are lit up off the bulbs as shown in the pic in my last post

And just to make sure I went out to my truck pulled out the cluster assmbley and opened it up just to make sure

I dont have access to all the clusters for a 2003 2500hd, but they are all about the same, except for the digital display clusters

If you can post some pic if it.

KTack03DMax · November 2, 2006

Here is a pic of the 03 dash.

http://image10.webshots.com/10/4/58/79/130...79umRtVe_fs.jpg

bobcat5544 · November 2, 2006

The link will not show the pic

KTack03DMax · November 2, 2006

Try this link!

http://community.webshots.com/album/130441989NoeIar

elbud72 · December 1, 2007

Try this link!
http://community.webshots.com/album/130441989NoeIar

OK, I bought the Radio Shack 272-1153 bulbs and removed the screw base from the bottom, but the leads aren't long enough to sit in the base.

I have 2 or 3 lights out in the gauge cluster on my 2003 Silverado. The lights are soldered to the board. I un-soldered one of them and have been all over town looking for replacement bulbs. Has anyone been through this before? The dealership told me I had to buy a new cluster rather than one bulb. Really?

I've already replaced all the bulbs in the AC control, which was easy, but I'm stuck on the cluster. Please help.

Thanks

JoJoDaClown · December 4, 2007

Try this link!
http://community.webshots.com/album/130441989NoeIar

OK, I bought the Radio Shack 272-1153 bulbs and removed the screw base from the bottom, but the leads aren't long enough to sit in the base.

I have 2 or 3 lights out in the gauge cluster on my 2003 Silverado. The lights are soldered to the board. I un-soldered one of them and have been all over town looking for replacement bulbs. Has anyone been through this before? The dealership told me I had to buy a new cluster rather than one bulb. Really?

I've already replaced all the bulbs in the AC control, which was easy, but I'm stuck on the cluster. Please help.

Thanks

I'm guessing you meant to say you bought the 272-1143 bulbs, not 1153. If you did buy the 1153, that may be your problem. Also, I think you need to use the 1143 with the 272-358 base that he showed in his pics. May be why it doesn't work? Also, on a side note, I think these are the same bulbs for the DIC switches on the steering wheel. I'm going to buy them and try it out.

JoJoDaClown · December 5, 2007

Well, those aren't the right part numbers for the steering wheel DIC Switch bulbs. While I was at Radio Shack though, I did find the right bulbs. The part number for the bulbs that go into the switches located on the steering wheel is 272-1092.

I haven't tried them yet, I just got them soldered in and then I'll try them out when I get home. (at work right now).

elbud72 · December 12, 2007

Well, those aren't the right part numbers for the steering wheel DIC Switch bulbs. While I was at Radio Shack though, I did find the right bulbs. The part number for the bulbs that go into the switches located on the steering wheel is 272-1092.
I haven't tried them yet, I just got them soldered in and then I'll try them out when I get home. (at work right now).

OK. I'll try the 1092's for the DIC switch bulbs. Here's my dumb question. How do you get to DIC bulbs?? I can't figure it out......

Also, I did buy the 1143's, not 1153'. So I guess you're saying buy those bulbs with the screw base and solder the screw base to board, even thought the factory bulbs and bases are different?

(I got side tracked last week, but now I'm back to this project.)

JoJoDaClown · December 17, 2007

To get to the DIC switch bulbs, you have to first pull the switches out of the steering wheel. I did this with a flat head screwdriver, sticking it between the switch and the steering wheel and popping it out from behind. Then you have to un-latch the connector (easier to do with a screwdriver pressing on the tab). Now is the first difficult part, you have to pop the white piece out from the back of the switch. There's 4 tabs holding it in place. It'll be a pain, but once you get those tabs past their holders, it'll come out. It should all come apart now. Take the PWB with the bulbs, and unsolder the bulb leads. Pull the bulb out of the holder. Cut the leads on your new 272-1092 bulbs to the correct length. Push the bulb into the holder, then bend the leads around. Place the bulb and holder back onto the pads and reflow the solder onto the leads. Put it all back together. Now the other hard part is getting it back in. I found that I had to pull on the harness to get as much length as possible, then take a flat-head screw driver and put it between the wires to hold the connector, then insert the switch and latch the connector. Repeat for all of the switches. I found the bottom switches impossible to take out and since there was only 1 bulb burnt out on 1 switch, I just left it.

Good Luck!

yukon_denali_05 · October 3, 2008

i just tried to change the steering wheel switch and tried to pry it open. Has anyone had any success with this?

tjcbenz · October 6, 2008

Another way of getting out the buttons is to pop off the airbag (not literally)!! BTW, small punch in the holes on the side of the wheel to unclip the bag. You don't need to disconnect the wires on the back, you can just lay it down. Then you can either stick your finger or a small tool or screwdriver in behind the spokes to pop out the button. Since they give you absolutely no slack, this will also help when reinstalling them. Member "fuzznuts" made a good write up on this in the audio forum. As far as prying them open, it's def. possible, just a little bit of a pain.

As far as the radio, same concept, you just have to take apart the face. Take out your radio and pop off the upper and lower metal panels...a pocket screwdriver is good for this. Then the face plate is clipped on all the way around. Also, a little bit of a pita, but possible. Then when you have it unclipped, remove the plug connections on the main board of the radio (this is why you first took off the upper and lower metal panels). Then there are a few very small hex head screws on the back holding the face plate board to the face plate. It's smaller than a 3/16...so just used a pair of pliers. Also, before you take the plate apart, you'll have to remove the volume, tune and "audio" buttons from the front. When you are ready to take off the plate, lay it down flat with the button on the table and lift out the board. Otherwise I think all the buttons might fall out and well....you don't want to to that. Then the bulbs will be out in the open. The ones for the preset buttons and the eject button are a hair bigger than the 272-1092s, but I couldn't find anything else, so I just used those, and it looks just fine. All the others are the 1072s. Hope you don't have a bulb out in either of the rotary buttons because that is a major b****!!!! Because the bulb in down in the tube and it just makes it difficult. You could remove the knob body, but they are soldered in pretty good....so I just said a few choice words and did it w/o removing them. There ya go, have fun!

scottmoyer · October 31, 2008

I just replaced all the bulbs in my 06 radio and have an issue. The 2 bulbs that feed the preset buttons and the one feeding the CD slot are bigger than the rest. I replaced all of the bulbs with 272-1092 and these 3 bulbs are bigger for a reason. The 272-1092 bulb is just slightly brighter than the factory bulb when it feeds the button directly. The 3 larger bulbs feed a clear plastic simulating a fiber optic path and 2 bulbs feed all the presets. With the blue cover on the bulb, it's not bright enough to light all the buttons with the same intensity. I replaced the button lights also, a real pain in the butt, and now the preset intensity is half that of the rest of the lights. Anybody have a clue what bulb I should use for the presets? Thanks.