2005 Suburban dash lights all burned out??

[Dave A]

Need help with my 2005 suburban with 225k miles. Bought it used needing some mechanical repairs. Those are done now and it runs perfectly. Except almost ALL the backlights for the dash, radio, heater control, rear heater control, steering wheel buttons, etc. don't light up. The PRNDL and odometer work, the check engine light and other warning lights work, the radio time/station display works, so it's just the lights behind the gauges and in the buttons that don't. To make it even weirder just one button is lit up - it's the button to push for 4x4 low range. Could all the others really be burned out? Or could it be a fuse? I've looked through the manual and can't find where there's a fuse for just the backlights. Just seems really weird that every light would burn out. Any help would be great. Thanks!

[XJ2.5]

Do the turn signal indicator lights work? Those and all the backlights are the only incandescent bulbs, the rest are leds. Seems pretty weird that all of them would be burned out like that

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[rusty503]

With all of those lights out you have to look at what is common between all of them. Two things pop to mind. Power and get this, the dash lights dimmer control. Check out the dimmer to see if it is turned all the way down. I'll let you go from there.

[Dave A]

- Yes, the turn signal lights on the dash work. It's just the backlights on the dash, and all the buttons. And I don't believe they're LED? but I could be wrong. I know they're all soldered on to the dash and a pain to change.

- I thought of the dimmer switch as well. Took it out, checked it, cleaned it, seems to be working fine. You can see the PRNDL light dim when you rotate the switch.

 

Any other thoughts out there? Really hoping there's a fuse just for the backlights but that's probably just a fantasy.

[r1byker]

I've got the same year Suburban; yeah, those button  lights on the steering wheel started burning out pretty quick.  I don't think any of mine work anymore.  And I think at least one of the indicator lights on the dash (recirculate button?) is burned out.  Years ago, someone posted on here that they repaired the lights on the steering wheel; it involved disassembly and soldering which was more than what I wanted to do.

[Dave A]

That's what I'm afraid of - that everything has just burned out over time. Still hoping that someone will have a magic solution of a fuse or wire to check, but that hope is fading fast. Wondering if something happened to this before I owned it that blew it all out at once. Just can't imagine that everything has gone bad. Thanks!

[It's Tim]

16 minutes ago, Dave A said:

That's what I'm afraid of - that everything has just burned out over time. Still hoping that someone will have a magic solution of a fuse or wire to check, but that hope is fading fast. Wondering if something happened to this before I owned it that blew it all out at once. Just can't imagine that everything has gone bad. Thanks!

Do you have voltage at the leds?

Got a schematic?

Is there a voltage regulator in the circuit?

Edited December 3, 2019 by It's Tim

[Dave A]

I haven't checked the voltage across a bulb yet - that's a good idea and I'll try it.

I don't have a schematic, so I don't know if there's a voltage regulator in the circuit. That certainly could help explain why all the bulbs are burned out, if there's been a spike maybe it took out a bunch at once.

Do you know where a good schematic is? I'll search for one as well.

Thanks for the suggestions!

[jorgef4x4]

I work with repairing clusters and soldering leds and such into these dashes. Most certainly if not the dimmer switch it will be that they are all infact all burnt out. These incandescent are common for burning out from stock, but usually the turn signal indicators will still work since they arent on the full time. Open the cluster up, nothing too difficult, taking off the dash bezel, and 4 7mm screws. Check the bulbs to make sure that they arent burnt, easily visible since they are a filament type.

[J Bovenzi]

I have the same issue with a 2000 Silverado 1500 I just bought.  Almost every led for switch back lighting is burned out.  The 4x4 control switch only has the yellow indicator lights as well as the climate control 4 buttons yellow led.  Passenger door switch illumination is out as well.  I replaced the headlight switch bulb ($7 on ebay) but there must be a separate led for the dimmer switch as that will not illuminate.  Im not into tearing them all apart and soldering new leds in place when I can buy relatively inexpensive replacement switches.  Its just very odd that so many leds have burned out?!

Edited July 13, 2021 by J Bovenzi