Stock radio lighting

DenisMcG · November 15, 2005

I'm just wondering if there should be backlighting on the stock radio/cassette/cd player in my 98 Z71. The CD player below the heater controls lights, but there is no backlighting on the control head. It makes it difficult to know which button to push to change stations or tracks on the CD. Obviously this is at night with the lights on.

Denis

holstbnet · November 16, 2005

Yes there should be lighting and it's unusual that all of the bulbs would be burned out. You should pull the radio and make sure all the terminals in the radio connector are seated. It wouldn't be a fuse because there isn't a specific fuse for radio illumination, it's part of the dashboard illumination.

DenisMcG · November 16, 2005

Thanks, I'll pull the radio and check the connectors.

Denis

DenisMcG · November 17, 2005

Well, I pulled the radio and disconnected/reconnected all of the plugs. Still no lights on any of the buttons. The unit is definitely getting a signal telling it that the lights are on, as the station/time indicator dims when I turn the lights on and the I can set the intensity with the thumb wheel at the light switch. I imagine that it an internal problem and I will just have to live with it.

Thanks,

Denis

98 Z71

holstbnet · November 17, 2005

You don't have to live with it -- I wouldn't. Those radios are a dime a dozen on eBay. Buy another one and swap that thing out! :-)

jbknight311 · April 10, 2006

You don't have to live with it -- I wouldn't. Those radios are a dime a dozen on eBay. Buy another one and swap that thing out! :-)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I read the thread on replacing the lights. There are 10 of them on a circuit board, all soldered in. They all seem to go out one at a time in about 2 months time. Mine is a stock 98 radio. Easy to take out, kinda a bear to take apart, don't have a real small socket wrench so used needle nose pliers to remove the 8 little hex head screws holding the card in. Went to radio shack and found the bulbs.

Part number 272-1154 12v-50mA Bi-Pin lamp.

Had to order them as the store only stocks 4. I ordered 10 and got them in 2 days with no shipping charges.

Radio Shack also has the replacement fan that is on the back of the unit. It runs about $12. The lights are about $1.40 each. I think my fan went out, took out the bulbs with the heat build up and my cassette player would die after about 20 minutes of tape playing. Pull the tape out and it was very hot.

Soldering the lights in is a challenge, and I went to the Navy 4 week micro soldering school years ago. Need a good pencil point iron, some solder wicking and/or solder sucker, some flux (non acid) some alcohol to clean the flux off, and good solder.

I will change mine out tonight after I get my solder kit from work.

Much easier and probably cheaper in the long run to replace the radio as they go for about $25 on e-bay right now. But, no telling how the lights are in them. Check the cooling fan when you get one. They are plugged into the circuit board so are far easier to replace.

I'll try and get pictures to post of this whole process as I go and post later.

Jeff in Dallas, Green 98 Silverado 165k miles