Forum Discussion

BobsYourUncle's avatar
BobsYourUncle
Nomad
Jan 12, 2019

Replacing steering wheel control and other light bulbs

2007 Classic GMC, truck in sig, now in its 13th year and 378,000 K on it, there is a bunch of various bulbs burned out.

Steering wheel controls, all but one bulb is out.
Heater / A/C controls, all gone. But once in a while I hear a strange click from in the dash somewhere and one side comes back on for a while.
The radio, several dead bulbs.

More....

Stealership says non serviceable, buy a new radio, new heater controls, new steering wheel switches.. what idiot designed this junk?

I politely declined their expensive solution while keeping my 7 letter 2 word phrase to myself... Replace the radio for burned out bulbs? Get serious!


Anyhow, what I'm asking here is if anyone has serviced any of these various things themselves, taken stuff apart and replaced the bulbs?
I've never pulled any of this out for a peek, wondering what they use in there for their crummy little bulbs that fail. I have the tools, soldering iron etc.

It's not rocket surgery, I can take anything apart, just wondering about details of the task.

Gonna keep this truck a while, may as well fix a few annoyances like dead bulbs.
  • BobsYourUncle's avatar
    BobsYourUncle
    Nomad
    Jan 13, 2019
    bucky wrote:
    There are many refurb radio vendors....snip


    I've been looking at aftermarket stereos on Crutchfield. I'll likely get a Kenwood DPX793BH. That way I can get a lot of modern day features, Bluetooth so I can hands free my phone, USB so I can plug in a memory stick for my music. And it has a CD slot as well.

    Still want to fix the other bulbs that are out.
    Since I posted this I've been looking at LED kits to change all backlit stuff over. A lot of work, but they should outlast the truck. I detest looking at steering wheel, dash etc with half the lights out.

    I remember my young years and 60's cars, if a bulb goes you just reach under there and swap out the bulb. Simple.
  • bucky's avatar
    bucky
    Explorer II
    Jan 13, 2019
    There are many refurb radio vendors on Ebay with warranties. You will need the numbers from the label on the radio. Many of those numbers will have many other compatible numbers. They will range around $150 or so provided no back up camera or nav is involved. By
    07 most GM radios had aux jacks, if yours doesn't the vendors can add them as well.
  • SAR_Tracker's avatar
    SAR_Tracker
    Explorer
    Jan 12, 2019
    Youtube is your friend. Just replaced the Cruise Control lights on the steering wheel of the DW Sport Trac. Once you find the "hidden" screws or clips that hold things together, pretty easy really.
  • DrewE's avatar
    DrewE
    Explorer II
    Jan 12, 2019
    If they come back on with a click, the bulbs are okay and there's a loose connection somewhere.

    Replacing the bulbs isn't too hard. Getting at the bulbs is sometimes a tremendous pain in the nether regions. I cannot speak to how it is on your particular vehicle.
  • 48ford's avatar
    48ford
    Explorer
    Jan 12, 2019
    I think most, if not all, are LED's. Google should have something.
  • ScottG's avatar
    ScottG
    Nomad
    Jan 12, 2019
    Just went through something like this with my HVAC control panel.
    I installed a new stereo a couple of years ago so while I was so close the the lamps in the heater control, I checked them. They were black and clearly removeable so I checked with Dodge - they said not serviceable but you can buy a whole new control.
    I found replacement bulbs on Rockauto but they fit loosely. So loose that they melted and got intermittant. I finally just soldered them in.
    So you might check Rockauto for parts. Just make sure the fit tightly or just solder them in.

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