I noticed the last week or so that the backlighting for my heater/AC controls didn't seem to be as bright as they used to. I also noticed that it seemed to be the top part of the controls that weren't lite up as much as they should have been.

No problem, must be a burned out back-light bulb.

Having pulled that panel a number of times already to put in my guage pod, I proceeded to do it again. Got it out and located what seemed to be the offending bulb. Hmmmm, it looks like it takes a small slotted screwdriver to give it a small turn. Yup, that worked. Man, that bugger is tiny. Nope, don't have any in the trusty tool box.

No problem, I'll just run down to my trusty local auto supply store (NAPA). Looked on the shelves, nope, not there. OK, go to the counter person. "That sure is a tiny thing" "Yup, got any?" "Let me look" Looks on computer, can't find anything. Let's look in the book. Well, there seems to be a couple that look close, but no cigar. "I guess you will have to try the dealer" Bummer, I think to myself.

Well, I stopped at the dealer today on the way home from work. They looked on the computer and sure enough, there it is. BUT, sorry, don't have any in stock. Looked on another computer AND THERE IS ONLY ONE DEALER IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF WASHINGTON THAT HAS ANY, AND THEY ARE HOARDING 35 OF THOSE LITTLE BUGGERS. And they are located about 60 miles south of me. If I want to prepay, they will special order them for me. "You mean you don't want any for your stock?" "Nope"

So I ordered two of them. It looks like I will have the only stock of those little lights here on the north end of Seattle. Well, stock of one, anyway.

I just can't believe that the dealer wouldn't have those little lights in stock, or that the bigger light bulb manufacturers don't have them in their inventory yet.

DMH

 

Its probably not a big seller yet and DC probably sells them in quanity to the dealers. GM used to do some crazy crap like that. How would you like to buy 10 harmonic balancer bolts just because you need one

 

Take the bulb to a hobby shop that handles model railroading equipment. They may have a bulb that would work.

MikeyB

 

You might try looking through an electronics vendor like Jameco. Try there at www.jameco.com they have tons of stuff.

 

could you tell if the bulb was actually burned out? my panel looked dim on one side last week and a good SMACK on the fan **** later...all was good. i figured maybe a loose connection OR the bulb was falling out of its little holder thingy behind the controls. just FYI

 

Same sort of thing happened with my wife's Grand Caravan. One of the map lights in the overhead stopped working. I removed the bulb, which was a fancy little contrivance involving the bulb itself plus a plastic ring that acted as a twist-lock. NAPA had seen some like it, but none PRECISELY the same. The dealer charged me $7.

 

When I got the bulb out, I checked it with my ohmmeter, and it was dead.

I picked up the bulbs today from the dealer and it was $5.00 for two of them. Now, at least, I have a spare.

DMH