Guide for replacing lights -Steering wheel/environmental controls.

Cstoliker · Sep 30, 2012

This is a quick guide for replacing the button back lights on the steering wheel or environmental controls on 00-05 LeSabre. The replacement lights I used are available at Radio Shack for about $1.97 eatch.
For illustration, I am replacing the steering wheel curse control lights in a 04 LeSabre Limited. The process and replacement lights work in environmental controls as well once you get it apart. LED's can also be used but they need to have an internal resister to work on 12v. If using LED's check to make sure youn have the polarity correct (+/-) before soldering.

This is the circuit board. The light on the left has already been replaced, the one on the right (vertical) is original.

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The lights are soldered on the top of the board wich makes them easy to remove. Just use a soldering iron to melt the solder and pry the light up one side at a time. and don't worry about melting the plastic base on the existing light.

.

. Remove the blue rubber cap on the old light. It will be reused on the replacement. If it does rip, or gets ruined, it's not the end of the world. The new light will just be just slightly brighter and more white then green.

Cut the leads about half way down and bend to about 90 degree angle. If your mounting the new light on it's side this will also work.

Tin the leads with solder. This will make it much easier to solder them on the circuit board. Simply hold the new light in place with the lead on top of the circuitboard's solder joint and appliy heat.

Replace the blue cap and your done.

End result :

DonP · Oct 5, 2012

A couple comments.

The system voltage tends to run around 14+ volts when the engineis running, not 12, so a nominal 12 volt lamp will have a relatively short life. Consider using the #8111 miniature bulb with wire leads, which is rated for 14 volts and 10000 hours average life.

#8111 bulbs can be ordered for about 85 cents each from Bulbtown,com (and other places) and work well. It takes several dozen to do full replacement including the radio, controls, and IP.

With care you can reuse the plastic base, worth doing if you can.

If you go to the effort of removing the controls/swiotches/IP to repace bulbs, may as well replace all of them whiel in there - to not-replae lamps stand a good chance of failing before long. Probably 30% of the original lamps in my 2004 have failed in the ~130K/8 years mies it has traveled, starting at around 600K miles.

Doing this requires some technician skill, especially in disassembly and assembly of the radio face and the instrument panel. Take photos or notes on how it comes apart so you can get it back together with no parts left over.

ingraham · Oct 5, 2012

Thanks, very helpful.

bobbo · Oct 6, 2012

Great job on the pictures! I am replacing bulbs also, starting with the HVAC control. One suggestion, though, similar to DonP's comment. Use a higher rated bulb. I used 16 volt bulbs that I found on eBay. I bought 30 of them for $6.99 Two of them were defective, but still a good deal for 28 bulbs. At any given setting, the original bulbs are brighter, of course, but once they are all replaced that difference goes away and the 16 volt bulbs should never burn out.

jerreich · Dec 31, 2012

Must the steering wheel have to be disassembled to do this, or do the covers and units pop out?

Ice Blue 06 · Jan 1, 2013

nice write up

DonP · Jan 2, 2013

Must the steering wheel have to be disassembled to do this, or do the covers and units pop out?

I had to remove my steering wheel to get the controls out, they were too tight a fit to just slide out the front. Some people report they can pull them out using a hook. It might depend on the year and model or manufacturing variations.

Be careful of the air bag and its circuits when working on the steering wheel.

jerreich · Jan 2, 2013

Thanks for the answer, Don P. I did get mine out with a hook.

delstele · Jan 3, 2013

Nice tutorial thanks!

gnhbodyguy · Jan 3, 2013

Good work. Thanks.

Cstoliker · Dec 15, 2013

You are of course right about voltage but here are thee things to consider.

I've tested the voltage at the lights. Even though the system voltage runs as high as 14.9 the lights rarely see anything above 13 do to Vdrop across the small gauge wire.

I never have my dash lights at full brightness. Actual voltage @ lights in my car run in the 10-11 range.

And the lights I used here are cheap & readily available at radio shack. So when you finally get a bug up your ass to fix those pesky things (like I did) you can do so without pre-ordering.

Cstoliker · Dec 21, 2013

jerreich said:
Must the steering wheel have to be disassembled to do this, or do the covers and units pop out?

The controls can be removed from the steering wheel using a butter knife. Work them out gently & slowly. One side, then the other. It will take some time and don't pry the bottom of the buttons. Get the knife in deep enough that your prying the sides on the swich housing.

Cstoliker · Dec 21, 2013

If anyone has had success using led's I'd love the hear from you. I've experimented with various colors, brightness but nothing matches.

Cstoliker · Jan 4, 2014

I will warn anyone trying to repair lights in the environmental controls. If you are not experienced soldering on PC boards, do not attempt. The lights on the board go through holes and solder on the back of the PC board like any semiconductor componant. However the contacts you are actually soldering run through the holes to the top of the board. It is absolutely critical that you use the correct amount of heat on your pencil. Other wize you will fix one light and find two more that stopped working.

I've replaced all the lights in my evp controls. They are delicate.

cdkdc · Jan 23, 2015

May be a silly question, but don't want to break anything. The covers on the steering wheel switches just snap off? Have some gray ones that work but wheel is black and want to switch caps.

Cstoliker · Jan 23, 2015

]yes, you can easily replace the circuit board from one to another. If you have working switchs on hand that is by far the easiest option. How much life the used ones will give you is another story.

redmondjp · Jan 23, 2015

cdkdc said:
May be a silly question, but don't want to break anything. The covers on the steering wheel switches just snap off? Have some gray ones that work but wheel is black and want to switch caps.

No, the whole switch assembly (two assemblies per steering wheel) comes out as a unit, and there is a tiny connector on the back with very short leads, which can make it a challenge to get the connector removed from the back of the switch. Once the switch is removed from the steering wheel, it can be disassembled and the bulbs replaced if necessary. These are user-serviceable only, as the dealer simply replaces them if the bulbs go out.

Cstoliker · Jan 24, 2015

The swiches will need to be removed from steering wheel. Once that is done the swich can be disassembled easy and circuit board with working lights from another installed. Like I said. I apologize for not being clear.

2001stbuick · Jan 25, 2015

Quick question; the bulb replacement is pretty clear, but does anyone know of another source, outside the dealer, to get the wheel switches themselves? My volume button is so worn out, about 70% of the coating is worn off and I would like to just replace it. I'm expecting to pay a premium if I have to go the dealer route, and I can't find a single source via internet search (Amazon, Ebay, GM OEM parts, etc.)

Just found my answer; $70 for a new leather wheel off Ebay; mine is eurethane and rather nasty.

Cstoliker · Jan 25, 2015

eBay, sometimes.
i have repainted a switch with useable results. If you take your time it can be done. With all old paint removed the entire swith illuminatets.

Guide for replacing lights -Steering wheel/environmental controls.

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