AC console lights

[FFarr]

All the button backlights are out (but one) on my heat/ac panel. Has anyone replaced the bulbs/LED's?
Thanks!🙂

 

[Spriteman]

Here'a really good thread over on the LeSabre page - http://buickforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28102

 

[HotZ28]

Click Here for another thread on this subject.

 

[FFarr]

Awesome guys, spot-on information as always. Also saw information about re-soldering the resistors that I have to do too.
BTW, what do these resistors do?

 

[bigsky]

Awesome guys, spot-on information as always. Also saw information about re-soldering the resistors that I have to do too.
BTW, what do these resistors do?

On a practical level, the loose resistors prevent the flow of current to provide power to the display.

More technically, the size of the resistor(s) limits the amount of current flowing...(feel free to correct; my electronics training was many years ago and I have not worked in the field for 20 years).

 

[HotZ28]

BTW, what do these resistors do?

From what I can gather, the resistors are used to dim the display when the headlights are turned on. If your display dims with lights ON and brightens with lights OFF, you do not have a problem in that circuit.

 

[FFarr]

From what I can gather, the resistors are used to dim the display when the headlights are turned on. If your display dims with lights ON and brightens with lights OFF, you do not have a problem in that circuit.

Although I had no problem with the display, I could tell the board had been hot (discolored) and the resistors may not have good continuity with the printed circuit. 🙂
The soldered connections were oxidized and loose in 3 places. A touch of soldering paste and a little heat, once again, good solid soldered connections.

10 of these on the way!

 

[Maylar]

Anybody know if the same problem exists with the LED display (temp, fan indicator etc) as with the switch lights? Mine has become intermittant since the dealer had it out to fix the air flow. The display is OK sometimes, sometimes dims, sometimes out altogether. Tapping on it does nothing.

One more thing to fix...

 

[pittsburghmatt]

There is a guy on youtube obsessed with swapping out his lights with blight blue LEDs. Not exactly the look I'd want, but hey, not my car. ;-) Anyway, the idea of switching these over to LEDs while bothering to replace bulbs does seem worth considering. He shows how to do it on the climate console here and in other videos. The resistor is added in series to the LED. This might be more about reducing the voltage across the LED as it is about brightness.

Matt

 

[bigsky]

Anybody know if the same problem exists with the LED display (temp, fan indicator etc) as with the switch lights? Mine has become intermittant since the dealer had it out to fix the air flow. The display is OK sometimes, sometimes dims, sometimes out altogether. Tapping on it does nothing.

One more thing to fix...

If the display is having problems, it is probably the resistors.

The factory radio gets quite hot on the bottom, and the one circuit board in the HVAC controller is right on top. Thus the problem.