Patrick7997 Posted September 1, 2006 Report Share Posted September 1, 2006 Hey folks... I will start with an apology. This is not exactly a Cadillac question per se, but the answer could very well apply to Early Escalades, so, hopefully the moderators will allow this mild indiscretion to pass... I have a stereo unit from my 99 Tahoe LT... almost all the light bulbs in it are burnt out. Thus, at night, you cannot see the buttons. Which is annoying. I have the stereo out, and taken apart. These are very tiny bulbs. Anybody know what they are, where to get them??? They are soldered to a printed circuit board... if I could just get my hands on more bulbs, I could fix this darn thing. Aside from that, it works perfect. Otherwise, I guess I either throw it back in the truck & live with it, or get a whole new system... Thanks in advance. I have emailed a dozen bulb suppliers on the net.... a few sent me back some nice cordial replies that basically said "we can't help you" or "we don't know what it is".... To quote Princess Leia: "Help me Obi-Wan... you're my only hope..." Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted September 1, 2006 Report Share Posted September 1, 2006 Jedi Master, any good OEM car stereo repair shop can help you, they will. They are LED's. My Seville had lights blown out and I had it refurbished at Model Electronics, here is their site, they do work for GM dealers in the area. Personally, if you are going to keep the car, I would take it out and send it to them for a full recondition. They replace belts, bulbs, clean it, lube it were needed, and make any adjustments. http://modelelectronicsinc.com/home.htm If you are up to the task you can buy the bulbs and replace them yourself. You will need to desolder the old ones, and re-solder the new ones in. You will need some soldering skills, know how to take the unit apart (not always easy), a tiny soldering iron for circuit board work, a solder sucker and the LEDS.. I once found them on line, you will find them if you look or maybe a repair shop will sell them to you. Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlamingGoatBalls Posted September 1, 2006 Report Share Posted September 1, 2006 Having those factory units serviced can be a PITA. Have you called around to a few salvage yards to see what a new used unit would cost? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted September 1, 2006 Report Share Posted September 1, 2006 I beg your pardon, but it might be a PITA for you and ME, but its not a PITA for a shop that specializes in OEM units. Go to the web site I posted above and look at what they do. They have fixed two electronic instrument panels and two 90's vintage factory OEM CD/radios for me and they worked flawlessly. I am not sure what experience you have had with the OEM repairs but maybe it wasnt good. Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick7997 Posted September 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2006 First off, play nice, fellas..... Second, I am an electronics tech for a large company.... so I'm pretty sure I can do this. I have it all apart already, if I had bulbs, I'd have the soldering iron and the solder sucker going right now..... Ahem, now, BBF, while I am very appreciative of your advice, which is good, I hadn't considered that a stereo repair place might sell me the bulbs.... that's a good thought. Sadly, they are not LED's.... a guy at a supply place tried to tell me that too.... but they're not. They are tiny clear glass bulbs with tiny filaments... Theoretically, I would have expected the service life of an LED to greatly exceed that of the truck anyway..... they RARELY blow, in my experience. Flaming Goat Balls, I hear you. In general, that is good advice. I am probably the exception to the rule, in that I can do this. And I will say, my neighbor took his car to the dealer for a radio repair, they charged him a ton to pull the radio, a ton to fix it, and a ton to replace it... so, for the average Joe, your point is well taken, it can run into serious bucks real fast. In my opinion, you MUST be able to at LEAST pull the radio & re-install it yourself, otherwise it is completely cost prohibitive. That being said, the salvage yards in my area don't have any... they get snatched & sold practically instantly. The 2 I went to have waiting lists for factory stereos... And really, there is nothing wrong with this one. Nothing. Except the bulbs. Car stereo purists are puking on their keyboards right now, but this unit sounds good, stays on a station, everything works... it's fine. And, I like the SCV speed compensating volume feature, that's a neat thing. I wish my Caddy had that... but oh well. Anyways, thanks for your quick replies, fellas. I appreciate the help. I'm gonna hit up some car stereo repair shops, and see if I can connect on some bulbs. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterset Posted September 1, 2006 Report Share Posted September 1, 2006 Several years ago, I had bulbs (not led's) burn out in a display for one of those RF trunk mounted aftermarket cd players. Of all things, radio shack carried an extensive selection of 12v mini bulbs. I soldered them onto the board, and all was well for years. the bulbs came in a 2pk for about $4.00 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted September 2, 2006 Report Share Posted September 2, 2006 First off, play nice, fellas..... Second, I am an electronics tech for a large company.... so I'm pretty sure I can do this. I have it all apart already, if I had bulbs, I'd have the soldering iron and the solder sucker going right now..... Ahem, now, BBF, while I am very appreciative of your advice, which is good, I hadn't considered that a stereo repair place might sell me the bulbs.... that's a good thought. Sadly, they are not LED's.... a guy at a supply place tried to tell me that too.... but they're not. They are tiny clear glass bulbs with tiny filaments... Theoretically, I would have expected the service life of an LED to greatly exceed that of the truck anyway..... they RARELY blow, in my experience. Flaming Goat Balls, I hear you. In general, that is good advice. I am probably the exception to the rule, in that I can do this. And I will say, my neighbor took his car to the dealer for a radio repair, they charged him a ton to pull the radio, a ton to fix it, and a ton to replace it... so, for the average Joe, your point is well taken, it can run into serious bucks real fast. In my opinion, you MUST be able to at LEAST pull the radio & re-install it yourself, otherwise it is completely cost prohibitive. That being said, the salvage yards in my area don't have any... they get snatched & sold practically instantly. The 2 I went to have waiting lists for factory stereos... And really, there is nothing wrong with this one. Nothing. Except the bulbs. Car stereo purists are puking on their keyboards right now, but this unit sounds good, stays on a station, everything works... it's fine. And, I like the SCV speed compensating volume feature, that's a neat thing. I wish my Caddy had that... but oh well. Anyways, thanks for your quick replies, fellas. I appreciate the help. I'm gonna hit up some car stereo repair shops, and see if I can connect on some bulbs. Thanks! Try giving the place I recommended a call to see if they can sell you the bulbs. They are very reputible and I have always had good results with them. We are playing nice, sometimes a thread needs refocusing or redirecting. I am big on YES it can be done and NO it can't be done rubs me the wrong way. Especially when I know it can be done and done well. As you know these units are subjected to lots of COLD, HEAT, VIBRATION and drying of grease since 1999, and my experience is that refurbishing by a reputible firm makes them like new. Units in the junk yard would be the same age and subject to the same environmental problems. Having your experience, replacing these bulbs will be a cake walk... Good Luck Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarrenJ Posted September 2, 2006 Report Share Posted September 2, 2006 They are tiny clear glass bulbs with tiny filaments... Could you give us a little more information? Size, shape, axial leads, radial leads, surface mount, color? How many do you need? I searched on "lamps" at http://www.digikey.com and found 100 incandescents listed. Maybe one would fit your requirements. You can buy radial leaded 14 volt "wheat bulbs" at Radio Shack, but I'm not sure if they are "tiny" enough for your application. I seem to recall having some extraordinarily small Sony or Panasonic axial leaded incandescents at work. I'll try to remember to check tonight during my 4:00pm - 12:00am shift. Regards, Warren There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about by credit expansion. The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner as the result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit expansion, or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved. - Ludwig von Mises Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick7997 Posted September 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2006 Hey guys.... I apologize humbly for the "play nice" comment... that was a joke, but, the problem with telephones & emails is that you can't see the person's face... so, it's hard to know I was joking. I apologize. Thanks again for all your help. I really do appreciate it. BBF, I share your concerns with a salvage yard radio. If I was lucky, it would be in the same general state of operation as mine.... without boring you guys to death, I've pondered the service life of these bulbs... the truck has 150k on it, but back in, ohh, like 03-04, I was working nights, so I was pouring miles on the truck, and the lights were on all the time.... But anyway, yeah, in Wisconsin, the truck might be 120 degrees inside, and it might be -30 degrees inside, depending on time of year. And all range of humidity as well. It's a tough environment. WarrenJ, those are good thoughts. That's where I started. I didn't want to bore you guys with the whole story, but initially, a guy at radio shack who seemed to know about car stereos said "Yeah, if you pull it, and get it apart, and bring it in, we'll have something." Okay, so I bring in the head unit, disassembled, bulbs visible. Now, he kinda gets iffy. We look thru the store, look thru his books... in the end, he's not sure they're the right bulbs. The bulbs apparently were not what he was expecting to see. The wheat bulbs, I believe I saw those, they are not it. Again, without boring you, I sent digital pictures taken with tiny rulers in the shot, and measurements, and lots of detail to some big bulb suppliers on the net... nothin. I would post those pictures, but they're 4 megapixels, and my camera doesn't take a real "close" picture, so, what it is is a big picture, that when viewed on a big nice monitor, is very clear and sharp, but the bulbs are fairly small relative to the size of the photo. I don't have a photobucket account yet, I'm going to have to do that... I'm not a super computer head, sorry... I kind of muddle thru, learning as I go. But sized down to fit on this forum, the pictures are useless. To illuminate my ineptitude, it took me an hour to get my avatar up, on my posts... I'm slow. It barely took me any longer to throw plugs & wires in a Northstar!! lol! And in fact, the radio was out of the truck and disassembled on my kitchen table in under an hour... So, Warren, don't knock yourself out at work, man. While I really appreciate the offer, don't sweat it. If you find something, great. If not, no sweat. Following up on BBF's advice, yesterday I got a line on a place that Crest Cadillac sends their radios out to for repair. Of course they are closed till Monday, but I have a feeling they are going to have what I need. It's a little radio shop in an industrial area of Milwaukee, about a 1/2 hour from me. I have a good feeling.... Side note, at least I have some observant neighbors.... one of them says "Hey, I think someone broke into your truck!!!" The dash is obviously disassembled, which is plainly visible thru the windows... I was like "No no, I did that, I'm trying to fix my radio..." Anyway, thanks guys.... I'll try to get over there, well, wait, Monday's a holiday... hmm. Sometime next week, I guess, I'll follow up with what happened. I shoulda posted this question on here FIRST, BEFORE I beat my head against the wall.... live & learn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fred Posted September 2, 2006 Report Share Posted September 2, 2006 A bunch of LEDs should not just go out all at once They must have been made to fail by something else Of course I could be wrong over here MerryChristmas Be a Capitalist or work for one. Work for a Capitalist or be one. MerryChristmas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted September 2, 2006 Report Share Posted September 2, 2006 A bunch of LEDs should not just go out all at once They must have been made to fail by something else Of course I could be wrong over here The Fred, I think Patrick determined that they are not LEDS, they are bulbs. Mike The two radios that I had repaired contained LEDS, like in the photo below from a 96 Deville Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick7997 Posted September 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2006 Let me try this, just for a laugh... you will hopefully see that these are bulbs, not LED's.... I hope this picture comes thru halfway decent..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarrenJ Posted September 3, 2006 Report Share Posted September 3, 2006 Yours looks a lot like the GM UNO radio shown on this page: http://www.corvetteradios.com/corvetteradios_013.htm Check out the bulbs and installation photos. Regards, Warren There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about by credit expansion. The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner as the result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit expansion, or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved. - Ludwig von Mises Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chazglenn3 Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Since your local salvage yards don't have the radios...eBay would be a good option...assuming you aren't able to source the bulbs. Charles Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick7997 Posted September 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Let's see if this works.... http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m118/Pa...ediumstereo.jpg That show up at all? -------------------------------------------------------------- Holy crap Warren, that's my freakin' radio!!!! You sir, are the mad genius of car stereos.... I never thought of a Corvette site.... my C5 was totally different. Sorry, I got a little excited there.... I feel like I've been looking for the loch ness monster.... when I actually saw it, I got all worked up..... Thanks bro. btw, that is kinda sad, the RIP you added to your photo.... what a sweet ride that was. It actually pains me a little, when I see that picture.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davedog Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 the radio from my 87 deville had bulbs like that! or very similar. If i still have it, when i get home from vacation I'll look and we can work something out. I still remeber thinking - hey! Those are not LEDs, those are tiny little light bulbs! Crystal Red Tintcoat Exterior | Shale/Brownstone Interior | 32k Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarrenJ Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Holy crap Warren, that's my freakin' radio!!!! Ah, see? Sometimes a picture *is* worth 1,000 words! I won't put a price on your second photo. I note the replacement bulbs do not include the collar at the base of the bulb. After installation I would add a dab of silicone seal at the base of each new bulb. That will provide the mechanical vibration dampening previosly afforded by the original collars. Likely better, in fact. Your call. Regards, Warren There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about by credit expansion. The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner as the result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit expansion, or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved. - Ludwig von Mises Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Yours looks a lot like the GM UNO radio shown on this page: http://www.corvetteradios.com/corvetteradios_013.htm Check out the bulbs and installation photos. Regards, Warren Good one Warren! Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarrenJ Posted September 5, 2006 Report Share Posted September 5, 2006 Patrick7997, Sent you a PM. Regards, Warren There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about by credit expansion. The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner as the result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit expansion, or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved. - Ludwig von Mises Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarrenJ Posted September 5, 2006 Report Share Posted September 5, 2006 btw, that is kinda sad, the RIP you added to your photo.... what a sweet ride that was. It actually pains me a little, when I see that picture.... On the bright side, I'm Irish; I only have to wear black for thirty days. Were I Italian, I'd have to look like Johnny Cash for an entire year. OIY! Regards, Warren There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about by credit expansion. The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner as the result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit expansion, or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved. - Ludwig von Mises Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick7997 Posted September 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2006 Holy crap Warren, that's my freakin' radio!!!! Ah, see? Sometimes a picture *is* worth 1,000 words! I won't put a price on your second photo. I note the replacement bulbs do not include the collar at the base of the bulb. After installation I would add a dab of silicone seal at the base of each new bulb. That will provide the mechanical vibration dampening previosly afforded by the original collars. Likely better, in fact. Your call. Regards, Warren Yes, I got your PM, thanks a million.... in the instructions section on that website, they do note that there is no black collar on the base of the new bulb.... they say that's supposedly a better bulb, and will provide more service life... we shall see. 10,000 hours of driving at night could take me awhile.... The silicone might be a real good idea. A number of the components inside the radio are laying in a bed of clear silicone.... I assumed it was to seal out moisture, but vibration resistance could be another factor.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick7997 Posted September 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2006 Hey guys... I ordered the bulbs from corvetteradios.com Sunday afternoon, online, paid via paypal... Thursday afternoon, the package showed up on my doorstep.... Pretty quick. Even on a holiday week.... Packaged real nice... I'm pleased with that transaction. Just keeping you updated. Now to put them in.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarrenJ Posted September 8, 2006 Report Share Posted September 8, 2006 Hey guys... I ordered the bulbs from corvetteradios.com Sunday afternoon, online, paid via paypal... Thursday afternoon, the package showed up on my doorstep.... Pretty quick. Even on a holiday week.... Packaged real nice... I'm pleased with that transaction. Just keeping you updated. Now to put them in.... Thanks for the update. So often folk just disappear without posting the endgame solution. Glad to see you're of another mind. You're obviously competent; I'm sure the install will go well. Regards, Warren There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about by credit expansion. The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner as the result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit expansion, or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved. - Ludwig von Mises Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick7997 Posted September 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2006 Bulbs are in! Radio's back in the truck, and it works!!! There was light! I can see the buttons! I tried to take a picture, but the flash obliterates the light effect of the buttons... so you'll have to take my word. Thanks to everyone who replied, I appreciate all your help. And Warren, my brother, thanks for sending me that link. I was dead in the water without the bulbs.... from one irish guy to another, thanks man. May the wind always be at your back..... I'll spare you the pain of a blow-by-blow, but if anyone is interested, email me at patrick7992@ameritech.net if you want to try this.... the instructions on that radio website were decent, though.... mine was nearly identical to what they had. Also, if you're like, 42 or older, make sure you have your bifocals handy.... or, get one of those big lighted magnifying glass things..... gave me a splitting freaking headache, working on stuff that small......I'm gettin' old, fellas.... Thanks again for all the help. Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted September 9, 2006 Report Share Posted September 9, 2006 WELL your LAST ATTEMPT worked! Congratulations and thanks to Warren for finding that info! I'm older, so I know what you mean, I used to be able to see through WALLS! Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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