I searched 5 pages of no answers. Anyone changed out a bulb or something to get the didital face display working on a factory unit?
I hate to buy a new unit cause of the display!

 

I am dealing w/ the same problem right now. I searched all over online for a replacement bulb and all i found was this...http://www.corvetteradios.com/Page7.html. If you take the unit apart you'll see a bulb that looks exactly like the first bulb on that webpage (titled Pontiac Radios Display Bulb). But its like $18 shipped for the bulb!! I ended up going to a place called Specmo in Flint, Michigan and they repair radios and they sold me the bulb for cheaper. I'm not sure how many other locations they have outside of MI but, if you're in Michigan, I would suggest looking there or talking w/ them. you can go to www.specmo.com and e-mail them too. or if you want to call the place where i got mine, the number is 810.744.2940 - maybe they'll just send you one.

On the same note though...does anyone know how to take this bulb out? It says on the website mentioned above that you just turn it w/ a flathead screwdriver but the two metal leads are soldered onto the board on my unit. Unless I have someone help me w/ two soldering irons, I can't get this bulb out! Can anyone help?

 

Thank you - that is very helpful to us all!!
I'm going to call the numbers at both places and ask about the soldering.
I'll post up my findings

 

Are your gauges on bright? Once I thought mine broke and I just turned the **** by the headlights and it turned on

 

[/QUOTE]or if you want to call the place where i got mine, the number is 810.744.2940 - maybe they'll just send you one.

On the same note though...does anyone know how to take this bulb out? It says on the website mentioned above that you just turn it w/ a flathead screwdriver but the two metal leads are soldered onto the board on my unit. Unless I have someone help me w/ two soldering irons, I can't get this bulb out! Can anyone help?[/QUOTE]

I just called and he said it just twists out with a screwdriver - no solder. They sent me one for $16. Maybe call them yourself...
I'll post up after I get it and finish the install. I've seen this question unanswered a dozen times in here

 

!!! tried that - but good point to be sure first!!!

 

interesting.....well i tried it and it seemed to just start tearing the little brown plastic housing for bulb. maybe i should just keep turning. i don't wanna mess anything up though. let me know how yours turns out.

i will try to put mine in when i install my wired FM modulator for my Delphi XM SKYFi!

 

I said " so I should just be brave and turn that bulb out?" and he said yes -
It will be a while before I get the bulb and do this so you might want to finish up yours.
Thanks again and good luck!

 

well i installed the bulb today and the results were not good. it took A LOT of effort to unscrew the old bulb and I might have messed something up in the process. Perpendicular to the 2 metal tabs are the 2 plastic tabs and I finally put a little flathead screwdriver in there to pry them up on both sides and then slid it out. then i put the new one in and it took some force to turn it into place but it finally went....

so i joyfully ran out to my car to hook it back up and it didn't work. I'm not sure what the problem could be. I might have scratched the PCB w/ some pliers i was using to try and get the old bulb out. could I have put it in backwards?

I will try some stuff tomorrow. I know the display works still b/c i can still see the numbers, it just doesn't light up. :o( this sux.....i'll post more info later...

 

ok well i played around w/ it today and when i look at the connection that is on the side of the bulb closest to the BACK of the radio, it seems that there is no connection being made from the line on the circuit board (don't know technical term) to the metal where the tab is. so i tried soldering to make the connection but i didn't have any fine tipped soldering iron or electronic-type solder available - only big stuff. so i tried using that and it just didn't work well.

i ended up getting a blob of solder on but it still didn't fix it. i will try to post pics later but i don't know what the problem could be. it's really ticking me off though >:o(

anybody have any ideas?

 

I have a different problem I think: I pulled my radio out today working on some satellite radio stuff..... long and short is the clock-area display no longer works. It doesn't light up at all and there are no numbers present.

I only pulled the radio out far enough to see the back of it and the only wire I disconnected was the antenna wire -- it was re-inserted before I tried to use the radio again. Everything else works fine, even illumination of the rest of the radio when headlights are on....... just no display. I also tried jiggling all of the wires and tapping the display and the top of the radio... not even a flicker.

Any ideas???????

 

Same thing happened to me.

 

OK after reading around and looking REALLY closely I can see #'s... so I think the bulb is just blown out. I am hoping you guys have gotten yours changed...? Any luck?

 

I just punched mine and it started working. That was in my beater neon though

 

I have the new bulb - will post after my guy puts it in.....

 

I'm on my third Monsoon headunit now. Always the same problem. The display shows garbled or hard to read characters and eventually dies. Fortunatly this happens in less than one year so I can get it replaced for free (each replacement gets a one year warranty).

 

So you don't know what they are finding wrong with it?
It would seem they would do a buld rather than entire unit replacement if that is the issue...

 

Actually its cheaper/quicker/easier for them to swap it out and send it back to the factory for refurbishment for later resale.

 

Great... thanks.

 

SUCCESS!!
I bought the bulb from specmo link above and my mechanic installed it per instructions from corvetteradio link above. Just pulled the radio out a bit, pried the face plate off with the circuit panel. The old bulb was crusty and he took care removing it. The bulb comes with the little insert around it. He put the insert then the bulb, turned on the radio - display!!
Put it back in all under 15 mnutes and $20