I have an 80's C4 bose in which the display will not light. Nothing.
Tape and stations work fine.

Any ideas?

 

Could be a bad connection. If the radio and tape work, the fuse should be fine, but I would check them anyway.

 

Sounds like an internal problem with the display. Call Dr. Dons radio repair.

 

There are also bulbs in the radio that can be replaced. I replaced mine on my 96, seven years ago. It is not a simple plug a new bulb in. You have to remove the radio, disassemble and melt the solder to remove the bulbs and then resolder new bulbs in place. I believe there was a thread on the replacement and a location to get the bulbs. I will see if I can find it and post the link.

 

Thanks to Alchemist here is a post from several years ago. Also a search will give you more information. Good luck

Ok Guys! You asked for it...you got it. Here's the text from the tech tip on replacing that lit'l PITA Delco bulb! I just wish i could remember who originally posted this to give credit where credit is due!

Steps for Removal Of the Delco-Bose Radio for light bulb replacement

Before doing anything, take a good look at your unit at night and determine where the dark areas are. This will help you understand which bulbs require replacement once you get the radio apart.

Parts Required
Radio Shack
12 volt, Bi-Pin, 50 milliamp bulbs - P/N 272-1154 ($1.39 each) 1 per package

Pulling the Head Unit
With car sitting on a level surface, apply emergency brake and select neutral with shifter.

Turn ignition switch to off.

Pry shifter button out of shift **** by inserting a thin blade screwdrivers on each side of button.

Use a pair of straight nose snap ring pliers to remove spring clip on shifter ****.

Pull shifter **** off of shift lever.

Remove shifter trim plate by first removing two 7 mm screws inside console.

Pull corners of carpet up to reveal screws.

Remove the one 7 mm screw that is found inside cup holder.

Gently lift up trim plate until you can unplug shift indicator light. Rotate light socket to disengage from plate.

Unplug cigarette lighter socket by prying the two tabs and slide socket off of lighter receptacle.

Leave rear deck release wiring attached to button, and swing trim plate to the passenger seat.

Lower steering wheel by tilting to the lowest position.

Remove two cross head screws in A/C duct, and remove grill

Remove radio trim plate by first removing two screws at bottom of plate and one at top right. Be careful when removing trim plate because there is a spring clip on left side. Pull straight out to disengage clip.

Radio has 4 screws that hold it into dash. Remove all 4 screws, being careful not to drop any. They are hard to find once you drop them.

Remove radio from dash, by sliding out and at the same time prying the trim away to allow room for the radio attachment ears. If you are not careful, you will scratch the trim work.

When radio is out sufficiently, unplug the two electrical connectors. Don’t worry; they are keyed so you can’t mix them up when plugging back in.

Repairing the Backlight
Take radio to workbench, or table, and lay a soft cloth or cardboard down to protect both the radio and counter top.

Remove the top cover of radio. There are about 13 small screws located on the top, back and sides. With top off, remove the volume, balance, and tone ***** by pulling off. These ***** are specific to each function, so don’t mix them up. If you do, no big deal, you just have to sort it out.

Next, you want to remove the faceplate. This is done by gently prying the tabs that are located on the top and sides. The face will rotate out at the top first. Continue rotating until you can disengage the tabs on the bottom side. Pull the plate out far enough to disconnect the two connectors on the ribbon cables going to the back of the faceplate. Once the cables are disconnected, the plate can be completely removed from the radio.

There are 4 small socket head screws on the circuit board that hold the circuit board to the faceplate. Lay the face plate face down and remove the four screws. Gently lift the board away from the face plate. Be careful and don’t accidentally dump out all your face plate push buttons, cause then you won’t know which button goes where…unless you have a better memory than me. My savior was a picture of the radio in the MidAm Catalog. Need I say more?

Now, where were we? You will see 3 lights around the display, and four lights in the pushbutton area. The 3 lights around the display are identical to the ones you bought at Radio Shack. Unsolder the old ones and replace. The 4 in the pushbutton area are not an exact match in size, but they work, and are easy to solder into the board.

When all lights are replaced in the board, set it aside and look at the two light bulbs by the volume and balance controls. The top light is replaceable, and can be removed by grasping with your fingers and pulling out. Replacement bulbs are available at AutoZone or at the dealer. Don’t ask the dealer to look the part up on his computer, cause he won’t show it. Just show him the bulb. The bottom light is hard soldered and if you must replace it, use one of the bulbs you purchased at Radio Shack. Again, the bulbs won’t be an exact match, but they work just fine.

Re-assembly is pretty straightforward. Be careful, and when re-installing into the dash, slide the unit in far enough to hook the two connectors up, then try the lights prior to final assembly.

Don’t forget to slide the shift indicator slot over the shifter tab when lowering the console plate back into position.

(Edit to correct spellings and make article more readable )


[Modified by Alchemist, 9:26 AM 10/26/2003]

 

thanks for the info, but this is not a bulb problem. Bulbs don't have anything to do with the channels and clock lighting up.
Burnt out bulbs cause the treble /base, the channel-select buttons, and the volume- fade lights not to light

Vettehappy, thanks,cut those instructions are not for a 84-89 radio