C5 Climate Control dim/dark display fix
Advanced
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 92
Likes: 2
From: Anderson SC
Anything tricky about replacing the radio bulbs? Just thought I would replace all of those as well (a few are burned out) once I have the console removed to repair the climate control display.
Last edited by Boodieman; Jun 22, 2008 at 08:15 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,987
Likes: 18
From: DuBois PA
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
That's damn good thinking replacing the Radio while you're in there tearing things apart!!!!
Nope nothing special, there's no orientation to deal with or anything. Just make sure you get all the solder cleaned out of the holes, the leads on the stock bulbs are very thin and won't go through any sort of obstruction. 35 watt iron max and use flux, and please clean the flux off with rubbing alchohol (crap, how do you spell that?) after you are done and tested! It gets corrosive over time...
You can test em with a nine volt battery, just attach one to the back of any bulb and they should all light up.
Tim
Nope nothing special, there's no orientation to deal with or anything. Just make sure you get all the solder cleaned out of the holes, the leads on the stock bulbs are very thin and won't go through any sort of obstruction. 35 watt iron max and use flux, and please clean the flux off with rubbing alchohol (crap, how do you spell that?) after you are done and tested! It gets corrosive over time...
You can test em with a nine volt battery, just attach one to the back of any bulb and they should all light up.
Tim
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,736
Likes: 7
From: Redding CA
Guys,
How do you replace the little bulbs with the blue and red LED's like that? Do you just heat up the old little bulbs and pull them out when the solder melts and re-solder in the new ones?
How do you know which ones to replace and which replacment bulbs to buy? Can they just be bought at radio shack?
Thanks,
DZ
How do you replace the little bulbs with the blue and red LED's like that? Do you just heat up the old little bulbs and pull them out when the solder melts and re-solder in the new ones?
How do you know which ones to replace and which replacment bulbs to buy? Can they just be bought at radio shack?
Thanks,
DZ
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,987
Likes: 18
From: DuBois PA
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Guys,
How do you replace the little bulbs with the blue and red LED's like that? Do you just heat up the old little bulbs and pull them out when the solder melts and re-solder in the new ones?
How do you know which ones to replace and which replacment bulbs to buy? Can they just be bought at radio shack?
Thanks,
DZ
How do you replace the little bulbs with the blue and red LED's like that? Do you just heat up the old little bulbs and pull them out when the solder melts and re-solder in the new ones?
How do you know which ones to replace and which replacment bulbs to buy? Can they just be bought at radio shack?
Thanks,
DZ
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1996579
Tim
Advanced
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 92
Likes: 2
From: Anderson SC
Here are the details involved in desoldering the old bulbs by using a "solder sucker." This example involves desoldering a capacitor from a printed circuit board, but it seems this method should work as well on the Corvette radio and AC Display boards....at least this is the method I'm going to try.
I found a Dual-Heat Soldering Iron from my local RadioShack (part number 64-2055.) It has a switch which allows for 15-watt or 30-watt soldering. Just need to locate a solder sucker....
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/164/1
I found a Dual-Heat Soldering Iron from my local RadioShack (part number 64-2055.) It has a switch which allows for 15-watt or 30-watt soldering. Just need to locate a solder sucker....
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/164/1
Last edited by Boodieman; Jun 25, 2008 at 07:33 PM.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,987
Likes: 18
From: DuBois PA
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Hey, THanx to YOU for making such an excellent and informative Thread!!!!! 
That was SeaLawyer's HVAC, I'm not sure where he got the ***** from to be honest. He sent it to me that way...
Tim
That was SeaLawyer's HVAC, I'm not sure where he got the ***** from to be honest. He sent it to me that way...
Tim
Racer
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 470
Likes: 0
From: Saint Cloud Florida
I paid a total of $62 to ship it to someone in CT to fix and got it back in 4 days, plus the satisfaction knoing you did it and you did it correct is priceless.
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 80
Likes: 0
From: Lexington SC
I love this site. My display started going dim last week (I thought I was imagining things at first). On a whim I did a search and found this thread. I just finished applying my extremely limited soldering skills and my display is bright again.
Maybe with enough practice I can tackle the door lock relays.
Maybe with enough practice I can tackle the door lock relays.
Cruising
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
C5 dim AC display
What a brilliant piece of advice. I flew over to the USA from Spain to buy my first 'vette a couple of months ago. I get it back to Europe and to my dismay I find a dim AC display. However, I find the fix on your site. Thanks guys, you just saved me a bunch of Euros.
Kind regards Chris (Barcelona, Spain)
Kind regards Chris (Barcelona, Spain)
Cruising
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: Oviedo Florida
This works! My neighbor, Scott, did this for me in about an hour. He had fixed his father's also. Be care when you put heat to the components. The loose ones will move. It takes 3 hands, have someone hold the component steady with a pencil or something while the other guy heats the solder. Thanks for the post.
Cruising
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
This works! My neighbor, Scott, did this for me in about an hour. He had fixed his father's also. Be care when you put heat to the components. The loose ones will move. It takes 3 hands, have someone hold the component steady with a pencil or something while the other guy heats the solder. Thanks for the post.
Yeah works great. Thanks for the awesome how-to-post.
Mine looks new again. Didn't have too much trouble doing this by myself tho. Hold component down with a toothpick which the other hand tacks with soldering iron with a little solder on the end of it. easy fix and amazing results.and to think i was just about to buy a used hvac on feebay. i originally thought the problem was due to sun damage. Glad it was fixable and easy to do.
5th Gear
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: Rosemount MN
I just want to give a BIG THANKS out for this one. My display has been dimming more and more over the last year, and I was dreading forking over the cabbage for a new climate control. I am in the business of building PCBoard products and the solder joints in my climate controller were terrible for these components. A little touchup with the soldering iron and life was just a little bit better and wallet wasn't any lighter.
Thanks again....
Bill
Thanks again....
Bill