Climate Lights playing Hide and Go-Seek
#1
Pole Position
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Nightmare on Elm St.
Posts: 291
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Climate Lights playing Hide and Go-Seek
Recently swapped faceplates on my Climate control b/c of damaged face. After re-install, the display and buttons stopped backlighting. The Headunit and Dash, etc are functioning properly.
I didnt touch the bulbs...
Could I have blown a fuse or unhooked a ground by mistake?
Anyone have this issue of hide and go-seek?
I didnt touch the bulbs...
Could I have blown a fuse or unhooked a ground by mistake?
Anyone have this issue of hide and go-seek?
#2
Keeper of the light
iTrader: (17)
Option #1- less likely - you did not plug the yellow 3 wire plug back in inside the unit.
Option #2- 99% of the rest of the time:
Typical. only thing you can do besides replacing the bulbs is smacking the dash around it to try and jar the filament.
Same situation happens if you remove the speedo cluster. The bulbs always have a very small amount of voltage in them. This keeps the filament "warm". When you unplug it, the filament goes ice cold and has to be shocked back to life if the bulb is old. Chance of recovery is dependent on the bulb, but is usually 55% or less.
So if you simply remove anything (radio, climate, speedo) then plug it back in after a few minutes and your bulbs are old, you might not get a chance to "see the light" again without repair.
It's just natures way of telling you it was time to go and you were living on borrowed time.
Option #2- 99% of the rest of the time:
Typical. only thing you can do besides replacing the bulbs is smacking the dash around it to try and jar the filament.
Same situation happens if you remove the speedo cluster. The bulbs always have a very small amount of voltage in them. This keeps the filament "warm". When you unplug it, the filament goes ice cold and has to be shocked back to life if the bulb is old. Chance of recovery is dependent on the bulb, but is usually 55% or less.
So if you simply remove anything (radio, climate, speedo) then plug it back in after a few minutes and your bulbs are old, you might not get a chance to "see the light" again without repair.
It's just natures way of telling you it was time to go and you were living on borrowed time.
#3
Racer
Wow- the things I'm still learning! So a current is always going thru the bulbs? Is that SOP for all cars, or just the Toyotas of the 90's or just the SCs?
So, if you are going to replace the battery, do it fast and do it over the summer, huh?
So, if you are going to replace the battery, do it fast and do it over the summer, huh?
#4
Pole Position
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Nightmare on Elm St.
Posts: 291
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Option #1- less likely - you did not plug the yellow 3 wire plug back in inside the unit.
Option #2- 99% of the rest of the time:
Typical. only thing you can do besides replacing the bulbs is smacking the dash around it to try and jar the filament.
Same situation happens if you remove the speedo cluster. The bulbs always have a very small amount of voltage in them. This keeps the filament "warm". When you unplug it, the filament goes ice cold and has to be shocked back to life if the bulb is old. Chance of recovery is dependent on the bulb, but is usually 55% or less.
So if you simply remove anything (radio, climate, speedo) then plug it back in after a few minutes and your bulbs are old, you might not get a chance to "see the light" again without repair.
It's just natures way of telling you it was time to go and you were living on borrowed time.
Option #2- 99% of the rest of the time:
Typical. only thing you can do besides replacing the bulbs is smacking the dash around it to try and jar the filament.
Same situation happens if you remove the speedo cluster. The bulbs always have a very small amount of voltage in them. This keeps the filament "warm". When you unplug it, the filament goes ice cold and has to be shocked back to life if the bulb is old. Chance of recovery is dependent on the bulb, but is usually 55% or less.
So if you simply remove anything (radio, climate, speedo) then plug it back in after a few minutes and your bulbs are old, you might not get a chance to "see the light" again without repair.
It's just natures way of telling you it was time to go and you were living on borrowed time.
I never bothered to try to repair this issue until this week as it was only a minor annoyance.
Now that I am swapping over to while bulb caps, I still find this issue lingering...
I have a total of 2 spare climate controls and 1 of them has never been opened.
Checked the yellow wire in the climate control and made sure it was seated well.
The same result on all....working w/o backlighting.
This means that the goblin must lie in the car electrical system.
Is there a certain fuse/relay in the electrical system that blows in relation to backlighting or a loose ground connection in the climate harness?
I was able to pull up a thread that suggested that it might be the defogger relay, but the Lexus manual doesn't point in this direction.
This has stymied me for about a year now..
Any info appreciated.
Last edited by Lex*Toy; 03-07-07 at 12:27 PM.
#7
Pole Position
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Nightmare on Elm St.
Posts: 291
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Figured out the problem.
1) Hazard switch is part of the circuit and should be connected when testing.
2) AC Amplifier had a short.
3) When AC Amplifier was swapped into the assembly, found 1 or 2 blown bulbs that rendered the internal circuit useless.
Right now, I have resumed function of all of the surrounding buttons backlight, but do not have the LCD backlight restored due to bad filaments.
I will have to replace the lamps with NEW ones this time and will avoid LED bulbs to keep the stock color.
What is the bulb size of these 3 bulbs (T5/T10) and respective voltage? 1.5v each?
Who is the best online retailer for miniature bulbs?
Who can chime in here?
1) Hazard switch is part of the circuit and should be connected when testing.
2) AC Amplifier had a short.
3) When AC Amplifier was swapped into the assembly, found 1 or 2 blown bulbs that rendered the internal circuit useless.
Right now, I have resumed function of all of the surrounding buttons backlight, but do not have the LCD backlight restored due to bad filaments.
I will have to replace the lamps with NEW ones this time and will avoid LED bulbs to keep the stock color.
What is the bulb size of these 3 bulbs (T5/T10) and respective voltage? 1.5v each?
Who is the best online retailer for miniature bulbs?
Who can chime in here?
Trending Topics
#8
Pole Position
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Nightmare on Elm St.
Posts: 291
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Update. Did my research and located the lamps and a good distributor. Bought 2 different brands of lamps to test luminosity.
The lamp seats can be reused and soldered onto the board.
Anyone else with this issue can PM me for info.
The lamp seats can be reused and soldered onto the board.
Anyone else with this issue can PM me for info.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post