1995 Silverado,replacing radio & switch lights

[diehardchevy]

I'm sure this has been covered multiple times but I haven't had any luck. I'm trying to get all the lights in my interior working. What's involved in replaing the lights in my factory radio(am-fm cassette) and the lights in the power mirror/window,lock switches and where do you buy them? I just replaced the mirror switch and tore into the old one and I see where they go,I think! As for the power lock,window switches,I see where one light goes(under the lock switch) and how to get to it but I can't figure out the window switch light ? As for the radio,I don't plan on keeping it unless I buy the "slave" cd player,IF my radio has the plug in place in back for the cd player. If not I'll replace the stereo with a factory cd player which also might have some lights burnt out. Any help here will be appreciated!
Thanks,Tim

 

[diehardchevy]

Anybody??

 

[great white]

Radio has to come apart. The bulbs are soldered on the circuit boards. They're just little white bulbs and they have a colored sleeve on them. It's almost not worth changing them. I've done it and they seem to burn out faster if they are replacements. Radio shack carries them in the states IIRC.

If your radio has an "aux" button on it, you can add the CD player. But why cd? That's old tech now. The OEm cd slave won't play burned MP3 discs either. At least mine didn't.

Better idea is to add a USA-Spec ipod interface. You can plug it right in, it will charge and you can control it from the radio. The USA-spec unit also has aux in's for generic mp3 players or anything with an "out" cable.

If you wire in steering wheel controls, you can control it all from the steering wheel.

Both 88gmctruck and I have info on the board about steering wheel controls. 88 has an oem style install, mine is a bit more involved as I used a CTSV wheel.

The door switches use a "fiber optic style" light routing. It's not really fiber optic, it's a clear piece of plastic that transmits the light form the bulbs you can see in the bottom of the assembly up to each lock and window switch.

 

[chevyman0191]

what great white said is very well put. I was wondering the same thing a couple years ago and posted a thread about it, but after I was told they had to be soldered in I decided not to do it. I ended buying a gm refurbished radio on ebay and loved it till i decided to go aftermarket.

radio model

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Gm-Chev...690760?pt=Car_Audio_Video&hash=item2c60266808

cd player model

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GM-CHEVY-Su...420382?pt=Car_Audio_Video&hash=item2c715c121e

theres the one i ordered for mine a few years ago all lights worked an the 3.5mm jack was nice if you want to play music from your phone and keep the stock look.


the power mirrors switch i dont think you can replace the bulb unless its soldered in too i never did do it. But i did replace the bulb in the power lock and window switch and it was easy, just has little twist lock bulbs you put in there. I got my bulbs for it at the dealership. Depending on the dealership the new bulbs are not that expensive. Most members on here now are changing all those to led but I wasnt ready to go that route.

 

[superdave]

I have a factory head unit and slave cd player sitting on a shelf in my garage gathering dust. It worked fine, but an inexpensive Kenwood unit with USB port, iPod control, and aux input is much more practical and ditching the factory cd unit and adding the storage pocket may be the best part of the upgrade. Catch a deal on Crutchfield and get free installation gear and a rebate.

 

[great white]

Here's what I bought:http://touch.ebay.com/tablet/item?itemId=390540097174&sk=SCH_223040

As long as your OEM radio has the "aux" button you're golden.

Aftermarket head unit is another way to go and gets you stuff like Bluetooth, etc. I just don't like the way they look in an OEM opening, even with an adapter kit.

 

[diehardchevy]

Thankyou everyone,great food for thought! I guess the more I think about it, the more I'm leaning to aftermarket for aux.input & USB port. Me and my friends all have sidexside's with stereos w/USB ports with 4or 500 songs on them which takes a hellava long time to hear a repeat,esp if you shuffle the music.
Thanks again!

 

[diehardchevy]

I realise what you mean by the "fiber optics" thing and could see where and how to change the bulb for the door lock switch...on the bottom of the "switch panel" I can use a small screw driver to turn a 1/4 way and remove that bulb, but the bottom of the window switches looks different and there's no little slot showing to be able to turn to and get to the bulb,unless the bottom of it has fell out or something??