The Stupid Electronics Questions Thread

[HeavyAsAChevy]

Does anyone know what fuse runs the interior lights and where the fine is located? Is it under the hood or dash, and what size fuse is it? 1997 1500 suburban 4x4 5.7

 

[Wilecoyote]

My 98 S-10 oem dashboard lights worked fine until today.....now the blue lights are blinking on and off and going off. What's wrong and how to fix it?.....

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[someotherguy]

My 98 S-10 oem dashboard lights worked fine until today.....now the blue lights are blinking on and off and going off. What's wrong and how to fix it?.....

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Many dash clusters that utilize VFD's (vacuum-flourescent displays) end up behaving this way. It's usually due to failed solder joints in the assembly, and can be easily repaired by anyone with electronics soldering skills. Just don't dive in if you are unfamiliar, as even a very slight static discharge can ruin the circuit board and you'll be shopping for a replacement cluster.

There's likely youtube vids out there for repairing this, specific to your model, if you do a little searching.

Richard

 

[Wilecoyote]

I turned the key and all lights on the dash were on but I heard a crackling sound in the dash on the passenger side near blower and I turned the key off. I took K1500 to work today.

 

[someotherguy]

I turned the key and all lights on the dash were on bit I heard a crackling sound in the dash on the passenger side near blower and I turned the key off. I took K1500 to work today.

Sounds like a crummy connection at your blower motor.

Back to the cluster...

A quick search turned up this video and it's even more straightforward than taking a GMT800 cluster apart (a little tricky getting the lens off those clusters) - if you skip forward to 3:50 it's where he starts taking the cluster itself apart, and at about 5:00 you can see a very clear cracked solder joint on the gear indicator display. He re-soldered that one and both displays began working again. I'll add that I see more joints cracked than the one he mentions; I would have touched all of them up where the displays connect to the wiring.

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Richard

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

On my '97 CCLB, today I put the AC on (since our December days seem to be stuck in the 80s) and I smelled this warm electrical smell(hard to describe but if you've smelled it, you know what I'm talking about). I smelled this a little bit yesterday, but today it was more noticeable. The blower was not on high speed and the temperature was at about 11 o'clock on the dial, just barely cool. The blower has continued to work okay since we had the issue with it a few weeks ago, but I shut it off to hopefully mitigate whatever is happening....
Where should I look first? I am familiar with how the '96 up trucks eat the switches, but the blower motor is a little noisier than I think it should be. I have a "spare" switch, but it's the Suburban model with the rear defrost button.

 

[Carlaisle]

On my '97 CCLB, today I put the AC on (since our December days seem to be stuck in the 80s) and I smelled this warm electrical smell(hard to describe but if you've smelled it, you know what I'm talking about). I smelled this a little bit yesterday, but today it was more noticeable. The blower was not on high speed and the temperature was at about 11 o'clock on the dial, just barely cool. The blower has continued to work okay since we had the issue with it a few weeks ago, but I shut it off to hopefully mitigate whatever is happening....
Where should I look first? I am familiar with how the '96 up trucks eat the switches, but the blower motor is a little noisier than I think it should be. I have a "spare" switch, but it's the Suburban model with the rear defrost button.

I found that the connector on the power supply wire that plugs in to the blower was very loose. As in if you hit a bump just right it could have easily jumped off. Some small needle nose pliers and bit of fiddling got the connector adjusted so it fits nice and tight now. Not a convenient fix, but a very economical one if it proves to be your problem as well. As a bonus, you'll get your yoga in for the day accessing it.

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

I found that the connector on the power supply wire that plugs in to the blower was very loose. As in if you hit a bump just right it could have easily jumped off. Some small needle nose pliers and bit of fiddling got the connector adjusted so it fits nice and tight now. Not a convenient fix, but a very economical one if it proves to be your problem as well. As a bonus, you'll get your yoga in for the day accessing it.

I was suspicious of the wiring harness, because I've heard about them melting. At least if I gotta get into the center stack, I can change the radio head unit and install my CD player and the cable for it. Cassette deck doesn't work in the head unit, and this truck didn't have the CD player (just a cubby).

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

I turned the key and all lights on the dash were on but I heard a crackling sound in the dash on the passenger side near blower and I turned the key off. I took K1500 to work today.

Sounds like we may both be doing dashboard deconstruction this weekend?

 

[east302]

I am familiar with how the '96 up trucks eat the switches, but the blower motor is a little noisier than I think it should be. I have a "spare" switch, but it's the Suburban model with the rear defrost button.

If the connector to the blower switch is melted, it can be replaced. In my cases, all blower switch “failures” were just the pins getting coated in melted plastic from the connector.

The switch itself is removable as well.

If the blower is rusty, check for the leaking cowl screw dripping water into the duct.