2006 DURAMAX - Steering Wheel and Dashboard Switch Lights

[RI Chevy Silveradoman]

For 2006 Chevy Duramax Body

Has anyone ventured into changing any of the little lights under the switches and buttons on the steering wheel or in the dashboard?
Any how-to's?
Easy? Difficult? Price on the bulbs?

 

[WarWagon]

What bulbs do you have out? The cluster is the easy part to change. The HVAC controls with the sliders are very difficult. There is a trick to getting the slider knobs off to get the HVAC head apart. Radio isn't too bad. You will need a soldering iron, solder sucker, and 12v mini bulbs like they sell at Radio Shock. The bulb price is like $2.00 each and pocket change vs. replacing the HVAC unit.

I have been known to just cut the old bulb's wires and solder the new bulb leads to that. Quick, dirty, works, and saves on possible PCB damage.

IMO you may want to sub this out to a speedo shop that does these every day. Get the cluster motors upgraded as well.

If you do get into this, change every single bulb. Look at the hour meter that is around 2000-3000 hours and consider average bulb life is 1000 hours. These trucks like to turn the lights on almost all the time. So the bulbs will all have high hours. 2 days after putting it back together you will find other bulbs have gone out. It doesn't hurt to burn in the new bulbs 24 hours first to make sure they will make it.

 

[btfarm]

I thought I posted a vid about how to do this. I'll go looking later.

Sent from my SCH-I535

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

If it is the standard cluster bulbs I bought a pack of 100 for under $10 when I bought the stuff to rebuild gauge clusters. I think GM uses LED's in the switches though as my wifes G6 has a few that work and then quit after the LED's get hot.

 

[RI Chevy Silveradoman]

I got 1 out in the steering wheel, and 1 out in the dash on the left hand side. Nothing to do with the HVAC, as I have the AUTO climate control. I do remember seeing a tutorial somewhere on here, but I'll be damned if I can find it. It is buried somewhere.

 

[btfarm]

Here it is Jeff. I need to do several of mine but haven't yet. If I could get somebody else I would.

 

[RI Chevy Silveradoman]

Thanks Mike. I'll give it a look see.

On edit, it looks like a LOT of work. I may just continue to go without the small bulb thingys. I'm not pulling a steering wheel off to change a small bulb.

 

[saratoga]

If you have basic soldering skills, the tiny bulbs themselves are pretty easy to change. Getting to them is a whole other ball of wax.

I changed two in the stereo head unit in the 06 I had, one under the power/volume knob and one in the 1/2 button....that was a pain in the ass something serious. Trying to unsnap the face and not break any of the plastic tabs I ended up slicing my hand on the sharp metal case. The cluster is just as much a pain from what I've seen. Personally I wouldn't do it again.

 

[RI Chevy Silveradoman]

That's what I figure Grady. The changing part is the easy part. It's just getting to them that is the pain.

 

[tanman_2006]

Only my volume buld works on my steering wheel, most my gauge cluster is out, my stereo was in bad shape but pioneer fixed it lol, Hvac is completely out of light (might upgrade to auto)