Need help on how to repair burned out bulb in the steering wheel radio control

[biff467]

I have an 05 Yukon SLT and I recently noticed that one of my bulbs in my steering wheel has gone out. The bulbs I'm refering to are the controls on the steering wheel for the radio. At first I thought maybe a fuse? But I don't think it could be that because only the volume on the far right is out. All the other ones work fine. Is there a way to fix this bulb cheap w/o having to take it in? I am out of warranty on the small repairs so any advice would be great! Thanks

Bill

 

[cincinnati]

i have the same problem.

 

[jjrmather]

Here is what I have heard

You need to pry (carefully) the switch unit out of the steering wheel. Disconnect the wires to the switch. Take the white sticker off the side of the switch and pry up the tabs that hold the two switch halves together. Once this is open watch out for the switch retaining pin, it will fall out. The bulbs are soldered in and you can get the same type of bulbs from Radio Shack. I don't have the correct bulb number but will try to find it. Solder in the new bulbs and reassemble the switch unit. It takes about $5.00 to repair.

Rob

Here is a link that was used for a Pontiac GTP steering wheel. You will not have the red light covers but is should work. You will need to copy and paste it into your browser window.


http://doghouse.2y.net/gtp/steeringcontrols/

Rob

 

[miketedeschi]

my denali is an '06 and its got 2000 miles left on the gm warranty. its going to the dealer on tuesday for a small oil leak and i have like 4 of those little bulbs on te steering wheel controls burned out. will they fix those if i ask them to? it drives me crazy

 

[Rivieraracing]

They sure do need to fix those, that is what a warranty is for, I had some burned out lighted switches in a VW a couple years ago and I made them change out the whole switch unit to fix the problem. Don't let them give you a bunch of crap, they shouldn't, but get it in there before your warranty is up otherwise you are on your own.

 

[biff467]

I agree. The warranty should cover everything from engine to electrical with the factory warranty. DO NOT let the dealer give you the run around. Sometimes it's not an actual "bulb" that's under those switches. I've seen rides that have the same steering wheel controls that are a fiber optic cable-it just glows and is wrapped through the steering wheel and instrument guages. If that's the case, the dealer would probably try to give you crap about fixing it, cuz it's expensive and they have to replace the whole cable. That means taking a lot of dash and buttons out to get to it. But the warranty DOES cover it, so I would definitely have it done before your warranty runs out like mine. Then you have the headache of having to do it yourself.

 

[road1will]

my denali is an '06 and its got 2000 miles left on the gm warranty. its going to the dealer on tuesday for a small oil leak and i have like 4 of those little bulbs on te steering wheel controls burned out. will they fix those if i ask them to? it drives me crazy

yep the sure better fix them!

 

[miketedeschi]

I'm definatly going to mention the steering wheel button lights.

Speaking of dealerships, i had the driver bose speaker replaced two weeks ago and noticed there were an extra 3 miles on the odometer. I don't really know why someone felt the need to take my car out for their lunch break. My problem with that is i have 24" inch rims on the truck and there is more potholes in massachustts right now then anyone knows what to do with. I shouldn't even have the rims on in feb. I don't want some dude driving around in my truck next time i drop it off, potholes or not. If they crack a rim i doubt they will buy me a new one.

Is it out of line to request my vehicle does not leave the dealer lot?

 

[ugachs24]

I'm definatly going to mention the steering wheel button lights.

Speaking of dealerships, i had the driver bose speaker replaced two weeks ago and noticed there were an extra 3 miles on the odometer. I don't really know why someone felt the need to take my car out for their lunch break. My problem with that is i have 24" inch rims on the truck and there is more potholes in massachustts right now then anyone knows what to do with. I shouldn't even have the rims on in feb. I don't want some dude driving around in my truck next time i drop it off, potholes or not. If they crack a rim i doubt they will buy me a new one.

Is it out of line to request my vehicle does not leave the dealer lot?

I've never requested that before but I hate other people driving my cars it makes me a nervous wreck. I dont even like for my wife to drive them ha ha. The way the techs drive them is crazy, too. I've one burn out in somebody's Corvette when taking it for a "test spin" and I watched the owner go crazy on them. I couldn't blame him.

 

[Rivieraracing]

That is unacceptable for a dealership to take your car out for a spin just because it is in their lot, it's understandable if they are working on something related to drivibility of your vehicle but when they are working on your stereo system there is no reason for them to drive it what so ever (except in and out of their garage). That 3 mile addition to my spedometer would have make me flip out beyond all belief, and I would have made that very well known!! That's crap man, I am mad for you!!! Sorry to hear that!!

 

[biff467]

I'm definatly going to mention the steering wheel button lights.

Speaking of dealerships, i had the driver bose speaker replaced two weeks ago and noticed there were an extra 3 miles on the odometer. I don't really know why someone felt the need to take my car out for their lunch break. My problem with that is i have 24" inch rims on the truck and there is more potholes in massachustts right now then anyone knows what to do with. I shouldn't even have the rims on in feb. I don't want some dude driving around in my truck next time i drop it off, potholes or not. If they crack a rim i doubt they will buy me a new one.

Is it out of line to request my vehicle does not leave the dealer lot?

Dude you definitely should have done something about that. The only way that even 1 mile should have been put on that truck is if you were close to rolling over in the first place, and it happened while they were moving the truck in the garage! You should have went off on the dealership for their mistake. I like the way you said "I don't like the idea of them taking it out to lunch.." Cuz you know that is exactly what they do! I've seen it done! I have 4 friends that work at a certain Tire Repair Center that occasionally have to drive customer cars to a northern store an hour away for a certain part. They drive the hell out of those cars! I hear about all the stories! If mechanics at a TIRE repair place do it, then you can GUARANTEE that mechanics at a dealer will take it for a ride as well.
When you go in to have the oil leak fixed along with the bulb in the steering wheel, I would ask to speak to the service manager and let him know what happened the last time, and don't be afraid to let him/her know who's boss. YOU'RE the customer. good luck man.:thumbsup:

 

[Rivieraracing]

That is exactly true, it may be too late to prove the mileage but I would still go in and tell them what's up, do let them know whos boss. Go in looking like :mad2: so that they look like and :eek2: , just make sure at the end of it all you leave 'ing while they are :cryin:!!! Good luck!!!

 

[miketedeschi]

There are several GM dealers in my area. I think when i drop my car off, instead im just going to ask to speak to the tech who worked on my car previously. When he comes out im going to drill him about where he gets off taking my denali around with 6 thousand dollar rims on it out for a ride (although i normally don't like to be THAT GUY who makes a scene and talks about money) I would understand if he was working on my brakes, but he was replacing a speaker.

This bothers me more and more every day because I know there's a good chance he was beating the hell out my truck, whoever he might be.

It's tough because the service manager is wicked nice, and he seems to go out of his way when i go in there to make sure i'm happy. but whatever, i'm heated.