Steering Wheel Control Lights

[sixty9fordkiller]

2005 Tahoe. Some of the lights have gone out on some of the steering wheel controls on my truck. Does anyone here know how to replace the whole button/control or bulb? Im kinda sure im gonna have to replace the whole thing. Anyone?

 

[east302]

If you take a small screwdriver, you can pull the button housing out of the steering wheel. When I say button housing I mean the assembly that has two individual buttons in it.

The wiring harness is real short so you won't have much room to pull it out before you have to unclip the harness.

The button housing comes apart and there are LED bulbs on a board in there. They unscrew but be careful not to break the solder on the other side of the circuit board when you are turning the bulb. Sometimes the solder is damaged and the bulb will go on and off.

Or...I've seen where someone just bought a whole new button thing for around $20 at the dealership and threw the old one out. It may be worth the expense and saving the trouble.

 

[Hoebag03]

some went out on my climate control, would it be easier to get one off ebay then to try and replace the LEDs?

 

[east302]

I know that you can replace the LEDs on the climate control units. It's just taking it apart and soldering in new bulbs.

 

[ayeplussjr]

Is it really that easy just to put a small screwdriver in the button housing and remove the housing itself? One of my lights went out and if it's as simple as that then I could replace myself. I would just purchase a new button housing instead of replacing the led's

 

[east302]

You just have to wedge a small screwdriver on the sides and rock the switch out. The steering wheel is rubber and it will return to its normal shape. The hard part is unplugging the little wiring harness. The wire is so short it's hard to pull the button out far enough to get in there to unplug it. Once it is free from the steering wheel, you don't want to pull it too far out or you might break the wire.

Alternately, others have pulled the entire steering wheel off. Apparently there's a "back way" in but you'll need a steering wheel puller tool for that.

 

[mjbradeis]

I have gone through hell trying to find a used temp comtrol unit to fix this issue. No one has them, and the ones they do are either damaged or lights are blown out as well. I guess I am going to have to break down and spend the coin and get a new one from the dealer. I am not confident I could solder them myself.

 

[vinceseg]

Just found this thread, my steering wheel lights are out on an 05. Does each set of controls have it's own bulbs that need to be replaced? Anyone know what type of bulb these are?

Thanks,

Vince

 

[scottvan]

Vince,

This guy on ebay sells the switches for your steering wheel, either all four (eight) at once, or you can buy them individually:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevy-GMC-S...ies&vxp=mtr&hash=item2568dec30b#ht_2921wt_864

 

[vinceseg]

Awesome! Thanks Scott, think I'm going to go this route, then I can always replace the lamps on the ones I pull out.

 

[neloms]

You just have to wedge a small screwdriver on the sides and rock the switch out. The steering wheel is rubber and it will return to its normal shape. The hard part is unplugging the little wiring harness. The wire is so short it's hard to pull the button out far enough to get in there to unplug it. Once it is free from the steering wheel, you don't want to pull it too far out or you might break the wire.

Alternately, others have pulled the entire steering wheel off. Apparently there's a "back way" in but you'll need a steering wheel puller tool for that.

Getting the button out is the easy part. How the hell do you reconnect the harness.?!?!

 

[Harrison256]

I have gone through hell trying to find a used temp comtrol unit to fix this issue. No one has them, and the ones they do are either damaged or lights are blown out as well. I guess I am going to have to break down and spend the coin and get a new one from the dealer. I am not confident I could solder them myself.

You don't have to. Whenever I get to a point where soldering gets too fine for me I just go find the nearest computer repair shop or hobby shop and have them do it for me for whatever. Any DECENT radioshack should know a guy who can do this for you. Just bring in the actual board you want soldered. I got what would have been a $3400 nav unit on my lexus fixed for $40 and some labor