How to replace dim radio backlight?? [Archive] - Bimmerforums

BimmerM3inGA

11-16-2008, 11:00 PM

I've spent an hour searching and got nuthin. It looks like a bulb is burned out in the multifunction display of my '99 528i. It's right behind the clock on the right hand side of the display. The display itself works fine, but there is a portion that is not being backlit.

I took out the MFD and attempted to take it apart to look for the bulbs, but quit when it wouldn't come apart easily (didn't want to force it).

http://www.creative-pro.net/99_528i/DimSpot.jpg

How can I gain access to, and replace this bulb? :help

Gumbi4u

11-16-2008, 11:40 PM

You need to change out the whole unit. Go to the dealer and pop out about 400 bucks plus labor.

BimmerM3inGA

11-17-2008, 12:04 AM

Go to the dealer and pop out about 400 bucks plus labor.

Pass. I'll live with the dim display if there isn't a DIY for fixing it.

gurmukhbhogal

11-17-2008, 02:14 AM

You need to change out the whole unit. Go to the dealer and pop out about 400 bucks plus labor.

That really really suuuukkkks. Daaammmn. for a burnt out bulb.

quacktoduck

11-17-2008, 02:28 AM

call bmw na they might help you they did mine..

EX20

08-05-2009, 02:10 PM

Come on! There has to be a way to get in there and change a mini-bulb. My lower left part of the display is dim. Above the left-most button. Anyone taken one apart and fixed it?

crdiscoverer

08-05-2009, 02:21 PM

I am positively sure it should be serviceable in some way. I know shops that fix burnt soldered LEDs from aftermarket radios (sony, pioneer, etc.) cheaply. A 10+ year old BMW radio shouldn't be more complicated than that.

DuffmanE39

08-05-2009, 02:22 PM

Maybe try this?

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=251722&highlight=radio+display

BimmerM3inGA

08-05-2009, 03:30 PM

I found a DIY to fix the dead pixel problem and the disassembly procedure is exactly the same. I'm not at my main computer where I have the link bookmarked. I'll post the link later tonight.

FYI: Sold the car that I originally made this post for and now have another E39. But guess what? This one has bad pixels and and burnt out bulb. So I'll get to try the procedure after all.

EDIT: I saved the DIY as a PDF and have it with me after all. If anybody wants it, PM me you email address and I'll send it. It's about 4.5MB.

Qsilver7

08-05-2009, 04:44 PM

Edit: Boy did a screw that one up! Sorry folks, nothing to see here...keep moving along. :stickoutt

BimmerM3inGA: thanks for bringing my blaring mistake to my attention...man, what a humongous brain confarction on my part :lol

BimmerM3inGA

08-05-2009, 04:53 PM

Q:

This is actually for the radio/OBC display, not the HVAC. I've had the HVAC apart and it's a whole lot easier to crack into.

EX20

08-06-2009, 01:09 AM

02540ico

08-06-2009, 01:23 AM

They look socketed, are they? Try your local "Bulbs Plus" or equivalent.

BimmerM3inGA

08-06-2009, 10:18 AM

I have to say, that this is a pretty dumb design on BMW's part. Even way back in the mid-90's, they had to have known that light bulbs eventually burn out. Making them impossible to replace is just plain stupid. I guess they figured owners would just take their 10-year-old cars to a dealer and pay $400 for a replacement display. :dunno

Anyhoo, enough of that rant. Has anybody considered replacing the bulbs with LEDs? That's what I think I want to do. There is no point in cracking the thing open to just replace one or two bulbs. Because as soon as you put it all back together, another will burn out. Might as well replace them all while it's apart. And while you're at it, why not upgrade to something that'll last much longer?:buttrock

Edit: Boy did a screw that one up! Sorry folks, nothing to see here...keep moving along.

BimmerM3inGA: thanks for bringing my blaring mistake to my attention...man, what a humongous brain confarction on my part

Heh. No worries. Your posts are usually pretty much right on the money. I just figured that you had been drinking.

EX20

08-06-2009, 11:29 AM

They look socketed, are they? Try your local "Bulbs Plus" or equivalent.

The bulb sits in a little plastic cradle/case? The bulb's two short leads go off to the sides and solder down to the topside of the circuit board (surface mount parts). These are not thru-hole parts. I'm hoping that I can find some of these.

Anyone have an old unwanted radio control/OBC panel that they want to sell? Obviously, it doesn't have to work. I just want to salvage the bulbs.

crdiscoverer

08-06-2009, 03:04 PM

Well, I find it pretty dumb too that they chose to use bulbs instead of LEDs. Now that's another thing to worry about with my car.

I'm still convinced that you can find those bulbs in any good electronics shop.

cnn

08-06-2009, 03:56 PM

I opened my radio control/OBC panel tonight. It's a little bit hard to get to, but a few screws later the PCB with the bulbs came out. Here it is. Anybody know where to get these surface mount bulbs made by ALBA? Or maybe I'll try a substitute bulb. Mini flashlight bulb comes to mind. Just try and rig it in there somehow.

In the Volvo Forums, people use Radio Shack 12V Microlamp bulbs 272-1092 ($1.79 for 2 bulbs) with success in their SC-816 radio.

Give it a try:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103780

http://www.radioshack.com/pwr/product-reviews/Cables-Parts-Connectors/Miniature-bulbs-lamps/Lamp-assemblies/RadioShack/p/2103780-12V-Microlamps-2-Pack.html

BimmerM3inGA

08-06-2009, 04:06 PM

In the Volvo Forums, people use Radio Shack 12V Microlamp bulbs 272-1092 ($1.79 for 2 bulbs) with success in their SC-816 radio.

Cool! Do we know that the E39 MID sends 12V to the lamps?

BTW: What Volvo forum did you find that on? I also have a Volvo (have had it almost 5 years) and have never been able to find a decent forum. The ones I know about are all ghost towns and I never get answers to any questions I post.

rrcompton

08-06-2009, 04:55 PM

I replaced my Acura MDX radio bulbs and navigation bulbs...they looked just like those above.

I just un-soldered the filament bulbs and holders and just soldered some LEDs with resistors back onto the board.

cnn

08-06-2009, 05:31 PM

BTW: What Volvo forum did you find that on? I also have a Volvo (have had it almost 5 years) and have never been able to find a decent forum. The ones I know about are all ghost towns and I never get answers to any questions I post.

I use Volvospeed forum. Excellent forum for Volvo.
http://volvospeed.com/vs_forum/index.php/forum/6-fwdawd-1998-and-prior/

cnn
1998 Bmw 528i
1998 Volvo V70

EX20

08-06-2009, 06:31 PM

Cool! Do we know that the E39 MID sends 12V to the lamps?

BTW: What Volvo forum did you find that on? I also have a Volvo (have had it almost 5 years) and have never been able to find a decent forum. The ones I know about are all ghost towns and I never get answers to any questions I post.

I am going to check the voltage on these bulbs as soon as I get a chance. Might not be until after the weekend.

Hopefully the RadioShack bulbs are an option. Looks like they will work.

Thanks to everyone for the information to get this issue resolved.

BimmerM3inGA

08-06-2009, 09:58 PM

I use Volvospeed forum. Execellent forum for Volvo.

Awesome! Just what I've been looking for.

BTW: I know talking about Volvos is off topic, but I started the thread so I figure it's okay.

But back to our Bimmers: I'm probably going to open up my MID this weekend and poke around. Where did you guys get the proper sized Torx drivers? I've used a flat-bladed screwdriver and it works, but is a PITA. Noplace I've gone has any Torx drivers in the size needed.

cnn

08-07-2009, 12:50 AM

Awesome! Just what I've been looking for.

BTW: I know talking about Volvos is off topic, but I started the thread so I figure it's okay.

But back to our Bimmers: I'm probably going to open up my MID this weekend and poke around. Where did you guys get the proper sized Torx drivers? I've used a flat-bladed screwdriver and it works, but is a PITA. Noplace I've gone has any Torx drivers in the size needed.

This is my DIY for DICE/Dash CD Player, Figure #3 shows you Torx #10:
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=235269
Buy the whole Torx Set at any Auto Parts store for $6-8/set.

EX20

08-07-2009, 05:31 PM

I got a chance to work on the bad bulb today. They have about 6 volts supplied to them from the MID. The 12V RadioShack bulbs (272-1092) will be too dim. I got a 6V bulb (272-1140) and soldered it in. Lights up almost as bright as the originals. Once back in the car you can tell that the corner with new bulb is not quite as bright as rest of the display, but it's not bad at all and very tolerable, at least to me. Less than $2 for the bulb.:buttrock

Oh, by the way, I got my T10 Torx driver from Sears. Craftsman set of 5 or 6 sizes.

BimmerM3inGA

08-07-2009, 06:31 PM

Awesome report, EX20! Thank you for posting your results, you rock!

I'll be near a Sears tomorrow and will stop in to pick up that Torx set.

Thanks again!

crdiscoverer

08-07-2009, 06:57 PM

Yeah, thanks for reporting back, not many do that here.

If that happens to me I'd buy some 6v LED sets and replace all standard bulbs. A quick look through ebay returned several possible candidates.

BimmerM3inGA

08-08-2009, 11:50 AM

Hey Brothers, check out what I just found!

http://pixelfix.net/eng/

Look at the 7th item down. They also have replacement ribbon connectors. Looks like I'll be placing an order! :alright

EX20

08-10-2009, 12:46 PM

Excellent find!

Darkflame808

08-10-2009, 12:50 PM

Hey Brothers, check out what I just found!

http://pixelfix.net/eng/

Look at the 7th item down. They also have replacement ribbon connectors. Looks like I'll be placing an order! :alright
You beat me to it! LOL! I ordered a ribbon set and bulbs about a week ago, I should receive it any day now. I'll post a few pics for you guys to have a look at to see if they are the same size. I am not needing to replace any bulbs at this time, I just bought them just in case. My pixels however are a pathetic different story.

BimmerM3inGA

08-10-2009, 12:55 PM

I ordered a ribbon set and bulbs about a week ago, I should receive it any day now. I'll post a few pics for you guys to have a look at to see if they are the same size.

Cool! Yes, please do keep us posted. What did you end up paying for them in dollars? The prices on the site are in Euros.

BimmerM3inGA

08-19-2009, 10:58 PM

I just ordered my ribbon cable and bulbs. I really wanted to convert to LEDs, but, well, didn't feel like doing the research. Chances are that this set of bulbs will outlast the car anyway.

When I get the parts, I'll do a DIY on how to crack open the MID, extract the bulb assembly and LCD panel. Then, hopefully, put it all back together again.

Darkflame808

08-20-2009, 12:26 AM

Sorry, I made a mistake, I ordered a ribbon set that came with bulbs for the cluster.. These bulbs are different. The mid has a lot more bulbs but are smaller. The cluster replacement came with 3 bulbs.

Sorry bout that.

BimmerM3inGA

08-20-2009, 10:27 AM

No worries! I'm sure that once I get the MID sorted out, the cluster will go bad.

Darkflame808

08-20-2009, 05:47 PM

At least you'll have a head start on what to expect when you do the repair.

Messing up on a mid is a lot cheaper then a cluster. Better off using the mid as your practice run. My mid is perfect in pixels, my cluster was horrors. I might end up just ordering a mid cable and bulb set to keep stored away until the day comes that I need it. It will come, just a matter of time.

jht3

10-19-2011, 09:43 PM

anyone ever solve this? one of my bulbs is clearly burned out this morning, and i'd like to know what the specs for the OE bulbs are....as in how many volts and watts. i've seen reference to 12V 1.5W and would like to know if that is right?

BimmerM3inGA

10-19-2011, 11:41 PM

nyone ever solve this? one of my bulbs is clearly burned out (http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?p=22936990#) this morning, and i'd like to know what the specs for the OE bulbs are....as in how many volts and watts. i've seen reference to 12V 1.5W and would like to know if that is right?

MID or cluster? I have actually replaced the bulbs in the MID. It wasn't too difficult. I even thought about using LEDs, but talked myself out of it.

BimmerM3inGA

10-19-2011, 11:41 PM

jht3

10-20-2011, 02:55 PM

MID. i figure that if only one bulb has gone out since '01, if i replace all 12 now I'll be set for another 10 years. good enough for me.

BimmerM3inGA

10-20-2011, 04:04 PM

This is where I got them:

http://pixelfix.net/eng/bmw.html

You have to unsolder the old bulbs from the PC board, then solder on the new ones. It's somewhat tedious, but not very difficult.

jht3

10-20-2011, 11:34 PM

yea, i saw that site in my searches. i was hoping to find bulbs locally. with the prices in euros, what's the shipping like?

soldering/desoldering doesn't scare me...i've done wayyyy to much of it recently on my e30

BimmerM3inGA

10-21-2011, 12:06 AM

I bought the bulbs and the ribbon cable and the total with shipping was $65.78. But that was at least a year ago, so I'm sure the exchange rate has changed (probably not favorably).

nemidoff

02-15-2014, 08:46 AM

I bought the bulbs and the ribbon cable and the total with shipping was $65.78. But that was at least a year ago, so I'm sure the exchange rate has changed (probably not favorably).

Hi, I am just meeting with the same problem on my e39 MID display burned out bulbs. Earlier you said taht you will post DIY how to replace bulbs in mid display.Maybe you can suggest some usefull steps with pictures?

JimLev

02-15-2014, 10:23 AM

Remove the MID unit, you know how, right?
Take the top cover off and them unscrew the PC board from the white plastic.
You will need to unsolder the bad bulb(s).
They are 5 volt Chicago Miniature bulbs, the OEM p/n is CM-715.
I have been buying them from Mouser.com, their p/n is 606-CM715.
They are very inexpensive.
http://www.mouser.com/Search/Refine.aspx?Keyword=606-CM715

http://home.comcast.net/~jimlev/MID2.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~jimlev/MID3.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~jimlev/MID4.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~jimlev/MID5.JPG

nemidoff

02-15-2014, 11:31 AM

BimmerM3inGA

02-15-2014, 01:27 PM

Hey JimLev, thanks for posting these instructions. I didn't take any photos when I did mine.

DYL

02-15-2014, 01:50 PM

You can also buy smd (very tiny and quite flat) LEDs on a flexible ribbon circuit board, wired up for 12V. It's how people make ricey angel eyes. 2 strips of those and you should be good to go.

JimLev

02-15-2014, 03:01 PM

So how much light are you going to get from 12 volt LED's wired to 5 volts?

Mannyf540

02-15-2014, 03:32 PM

Very nice write up Jim

DYL

02-15-2014, 07:19 PM

So how much light are you going to get from 12 volt LED's wired to 5 volts?

Obviously they won't be as bright, but they look pretty bright to begin with. Here's the link:

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cat/flexible-strips-and-bars/

You could probably get 12v easily if you run a wire somewhere, but then it would probably be too bright.