just bad Karma?

[n635dc]

My problem in the 97 grand am I just purchased is that my clock led area is blank. Now I know what your thinking. that is reads all the wrong times too. this is not the case when the sun shines in and bounces off of the lcd screen i can read that it is displaying correct. however any other time the display is just blank... no backlighting to the radio at all. My mothers grand am did the same thing (also the same year). did anyone else have this problem on the stock head unit. if so what is the problem and how do i fix it easily. Ive never really gutted out a head unit for repair if thats what I have to do... My thinking is that it may be a backlighting led in the back somewhere. all other dashlights and radio lights are functional.

Anyone? Anyone? Anyone? (ferris buellers day off)
The great Depression

Bueller.....Bueller... Bueller

Thanks

[Pte Socks]

Ive heard a couple of things about GA's with the stock HU having problems with the back light. The reason why your timer only shows during the day is because that the backlight is burnt out. Best bet, take a look at the rear of the clock and see if you can find the light. Otherwise, if it bugs you quite a bit, just buy an aftermarket deck, I know that what most did.

[n635dc]

Whats the best way to get the damn thing out of the dash.. I know that doesnt make me the swiftist person in the room but i dont really do "radiowhichamajigametrics"

[Artic]

in a 97 two screws in the instrument pannel face trim on the under side of it and two screws in the cubby hole at the bottom below the player itsself

[n635dc]

thanks i'll give that a try

[n635dc]

Anyone else have any suggestions on this matter?

[Pte Socks]

thats it for me, I got a 99 so the console is different, sorry

[n635dc]

Note To anyone: If your radio's clock backlight ever burns out. Just give the **** up. Period Don't worry about fixing it. It's a royal pain in the ass. I worked on it for hours. Does it really bother me that bad no. But I like the challenge.. that is till it pissed me off to the point that i was ready to throw the damn radio. Thanks for your suggestions. They worked for getting the radio out and diagnosing it.

[98GrandAm]

hehe, so i guess it isnt fixed then? you can get a cheap one off ebay. any 95-01 tape or cd will fit EDIT: 1995-2000

[n635dc]

I actually plan to pop one of those stock cd decks from a 97 in there. I see em going on ebay for like 80 bucks. I keep hearing about the clocks in em going berzerk?! I dunno but it would be nice to have the damn thing actually show a readable time or it would be nice to see what station you have on. that would eliminate "wonder searching" as in I wonder what ****in station is on.
Thanks Guys

[Hopesfall85]

actually i've had a 97 gagt and now i have a 99gagt and my clock would do the same thing, sometimes it would display all 8's or parts of numbers, anything you could imagine it did. But sometimes it wouldn't do it for weeks, if it did do it after about 10 minutes it would be back to normal. i have no idea why it does this

[n635dc]

thats just it though mine doesnt do that at all.. its just a simple backlight bulb... determined not to be defeated by a car stereo im gonna try hard soldering a new light bulb in there. that should do the trick ( yes im a electronics & automation engineer)

[SE2000]

Have a 2000 SE with am/fm cassette. The display was dead, saw post on bulb replacement. I took my unit apart and found bulb. I saw that the bulb contacts had solder on them, so i burnished them and the original bulb is working. A burnisher is like a very very fine file, you can use fresh greenbacks as well.