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[iansoutham]

Just wondering if anyone else has suffered the same problem I have last week with a climate panel?

Basically, the backlight illumination had quickly gone dull but the temperature displays were good.

Had to take the radio out for something else so continued the strip-down of the panel. I was unable to remove the little green bulb holders so took the assembly completely apart to the circuit board to find that the bulbs had completely melted the little plastic lighting strips so no light could pass through. As soon as I tried to twist and remove the bulbs the plastic strips literally broke into little 1cm or so long sections. Was almost as if the bulbs were too powerful and getting too hot.

These were bulbs from VX about 2 or maybe 3 years ago, not generic ones.

I have put another panel in and some new bulbs (generic 1.2w ones this time) but was interested to see if this is a common problem or not?

[Doctor Gollum]

What had you previously fitted? 2.4w ones?

In which case it was probably the wrong bulbs.

[iansoutham]

Whatever dealer supplied. They look like 1.2W bulbs (small pencil bulbs) in a green bulb holder and cannot be separated from the bulb holder.

That is what made me ask the question, the old bulbs go right between the plastic pieces but look awfully close

[Doctor Gollum]

Wattage should be moulded into the holder.

[TheBoy]

EPC will tell you the wattage.

Some of the eBay specials bulbs don't match GM's base colours.

[iansoutham]

Yep, should be 1.2w but VX supplies 2.0w bulbs under original part number

[Doctor Gollum]

Which is apparently enough to bake the filters...

[iansoutham]

Which is apparently enough to bake the filters...

Apparently so..... 😔

I replaced it with these from Amazon

10 x 286 Car Dashboard PCB Instrument Panel Bulb & Holder 286T T5 12v 1.2w B8.5D

[VXL V6]

You used to be able to get the 1.2W from Halfords a while back