How do you change 2002 Chevy silverado instrument cluster lights?

Answer 1

Like all the modern GM products (mine included) the (miniature)dash lights used are now soldered directly to a circuit board in the rear of the cluster. These lights are not meant to be replaced by the average Joe (but they can be) If you have access to a specialty electronics shop such as B&E electronics you can obtain the bulbs you need. However you will also require a electric pencil type soldering gun a solder sucker (a syringe type of thing that sucks up melted solder), and some patience Here's what you do: Remove the cluster from the vehicle, carefully and keeping all parts in order disassemble the cluster, once you have taken the cluster apart and gotten down to the printed circuit board, you will see small bulbs soldered directly to the circuit board, those are the cluster lights and where the unsoldering of the old bulbs and replacement with new bulbs will be done. If all this seems like too much work the other options are: Replacing the cluster with a re-manufactured unit (costly and involves reprogramming the cluster and possibly the anti-theft system as well) but a lot less work, or removing the cluster and taking it to a electronics repair shop to have the bulbs replaced by them. (My recommendation since the repair shop technicians will have the necessary tools and access to the bulbs and...everything else that goes along with a complicated job like this, also this method will have the added advantage of not having to reprogram anything, since you will be reinstalling your original instrument cluster. Hope this makes light of a complicated task that shouldn't be....Chris.