E30 OBC Button Lights

[itique]

The 13 button OBC in my 86 325e has a functioning lightbar on top, but the buttons don't light up. All of my other dash and instrument panel light bulbs are functioning. Is there another bulb that illuminates the buttons specifically?

[Poorboyz]

Yes, there a bulb in the back of the obc. Same style as the bulbs that illuminate your instrument cluster.

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[itique]

Good to know. While I have my head unit out, I'll replace it.

[5Toes]

Just pulled my OBC today (on e34) and am looking at the bulbs now. The bulbs are designed to not pull out of the socket - and to be repalced as a single unit

74 cents each through Blunt - or go buy some bulbs and solder the tiny little wires in yourself (not worth the time in my opinion)

[itique]

I was able to pull the bulb out of the socket of mine, and when I replaced it with a known-good bulb, it still didn't light up the buttons. Maybe that was the problem. I'll order a new unit with the bulb already in place and see if that doesn't help. Im glad I saw your post 5Toes, I thought mine was just broken.

[Poorboyz]

Why not test the bulb first instead of buying something that might not solve the problem?

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[itique]

I did test the bulb that was in the OBC. I actually have another OBC around and pulled the bulb from it to test, both bulbs were bad. So I pulled a working bulb from behind the AC and put it in both bulb housings from both OBCs, and they didn't work. After reading 5Toes' reply, I thought that maybe I broke something in the housing while pulling the bulb out. I don't mind spending <$10 to try and remedy it.

[treff-7]

The bulbs that light up the A/C/heater controls are replaceable. The ones in the OBC or the small indicator lights in the cluster are one unit with the socket except for the check engine light and the ABS light. Those are replaceable and use the same tiny bulb that goes in the A/C/heater lights. The bulbs for the back lighting in the cluster are in a socket but can be pulled out and replaced. They are also bigger.