My first new Impala Question...

[gm4life]

Anyways my "new" 2005 Impala LS has one slight issue with the head unit, at night all the buttons light up and "glow" like they do in my 2001 Impala except these two buttons circled in the buttom right. So I know they are suppose to glow right? Or was the a change in the head unit? (I doubt it but just throwing that out there.) So are there bulbs inside the head unit that can be replaced? Or in order to fix this would I need a new/different head unit? Anyone know or have any idea's? I just would like to know before I take it to the dealer for its first oil change and new mudflaps. If possible and not a ton of money I would like to get this fixed, or get a used head unit out of something at the junk yard and have the dealer reprogram the unit to work with the VIN on my 2005 LS.

Edited June 4, 2009 by gm4life

[Croc]

The standard GM fix would be to replace the radio. Honestly, not worth it.

[Justin Bimmer]

you don't want to open one of those things up.

[CaddyXLR-V]

It's probably a fuse

[z28luvr01]

My dad fixed the ones in his Olds Intrigue for a few bucks. The LEDs are avaialble at Radio Shack. But he's an extermely talented at soldering eletrical components. Unless you're good at that stuff, just eBay a new stereo.

[Satty]

New head unit will be about a billion times less complicated than trying to crack that thing open to replace a 3 cent bulb.

eBay Its $20+S/H and doesn't have the cassette deck, but thats probably what you're looking at, money wise. I'm not sure how tough it is to pull the head unit in the Impala, but it was apparently really simple in the Fusion, since the eleven-million times I had it replaced didn't take too long. I'm looking at the dash of an Impala on eBay and I'm not certain how you get the head unit out.

[z28luvr01]

I'd pull off the plood and start from there. Hopefully he can get the radio out without having to pull the full-width plastic piece with the HVAC vents out.

[regfootball]

i've always liked that version of impala interior. simple, sporty.

[CaddyXLR-V]

The whole left lower dash panel pulls off. My brother had a 2000 Impala, and I helped him install a new radio in it.

[biff]

Have a similar radio in my Sierra. one of the LED's quit for months and it wouldn't play CD's anymore. I was shopping around to fix it and then it started working again, lights and CD Player. Drive over some big bumps, maybe it will shake something back into place

[gm4life]

Thanks for all the help, so can the dealer replace the bulb then? Or am I better off pulling the whole head unit? Thanks for all the help, but if I got one of eBay I would need to have it reprogramed by the dealer to work with my cars VIN right? Thanks for all the great help! Keep it coming.

[Croc]

My dad fixed the ones in his Olds Intrigue for a few bucks. The LEDs are avaialble at Radio Shack. But he's an extermely talented at soldering eletrical components. Unless you're good at that stuff, just eBay a new stereo.

They aren't LEDs...they're incandescants. That's why they go out.

[Croc]

Thanks for all the help, so can the dealer replace the bulb then?

The standard GM fix would be to replace the radio.

[fightingbee]

The dealer would would offer one of two things:

1. Order a remanufactured unit, sold by excahnge, from one of the GM authorized electronic service centers, just as is done when under warranty.

2. Pull your unit and send it to the ESC or a local electronics shop for repair.

Either way is >$200 unless they have a local place that fixes them cheap.

The bulbs in there can be found at Radio Shack and on a few online places that sell factory radio repairs/parts, but it's likely quite easy to break something just trying to get the faceplate apart.

Edited June 7, 2009 by fightingbee

[gm4life]

The dealer would would offer one of two things:

1. Order a remanufactured unit, sold by excahnge, from one of the GM authorized electronic service centers, just as is done when under warranty.

2. Pull your unit and send it to the ESC or a local electronics shop for repair.

Either way is >$200 unless they have a local place that fixes them cheap.

The bulbs in there can be found at Radio Shack and on a few online places that sell factory radio repairs/parts, but it's likely quite easy to break something just trying to get the faceplate apart.

So basically I need either a new radio (one from a junk yard) or live with it.

Thanks for all the help I have been very busy lately.

Edited June 7, 2009 by gm4life

[2005 EquinoxLS]

And whats to say the radio from the junkyard wouldnt do the same thing in a short time? Just see what the dealer says.