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97 Safari SLE dashboard light + rear control light questions

3K views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  andrew678122 
#1 ·
My parents purchased a 1997 GMC Safari SLE V6 AWD van new in 1997. It has been a great vehicle, despite its relatively low mileage. Our van now has 95,200 miles on it and some of its problems are starting to get annoying. About a year ago the dash board lights started to burn out one at a time. At night the entire right side of the speedometer is unlit, half of the radio is unlit, and the three rear heat/ac/wiper switches are no longer lit. I attempted to change the lights behind the three rear climate control switches, but the lights do not appear to be user replaceable. From the research I have done, the switches are part # 1551152, 1551151 and 1S3488. Is there a way to change the bulbs in these switches short of replacing the entire switch? Each switch is about $75! I have not attempted to dismantle the dashboard yet because of its inherent complexity. Is there a guide for removing the dashboard to change the lights?



The only other electrical related problem that we have is the fuel gauge on our van. It has not worked in years. The gauge always reads a full tank. We have never gotten stranded because of running out of fuel, because we record mileage and fill up every 100-150 miles to be safe. The fuel gauge acts funny when the signals are used. If you put the left or right turning signal on the needle in the fuel gauge bounces back and forth from about the 90% full mark to past the full mark. Is there a way to determine if the gauge is the problem, the computer, or the sending unit in the fuel tank?

Thanks in advance,
Chris
 
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#4 ·
K-TRON said:
. I attempted to change the lights behind the three rear climate control switches, but the lights do not appear to be user replaceable. From the research I have done, the switches are part # 1551152, 1551151 and 1S3488. Is there a way to change the bulbs in these switches short of replacing the entire switch? Each switch is about $75!
Yikes 75 Smackaroos X 3= $225 = a trip to the J/Y
I don't think they were made to be user replaceable. Which makes me determined to do it!! I dismantled that same switch to change the bulbs to LED's and was able remove one of the bulbs. Replacing it looks tricky but doable. So I put it all back together to sleep on it, suffered a work related injury so any work on the switches came to a screeching halt. (amongst other projects I was planning on doing) It doesn't look to hard to thread the lead of a new bulb, with a little custom work. Just time consuming. It be cool if anyone who has tackled the bulb dilema could chime in.
 
#5 ·
I have the same problem. Rear Wiper switch lights and Rear A/C blower switch lights don't come on. I took it apart and took my meter to the lights and there is slight resistance across the bulb so it is not burned out most likely, then I checked for DC volts on the plugs and I couldn't find any so I think the problem is in the dimmer switch.

I don't have time to do it this week because I'm trying to get a quad band ham radio, new head unit and a dual isolated battery system installed by Thursday night for the 100 acre wood rally, but I will report back with my success or failure.
 
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