Radio Selection Button Light

[turbo23dog]

Hello all,

96 328i... Stock Radio.

The main display for the radio lights brightly at all times but the selector buttons light up only occasionally. Some nights, the buttons light up brightly, other nights, barely visible or not at all. I've found that taping against the side of the dash will sometimes make the lights a bit brighter so I'm guessing the bulb is either loose or the filament is broken and sometimes makes contact.

Anyone know how to access the bulb for these buttons? Is the bulb inside the radio?

Thanks in advance,
Rich Franco
Springfield, VA

[blkongry]

It's probably not the bulb itself as it is the connection from the lead wires. Bulbs either work or they don't... the filament is so thin that once it breaks, you can rarely have it become reconnected. I'm not sure how the stereo lighting is configured, but I bet it is not an integral part of the stereo. There is probably a cover plate you can remove to access the lighting. Hopefully someone has some more detail on this topic. Good luck.

[matthew-m]

I'll take a look at my stock radio later and post another message if I can help you.

[Wayne 962]

I've got to remove my stock radio anyways (tech article). I'll take a look at it and let you know what I find out...

-Wayne