Chrysler Repair: 2001 Town & Country Dash Lights, hvac controls, metal chassis


Question
I recently pulled the trim off the center dash cluster which holds the radio, HVAC controls, etc. I must have damaged some of the bulbs/LEDs as 4 lights do not work.  I took one the control modules apart (rear wiper, hazard switch, etc.) and the lights are soldered to a circuit board.  do you know if there is a way to replace them or does the entire control unit have to be replaced?  The HVAC cpontrol module also has at least 2 lights out  hanks.

Answer
Hi Dick,
I doubt it is the bulbs/lights that are damaged. There is a single variable voltage source for all the dash panel lights that are controlled from the headlamp switch and that is located in the body control module under the dash on the back side of the fuse box. The output of that source branches into 12 different orange wires that come out of the bcm on on two of the four plugs located on the top of the fuse box module. They are respectively: The upper left gray plug pin 1 and pin 8 and the lower left black plug pins 1,8,23,30. My suspicion is either that the orange wires to the modules whose lights are out have been damaged OR a solder joint where each of the wires plugs into a socket on a circuit board has broken open. So check each of the units with the headlights turned on to see whether or not you see a variable voltage coming in on the orange wire that varies with the position of the dimmer switch or not. If so, then check whether the voltage is reaching the circuit board trace inside the module which brings it to the bulbs. Then check all the solid black wires on the plugs of the faulty modules to be sure that they show continutiy (0 ohm resistance) between the circuit board trace for that black wire's pin and a ground (a shiny metal chassis part). Only after you show that you have the voltage coming in and the return current path to the battery through the ground to the - post of the battery, with still no lights, would I conclude it is a bulb problem.
Roland