This may be sticky worthy, Derf, I'll let you decide.


So after 3 different sources, and 200 bucks tied up in three types of light bulbs, I went to the dealership to order my instrument panel lights.


Pulling the entire instrument panel is a breeze. Pop the dash bezel off, remove the 2 7mm bolts that hold the cluster, disconnect the wiring harness from the back, and remove it. On the back there will be 10 blue based incandescent bulbs and 1 white based led bulb. The white one is for the odometer.


So GM part numbers for both bulb types:
21019274 incandescent 10 each
21019273 LED odometer 1 each


Still available through any GM dealer.

 

"STILL AVAILABLE?" That's weird, because I went to my local GM dealer and was told those dash bulbs are no longer available! The parts guy did every cross-reference he could, but could not find those bulbs! So, I ended up getting mine from a wrecking yard. I wasn't ready to pay $5 for 2 bulbs on ebay!!!

 

Don't know what to tell you, here in the Midwest I got them ordered from my dealer, took a few days to get them, but they were correct. This was a year and a half ago.

 

DT,

I'll mail you a crisp $5 note if you can figure out the same info for a 2nd gen SC2 coupe.
97 specifically. I think they went to a digital Odo in 98 so the mix would be different.
Good project while waiting for the rear glass to show up.

Wish I'd though of it 2 weeks ago.......

 

Currently no where around a GM dealer. When I return to the states, I'll check with my old Saturn dealer. They are still around selling caddys and volvos. PM me a vin# because GM parts guys can't do anything without them.

Edit: I think they need the last 10, and don't worry about the 5 bucks.

 

I forgot you were deployed.

I just wanted to see your motivation level

There are GM dealers all over the place where I live. I'll get off my butt and hobble over to one....

Thank you for the offer.

For the record, I could not find a pictorial for the 2nd gen 97 DOHC which is
1) Different than the 2nd gen 98 SC2 as it has a digital Odo
2) Different from the Sx1 instrument panels

So I will write this up and sticky it. It will give me great satisfaction. For 5 minutes.

Trying to decide whether to go stock or LED (normal clear white) based on parts availability, though RockAuto eems to have everything in stock except the lights for the front of the HVAC unit.

I have kept it as stock as possible for 2 decades -- stock it shall be.

Thanks for helping me decide.

By the way, my ACDELCO part numbers for the Inst cluster bulbs are diff per rock auto.
Yet to investigate

Also, what is the deal with needing bases for some bulbs? Is it that they were joined as a unit when manufactured such that you cannot remove the base for reuse?

 

The bases are soldered to the bulbs. You can get the bulbs alone, but have to disconnect and reattach the old and new bulbs. The ones I got from GM came as an assembly.

 

Well, boys and girls, I just lost the panel light on the left side, the one that lights the gas gauge and the left side of the speedometer. I don't have a wiring diagram, but hoped it was a fuse. Was it? Of course not.
Getting at the instrument cluster on mine (2001 SL1) is not a matter of just popping the instrument cluster bezel off. The top of the dash has to be popped off, the vent cover on the left removed, the steering wheel moved down to have enough room to remove the steering column cover bolts and pop the top of it off, then pop the front of the instrument panel off. I just went through all that to get to the radio and found at 81 years of age, it is not fun any more. The 5.5 mm bolts that hold the top of the steering wheel cover in place are a journey in frustration to get out because you need a deep well socket to get them out, or a 7/32" socket. Finding a socket or nut driver that is slim enough to fit in the holes far enough to reach the bolts and get them out is a real challenge. I have Mac 1/4" drive sockets, but don't have the 7/32". If I did, that would have worked. I ended up buying a 1/4" drive set just to get the 7/32" deep well- some off brand kind. I couldn't find a 5.5 mm one. Even after buying that, I had a real job trying to push that socket up in the holes far enough to reach the hex heads on those itty bitty bolts because it was just a tad too fat.
Anyway, after doing all that I still would have to remove the instrument cluster. That part probably is not so bad, but the rest of the chore is quite daunting to even think about right now, so soon after getting to the radio deal. :-)
BTW, I did not put those awful 5.5 mm bolts back in. I used Philips screws instead! Yea for me!
Ron

 

If they are the steering column cover bolts I'm thinking of, what most people do is grind the body of the socket down on a taper to allow the socket to get deep enough in there to grab the bolt heads.

Just posting for others that come along.

There were very similar steps for pulling the 2nd gen 97 sc2 instr cluster.

Apparently if you are REALLY careful you can get at it by removing only the trim pieces and unhooking the top of the dash

 

I did think of that option of grinding the side of the socket, but didn't want to take that much time because it was cold out there in the garage. Besides I didn't want to make a mess of the socket. I also thought of an acetylene torch. NO NO NO! Just kidding! :-)