Astra Mk3 heater control lights

[MikeT]

Is there enough access through removal of the radio to replace the bulbs for the 3 heater controls on an astra or have you got to go through the hoops mentioned in the Haynes manual.

I seem to remember the heater control cables on these are held with plastic clips which break as soon as you look at them.

Quick and dirty methods anyone?

Cheers

MikeT.

[Astra Dan]

Peice of cake.
To do the 3 dials it's only 2 bulbs. Remove the radio and reach down and around underneath. You can see quite clearly.
To do the recirc button just lever it out from the front.
To do the fan switch/ HRW put the fan on position 3 and stick a thin screwdriver up the hole underneath and pull it off.

[greenlightracer]

r they plug n play behind the heater ctrls same as speedos or u gotta solder them in ?

[MikeT]

Thanks for that Dan, I will give it a go very soon.

MikeT.

[Astra Dan]

They're all the tiny capless 1.2W ones from Halfords.

[MikeT]

I pulled all 3 control knobs off Astra-Dan, nothing to be seen in there, I gently levered out the recirc control to find nothing there either except a tiny brass disc which must have been used for latching as the control doesnt any more.

Above looking through the radio aperture I see 2 red wires going to a black U shaped plastic piece, this I think is the heated rear window switch relay connection.

So all in all not a bulb to be found, are you sure they didnt put 1 bulb and a fibre optic in 94 cars?

Does anyone have a heater control out that they can picture so I can see where these bulbs are supposed to be.

Its looking like jump through hoops time and take half the center consol out to get these done.

MikeT.

[LEE69]

They are bulbs its been said before they can be changed,without dismantling the centre console,by taking the radio out and "reaching" down to pull the holders out.

[MikeT]

I wonder if someone has beaten me to it and half done the job then as I cant see/feel anything resembling a bulb holder down there. Maybe they took em out and never replaced them? (just bought the car)

MikeT

[LEE69]

Do what i did,strip it all down,and replace them with leds,wont have to do them ever again.

[Astra Dan]

OK, you only need to remove the middle know to do the heated rear window light. If you pull the knob off as I descirbed earlier the bulb will be visible, pull it out gently with some needle nose pliers.
If you pull the radio out and look down you should see two sets of two wires ending in crimps. You need to pull the black plastic bits these plug into, these are the bulb holders. The relay isn't there, it's in the fuse box.
the recirc button is as I described, maybe someone has been there before you and removed the bulb? Was it broken before you levered the button off?

[MikeT]

Originally posted by Astra Dan
OK, you only need to remove the middle know to do the heated rear window light. If you pull the knob off as I descirbed earlier the bulb will be visible, pull it out gently with some needle nose pliers.
If you pull the radio out and look down you should see two sets of two wires ending in crimps. You need to pull the black plastic bits these plug into, these are the bulb holders. The relay isn't there, it's in the fuse box.
the recirc button is as I described, maybe someone has been there before you and removed the bulb? Was it broken before you levered the button off?

OK Dan, thanks for bearing with me<S>

Heated rear window center knob: once removed I have a white semi opaque tube that the knob fits to showing but no bulb visible unless its reght down in the tube?

No radio or fitting cage in the car: all the wires I see are 2 reds ending in crimps to the left of center onto a black block, this looks like it just goes to the rear screen heater switch (to energise the relay back in the fuse box) ((was what I meant before)) above the white heater control block I do have a grey plastic divider which stops you getting right down below/behind the white heater section. Maybe I can get this out?

The recirc worked before (latched) once it was out it had 2 pins with springs on and 1 plain center rod, I found the brass disc around 4mm dia laying in the housing it came out of.

MikeT.

[Astra Dan]

Hmm, my car is a 93K, maybe something was changed?
On mine, the two bulbs for the dials are at the top either side of the middle one. I had to reach down and around a lip to reach them and it was pretty fiddley.
I have no idea what's going on with the other two, did you turn the fan to postion 3 (even if it's 4 speed) before pulling the front off? Maybe you levered off the wrong bit of the recirc button?????

[astraderv]

I'm sure it was the same setup - late and early. A-Dan has described the process corectly, you should be able to see 2 red wires either side of the fan switch (obviously inside, the console and underneath where the stereo would be. Sometimes, the bulb holders stick inside the console, but a bit 'o fiddling normally frees them.

The brass disc under the recirc switch can be a little fiddly to fit. It needs to stay in the channels while u push back the switch (with the springs on the rods) but it normally clicks in as it should after a few goes!

[MikeT]

Thanks guys for all the help so far.

Here is a pic of the black U shaped part.

http://www.miket.dsl.pipex.com/images/I~astra1.jpg

If I lever on it both ends it moves back around 3mm then stops and I may just break something if I try harder.

Here is the center fan switch/rear screen heater with knob removed, I cant see anything like a bulb to change. The manual says its part of the switch and if it goes then you need to replace the switch.

http://www.miket.dsl.pipex.com/images/I~astra3.jpg

This one was ok, found the bulb, replaced it and with some vasaline on the brass disc it went back together fine.

http://www.miket.dsl.pipex.com/images/I~astra4.jpg

Cheers.

[Astra Dan]

That's the bugger, the thing with the 2 red wires will pull out towards the front of the car. I noticed my mates P reg Astra only has one like yours, my K reg has 2, so how the dials light up nicely I don't know.
For the fan switch I think that tube is supposed to stay in the knob, tried pulling it out?
Might be worth having a 'practice' in a scrappy?

[MikeT]

OK I cracked it

You really need to remove this radio surround housing.

http://www.miket.dsl.pipex.com/images/I~box4.jpg

Its just 2 self tappers but its too big to come out the front and with the side tabs its too big to go backwards too.
I folded the middle together and levered it back out the way, as its soft abs I guess a hair drier would warm it to make it supple and easier.

Once thats out of the way you will see that there are white plastic clip parts on the main moulding holding a black multiway connector onto the back of the center switch.

http://www.miket.dsl.pipex.com/images/I~clips2.jpg

You need to remove this connector first as the black U shaped part with 3 bulbs is actually plugged into it so wont move till the connector is out.

Here it is all out ready for new bulbs or LED's

http://www.miket.dsl.pipex.com/images/I~plug1.jpg

I was so pleased to have done it I just fitted 3 bulbs (center one does dial and Heated rear window warning lamp) but with hindsight, as its just 2 lucar connectors to remove the black U shaped lampholder, it would have been an ideal time for LED's.

Cheers.

MikeT.

[Astra Dan]

Ah, so this should be one for the archives, as clearly they have changed the design here. I did wonder on my mates car how one bulb would light all the dials. We can see here the visible connector is for this bulb unit.

Nice.

[MikeT]

I havnt a clue (new boy) how to or if I am even allowed to achive stuff, but those pics wont stay on my pages for ever so if someone wants to grab em and archive it, be my guest

Thanks for all the help along the way anyway guys.

MikeT.