Hey guys Im about to take delivery on a 2009 Aspen Hybrid in the next day or 2. During my test drive I did notice in the dark that the backlight to see the HVAC controls were out. I downloaded the manual and was looking though the fuse section and couldnt figure out which one it could possibly be, IF ANY.

I was hoping I would be able to fix it on my own as if I got the dealership to look at it they would end up charging me an arm and a leg to change a fuse or tell me I would need a whole module.

If you guys could point me in the right direction in which fuse it could possibly be or im SOL and do need to get a new module. Or could it be a wiring issue? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks and super excited owning my first Chrysler!

 

Was the dimmer control turned all the way down? If you didn't already, rotate the dimmer control and see if that helps.

Otherwise, you may have a bulb out behind the controls. If this is the automatic HVAC, you pretty much have to replace the unit. If you have manual controls, there may be a way to replace the light -- not sure.

 

Hey thanks for your response. I did play with the dimmer a bit and it didnt do anything. The rest of the lights were working fine dimming and brightening. It was only the Auto HVAC module the at was completely blacked out.

The controls work fine and the heat works its was just the green lighting to be able to see it in the dark.

So you dont think there is just a fuse i can replace or a full reset might help?

thanks for any input.

 

If the controls are working otherwise, I wouldn't expect it to be a fuse. The part number for the automatic control unit is 55056675AG -- it's between $400 and $450 to replace if you do it yourself.

There are two illumination lamps (bulbs) in the unit. My guess is they're attached to the control board. If you can get to them and remove them, there's probably a part number on them for replacement.

If all else fails, you might want to use the info above to negotiate a lower price on the truck.

 

Thanks for the help. I know you gave me a part number but I also found this.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/311190691205?cmd=VIDESC

Would this one not work as it does have a different part number but lists the same vehicle

Thanks

 

I missed that you're buying a hybrid -- in that case, the part you're looking at on ebay should be correct for a 2009 hybrid Aspen.

All that aside, unless you're really in love with that truck, please reconsider. Fewer than 1,000 were built, for good reason. If anything goes wrong, you're going to have a HUGE repair bill with that hybrid system. There are few technicians qualified to even work on them. There are virtually none on the road, and it's going to be very expensive to own and maintain for a 6 mpg (average) improvement. Not worth it!!

Spend some time on Google and you'll surely change your mind.

 

Hey 15951a\ thanks for you input but it was already signed sealed and delivered by that point. Yeah I really consider hard and it fit all our needs and we got it at a bargain so I weighed everything out and still wanted it.

So as far as the back light goes... I was watching a video on how easy it was to install a mygig lockpick and decided to take take the module out and see what I could do my self. Before I took everything apart though I gave it the old "man thing" a try and smack the sides of it. Wow! The right side lit up lol. So I know it was either a bulb or loose connection then. So after easily removing the module in under 3 mins. I looked at the back of it and what do you know. User replaceable bulbs. The casing had holes for where the bulbs were. So I removed them and called the dealership and they actually were listed as parts on the system and had some.

Unfortunately the ones listed on the system were wrong. They were too small. So just in case it was a packaging error they order me 2 more form the warehouse. They too were unfortunately the same. So I dug deeper and found out they were T3 sized bulbs when in fact I needed T5. The T5s are readily available on eBay. So I hope this helps out anyone else who's back lights go out.

Here's what they look like

 

That's great information! I'm glad the fix ended up being an easy and inexpensive one.

Best of luck with your new truck.

 

Here's a before and after pic and the LED bulbs I ended up using. When installing them make sure the contacts line up. Dont twist all the way tight.

 

That looks great! Did you have to remove any sort of overlay film to get rid of the green backlighting behind the controls?