1992 Ranger Radio Display Repair

[SLR_65]

Hi Guys,

The radio in my 92 Ranger works but the display doesn't. After a bit of research I found they put a light bulb behind the digital display panel to illuminate the display and that bulb is probably burnt out. I'm amazed at that, I'm ean seriously - a light bult to illuminate a digital display? Who came up with that?!

Anyway, I got the radio out and the bulb out. I hit Napa, OReilly's and Autozone and none had the bulb. Tomorrow I'll try the Ford dealer, if he doesn't have it I'll try Radio Shack. If that doesn't work then they are available online.

I noticed on fleaBay though that there are many, many LED replacements for these bulbs (GE #74, T5 bayonet base). Though most are listed as super bright, high output, etc. I'm wondering if a single LED would be bright enough or not?

Has anyone replaced this bulb with an LED replacement bulb before? If so, is it bright enough and where did you get it?

Thanks!

Steve

 

[cody93]

i recently bought a boneyard radio for my 87 ranger, and with my luck, it had a burned out bulb..
first i was gona use an LED and a voltage regulator but couldn't find ones locally, dont trust resistors because the voltage can fluctuate from 12 to 14 volts wich will burn out an LED if the voltage gets to high, but the problem with LEDs is most aren't wide angle, non wide angle lights will focus light in one spot, not good for this aplication. now, i used regular incandesent bulbs for replacements, bought a pack of 2 for under 5$ at autozone, there sylvannia 2721's, they look a little bigger but they fitted. now, im not sure if the radios in gen2 rangers are different, but the radio i got from the Junkyard came out of a wrecked 91 f-150...

one day if i get time, i'll make a tutorial on how to convert these lights to LED WITH a proper voltage regulator.

 

[Captain Ledd]

I've dabbled a bit in replacement LED's in other areas.

Just be sure to get ones that either:

A) have a inverse cone that spreads light out the sides

or

B) Have the LED's arranged on the sides of the "bulb" and not have them point all foreward.

Otherwise you'll have a super bright spot and the rest will be pretty dim. LED's are actually directional, and emit light in a focused beam rather than just all over like with a standard bulb.

 

[srteach]

There are LED bulbs that are designed to run perfectly from 9 to 14VDC. The radio regulates the power anyway in order to eliminate static and interference in the output. Look around, there are wide beam LED lights with from 5 to 180 degrees output.

 

[SLR_65]

OK, this radio bulb is getting to be a ginormous PITA!

I didn't have to fix it, I only listen to one station so I didn't really need the display. I was just in the mood to fix things and figured I might as well fix that while I was at it.

It came apart easily enough, but actually finding this bulb is impossible in town! The Ford dealer doesn't even have them - the parts guy said they haven't carried them in years!

The Sylvania 2721 bulbs are rated at 6.5v, the original GE 74 is rated at 12v so I don't think the 2721 is a good choice for a replacement.

I would go with an LED if I knew it would work, but in my experience with LEDs they usually are very directional and not nearly as bright so you need more of them to make things work right. Though once it's done, you're done with it as LEDs last almost forever.

I'm just not up to an LED project though, I just want to put the dash back together and go on I don't want to have to fabricate circuitry and led mounting. Remember, it's just an old cassette deck radio! I'm actually quite tempted to just put in a nice new radio with a USB port, but I just listen a bit on the way to work so a radio is all I really need.

Sigh . . . I'll just bite the bullet and order a couple off the net and wait a couple days to put things back together. GRRR!

Moral of the story - don't assume bulbs are available in town, get the bulbs first before you tear into the thing!

Thanks for all the input guys!

Steve

 

[straycat]

You know what guys....on my 99 Ranger I have never had to replace a single bulb in all the years I have owned ( bought it new, July 99). The only think that was replaced was the third brake light. I replaced it with an LED unit that I love. I always heard that LED lighting last for about...forever. I asked several of my friends with older Rangers and Toyota trucks and they never had the radio lights ever go out. Maybe a bad wire somewhere instead of a bulb?

 

[SLR_65]

The radio bulb is a known issue. It's only rated for 1,000 hours.

I actually ran into it once on an Aerostar too but the dealership fixed it for me as I'd just bought the thing a couple days before.

The dealership here in town that I went to get a bulb from knew all about it and used to carry them, they just quit a while back as the vehicles who used these radios are getting old enough that there isn't much call for them any more.

Ridiculous though, isn't it? Shining a light bulb through an LCD display to make it look like an LED . . . what engineer trotted into his boss and said "Hey Boss, I got a great idea! Let's put a limited life bulb in a completely solid state device, and let's do it so it looks like it's also a solid state device".

Whatever, bulbs are winging their way here now . . .

 

[SLR_65]

OK, NOW I'm PO'd!

I got bulbs coming and am cleaning up the dust and stuff in the trim and the dash. A friend stopped by and we were talking about this PITA bulb. He asked me if I looked for it myself or if I asked them. I asked them - both at OReilly where I was picking up a Motorcraft temp sender and at Autozone where I went when OReilly said they didn't have the radio removal tool or the bulb.

He laughed, he said he knew Autozone had a HUGE bulb selection and would surely have the bulb. Soooo, I trotted on down to Autozone and headed for the electrical department. Sure enough, a HUGE display of bulbs . . . and the only one they were out of was . . . drum roll, the dog gone 74 I need!!!! OK, I'm ready to blow a gasket now! Misneralbesonsofuh . . . I asked if they had any more in back, they made noises like they were looking in back and then said no. GRRR!!!!

OK, back to OReilly, this time I looked myself - they really didn't have the radio removal tool, BUT they also have a good selection of bulbs and they had a 74 right there! It was even cheaper than Autzone - AZ was almost six bucks and OReilly was about $3 for two! GRRRRRR!

Wow! Lesson learned, never trust the counter people!!!!!

 

[SLR_65]

Oh, I just put the radio in and the display works perfectly!