The car is a 99 Accord,
The center panel is laid out such that there are two rows of buttons that control:
The a/c
Recirculate
Rear Defrost
Air flow functions
8 Buttons total.
Several days ago the bottom row burned out, I figured all the bulbs simply failed because the car is 11 years old, but then today the other 5 burned out.
Keep in mind by burned out I mean I just can’t see them at night, they still function though.
Why would lots of bulbs suddenly burn out, bad wiring? Fuse? Help! ( I drive this car at night quite often so i’ll go crazy if theres a big black spot in the middle of my console)
Sorry, but if these bulbs are all eleven years old, more burning out shortly after others have simply mean they all had about the same lifetime. Some may consider that to be an a bit strange, but anything can happen after eleven years.
Replace, report back if the new ones burn out quickly.
It is highly unlikely all those bulbs burned out at the same time. Possible, Murphy says, but not likely. The filaments of new bulbs are pretty solid, but with use, they start eroding, and changing cross-section, until a spot gets thin enough it busts when the bulb is powered. With many bulbs, they are going to burn out at totally different times.
While I know nothing about the exact structure of the panel on that car, it sure sounds like an open circuit or some such. Bummer.
Unless someone has a better idea, it sounds as if someone has to open that panel up. Not sure if you will want to do it on a car that old, it’s up to you.
One bulb may provide the light for an entire “bank” of switches. I think you’ve burned out 2 bulbs rather than 8.
About all you can do is find out how to pull out the center panel and see how many bulbs you need to replace.
Thanks UT,
I’m pretty comfortable with pulling the center panel,
Is the correct procedure to turn on the lights, and then start removing bulbs until the rest light up? Or am I going to have to try and replace them one at a time?
Are you suggesting that this circuit could be like xmas tree lights, where one bad bulb screws them all over?
jmw