Radio Backlight Problem

[Gisetta]

Greetings,

Sadly whilst driving at night I noticed the backlight for the radio has failed. The actual display of the numbers still works but the illumination lighting does not so I am unable to see any numbers at night. The lighting for the Climate Control still works but I'm curious if any of you have had a similar failure and what you have done to repair it.

It's weird because I just had the car looked at am concerned someone tinkered with the car. If a surge was caused, it couldn't have killed just the backlight, but rather the radio itself as well as the number/display as opposed to just the lighting.

Any issues or ideas on how to resolve. Apparently I may require a soldering iron.

[1990LS400]

Did the tinkering involve pulling the radio out or other work inside the dashboard? I assume there is a wire from the radio tied to the dash light level rheostat switch.

If that's not it, the backlight bulb(s) could be burned out. I think there are one or more past threads on how to replace the bulb(s) or the entire LCD. Use the following search form and put +radio +backlight in the Find Words field and limit your search to the ES300 forum: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index.php?app=core&module=search

[Gisetta]

Did the tinkering involve pulling the radio out or other work inside the dashboard? I assume there is a wire from the radio tied to the dash light level rheostat switch.

If that's not it, the backlight bulb(s) could be burned out. I think there are one or more past threads on how to replace the bulb(s) or the entire LCD. Use the following search form and put +radio +backlight in the Find Words field and limit your search to the ES300 forum: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index.php?app=core&module=search

Hi there. Firstly thanks for the response, I appreciate it. The tinkering was an overall inspection of the car and the radio was left off I believe. Can you confirm there is no fuse in the car for the backlight of the LCD?

Had a bit of a look around on these and similar forums and it seems I'll need to pry apart the trim, access and remove the radio than open it up to confirm which part of the backlight is broken.

[1990LS400]

Both our 98 Camry and 00 LS have a radio 1 fuse in the engine compartment fuse box and a radio 2 fuse in the fuse box under the dash -- typical of cars made by Toyota. I wouldn't think one of these fuses would be only for the radio LCD backlight but by all means check them and all the other fuses.