GCG

My 2003's HUD controls and DIC buttons back lights won't go off. All other lights are fine and they go off normally after the usual delay (door mounted switches, etc.).

I searched the forum trying to find similar problems and found 2 other people that reported exactly the same problem I'm having, but never came back to tell if/how they fixed it. It looks they are not active in the forum anymore. I tried to contact one of them anyway via email but no luck so far...

For reference, these are the 2 postings I found: Caveboy and philip513. I already re-sat the connector plugs on my gauge cluster and there are no signs of moisture anywhere. I keep a de-humidifier in my garage to keep the humidity level under 55% with very good results.

Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide me.


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UPDATE - RESOLUTION
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Although I posted the resolution to this problem back in 2015, I realized it got buried inside this thread when I recently got a PM asking me about this.

I wrote the following summary that I think might be useful for others:

Unfortunately it was the IPC

Here are some links to save me some typing. Basically, these are the options:

• True solution: replace IPC. Since the mileage is stored in the IPC, you have 2 options to keep the correct reading:
  • take/send it to an odometer company to reprogram it
  • transfer the EEPROM chip that keeps the mileage from your old IPC to the new one.
• Workaround solution: take the DIC lights off from their broken circuit and connect them to the Parking Lights circuit. This way your buttons will be lit whenever you switch ON your Parking Lights/Fog Lights/Headlights.
• Easier Temporary Workaround: manually control the DIC lights.

I hope this helps.

GCG

Paging Bill Curlee... Paging Bill Curlee... Please...

GCG

I just found another post reporting the same problem I'm having, but he never came back to tell what happened. He is not an active forum member, so no luck trying to contact him either.

Just as a reference this is the link.

I've been doing some creative searches trying to find out any info I can on this matter, but I'm running out of ideas

GCG

Anyone?...

By any chance, does anybody know or have a way to contact any of the 3 people I found that reported this problem before?

dgrant3830

Well, the obvious thing to start with is to pull your codes and see if anything is revealing itself there. The DIC control is connected to the IPC directly I think so there could be an issue with it and its regulator on the rear of the IPC.

dgrant3830

As far as contacting someone in here, there is the PM which you've already tried and you can send an Email to them via the forum even though it won't show you their email address. Past that, you're out of luck due to privacy rules.

getutowed

im having the same problem with my hud and dic lights did you ever find out what the problem was if you did please help me out thanks.

GCG

So far no luck. I still have the problem

I have tried to contact the 3 people that reported this problem before me, but it seems they are not active in the forum anymore and they never reported back if/how they fixed it.

One of them is a retired engineer (philip513), according to his public forum profile, and when I found him in Facebook my hopes were very high. I tried to contact him via Facebook, but it seems he is not very active there either and I haven't heard from him... You may want to give it a try to see if you have better luck

Please, keep me posted and if you find a solution don't forget to report back here.

doje

Just going to thrown an idea out there because I had a similar situation in another vehicle.

1) Check to see if one of the relays controls this light (sounds like it does).

2) If you can't figure it out, pull each relay one at a time until the lights go off.

3) Once you establish which relay controls it, check for corrosion in the fuse box.

4) Assuming the fuse box looks good, inspect the other relays to see if GM used the same relay in more than one spot. If they did, you can use the other relay to test this circuit. If not, have a buddy come over and borrow his relay for a 20 second test.

This saved me about $200 from the dealer a couple years ago.

Also, remember - you have TWO fuse boxes. One is under the hood and one is on the passenger floorboard behind the carpet.

Report back.

doje

I think the OP is saying that it stays on even after the key has been pulled - thus draining the battery if not corrected. At least, that's what I got from the links he posted.

GCG

That's correct. The back lights for the HUD controls and DIC buttons are always on (even after pulling the key and closing the doors).

All other lights are fine and they go off normally after the usual delay (door mounted switches, etc.).

dgrant3830

Pull your codes and see if anything is showing up. I suspect your BCM is having issues resulting in this. After seeing if there's any codes, I would pull the battery, wait 30 seconds or so and reconnect. Pull and clear any codes following that and see where you stand.

GCG

It doesn't show any codes. I have tried disconnecting the battery, as you suggest, but nothing... still the same.

I too am inclined to think this is BCM related, perhaps a software glitch/corruption.

I'm under the impression that these specific lights are always fed +12v and it's the BCM the one that controls them providing, or taking away, ground directly to that circuit with no relay involved (it's only a few miniature bulbs consuming just a few milliamps), but I haven't confirmed this. Does anybody have the possibility to verify this?

dgrant3830

Look for water on, in or around the bcm in case the udders are plugged up

lilyorkie

did you ever find the problem for this? I have same issue...

GCG

No, I still have it. I have been trying to avoid going to the dealership, so I have searched everywhere and athough there are cases reporting the same exact problem (please, see my previous posts above), nobody has documented a resolution...

For how long have you been having this problem? Did it appear out of the blue, or after something happened to your car?

lilyorkie

I fixed mine, took the light bulbs out, I got the car from my dad, I think for 10 plus years it had this issue, his fix was a trickle charger, I tried a new HUD switch, didnt do anything and all lights on it lit up, I removed the bulbs on the hud and dic switches for now the switches are umbilical to the instrument cluster. I think cluster is screwy of the bcm. Its all hit and miss in the dark, the switch was like 100.00 and thats not the issue.

to go out there at night after it been sitting a hour and those switches are lit up is not a good feeling, you know its sucking the battery down and a potential fire issue!!!!!! Now with bulbs taken out at least it wont burn to the ground.

cdkcorvette7

This is pretty strange. Did you ever check for signs of water around the bcm? Do you know anyone with a C5 near you that might be willing to let you swap in their known good bcm to see if you can isolate the issue?

lilyorkie

can you just swap a bcm? No water around bcm, car was owned by my dad since new in 1999, has 13K miles, sat in garage most life.

cdkcorvette7

Well... I kinda made it sound easier than it is. You CAN just swap BCMs but you'll have to sync it to the PCM or the car won't run. I'm not sure if re-syncing to a different PCM would cause the RPO codes to be lost or not so I guess I'll retract that suggestion...

EDIT

Forum member Bill Curlee is the resident expert on the electrical gremlins on these cars. Send him a PM with the link to this thread in it; he'll be able to make a better recommendation on where to start troubleshooting this really weird case than I can.