New SHO owner, new member, new problem (climate control)

[Drover]

I just bought an 89 SHO last weekend. Everything was in good working order except the stereo. I brought it in to Best Buy to have a new aftermarket head unit installed. About 90 seconds after I pulled away I noticed the climate control display no longer worked. The climate control itself still functions, and if you look very closely and kind of squint, you can still make out the numbers in the readout, but they're no longer back-lit. Question #1: Is it coincidence that this happened after a head unit install? Question #2: Is there a fix other than replacing the unit (which doesn't sound terribly traumatic in its own right anyway)?

Thanks for your help and have mercy on a n00b.

Cheers,

-Drover

 

[projectSHO89]

It's pretty unlikely it's a coincidence.

Either the BB installer knocked something loose, or a wire was connected wrong and you EATC illumination was lost due to a blown fuse.

Welcome aboard.

Steve

 

[jelloslug]

I would say that the back light bulb may be loose or the connectors to the climate control head unit are loose or corroded. I forget, do the buttons on those units light up? If so do they work properly on your unit? The last time I saw an '89 style EATC was in '94....

 

[Drover]

It's pretty unlikely it's a coincidence.

Either the BB installer knocked something loose, or a wire was connected wrong and you EATC illumination was lost due to a blown fuse.

Would a blown fuse be responsible for the loss of climate control display alone without any other symptoms such as other electronic function loss, or loss of climate control function itself? In other words, does the climate control display have its own fuse? I'm certainly no expert, having just bought this thing and all, but that seems a bit unlikely. "Knocked something loose" seems a lot more plausible...

I would say that the back light bulb may be loose or the connectors to the climate control head unit are loose or corroded. I forget, do the buttons on those units light up? If so do they work properly on your unit? The last time I saw an '89 style EATC was in '94....

Buttons are not light-up. If the connectors are loose, would that not also knock out the climate control function itself?

Thanks for your help folks. I'm hoping it's as simple as a loose wire, fuse, etc. In the meantime I've discovered that if I shine a flashlight at the display, I can see the readout well enough to set the temp at whatever setting I need. A clumsy workaround, but it'll get me by for now.

 

[white93atx]

I got a used EATC out of a 97 Town Car will it work in my 93 SHO ? part # isF7VH-19C933-AA .