Radio works but it wont light up or illuminate
 

Any help greatly appreciated
I have a 3rd gen 2000 4runner sport
My radio works and u can see the black numbers but it wont light up or illuminate
Any suggestions?

Please help me if u can

Hello, I am new to the forum and new to the 4runner world. We just bought a 2000 4runner last week. Everything seems to be GREAT so far, except I have the same issue with radio backlight. Is there an easy fix?

Thank you

Are there tiny light bulbs behind the unit? On my 4th gen, I have replaced bulbs behind my information display, HVAC controls, and console switches. Just go to a Toyota dealer and have the parts dept give you a part #.

I have the same problem and I've been told that you cant get to the lights in the radio to fix it. Good reason to get a nice touch screen

I took my radio apart somewhat and I was unable to find the bulbs.

I bought a used unit off eBay because I wanted to keep my 4Runner original. It lit up. Two months later the CD stopped working.

I finally put a new Kenwood single DIN in a couple of months ago. It required that I take out the factory amp. I got it from Crutchfield. It took about 20 minutes to install and it sounds great. I didn't change the speakers and they sound much better with the new unit. Plus I can easily play my iPhone tunes.

Here's a good Youtube on how to get in the dash:

How To Install A Head Unit And Speakers Step By Step - YouTube

I have the same problem with mine. A few months back the illumination in the radio would start flickering while I was driving - annoying and distracting as hell. I'd tap the face a few times and the light would stay on but then flicker again later. Now, it doesn't illuminate at all anymore. Honestly I'd rather have it do that then flicker! So it seems no one has found a quick easy way to fix this besides replacing the whole radio.

The radio/cd/cassette still works great other than that, so if you're like me and don't really care about the small inconvenience of not being able to see the radio info at night, learn to change tracks, stations, mode etc... by feel so you don't have to take your eyes off the road. :D

Ttt
Bump

Ttt bump

I just found this post.

Wow it seems that there are a lot of them out there including mine having the same problem.
My unit is in a 2000 SR5.

I took mine off to replace it with a unit bought at EBay. "Bench tested". The lights on the new unit worked, but the CD did not work. I got a full refund including shipping charges.

I wonder if it the same unit from Nervo19!!


I disassembled my old one completely and could not see anything obvious. There are no replaceable bulbs.

My guess is a bad connection since I can get it to work some times by tapping the dash. I even used zip tie to secure the factory connector to the unit. Maybe a bad diode or a capacitor. But which one?

If anybody can find a repair for these, he/she will make a lot people happy and thankful.

So, when I got my 3rd gen a few months ago, the stock radio worked but its lights didnt. I bought a replacement from a guy on this forum for $25 and put it in...easy. Life was good... For about a month or so. Then the lights started flickering and are completely out now, though the radio/cd still plays. Maye time to upgrade??

Yep.
The backlights just aren't meant to be replaceable in any car audio unit I've ever seen.

Happened in my 07 taco have to take to dealer they will replace board that has the built in LEDs

I am resurrecting this tread in hopes someone has learned something further... I am having the same issue in my '00 4Runner Limited.
I am sure the culprit is not a bad bulb, as I replaced all of them. Further, the lights for the entire radio flicker/dim all at once pointing more
toward a loose wire or a worn connection on the rear harness plug.

Does anyone know definitively which of those wires controls the radio illumination?

Seriously. Thirteen people above and there have been other threads about the same issue. All say replace it with aftermarket. It can't be fixed unless you are an electrical engineer. I linked the YouTube above on how to replace it. Twenty minutes if you have your tools organized.

My son has a 2000 Tacoma with the same radio and it still lights up. It's fun to have the cassette player mainly as a curiosity. He has to play his iPhone through one of those cassette adaptors. It sounds terrible.