84 "light button" on the radio

[84sr54wd]

I was just curious if anyone else was having or has had this issue....I have the radio where in the lower left corner of it there is a button labeled "light." At night, when the headlamps are at least in the parking light ON position, when that light buttonn is depressed, it is supposed to illuminate the radio. What mine is doing is if I hold the switch in, the lights on the radio work....but as soon as I release my finger, the lights on the radio go off. I can hear the switch clicking ok, but it seems like maybe the internal contacts are slightly over bent or something because there is no position I can move the light button to where it will stay on by itself. Has anyone pulled the radio out of the car and taken it apart? I need to read the FSM and see how to pull the radio....then see if I can pull the radio down and fix it somehow. I was curious if anyone has taken this on?

[irowiki]

I don't think very many people who actually want a radio use the stock radio!

Sounds like the light switch is bad, and I'm not sure a replacement would be available.

A new radio (or a used radio from the last say 15 years) would give far better sound quality and options.

[84sr54wd]

I don't think very many people who actually want a radio use the stock radio!

Sounds like the light switch is bad, and I'm not sure a replacement would be available.

A new radio (or a used radio from the last say 15 years) would give far better sound quality and options.

My factory radio is still intact after all of these years and it works fine. In the spirit of originality, I am keeping it...at least for now. I don't need a kicking sound system in this car....it would not look right with a moderm LED back-lit set-up. I have 8 other cars with nice sound systems....this Tercel works and it is nice and as it was inside fresh from the lot in '84. I've replaces the two rear speakers and it sounds fine. Just no bass. I am the type that likes that. I think I am going to take it apart and see if I can fix it. I thought perhaps what I could if the swtich was bad is to wire the switch straight closed so that the backlighting on the radio works all of the time when the parking lights/headlamps are on.

[Petros]

I like my stock radio too, I hate all the flashing LED lights on the newer radios. The stock radio keeps the car looking "vintage". My light used to work, it would stay on when you press the button when the radio was on, and would go off when you push the button again. now it does not work at all, not wanting to take it apart, I just have to find the station I want by turning the tuner slowly at night when I can not see the radio.

[irowiki]

I haven't had a vintage radio that was in a tercel work, yet!

I need CD's and aux input and USB connections and bluetooth anyway... I'm an audio sort of guy

[84sr54wd]

I like my stock radio too, I hate all the flashing LED lights on the newer radios. The stock radio keeps the car looking "vintage". My light used to work, it would stay on when you press the button when the radio was on, and would go off when you push the button again. now it does not work at all, not wanting to take it apart, I just have to find the station I want by turning the tuner slowly at night when I can not see the radio.

I agree...mine works fine...I have rigged it so that the light stays on by keeping the button depressed. I built a little shim that holds the light button in LOL. I took the radio apart yesterday but no way I could operate on it. Was afraid I'd break it.