Panasonic M4411

[Lomaxman]

Can anyone help? I have just bought a 1998 RAV 4 Freesport - delighted with it. However, the display on the Panasonic TM4411 radio /cd player is very faint. On a bump it has come on brightly twice, but soon returns to very faint. Does this mean the face plate is faulty / damaged? Can the brightness be increased - the handbook doesn't seem to say so. Any chance of getting another one reasonably? I have found one in Canada for £15 + P&P, but its not dediacted to a RAV 4 - just looks the same. Any advice appreciated. Lomaxman, Devon, UK.

[anchorman]

I'm not fully familiar with this head unit but a lot of the earlier displays were back lit with minature bulbs. A local radio specialist will usually sort them out but you can probably do it yourself if you take the radio out.

[three5]

Can anyone help? I have just bought a 1998 RAV 4 Freesport - delighted with it. However, the display on the Panasonic TM4411 radio /cd player is very faint. On a bump it has come on brightly twice, but soon returns to very faint. Does this mean the face plate is faulty / damaged? Can the brightness be increased - the handbook doesn't seem to say so. Any chance of getting another one reasonably? I have found one in Canada for £15 + P&P, but its not dediacted to a RAV 4 - just looks the same. Any advice appreciated. Lomaxman, Devon, UK.

Hi, - and welcome to TOC. I had one of these Panasonic units in an Isuzu Trooper which suffered the same problem. I sent it back to Panasonic who repaired it. No problems afterwards. From memory it was £30 - £35 including P&P and I considered it good value. I guess you will be able to find thew Panasonic Service Department with Google as I didn't keep the details. The unit was in an "R" registered vehicle which is still going strong - as is the radio! Good luck

[Lomaxman]

I'm not fully familiar with this head unit but a lot of the earlier displays were back lit with minature bulbs. A local radio specialist will usually sort them out but you can probably do it yourself if you take the radio out.

Thanks Anchorman - but you say 'Take the radio out'. Surely that isn't needed as the fault lies not in the majority of 'guts' the radio, but in the removable head?

[anchorman]

Yes if the faceplate pops off. As I said I'm not familiar with it but if you try shining a torch in the front and can see ghost images you might have some success with bulbs. Have a fiddle - you've got nothing to lose.