Breaker label backlight

[Charles]

I have an older style panel with the breakers aligned on a single row across the entire width of the panel at the bottom. The backlight behind the labels for the left half of the breakers has stopped working. I can't find this panel layout in the IPC even when I enter my S/N. Can someone point me to the light bulb part that provides this illumination?

[Steve]

Charles:

There is no "bulb" for the backlight, illumination is provided by the electroluminescent panel itself, powered by an inverter (identified by Diamond as the 'Dimming Module') behind the instrument panel. You have either a bad EL panel or bad connection. The inverter would power both panels (as well as a couple of other illuminated placards), so if those are working, the inverter is good.

[Charles]

Thanks Steve. Would you happen to know in what section of the IPC we can find those components?

I seem to recall that I had to replace a fuse inside that dimming module several years ago. Hopefully it's something as simple as that.

[Rich]

Thanks Steve. Would you happen to know in what section of the IPC we can find those components?

I seem to recall that I had to replace a fuse inside that dimming module several years ago. Hopefully it's something as simple as that.

I've searched high and low and can't find it in the IPC. Your panel is like mine and it'll be a chore to find. If you do let me know. None of these lower placards on mine are working.

[Steve]

You will probably have to call Diamond Tech Support. I can't find a P/N in any of the resources I have access to...

[Rich]

The inverter that supplies power to these strips is a MidContinent unit. It's listed in the AFM/POH.

https://www.mcico.com/md26-28

[Charles K]

That does not lookright to me - but I have a 2004 G1000 bird. My inverter is 28V in 110V out.

[Rich]

That does not lookright to me - but I have a 2004 G1000 bird. My inverter is 28V in 110V out.

That’s for the floodlight. There is a different one for the breaker illumination.

[Rich]

Some more information dug out of the IPC. It does not exactly show the Type-2 panel used in the 02/03 planes but it's reasonable to guess that the locations of these parts could be in roughly the same locations.

Excerpt from the IPC

Screenshot 2023-10-08 at 09.16.53.png (40.7 KiB) Viewed 749 times

Parts 300 and 400 are inverters. 400 shows as APVL328-8-3-L-18QF, which is consistent with the AFM for the glareshield inverter. But 300 shows as VL328-8-3-L-11QF. (I suspect a typo and is really APVL328-8-3-L-11QF. The latter doesn't appear in any remotely similar form in the AFM but it seems credible that this would be the switch/CB illumination inverter.

My original AFM shows the -18QF but has neither the aforementioned MD 26-28 nor the -11QF part number. There is mention of "electroluminescent lamps" as Quantaflex 1600.

All very confusing, and since the switch and CB arrangements differ so much across the various iterations of the DA40 I wouldn't take any of these part numbers as holy writ. Actually tracing wiring in these older panels is like digging through mouse nests, but may be the only way to discern what the reality may be. Charles states some of the CB backlight is working. If so this would mean his inverter is still working. Is the switch lighting still working? These are also powered by that same inverter. In my case none of these are working and I suspect it has to do with carelessness when we replaced the accessory plug with a USB port device.