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BIG RADIO PROBLE...I'm an idiot...help PLEASE!

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Old 02-15-2008, 05:51 PM
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BIG RADIO PROBLE...I'm an idiot...help PLEASE!

ok so please please please keep your comments about how stupid i am to yourself...

here's the deal


i have had no heat for a while so decided since i am out of warrenty that i was going to see if my *** was broken or something i could fix...

try and try and try to take my radio out....turns out there is a bolt holding it in on the drivers side...stupid me!

well first...in the process of prying the left side of the head unit with a flat head i gouged up the plastic...wondering if a heat gun my help "settle" back into place.

so i finally get the radio out and dissasembled to where i check the connections for the temp ***...nothing wrong...put the radio back in and...oh ****...

my led display is all lit up but says NOTHING!!! just lights up red...my ac controls dont work...except for the left *** (fan control)...nothing else lights up or anything with any of the other buttons...so i take it back out and check all the connections again and reinstall it...same ******* thing...wondering if i fucked something up while trying to pry the head unit out...any advice would be greatly appreciated...

ok if you help me feel free to call me a big ******* idiot...otherwise please dont
Old 02-15-2008, 05:52 PM
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With the battery still connected?


S
Old 02-15-2008, 05:53 PM
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Did you check the fuse box?
Old 02-15-2008, 06:52 PM
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Disconnect the battery, check your fuses, then pull the radio out again and check to make sure all your connections are tight and that there are no broken or damaged wires.

Hopefully something is just disconnected, but something is probably fried. :/

PS: your DSC and traction control lights will come on the first time you start the car after you reconnect the battery. this is totally normal! Turn the wheels all the way to the left and the right, then turn the car off (let it warm up a bit first so it won't flood) and the lights will go away.

In the future, always disconnect your battery before disconnecting any cables even if it doesn't seem like a big job. Better safe then sorry. Also, take the time to track down the full service manual (available in PDF format for free on this site) and use it as a reference when taking apart your car. It will help avoid those pesky hidden bolts and damaged plastics in the future.

I'd be really careful about using heat to fix the plastics. I cant think of anything else to use, but the point where plastic becomes mailable and where it becomes a molten mess are close together.

Last edited by Socket7; 02-15-2008 at 07:00 PM.
Old 02-15-2008, 08:11 PM
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no i did not disconnect the battery when i started this ordeal...i did check the fuse box under the dash...nothing out...if the key is on ACC the light is on...if i pull it out just slightly to unclip the clips on the sides the lights go out instantly on the LED...but will go back on when i push it back in...all connections are good...i disconnected the battery for like 2 minutes...should i leave it disconnected for a while? 30 mins...overnight???

thanks for the help!
Old 02-15-2008, 09:56 PM
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If you did not disconnect the battery before you did this, Well you should have, OK so disconnect the battery and let is sit for about 10-15min. Then reconnect it. See if that helps.
Thats all I could think of? Other than you fryed something by not disconnecting the battery in the first place.
Old 02-16-2008, 10:01 AM
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there is another thread just like it. your mother board is most likely messed up. ive had the same problem. so you could buy a new mother board and it will fix ur problem
Old 02-16-2008, 12:12 PM
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Check the connections to the back of the display. Not the radio.
Old 02-17-2008, 11:43 AM
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I have a similar issue but the exact opposite. I have a working display that doesn't light up. replaced it and same issue. what else can i do i can't jump out another 200 on this project
Old 02-17-2008, 04:46 PM
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ok so here's some more info...none of the lights or buttons on the radio light up at all...the radio works...only my steering wheel controls work...also...i haven't had heat in 3 months and now somehow its stuck on heat and outside air...none of the buttons on the air controls light up either...could i just buy another radio off of ebay or something...basically...would that solve the problem?
Old 02-17-2008, 05:00 PM
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Originally Posted by tskeltonPGA
ok so here's some more info...none of the lights or buttons on the radio light up at all...the radio works...only my steering wheel controls work...also...i haven't had heat in 3 months and now somehow its stuck on heat and outside air...none of the buttons on the air controls light up either...could i just buy another radio off of ebay or something...basically...would that solve the problem?
since your heating/air doesn't work, I'm assuming you fried the climate control motherboard.

you could just buy a new radio and rewire it to have audio, but you still wouldn't have air control.

I believe to fix all the parts would cost around $1k.
Old 02-17-2008, 05:03 PM
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Hey listen I did the exact same thing, had same results your having. It took me a few days but with the help of the forum I finally figured it out. Take the radio back out and disconnect everything,then start taking out the screws on the back holding the front black faceplate onto the unit. Theres a plug on each side of the radio that connects the circut boards on the faceplace to the unit behind it that may have gotten loose or bent when you were prying it. This will cause the LED display not to work, or jumbled text on it, or all kinds of other problems like your heat buttons not working. I pried on the left side too with the bolt in, and ended up bending a little plug in there a little. Once they were apart I also had to pry the plug up a little bit so when the faceplate went back on they fit tight again. Not saying this will definitely work for you, but I had the same exact problem and with a little pushing and bending I got the plugs to fit back together the way they should. Try pushing hard on the faceplate in different spots ( halfway down on both sides especially) and behind the black plastic piece in the middle and see if anything changes. Good luck hope that helps

BTW the heat issue sounds like the heat control module, ( i also have that problem) you can get the piece through some dealers on here i think... do a search and youll find info on it. You can find the ***** with the control module on ebay sometimes for like 80 bucks.

Last edited by shakeyourbrakes; 02-17-2008 at 05:06 PM.
Old 02-17-2008, 05:28 PM
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ok so update...just went out and disconnected the battery for about 25 mins while i took the radio back out...checked all the connections...and then carefully reinstalled the radio...this time...no lights...only thing that works is the fan speed **** on the drivers side...

SHAKEYOURBRAKES...i will try you suggestion when i get a chance...prolly wont have a chance to do it til tuesday...but i will update...so to make sure i understand it...remove the radio...then take the black plasic piece off covering the back of the faceplate and there should be two connections...actually...i'm gonna go check those right now...ill update later tonight
Old 02-17-2008, 06:29 PM
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yea the piano black faceplate on the whole front of the radio is what I mean..theres a couple screws, and a small plug on each side about halfway down..
this is basically your main control over all the functions that connect to it..lcd, fan, radio etc.

Sounds exactely like what happened to me..it drove me crazy until I finally bent a few things around and got those small plugs connected tight again. I felt like an idiot for prying without finding out about that bolt behind the dash first.
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