The mysterious going-ons of Pontiac HU's . . . .

[Breakdown]

Hi, so closing in on two years after my favourite spring day when AJAM's radio just elected to rename all of my favourite radio stations from 102.1 to J12, and 103.5 to H14, AJAM's stereo is acting up again.

 

Antics started last week. Lost my display, so apparently if I tap on it, it comes back. So I can tell time and station. Really need that since I don't wear a watch/have a cell phone. So then yesterday, I start the car in the morning. Time/Station's fine and now the light around the area with the Fade/Balance is gone. Then yesterday I return to my car at night and didn't notice the balance and fade, but clock was gone, tapped the display a little, the fade/balance light comes on, and then after a couple of more taps, fade/balance is gone and clock is back.

 

Seriously WTF??

 

I know that these radios have problems and personally at this age (7 years) I think that it's GM's responsibility to replace them. What I think and what actually will happen tend to be different things most of the time.

 

Amy's display (in my ownership of the car) has never gone away, but that's not to say that the HU doesn't have it's own Gremlins. For two days the thing thought that there was a tape inside and wouldn't accept one. And for more than one full year, the light for the volume control AM/FM buttons was dead, but mysteriously it's returned for more than the last year.

 

I hate the idea of aftermarket stereos, I just like the look of the stock ones, and furthermore would have to be institutionalized if I had to deal with seeing radio controls on the steering wheel and not be able to use them.

 

There's a guy locally here who will replace bulbs for $40, but I'm not altogether convinced that, that's the problem.

 

Thoughts???

[RobertISaar]

i think it's one of the places GM cheaped out on, as my mom's 2000GPSE had a finicky radio. the clock/station light went out after the car was ~5 years old, randomly came back on...

[Crazy K]

I have several of these radios... the 94 ones are perfect, but the 95+ ones have all sorts of problems. I have tested several 95+ ones and the volume knobs are often worn out.

 

FYI: the 94 radios have no aux plug on the rear while the 95+ ones do.

 

 

 

There is a write-up on how to change that bulb, or even convert it to an LED.

http://www.backinblackgp.com/Radio_Lamp_repair.htm

[oscar_wilde]

Might as well hit up a junk yard and get another head unit from a van/grand prix/grand am/whatever. They all look like the exact same radio, so I figured they were.

 

Don't lose your steering wheel controls. I miss mine every day.

[Breakdown]

I have several of these radios... the 94 ones are perfect, but the 95+ ones have all sorts of problems. I have tested several 95+ ones and the volume knobs are often worn out.

 

FYI: the 94 radios have no aux plug on the rear while the 95+ ones do.

 

 

 

There is a write-up on how to change that bulb, or even convert it to an LED.

http://www.backinblackgp.com/Radio_Lamp_repair.htm

 

Ken,

 

Are you even sure that this is the problem?

 

Might as well hit up a junk yard and get another head unit from a van/grand prix/grand am/whatever. They all look like the exact same radio, so I figured they were.

 

I'm not sure that Grand Am is, Montana is, because of the SWRC, but that all being said, it's not like finding an unbroken console lid. Most are already messed and it's hard to tell even if they aren't visibly screwed.

 

 

[no1kicker]

If you tap the radio and the display comes back on, to me that sounds like just the bulbs. Most Pontiacs had those radios from 94-02, product ID 2001 on the top of the radio. Basically if it looks the same, it should work. Some of the early ones had the yellow station display instead of the red, but aside from that all the ones I've had were the same.

[Crazy K]

I have several of these radios... the 94 ones are perfect, but the 95+ ones have all sorts of problems. I have tested several 95+ ones and the volume knobs are often worn out.

 

FYI: the 94 radios have no aux plug on the rear while the 95+ ones do.

 

 

 

There is a write-up on how to change that bulb, or even convert it to an LED.

http://www.backinblackgp.com/Radio_Lamp_repair.htm

 

Ken,

 

Are you even sure that this is the problem?

 

no. but it could be and at least you can go look inside the radio for yourself.

[Regal_GS_1989]

Must be a pontiac thing. I have yet to see a totally messed up radio in another GM product of that era (excluding Bose equipment). Yes, I have seen with completely burned out bulbs, but other then that, they all functioned correctly. I have however seen several pontiacs where the radios where all somehow fucked.

 

 

[jimmyfloyd]

the HU's are all the same in the GA and montana. The radio had the ability of SWRC even if the vehicle didn't. I've used HU's out of all vehicles in my bonneville, mainly to test them for functionality.

 

As for finicky radios, I had one that the volume know went exponential instead of linear, and it would also switch so that no matter which way it was turned, the volume went up til you turned it off.

 

I just had a spare 7 band CD, but I gave it to a friend. I should have a 7 band tape player and a 2 band CD here, which I believe worked (CD might need a display bulb) which you could have for about $20 shipped to you for either.

 

 

[sloick]

I have several of these radios... the 94 ones are perfect, but the 95+ ones have all sorts of problems. I have tested several 95+ ones and the volume knobs are often worn out.

 

FYI: the 94 radios have no aux plug on the rear while the 95+ ones do.

 

 

 

There is a write-up on how to change that bulb, or even convert it to an LED.

http://www.backinblackgp.com/Radio_Lamp_repair.htm

 

Thank you Crazy K. off that link i went down to the radio shack, spent $1.79 on two bulbs and soldered them in my formula's radio. i would have never known how to fix it with out it. and on mine it wasnt even the bulb that was bad, the soldered joint had broken off completely. you and your knowledge kick ass.

[Crazy K]

I have several of these radios... the 94 ones are perfect, but the 95+ ones have all sorts of problems. I have tested several 95+ ones and the volume knobs are often worn out.

 

FYI: the 94 radios have no aux plug on the rear while the 95+ ones do.

 

 

 

There is a write-up on how to change that bulb, or even convert it to an LED.

http://www.backinblackgp.com/Radio_Lamp_repair.htm

 

Thank you Crazy K. off that link i went down to the radio shack, spent $1.79 on two bulbs and soldered them in my formula's radio. i would have never known how to fix it with out it. and on mine it wasnt even the bulb that was bad, the soldered joint had broken off completely. you and your knowledge kick ass.

I LOLed. it is not my write up, I just happened upon it once upon a time. God bless bookmarks.

[sloick]

I have several of these radios... the 94 ones are perfect, but the 95+ ones have all sorts of problems. I have tested several 95+ ones and the volume knobs are often worn out.

 

FYI: the 94 radios have no aux plug on the rear while the 95+ ones do.

 

 

 

There is a write-up on how to change that bulb, or even convert it to an LED.

http://www.backinblackgp.com/Radio_Lamp_repair.htm

 

Thank you Crazy K. off that link i went down to the radio shack, spent $1.79 on two bulbs and soldered them in my formula's radio. i would have never known how to fix it with out it. and on mine it wasnt even the bulb that was bad, the soldered joint had broken off completely. you and your knowledge kick ass.

I LOLed. it is not my write up, I just happened upon it once upon a time. God bless bookmarks.

 

atleast you know where the information is. i had no idea thats what was wrong with it.

[Crazy K]

the bulb in my radio suddenly started working today... i had already bought the LED and resistor needed to convert it...

[Addicted2bass]

I see display problems and burned out lights on those GM radios all the time. You are aware that you can put in a aftermarket radio and keep your SWRC....

[Breakdown]

I see display problems and burned out lights on those GM radios all the time. You are aware that you can put in a aftermarket radio and keep your SWRC....

 

Three problems:

 

1.) I hate the fact that they don't look natural.

 

2.) They tend to cost more money.

 

3.) SWRC modules aren't free.

 

I've had my display working 100% for the last 10 days, but no lights on the fade and balance controls.- who cares.

 

My car's female and I think that Phil Collins once wrote a song about how I managed to fix AJAM's radio:

 

 

(Sorry about the Lion King video, it was the only non-live version that I could find after 60 seconds of searching)

[Breakdown]

Update: 02-23-10

 

 

For the first time in 3-4 weeks AJAM's:

 

Balance

Fade

Hr

Min

 

Light came on.

 

I love it when a plan comes together:

 

 

My plan of doing absolutely nothing other than occasionally flicking the HU, has been executed brilliantly!!