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View Full Version : Delco Radio problem


digger242j
03-07-2004, 06:41 AM
Ok, first thing I have to admit is that we're not talking about a Chevy truck--it's my wife's 1996 Lumina, but I'm thinking the radio would be similar to what they put in the trucks.

The radio is a Delco. Am/Fm/ Cassette, and it has SRV (speed related volume, I think), and the theft lock system. My wife says she's totally unfamiliar with the theft lock thing--she's never even touched it since she bought the car when it was one year old. The car has about 166,000 miles on it now.

Here's the problem--the radio cuts out for no apparent reason. Sometimes it'll stay off for a few seconds, and sometimes for a half an hour. Sometimes it'll play for a few seconds, and sometimes for 10 minutes. It'll go off when you hit a bump, but not always, and sometimes it doesn't even need to hit a bump. Yesterday it cut out while the car was sitting in the garage, not running, when all I did was tap the front of the radio with my finger. When it goes off, the clock display goes dark as well, but when it comes back on the time is still correct. It eats cassettes, so the tape player hasn't been used in a long time. If you turn the volume all the way up, you can still hear a little noise from the speakers--not words or music, just a slight hiss.

I thought maybe it was a bad power connection, but the fact that the clock stays correct and there's that little bit of output from the speakers seems to rule that out. Second thought was that somewhere inside there's a mechanism to turn the radio off when a cassette is inserted, but I spent 15 minutes yesterday poking around inside there with a pencil and it still just seemed to turn on and off with no rhyme or reason.

With that kind of mileage, we're not going to sink a lot of money into repairing the radio, but on the other hand, it has that kind of mileage because she spends a lot of time on the road, and a reliable radio would be nice.

Any ideas?

:huh

76chevyman
03-07-2004, 07:14 AM
I think its the wiring even though the clock stays on there usally are two power supplys one stedy 12 volt and a 12volt when the ignition is on. it could be a bad ground. or even the unit it self is gone. ive had that happen in a s10 i had. as for the theft system.i think that has nothing to do with it. that just means that if the radio is taken it ont work in another car just that one. Which there usally are ways around. If it keeps giving you trouble i have one out of a 92 s10 . that should bolt right in. or also for the price of after market radios these days and free installation it may not be a bad idea.

Rich:burnout

wyldman
03-07-2004, 08:09 AM
It's a common problem on the newer Delco radio's.Not sure exactly what goes wrong internally,but I have seen quite a few go bad recently.

It still wouldn't hurt to pull the radio,and double check the wiring connections,just to make sure.

digger242j
03-10-2004, 02:20 PM
Thanks for the replies, guys. :)

Just something else to add to my honeydo list...

Adams Plowing
03-11-2004, 01:36 AM
If it turns out to be a bad radio i would probaly go with a decient aftermarket radio... becides if the car dies/you get rid of it you can always remove the new radio you put in and transfer it to another vechical and or keep it for a spair if another one goes bad... there pretty simple anymore to install usually you can get both the convertor wireing harness to snap right in to the factory harness for relitivly cheap and the adapter backing plate for relatively cheap which will neatly fill the space difference between the aftermarket radio and the big clunky delco radios. plus doing it that way will probably be a heck of alot cheaper than buying a new delco radio... and by being aftermarket it will be able to go in any vechical aslong as ya get the different adaptors for the harness..

festerw
03-11-2004, 03:17 AM
Throw out that worthless stock radio and get something good, you could get yourself a real nice aftermarket unit for alot cheaper than the crap stock one.