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car radio?

Hi...

Got my fingers crossed that one or more of you might have a bit of experience on car stereo's and be willing to advise :)

Got a new car (not new, new to me) with a great factory am/fm/cd in it. Works perfectly, except no display.

Googled the prob, found a common fault described, but not applicable to this particular model. (Chrysler infinity, made by Alpine)

What I did find removing the top cover is one of the plugs is marked on the inside as "lamp". Wiggling this a bit, I can make the display come on :)

Downside, hard to describe, is that plug connects to a bit of a vertical pcb, which in turn goes into the top motherboard. Wiggling this will easily turn off/on the display.

Now finally to the embarassing problem. I can fix it easily by reflowing where that vertical board attaches to the motherboard, but how in the world do I get at the bottom of it?

That durned "motherboard" is attached in so many ways and in so many places that I can't imagine getting it out. Even has twist tabs through it that are heavily soldered :(

Could perhaps try to flow a bit of solder through the board, but not enough room to get even the tiniest pencil in there.

Appreciate any suggestions or advice, and thanks in advance.

Take care.

Ken

Reply to
Ken Weitzel
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Reply to
Edward Cowburn

Nothing to be embarrassed about. Not having the proper tools, training or manuals etc. makes it very hard t repair these radios. I used to work at a car audio place, and we also did all kinds of repairs, 2-way commercial radios, CB's, car audio. The GM radios we worked on, any other kind of factory radio we sent out to a specialty shop. There is just too much that can get broken or otherwise screwed up just getting to the problem, as you have found.

Find a reputable shop and get it repaired. Do some looking in the yellow pages and online. What part of the US are you in, anyway?

Reply to
Mike W.

Hi Mike...

Hate to give up, hate to throw it away, and certainly not worth getting repaired commercially - would cost as much as a new one, painful as that must be to those young fellows still in the service business. :(

Finally did get it apart, got to the bottom of the board. Reflowed a few suspicious looking areas, and put it back. Not intermittent display anymore - now it's off all the time :)

Took it out again, followed traces and paths. Found an open choke. Small one, looks like a shorter and fatter axial resistor. Don't know the value, but fortunately another of us wrote me email and has kindly offered to search for one for me :) :)

Then again, if everything else fails, in one of our local for sale groups a fellow has one for sale, that does work. Almost identical, save for only three equalizer slides (mine has 5). Problem that his has is that it won't play burned CD's (does play commercial ones, though) DRM?

Not in the US, about 75 miles north of the US border, in Winnipeg Canada (north of North Dakota). Lots of friends and aquaintances in the USA though :)

Take care.

Ken

Reply to
Ken Weitzel

Usually 1000uH will burn if grounds are not all connected. Many cold solder joints and caps on top PCB. Jeff

Reply to
frontline

Hi Jeff...

Ahh, that's what's happened, then. I'm pretty sure I'm guilty of committing that sin. After a bit of flowing, I tested it in the car without first putting it completely and properly back together.

Are you sure it's 1000uh? There's a pic of it here, if that helps.

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(I called it resistor.jpg; thought it was a shorter and fatter

1/2 watt :)

Also, seeing as it's in the "lamp" circuit, and without it everything but the display works, I guess it's only purpose is to keep display noise out of the radio? If so, can I use instead a few ohm resistor in its place?

Thanks, and take care.

Ken

Reply to
Ken Weitzel

Yes, it is. I usually replace it if burned open but have seen it burned and not open. Any 1000uH around that size should work low ohm resistor will run hotter not what you want inside a hot car radio. Read these type inductors as you would a resistor although never trust either on the middle band if burned they can change color. Jeff

Reply to
frontline

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