Radio comes and goes.
 

My car is a 2001 with the 3.4. The radio is factory cd with rds.
While driving a couple of weeks ago, the radio quit. The buttons were still lit up, but the display was blank and no sound. I checked fuses and they were good.

While driving a few days later, the lights on the dash all lit up as if the key had just be turned on and the raido started working.

This continues to happen with no consistancy at all. The radio may work for a few days with no problems. It also may stay off for a few days. It will also come and go multiple times during any given day.

When the radio comes back on, the time memory has been lost but the station memory has not.

Once while checking the fuses while the car was on, I pulled the radio fuse and put it back and the radio worked for a short period. If I try this now the radio does not come back.

Recent work on the car includes intake gasket, coolant level sensor, and we programed a new remote.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks for reading.

The work you did has no bearing on the radio. Sounds to me like the radio may just be going bad, that one of the internal circuits is loosing power. The reason you loose the time but not the memory is the time relies on the power to the radio's circuits, but the time is committed to a memory (much like flash memory used in a digital camera).

Before going absolutely nuts, go have a battery/alternator test done on the car at a local parts store (they typically offer it free). I wonder if this is a sign of a strange charging problem.

it could be the amplifier in the trunk as well. thats what happened to my sons 2001 ss we thought it was the radio, so we bought a new stock radio and it ended up being that amplifier.

I hooked up a home battery charger tester and it showed battery at 35% with car off. I started the car and it shows alternator at 38% and check light on charger tester keeps coming on. I am going to try to get by the parts store this weekend to have a proffesional tester hooked up to it.

We also have a 2005 impala, might check to see if that amp is compatible to see if that is the problem.

I am thinking about running a hot wire to the radio to see if it will work right.

Any thoughts?

Brad

I do not recommend running a hot wire to the stereo. One is, you already know the stereo is getting some power (since when it fails, it still has lights).

I know in some GM cars the amp is more then just an amp (it's additional guys to the radio). Hypothetically, the radio going out *could* be related to a bad amp (if the amp is what sends the power to the radio, but I'm doubting that).

I'd say swap the radio with the Impala BUT GM put a nice little theft lock feature requiring the radio to be re-programmed with a TechII.

I have known some GMs to get "goofy" when the battery/alternator are not working (as the car is not getting all the power it's supposed to). I'd wait to see what the parts store tester reports. But I think it sounds like a battery or alternator may be going bad based on what you shared.

I hooked the same charger up to the Impala and it shows battery at 90% and alternator 95%

maybe the alternator is going out

Here is an update.

I took the car by the parts store and they did a check and said the alternator, battery and starter were good.

The junk yard had a sale this weekend so I went looking for a amp 10432571 but had no luck.

I did pick up a radio from a 01 impala 09394149. From what I have read this will have to be programed for my car at a dealer.

If I plug it in to my car will it at least light up the display? I do not want to pay a dealer if my problem is elsewhere.

Also I had the rear defogger on when this first occured and I do not think it is working. I know they share a common fuse underhood that is good.

brad

Odd, but there is a harness down below your coolant overflow tank that is wiring for your gauges and radio and what not. Check this and see if there are any wires shorting out, etc. Also check your ground wires over on the transmission and next to the battery. Electrical problems can be a PITA. It could also be the factory amp. So many possibilities!!

I checked some things and just found more questions.

I have 12 volts under hood and pass door fuse.
What is strange is that the non power side will also show some volts both under hood and fuse box.

Pulled radio and checked b1 in the plug and the volts change. It may have 12 one time and 2 the next or 5.

I pulled the Pos battery cable and still got volts at the plug.

I ran a jumper to b1 and the radio turned on but had no sound.

If I can find an amp that is my next move. Will one from an impala work? It has a different part number 10432572.
I may also try the metra 70-2021 amp bypass and see if I can get sound.

Also where do I need to check to find if there is power at the rear defogger?

I unplugged the amp and connected the speaker leads and now I have sound.

Need to find another amp. Looks like that is the problem.