Radio LED display fix!!!

[fifthranger]

Ok I know this is a pretty old thread but I have a question. If I remove the radio to clean and re-solder the circuit board and it DOESN'T work wouldn't I have to enter the code to unlock the radio? And is it possible to enter the code without the benefit of the display?

A radio with no display is better then a locked out radio with no display!

I don't think that it is a matter of a code to enter. If that were the case, then I would have had to enter a code when I reinstalled the radio or when I sent the radio out for repair the repair tech. would have needed my code. Also, there is no code in my records or with my owner's manual. It could be that you messed something up. That is why I wasn't going to mess with it. The guy I dealt with guaranteed that it could be fixed, and he even bought the special tool or whatever that he needed out of his own pocket. I trusted him enough based on internet reviews to send him a check with the radio, and if he were able to fix the radio then he was to cash the check. I figured for $89, and my wife and I out of a radio for almost two weeks at Thanksgiving, that the worst that could happen was either needing a new radio or out the $89. I needed the radio fixed A.S.A.P. and didn't feel like a couple more days of delay by sending him the check after the radio was fixed. Knock-on-wood, it still works great, and my advice, google search 'double-din' radio or visit www.elextronix.com. A new radio (nothing fancy) but with all the brackets/etc. can run as little as $99 with free ground shipping (at least when I was looking for a replacement before the holidays). How can you beat that? And, I think the black one I was interested in had an IPOD hookup. Compare that to the dealer wanting up to $600 for a new radio with one disc CD player.

[TonyV2000]

Hey fifthranger thanks for the reply. I was under the assumption that if power was removed from the head unit it would "lock out" and require a code to unlock it. Some kind of security feature. I kinda recall the dealer talking about this when I bought the truck 12 years ago but I haven't been able to find the info either.

Do you recall where/who fixed yours for $89? The guy on eBay no longer has any listings. I haven't trying to contact him directly. Also the link you provided (elextronix.com) appears to be dead.

[fifthranger]

http://www.electronix.com/telephone-c-15.html is the correct link.

duanne harrison is the guy I used that was recommended here. His email is: dharrison@ab-tech-inc.com

Sorry for the confusion.

[Sal001]

I have a display problem on my 98 Explorer and found a reasonable repair guy. Now I want to remove the radio and bring it to him. Any ideas on how to remove the radio?
Thx

[99Merc5.0]

Originally Posted by Sal001

I have a display problem on my 98 Explorer and found a reasonable repair guy. Now I want to remove the radio and bring it to him. Any ideas on how to remove the radio?
Thx

go to best buy or radio shack and buy the ford radio keys. Stick them in the four holes on the face plate. push them in about an inch then pull outwards. Your deck will pop right out. I have also seen people use metal coat hangers that have been cut and bent

[Garth]

The tool is like 5 bucks.

[SkeeterDon]

just use a few skinny screwdrivers, that is what I did

[SPF27]

Just fixed my display using the directions in this thread. Cost me $6 for the DIN removal tool and $10 for a basic soldering kit at radio shack. Took me about 30 minutes and I have very little experience working with electronics. I cleaned the bottom of the circuit board with a toothbrush and rubbing alcohol then used the soldering iron to heat up as many connections as possible to repair the connections. It worked! Just have to wait and see how long it lasts. Anyone can do this.

[SPF27]

Well that didn't last long, display is out again. Anybody know where I can get a replacement board? I've heard pioneer no longer has them...

[fifthranger]

^ A few pages up, and you will realize that the boards have now been used up. Most members used Ebay. Unfortunately, I think that you have to purchase a new radio.

[Didionkh]

Ebay search... I haven't seen biscaynekid put a listing up for a while (haven't been checking) but he guarantees his work. He did mine, and it was $65 a while ago. Not sure what he's charging now. There is a "save my sanity" program too on ebay, but if I recall, it was quite a bit more.

The reason yours didn't hold, and I had the same problem, is the entire board needs reworked. You have to raise some of the resistors because they are way too close to the board. I don't have the patience or the rock steady hands. $65 was well worth it to me.

[Jack Crow]

Hi all,
I want to thank the guy who posted the 'fix' information on the radio.
Wonderful stuff.

That article goes back a number of years.
The radios have gotten older.

Got one on my bench today. May 22 2013
Another shop fixed it in 2003 and did a reasonable job.

Since then the display went dark and I ended up with it.
The mechanic service I use was desperate to get this running for the client.

Found a problem above and beyond what I scoped out on this thread.
This might be useful to others here.

What I found were, two little caps that wore out.
100uF at 16 volts and 10uF at 6.3 volts.
On the ESR meter they were opens.
Better than 30 ohms.
The new caps read an ohm or less.

In electronics there are two ways to measure caps.
One is to read their value with a traditional cap meter.
Nice but nearly useless in the world if fixing power sources.

The other is with a tool called an ESR meter.
It's a specialty item that guys in my line (fixing exotic gear) use.

If anybody is interested ping me and I can send you some information about ESR meters.

Back to the radio.

Followed the posted article and pulled the power supply module.
Found my share of tired soldering and like I said, two bad caps with the ESR meter.
The other three caps if memory is any good, tested fine and there was no need to replace.

As of right now I do not have access to the vehicle.
Do not have a test cable to plug it into the bench assets.
Will give it back to the mechanic tomorrow evening and hopefully find out directly if this now works.

This could be why some of you guys try this repair and either it works for a short time, stays dim or totally dark.

When the caps go bad the little switching power supply that is the module fails to start and run.

If I get a second unit, will prepare a photo article for the team here.

So again, thanks for the leg up on this repair and the wonderful information.

Thanks in advance.
Radio Mike aka Jack Crow
Herndon Virginia.

[CDW6212R]

Welcome to the forum, and thanks for the input.

Were those caps located on the power supply, or on the main radio board? My Mach radio some rare times does odd things, logic related that I'd suspect are from the main board electronics. The most recent time I lost the controls from the steering wheel, and the button lights all went out. While running about 15 minutes later it came back and worked fine.

I'm planning to have a spare deck repaired, and it will be good to know about any other issues they will have given more age.

[Jack Crow]

CDW,
Thanks for the greeting.

Just want to follow up with today's results.

The short answer is, the radio works.
The display is back.

The long answer, it was not so easy.
When the front panel separates from the rest of the radio, there is a wire connector and two circuit board connectors.
The wire connector is fine, the board connectors caused some pain.

Those two lost their physical integrity.
All that held them onto the board were their pins, the plastic was wrenched by the prior repair agency so that it failed.

With some help we were able to get the connections to mate and the display came back up.

So the cap change on that little power supply (the one the article here mentioned) might have to be a 'new rev' on the repair of these things.
Reflow the joints, change the caps, clean well, inspect with a low power microscope. Hopefully all will be well.

Keep it safe.

Radio Mike aka Jack Crow
Herndon VA

[harley75]

Originally Posted by Fonseca

THIS APPLIES TO FORD 98 & UP FORD DISPLAY GOING DIM OR BEING COMPLETELY OUT.....

I HAVE INSTRUCTIONS FOR YOU

Very Simple FIX TO THE PROBLEM

www.caraudiolabs.net

email me for instructions at

caraudiolab@aol.com

what are they your email is a dead one

[harley75]

Originally Posted by CDW6212R

Welcome to the forum, and thanks for the input.

Were those caps located on the power supply, or on the main radio board? My Mach radio some rare times does odd things, logic related that I'd suspect are from the main board electronics. The most recent time I lost the controls from the steering wheel, and the button lights all went out. While running about 15 minutes later it came back and worked fine.

I'm planning to have a spare deck repaired, and it will be good to know about any other issues they will have given more age.

heard back from pioneer they no longer make the power supply board for the radio and if they did the cost was $181.95 so i guess 85.00 to get it fixed isn't bad.So i took radio out look at board under the glass seen all joints on the resistors were bad so i hit them with a 15w and looked again they are all good.So i put radio back in and it lit up for a few seconds dimm then faded out i think it would be better to get another radio for 120.00 and has a year warrenty i had that radio out 4 times