what now! no radio display

[madvette74]

well, I heard this may be a problem with explorers, but now the radio display isn't working, the radio works, just no display.. is there a fix, or is the fix a new radio?

 

[explorer99xlt]

this happened to me when i bought my x and i just upgraded but i am sure that you will have to buy a new one hope that helps

 

[rtbrjason]

If you're handy with solder you can fix it. If not, there is a guy on the net that will send you a new display power board. It's very easy to replace, but requires pulling your stereo out of the dash. Also very easy.

http://www.shareamemory.com/radio/

 

[madvette74]

THANKS, I was going to ask for some instuctions on removal.....

 

[gijoecam]

www.pacificaudiotech.com

Ask for Trevor. He bailed me out after I attempted to repair mine and made mincemeat out of the display power supply board.

Common problem. There are some connections on the display power supply board that go bad over time.

-Joe

 

[georgiemporgie]

well, I heard this may be a problem with explorers, but now the radio display isn't working, the radio works, just no display.. is there a fix, or is the fix a new radio?

I've got the exact same problem.

 

[madvette74]

I drove to VIDEO SERVICE SHOP in weymouth mass (781-337-6800) http://videoservicestop.com/carradios/ about a 25 min drive.. i heard they have a good turn aound and warranty... well I got there, and they gentleman there (I believe james or jason, " i'm no good with names") had repaired my radio in less than a hour... that was super nice of him, I mentioned the traffic jam that I was going to be in heading back, he was kind of enough to suggest stopping for a bite to eat, and drop back and he would have it done..
very good service.... I would recommend this company any day..

 

[v8q]

Radio display blank

This just happened to my 98...
The fix for me was very easy. If you can handle getting the radio out and are capable of taking it apart and soldering then the repair is very easy and cheap. I won't go into the details of this here - because quite simply if you can not figure out how to remove the radio and identify the big brown spot on the DC-DC converter board inside, you should leave this repair to someone who can. You will just cost yourself more money in the long run. Don't take offense - but there are lots of tiny surface mount parts and you need to know how to work with them.

The problem is the DC-DC converter board overheats on some resistors. Eventually the solder melts and the connections go bad. The repair is to simply resolder these connections and you are back on the road. For a more permanent repair, I would suggest replacing the 2 watt resistors with maybe a 5 watt. Total cost for parts is just a few dollars. If your circuit board is badly burned, you may have to get a new one. Any Ford authorized radio repair shop could do this for you. Personally, I find the factory head units to be of superior quality than the most of the aftermarket stuff out there - so it is worth it to repair yours.

www.pacificaudiotech.com

Ask for Trevor. He bailed me out after I attempted to repair mine and made mincemeat out of the display power supply board.

Common problem. There are some connections on the display power supply board that go bad over time.

-Joe

 

[gijoecam]

This just happened to my 98...
The fix for me was very easy. If you can handle getting the radio out and are capable of taking it apart and soldering then the repair is very easy and cheap. I won't go into the details of this here - because quite simply if you can not figure out how to remove the radio and identify the big brown spot on the DC-DC converter board inside, you should leave this repair to someone who can. You will just cost yourself more money in the long run. Don't take offense - but there are lots of tiny surface mount parts and you need to know how to work with them.

The problem is the DC-DC converter board overheats on some resistors. Eventually the solder melts and the connections go bad. The repair is to simply resolder these connections and you are back on the road. For a more permanent repair, I would suggest replacing the 2 watt resistors with maybe a 5 watt. Total cost for parts is just a few dollars. If your circuit board is badly burned, you may have to get a new one. Any Ford authorized radio repair shop could do this for you. Personally, I find the factory head units to be of superior quality than the most of the aftermarket stuff out there - so it is worth it to repair yours.

I *thought* I could repair it myself.... I made mincemeat out of the solder joints and circuit connections with the soldering iron. Additionally, the pot that acts as a volume control is apparently quite prone to failure as well. Not sure what he does to it, but he seals it up to prevent it from failing as well.

It took a pro that does these all the time about 4 hours to get mine working again. It's easy to screw it up.

-Joe

 

[jmason]

radio display repair

I just removed and shipped mine out today to the video service shop in MA..I have spoken to the guy, sounds very professional, and he responded to an email question very quickly.... To remove the radio, I didnt use the coathanger or special removal tool. I had the plastic woodgrain trim off to put gages in the a/c registers, and realized I could depress the metal clips and slide it on out...totally easy. just remove the 2 screws that hold the trim peice on, and gently pry the trim off.. the whole radio slides out, and you can get to the clips..it looks like someone had already tried to use the tool, can see some chips and scrapes in the holes...

 

[Sal85]

radio display repair

I also had a display that didn't work in my 00 limited. I just bought the truck 2 weeks ago. it didn't work when i got it but i figured i could fix it. I took the radio out and the board out and resoldered every connection and put it all back together. The display now works when it feels like which is an improvement but still not 100%. Any one have any more ideas?

 

[pfeffer1728]

radios

you ought to just buy an aftermarket head. i put a pioneer in mine, and it sounds fantastic. its an easy install, and makes for a really nice sound system for under 200 bucks. and it'll fix the display problem too.

 

[rizzjc]

You could try this:
http://www.fixyourford.com/
Scroll to the bottom.

 

[kru]

Try www.replacementradios.com They offer a 6 month warranty and specialize in factory radios.

Here's the link to that repair:

http://replacementradios.com/product_info.php?cPath=289_315&products_id=138

 

[v8q]

THIS IS AN OPINION.
YOU MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT ONE.

As a stereo installer for several years, and owner of a car stereo repair shop for a year (until I got a real job that paid real money), I would never replace a factory head unit without a good reason in a vehicle that was worth anything. The simple fact is that most factory units - in particular the upper end models, are most likely better than anything you can find aftermarket. They fit better, look better, and are repairable 10 years from now.
Not to mention you hurt the resale value of the car with the non-factory stuff.
If you want to change speakers, that is a different story but try to maintain the factory look unless you plan to market your car to 16 year old boy racers.

The downside to the factory setup would be in special features like an i-pod interface. There are ways around this though and should be looked at before you downgrade to an aftermarket head unit.

btw, the factory head unit in my 1998 Explorer already IS made by Pioneer.
My 1991 Audi has a Blaupunkt/Bose system. In both cases it would take some serious money to build an aftermarket system that out performed them - unless all you were after was lots of noise.

you ought to just buy an aftermarket head. i put a pioneer in mine, and it sounds fantastic. its an easy install, and makes for a really nice sound system for under 200 bucks. and it'll fix the display problem too.

 

[gijoecam]

THIS IS AN OPINION.
YOU MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT ONE.

As a stereo installer for several years, and owner of a car stereo repair shop for a year (until I got a real job that paid real money), I would never replace a factory head unit without a good reason in a vehicle that was worth anything. The simple fact is that most factory units - in particular the upper end models, are most likely better than anything you can find aftermarket. They fit better, look better, and are repairable 10 years from now.
Not to mention you hurt the resale value of the car with the non-factory stuff.
If you want to change speakers, that is a different story but try to maintain the factory look unless you plan to market your car to 16 year old boy racers.

The downside to the factory setup would be in special features like an i-pod interface. There are ways around this though and should be looked at before you downgrade to an aftermarket head unit.

btw, the factory head unit in my 1998 Explorer already IS made by Pioneer.
My 1991 Audi has a Blaupunkt/Bose system. In both cases it would take some serious money to build an aftermarket system that out performed them - unless all you were after was lots of noise.

Decent enough advice, but most people (at least most that I know) don't replace the stereo with the intent of selling the vehicle. Most people replace the stereo for one of two reasons: The OEM stereo takes a dive, or an aftermarket one has more appeal to them, either features, or sound quality-wise. Aftermarket stereos offer a lot of additional features that the OEM units never did, and that appeals to a lot of buyers out there.

Additionally, as is often the case, the cost to repair the factory HU meets or exceeds the cost to replace it with an aftermarket HU. Replacement makes perfect sense if you're looking at it from a strictly financial standpoint.

-Joe

 

[belvin20]

You will have pull the radio out and take it to a radio shop to have the display replaced. Had it done my 99, cost about $150.00. My radio was a Sony, repair shop said display was a common problem. You can take the radio out is about 5 minutes with the too you can buy from Autozone for about $6.00.

 

[Busmom63]

I've got the exact same problem.

Same problem , what did you do to fix?

 

[Busmom63]

THANKS, I was going to ask for some instuctions on removal.....

Same problem here . Radio works but display intermittently goes out. What was the problem ?

I've got the exact same problem.

sam problem here . Display intermittently goes blank or is hard to read. What was your problem .? Mine is a 2016 PI Utility

 

[Fix4Dirt]

perhaps your post would be better answered in the 5th gen PIU section of the forum, this is the 2nd gen section