Why do OE radios stop working?

[kustomkyle]

Curious on this one. Is there a common reason why the factory radios stop working in these cars?

The main reason I ask is that I would prefer to retain the original radio for appearance purposes (and not hacking up the wiring). However, my original and a "reconditioned" unit I purchased have both gone bonkers. Is there a common "fix" to them?

 

[87BlazeLS]

To answer your question, Most OEM radios only last so long. Temperature cycling from hot to cold
Will eventually Cause the circuit boards and or solder joints to break and you must add vibration
caused by railroad track, pot holes and other road hazards that put a shock on the radio.
I have found that the Kenwood brand to be very good aftermarket CD radio. They last a long
time and have more power than the OEM and many very good models are less then $150
With blue tooth, MP3 and more.... Check out Crutchfield at www.crutchfield.com

 

[kustomkyle]

Thanks for the reply and explanation. I really didn't think anyone would bother.

It would be nice if someone remade them with modern intervals like they do for most of the more collectible older cars.

Not really interested in "Bluetooth" capability or anything like that. Just a functioning radio.

 

[pontiacgp]

Thanks for the reply and explanation. I really didn't think anyone would bother.

It would be nice if someone remade them with modern intervals like they do for most of the more collectible older cars.

Not really interested in "Bluetooth" capability or anything like that. Just a functioning radio.

I think the radios in the G body are better made than newer radios. Alpine, Sony etc only have a 1 year warranty, Kenwood has 2 year warranty Have you tried to open it up and spay with a cleaner or look for someone in your area who repairs circuit boards and radios.

 

[clean8485]

I've found O.E. type radios to be pretty reliable over the years. I know that there are people out there who do upgrades on O.E. type radios to convert them for use with USB or MP3 use. I believe that you can find some of these converted radios on Ebay.

 

[foxtrot]

Curious on this one. Is there a common reason why the factory radios stop working in these cars?

The main reason I ask is that I would prefer to retain the original radio for appearance purposes (and not hacking up the wiring). However, my original and a "reconditioned" unit I purchased have both gone bonkers. Is there a common "fix" to them?

To answer your question, Most OEM radios only last so long. Temperature cycling from hot to cold
Will eventually Cause the circuit boards and or solder joints to break and you must add vibration
caused by railroad track, pot holes and other road hazards that put a shock on the radio.
I have found that the Kenwood brand to be very good aftermarket CD radio. They last a long
time and have more power than the OEM and many very good models are less then $150
With blue tooth, MP3 and more.... Check out Crutchfield at www.crutchfield.com

The other thing that I notice about the failures in the older Delco radios is that the electrolytic capacitors fail over the past 30 years. I'm sure if a company were to perform a proper refurbish including resoldering the fractured solder joints & replacing all electrolytic caps that the radio would last another long span of time. I'm also sure that like any other electronic device that there are also other common failures that I'm unaware of.

 

[Texas82GP]

Look in Hemmings Motor News and you should be able to find someone to fix it for you. Is yours a shafts style radio or the later double DIN style? I ask because I've seen a modern replacement for the later double DIN style that looks nearly stock. If you decide to open yours up to clean it I recommend a spray called Deoxit. Wonderful stuff. You can find online and they also sell it at Guitar Center if you have one of those locally.

 

[kustomkyle]

Wow, thanks for all the replies.

This is in a 1986 Regal Limited, I'm guessing it's a "DIN" style.

I've opened both up and haven't seen anything obviously broken/damaged.

 

[pontiacgp]

did you use a magnifying glass when you looked at the inside?. Sometimes it's nothing more than a broken solder connection

 

[87BlazeLS]

The circuit boards on these type radio's have the components added and then are wave flow soldered by machine.
so most if not all the leads and solder joints will be on one side of the board. Some surface mount devices will be included.
Capacitors are liquid filled and after time they dry out and do not work as designed. resistors also tend to loose or change value
over time, which can cause other internal voltages to run out of spec.
You did not mention what the radio was "NOT DOING" does it work at all. As in power up ? Or lots of static?
Even if you find an area by close inspection that needs touched up you must have a soldering iron and the know how
to use it for repair. solder with flux is a must. Then you must clean said flux to prevent corrosive acids from eating
the solder joint. Most if not all capacitor's have a value and polarity posted on the barrel.
It could be in Microfarrad, Picofarrad, Mf Pf for short.
Many times you can find these at radio shack.

I've had my Kenwood Stereo in my DD truck for well over 5 years with ZERO issues.
I purchased it from Crutchfield. I've also had 3 other vehicles with after market Kenwood
stereos and all were excellent with no issues over multiple years.
Great product.