"zeontestpilot" (zeontestpilot)
12/31/2015 at 08:41 • Filed to: Question
0
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"zeontestpilot" (zeontestpilot)
12/31/2015 at 08:41 • Filed to: Question | 0
| 16 |
Lately the audio gets ‘wavey’ while playing CDs in my car, like the pitch is consistently bending up and down but it’s usually just the guitars for some reason, never the vocals. I figure it’s either the speakers or the CD player itself, but I’m not sure how to isolate the problem.
If I put in a cd, it plays good until about the second half of the cd, where it sounds messed up. And it does it for a few tracks then resorts to normal. The radio doesn’t seem to be affected, but then again I might have to wait a while to hear anything because it takes a while for the cd to sound wonky.
Is there a way to isolate the problem? To narrow it down to find the issue? When it did sound bad, I did discover that 3 out of 4 speakers sounded dead-ish, but once the wonky sound stopped they sounded perfect. It seems strange only certain tracks are affected. Oh yeah, the CDs I played were burned the day of.
What does Oppo think?
jariten1781
> zeontestpilot
12/31/2015 at 09:02 |
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I wouldn't jump to thinking it was a car audio issue...initial thoughts would be a bad burn or cheapo CD-R. Try using a factory pressed CD and see if it replicates.
That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
> zeontestpilot
12/31/2015 at 09:02 |
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You've already isolated it. If it works fine on FM radio, then it isn't the speakers, it's the CD player part of the unit.
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zeontestpilot
> jariten1781
12/31/2015 at 09:08 |
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Will have to try that then.
Aaron M - MasoFiST
> zeontestpilot
12/31/2015 at 09:30 |
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I have a bit of a wildass smattering of engineering knowledge to help narrow things down, but no guarantees this will help.
First: sounds fine until later in the CD. My guess is that there’s a heat issue that’s causing problems with either a bit of wiring or a component. This could be something overheating, it could be a wire curling a bit until it touches something and causes a short or interference.
Second: Only seems to affect certain channels/tracks. So this is an issue after the crossovers. The crossovers are the physical components which send bass, mid, and treble to different places and allow you to adjust them separately.
Third: Speakers sounding dead until wonky sound stops. So whatever this is, when the problem occurs it prevents signal from getting to the speaker. Reinforces that it’s somewhere between the crossover and the speaker.
Get a wiring diagram for your car’s audio system and figure out where the crossovers are mounted, if external. If the system only has an internal crossover, run the wires and check for frayed insulation and the like but know that if your wiring checks out you may have to replace the head unit.
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zeontestpilot
> Aaron M - MasoFiST
12/31/2015 at 09:33 |
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What's the head unit?
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Aaron M - MasoFiST
> zeontestpilot
12/31/2015 at 09:36 |
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The actual stereo in your dash is the head unit. Depending on the car it either has the amp and crossovers bundled inside, or is wired to an amp and crossovers somewhere else in the car.
JGrabowMSt
> zeontestpilot
12/31/2015 at 09:52 |
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Pull the head unit out, leave it unplugged overnight, put it back in and see if there’s any change.
May just need to replace the head unit, the amps or the internal circuits could be dying.
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zeontestpilot
> JGrabowMSt
12/31/2015 at 10:04 |
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That's simple enough that I can do it. Now I just need to figure out how to take it out.
Brickman
> zeontestpilot
12/31/2015 at 10:10 |
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My S10 radio does that too.
FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
> zeontestpilot
12/31/2015 at 11:00 |
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GM head units from 1995-2005 era cars like your GP are about as easy as it gets. The black trim panel with the HVAC vent and trip computer buttons that surrounds the radio is all one piece and pops right off. Stick a spudger into panel gap down by shifter and work your around it. After that’s off, you’ll see brackets on the edge of the head unit mounted to the dash structure with a few screws. Take those out and slowly slide the radio out. There should be two cables in the back that you’ll need to disconnect. The round black one is the antenna and should pull right out. The other one will have a big plug (probably white) that may have a little tab that you have to depress to release it from the back of the unit. That’s it. I usually disconnect the battery and/or pull the audio system fuse before doing this, but as long as you don’t have the key in the ignition you probably won’t fry anything.
ETA - here’s a video on YouTube of someone doing it. Looks like with the GP there is an extra step vs. the pickups I’m used to - you may need to pull the trim around the ignition key slot first. Also, the radio and HVAC controls are mounted together, so you’ll need to slide the HVAC panel out of the way without pulling so far as to mess up any cables. Still should just take a few minutes. Screws look like Torx, so make sure you have a good selection of Torx bits and/or a Torx driver set before pulling the trim.
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zeontestpilot
> FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
12/31/2015 at 11:48 |
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Excellent! Thank you !
RacinBob
> zeontestpilot
12/31/2015 at 14:10 |
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I dunno but what the heck kind of car is it? My guess, GM, Europe?
I base that off of the corporate melted playschool plastic buttons on the radio what were around in the 90’s - 2000’s. But the heater controls aren’t anything familiar..... Opel?
EyeFuzz
> zeontestpilot
12/31/2015 at 14:21 |
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Looks like OEM Pontiac head units are about $100 on Ebay if you are keen on keeping it stock. Otherwise, i would buy a nice aftermarket head unit on Crutchfield and never look back. Makes for a fun little DIY project.
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zeontestpilot
> RacinBob
12/31/2015 at 14:25 |
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2007 Pontiac Grand Prix, base model.
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zeontestpilot
> EyeFuzz
12/31/2015 at 14:26 |
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I was thinking junkyard pull, maybe a 6 cd changer.
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EyeFuzz
> zeontestpilot
12/31/2015 at 14:45 |
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There ya go! Have fun with it. The first “work” I ever did on a car was swap a head unit. Sounds twice as good when you fix/upgrade it yourself!
I might recommend something with a AUX or USB as opposed to a multi CD player, iPods are practically free these days.