Speculation on fixing the audio on the Jaaaag

"Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo" (akioohtori) 05/28/2020 at 14:51 • Filed to: The Hot Mess

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With the Jag’s first round of maintenance nearing its conclusion, my thoughts go to the next biggest issue: the audio.

The Jag’s audio has never been quite right. When I got the car the CD changer was jammed. I disassembled it, lubed everything, and got it all working... for a time.

Then the changer audio started cutting out.

Then the in-dash CD and FM started cutting out too (or maybe they had been the whole time?) This pointed to an issue with the system as a whole so...

So I bought a junk yard amplifier.

Same problem.

I cracked open the amp, cleaned up all the connections, reflowed some cold jointer, re-applied thermal paste, and put it back in.

It worked great!

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

For a time...

Then the audio started cutting out again.

Then the CD changer jammed.

Then the radio pretty much stopped working completely.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

I replaced the optical harness, thinking that might solve the problem.

It didn’t.

I took the changer back apart, found some damaged wires, put it back together and declared victory (again).

After a long drive it was back to its old antics PLUS the nav display was starting to get fuzzy.

Static was hard to photograph

Then I took the car down for extended maintenance.

So... here is my current thinkings on what could be the problem:

CD Changer repair failed and the CD changer is to blame again. Solution: make a optical harness bypass out of the old, spare harness and see if that solves the problem.

The battery might be weak. Or, rather, the Jag 100% has the wrong battery in it and there exists a possibility that after the battery drains past the relative overcharge from the battery tender the voltage drop or... whatever... is too much for the audio. UNLIKELY, though there is clearly a temporal component to the problem and... well no it doesn’t really make a ton of sense but most voltage related issues don’t. Either way the Jag should have the correct battery, so... Solution: Put the Jag’s battery in the Saab, trade in the Saab’s battery as a core for a new Jag, correctly sized, Jag battery.

The head unit is overheating. I’ve heard this is possible, but I’m not eager to tear apart the car to remove the head unit unless I am absolutely sure I don’t have another option. Solution: Once I do 1 and 2 I don’t have any other options. Pull out the head unit, blow it out with compressed air, and hope that solves it.

EDIT FOR CLARITY:

There are aftermarket options for this car but they’re... complicated. The audio system is run via an optical network including the link to the amp which then feeds the speakers directly. Additionally most of the climate functions are run through the head unit. Some people have grafted Android single board computers onto the existing electronics, but I haven’t seen a lot of talk about total system replacements. So... possible but not where I’d be looking at this point in time.

Best photo I have of the whole thing...

!!! UNKNOWN HEADER TYPE (MULTI-LINE BREAK?) !!!

I value the opinions about swapping out or bypassing the head unit, however part of this for me, an electrical engineer, is the fun of figuring out what is wrong and getting the stock system to work right. I learn nothing if I just throw everything away, but if I can sort out the problem (without toooooo much cost...) then I’ll maybe have learned something and that makes me a happy boy.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 05/28/2020 at 14:58

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Aftermarket options ?

jminer > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 05/28/2020 at 15:00

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It this Jag old enough to still have a double din unit in place? Something that’s replaceable with a drastically improved modern unit?

That’d be my recommendation, as it’s usually fairly easy to retain steering wheel controls while both gaining functionality and losing old jankiness.

DipodomysDeserti > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 05/28/2020 at 15:04

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4. The British are still figuring  out this whole automotive electronics thing.

DipodomysDeserti > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 05/28/2020 at 15:06

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WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 05/28/2020 at 15:07

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Go aftermarket. Get wireless Carplay. Never look back.

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > jminer 05/28/2020 at 15:08

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Just did an edit for clarity: There are aftermarket options for this car but they’re... complicated. The audio system is run via an optical network including the link to the amp which then feeds the speakers directly. Additionally most of the climate functions are run through the head unit. Some people have grafted Android single board computers onto the existing electronics, but I haven’t seen a lot of talk about total system replacements. So... possible but not where I’d be looking at this point in time.  

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 05/28/2020 at 15:08

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Just did an edit for clarity: There are aftermarket options for this car but they’re... complicated. The audio system is run via an optical network including the link to the amp which then feeds the speakers directly. Additionally most of the climate functions are run through the head unit. Some people have grafted Android single board computers onto the existing electronics, but I haven’t seen a lot of talk about total system replacements. So... possible but not where I’d be looking at this point in time.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 05/28/2020 at 15:13

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Gotcha.

smobgirl > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 05/28/2020 at 15:14

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Sounds like it’s working exactly as designed?

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI 05/28/2020 at 15:14

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Haha dang it I was too slow on the edit.  TL;DR the car is more like a modern car where the climate controls are also routed through the NAV.  PROBABLY possible to bypass but a level of jank I don’t want to deal with right now.

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 05/28/2020 at 15:16

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Then I’d hide a bluetooth connection that is hooked directly to an amp that powers the speakers, and bypass the screen entirely.

EDIT: I have one of these for my boat and it works great.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B084RGVL62/ref=dp_prsubs_2

Future next gen S2000 owner > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 05/28/2020 at 15:19

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Have you considered burning it down and starting over?

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > Future next gen S2000 owner 05/28/2020 at 15:20

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Straight pipe and headphones?

Future next gen S2000 owner > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 05/28/2020 at 15:21

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With a sidepipe exit right ahead of the rear wheels.

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > Future next gen S2000 owner 05/28/2020 at 15:23

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Seems reasonable.

Chariotoflove > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 05/28/2020 at 15:45

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You are incredibly tenacious, and I admire that so much. I have no doubt you will eventually be victorious, and I look forward to checking your regular updates with my eventual grandchildren so that  they will learn to never give up in life .

Future Heap Owner > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 05/28/2020 at 15:45

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I think you’re on to something with the voltage or overheating hypotheses. Like you say, the way the problems show up only after it’s been on and working normally for a time jives with those explanations. The fact that it seems to be getting worse as the   weather turns warmer is interesting too...

Is is possible to pull the head unit out of the dash, even partway, without disconnecting anything? Maybe you could set up a fan pointed at the head unit and run it for a while like this and see if that delays or prevents onset of the problems? Or get a voltage probe on the power line?

jminer > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 05/28/2020 at 15:46

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This was my concern - we had a Ford Flex that has an extremely complicated and unstable integrated head unit but also controlled the HVAC so we were stuck with it without serious work. We ended up trading in the car when it got too unstable to deal with anymore.

You’re pretty stuck with the existing setup then, sorry - I gave up on this problem when I had it.

Future Heap Owner > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 05/28/2020 at 15:48

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Also, optical interlinks in cars  are the worst.

user314 > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 05/28/2020 at 15:49

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Sounds like it’s time for an exorcism.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 05/28/2020 at 15:52

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I don’t know what the solution to the problem is. But the error message made me think of this song:

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > Future Heap Owner 05/28/2020 at 15:54

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I haven’t looked at what it takes to remove the bezel and unit  yet as I’m hoping to avoid it. If it comes to that all of what you just said are good things to check.

jimz > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 05/28/2020 at 15:54

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if that’s the Alpine head unit, it’s possible it might have a cooling fan which quit.  I can’t remember for sure since I only saw a few of those units when I was there forever ago. 

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > jimz 05/28/2020 at 15:55

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Hmm I’d be down with that being the solution.  Head unit is unbranded but the door speakers are Alpine branded so... Maybe?

Future Heap Owner > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 05/28/2020 at 15:56

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On my Volvo V50 it’s about five  minutes of work with a T25 screwdriver once you get used to it, but I recognize that the Swedes are better at this sort of thing than the Brits

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > Future Heap Owner 05/28/2020 at 16:07

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Haha on my old Yukon it was “grab and pull” but that might have been TOO easy. You’ve motivated me to look it up and it doesn’t look TERRIBLE. Too many clips for my taste but such is the way of a modern car.

jimz > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 05/28/2020 at 16:12

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back then when I was there, Alpine was making a ton of OEM head units for Honda, Mercedes, Chrysler, and Ford/Jag/Land Rover.  They also had some branded sound systems too, mostly J-LR and Chrysler.  Lincoln for a few years too.  

Future Heap Owner > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 05/28/2020 at 16:56

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Yeah I’m always afraid I’ll break or dislodge a clip, or break something else thinking I’m pulling against only a clip . So far I’ve only dislodged one metal clip thingy in my Volvo. I don’t know where it came from so it lives in the glovebox now 

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > Future Heap Owner 05/28/2020 at 17:23

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Haha I have a small collection of those from the Disco. Last offroading trip I’d find a new clip in the foot well every day.  Not worrying at all.