car stereo problem...any ideas

[kdillard21]

I don't know if this an okay place to post this, but hopefully someone has run into the same problem. My car sat for about 4 months while i was in san diego, and of course the battery completely died, (autozone gave me a new one), and when I got it going again, everything works fine, except the radio. The Cd function works as its supposed to, but the radio doesnt work at all, it just searches for stations, but you can turn it all the way up, and THERE IS NO STATIC. Could the tuner be out completely? I have checked all the wiring, and antenna cable, but how would it have changed anyway from just sitting? Any ideas? Or is it just time for a new one.

[95Kouki]

More Info...Car...RADIO BRAND + Model

Best thing to try is to reset the unit...some have digital tuners...

[kdillard21]

Yeah sorry, I didn't think it would much matter. Its a Sony CDX-CA850X. It is the kind that doesnt have any buttons, only the screen so you have to use the remote. But I am sure that doens't matter. How do I reset it? I didnt see a reset button. Oh and its a 240sx...what else would it be. OH YEAH

[doainwpg]

try pulling the fuse for the radio and plugging it back in, i had a sony deck in my car when i bought it, had a similar problem. sony decks are cheap crap.

[kdillard21]

Ok i will be back in a sec...

[95Kouki]

There should be a little pinhole somewhere on the face...or behind the rotating face...Try that

[kdillard21]

Ok did the reset thing and even tried pulling the fuse, on the back of the radio and the fuse in the car for the radio. Nothing any better. And now I can get one channel, 102.1 and its so faint. Also I just found out, AM works just fine. so where does that leave us?

[MELLO*SOS]

I know you said you already looked at this, but might want to double check your antenna wiring, that little adapter pigtail might have came loose or disconnected. I don't have my antenna hooked up so when I go to FM it just searches for channels forever like you're saying.

[kdillard21]

I checked it, with the radio out of the dash so i could make sure it was in the hole REAL good, no joy.

[95Kouki]

well...if you have am...that means the antenna is grounded...am reception is ground dependent...do you have a power antenna....if so....is it goin up?...also to see if the tuner is busted....cut a 32 inch piece of wire and strip back 1 inch fold it over and stick it into the small male deepest in the antenna connection. if you get fm reception again...than there is a problem w/the antenna cable itself...if it doesn't work...tuner is busted...it's a sony so it's to be expected...good luck

[Irukandji]

i have the same problem with a top of the line Alpine deck. I don't think its a matter of what brand deck you have, just more of the connections going back and forth from the antenna. I also tried resetting the unit, and no luck, so im pretty much in the same boat.

let us know when you figure out the problem.

thanks

[kdillard21]

I am out of ideas, except buying the same deck again on ebay for 30 bucks and seeing if it works.

[95Kouki]

did you try testing the tuner w/a wire yet?

[bigOdom1]

it is in the antenna. the stock wiring in many of the nissans that i have owned had the same prob. i fixed it in my 95 maxima by rewiring a new power antenna not just threading a new one in. my 240 currently has a faint signal compared to many stock radios i think i am going to rewire it and use a 350z antenna

[NemeGuero]

Radio sucks anyway...

[kdillard21]

I will try the wire trick, but im not understanding why the am works and fm doesn't. Does it not all go through the antenna the same way? Also the service manual says something about having two antennas, a rod antenna and a window antenna. window is for FM...where is that at?

[kdillard21]

New update: i can manually tune an FM station, but it is kinda weak and of course seek wont pick up any stations. I did the wire trick, but somehow my radio wont even power up without the antenna cable being plugged in. To me that is really really wierd. i guess that is how it is grounded? althought there is a black ground wire coming out of the radio that is hooked up. thoughts?

[NemeGuero]

Nissan grounds through antenna. Run a new ground wire and you won't have that issue.

[kdillard21]

this is some funked up stuff

[kdillard21]

ok all wiring checked and even redid some of it, same result. I can manually tune FM stations, but I have to turn the volume halfway up just to hear anything at all. Is there another antenna, like in the window as the manual says that i dont know about?

[NemeGuero]

My bet is a faulty deck then.. sometimes they just go.
No warranty on it?

[kdillard21]

nope nothing, my last question is does FM and AM go through the same antenna, i can't see how it wouldnt but the service manual says something about a window antenna...and the rod antenna.

[xnissans14x]

Yeah same shit happened to me with a similar sony deck. I just got a new one. Radio could have went bad.