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Regarding the factory radio on my 1993 Silverado C3500, there is the panel on the top section of the right side, the tape deck in the middle, what I assume is the amp behind the ash tray, more or less and the antenna on right front fender. Is that the whole thing, or are there other parts involved?
Also, it comes on but there is no sound. Can't change channels or volume, and cannot set clock. What is the procedure to test which part is the problem?
Well.... my 1996 just has the radio top center, with a built in cassette deck that has had a cassette tape to headphone cable adapter stuck in there for 15 years (I clipped the wire after giving up on ejecting it). There is nothing else on mine beyond the antenna cable, which ends at a cable under the hood. The antenna itself mounts and connects to that cable behind a little cover on the inside of the engine compartment, inside of the passenger side fender over close to the firewall and hinge for the hood.
My radio also stopped working or producing sound over the past couple of years, although the clock sets and still works. I don't think there is much to diagnose on a radio this old - it just needs replacement. I plan on buying something simple from Crutchfield, with the adapter cable to connect to the vehicle wiring harness.
It's crazy that the 1993 put the CD player way over there above the glove box! On the 1996 it was also a separate piece, but below the radio. Since mine didn't have the CD, it has a fairly useless little cubbyhole box that I throw drive-through change and my sunglasses into...
Just 3 years older than mine, but they sure laid the radio system out differently! I do feel like Chevrolet often had the 2500 and 3500 lag the body and interior changes in the 1500 series by a year or two...
And in no case did they ever get it right. As far as I know, there is no auto manufacturer that really thinks things out for future changes. I have had to wire in an additional fuse and relay panel on mine so I have what I need for expansion. I even had to add a new power busbar to better serve the two batteries. At least there was room to do so.
That is actually a plus for an old truck. Would be hard pressed to do that in a modern car.
The man in the video sounded like he knew all about it and described the problems I experienced as indicative of a bad CDM box. Not worth fixing and not going to send it off anywhere. Questions answered and solution decided upon.
I checked out dozens of after-market radios for the truck and finally ordered the JVC model KD-T720BT. The reasons were that it gave me AM/FM/CD/USB in a one din size. I found it was impossible to get everything desired and that would fit within the location allotted. That's just life.
They do make some units with a large slide-out GPS-with-rear-camera screen, but they cover the A/C louvers. Got a decent separate kit with front and rear cameras for a good price instead, and while it will not fit where the old radio head unit was, it will fit in the center dash near the top above the louvers. Will just have to make do. (Can record onto chip, too.)
The dash kit was from eBay at Stereo Radio Gray Grey Dash Kit Pocket Bezel Fits Chevy GMC Trucks 1988-1994. This is the only one I found that had everything in one package and was the least expensive in the color needed. They even include an antenna wire plug adapter and a wiring harness adapter pigtail for free. It took a little careful work to move the louvers to the new piece, but I got it to work. (Watched a video, but the guy was lucking in doing it so easy; took me longer.)
Radio Check
