CJ Harper

I was going down the road and the radio went silent. Everything on the radio kept working. Song title kept scrolling like normal. Switched to CD silent. Hit the Onstar button nothing.

I got home replaced a fuse for audio under the hood. Replaced the radio fuse on the passanger side. Pulled the radio out everything seemed fine. Fixed nothing. Still silent. I said forget it I can handle no radio until I have some more time.

One day I opened the sun roof cause it was nice and said what the heck I'll turn the radio on and see if it works. It worked for about 5 minutes and went silent like the first time. It's done that a couple more times. It will work for a little bit and then just go out.

Anyone have any ideas for me to check out? Going on a road trip soon would be nice to have a radio.

Chuzz

Sounds like either a loose ground wire or a bare wire making contact somewhere. Kind of strange that opening the sunroof effected it though. Maybe they both share a power wire somewhere in the system. I don't know, I'm just speculating.

CJ Harper

I don't know if the sunroof had a direct effect but I figured I should mention it in case it did have a direct effect.

Chuzz

Have you considered removing the plastic trim around the radio and then pulling the radio far enough forward to check the plugs on the back of it? That's what I'd do after checking all of the fuses.

Chevrolet Customer Service

tbohling,

I am sorry to hear that you are experiencing this issue. I am not quite sure what the issue could be. Have you consulted with your local dealership about this issue to see if they have any idea what could be causing this issue?

Thank you
Elizabeth, Chevrolet Customer Service

Chuzz

I just love the way all of the Chevrolet Customer Service people always want to know if you've consulted your dealership. As much as these vehicles cost, there shouldn't be so many trifling problems with them. This will definitely be the last GM product that will ever be in my driveway.

CJ Harper

I've pulled the radio out and unplugged it and plugged it back in. Nothing fixed. It's not like I hit a bump and it works. It just randomly works and goes silent after a short time.

And if I wanted to go to a dealership and pay 100 dollars for them to hook up the diagnostic tool would I be on this forum asking for help?

ruley73

It's a slim chance, but I'm thinking you have a short in one of the speaker leads or a bad speaker with a coil that is shorting out. A short in any of the speaker leads with cause the amp (either internal radio amplifier or external amp if you have the premium system w/subwoofer) to go into a protection mode which disables the amplifier until the short is no longer detected.

My suggestion is simple but a bit time consuming. What I would do is leave the radio turned on and remove each door panel and disconnect each speaker one at a time to see if one of the speakers is bad.

OR

You could also remove each speaker and check the resistance across the terminals of each speaker with an ohmmeter/multimeter. If any of the speakers measures 0 ohms then it is bad. When testing for resistance, you will need to carefully move the cone manually back and forth with your hands to get an accurate test. The resistance will vary with the position of the speaker cone/voice coil, but it should never measure 0 ohms. If you get one that does measure 0 ohms at any point - that is the source of your short and the speaker should be replaced.

Of course, if all the speakers test out ok then you likely have a wiring issue that you will need to trace.

The door panels will need to come off to remove the speakers, but don't worry because they are really easy to remove on the Equinox. To remove the door panels first remove the one #2 philips screw on the door latch bezel to allow you to remove the bezel. Next remove the trim panel cover on the door handle. Remove rear portion first by pulling the rear most part that faces the doorjamb toward the interior of the vehicle, then gradually move to the front to completely remove it from the door handle to reveal two 10mm bolts. Remove those two bolts then gently pull on the door panel around the edges to disengage the panel retainers.

Good Luck

Chevrolet Customer Service

Chuzz,

The reason why we ask if you have been to your dealership for a diagnosis is that is the first step you need to do before we can step in and help. We are not provided with the specific technical training to determine vehicle issues. I understand that it can be frustrating to work with your dealership but it can also be beneficial. To properly do my job and assist customers with their vehicle issues, they have to have their vehicle seen by a dealership. After that, I can step in and take a look at the issue to see if there can be a resolution where both parties are happy.

Thank you
Elizabeth, Chevrolet Customer Service

Chuzz

I've got a contact at the closest dealership that doesn't mind answering questions. I've tried calling a few dealerships in Nashville and they just want me to "bring it by and we'll take a look". No thanks, I'm on a limited income and not afraid to get my hands dirty. I can't afford dealership rates and hope that the "parts changers" get it right the first time. Living in a rural community does have some advantages.