That is what is known as a rhetorical question.

Seriously though, if the other person knows what the problem is and it's under the console, why is he recommending replacing the entire head unit?

 

Tommyc03 welcome to the forum, keep in mind your vehicle is now 7 years old so for GM to still warranty it would be a stretch.... My whine my be related to the RSE control as I was able to lightly press on the RSE panel when the whine was happening the other morning and it immediately stopped. So I need to pull and check for poor solder connections or loose connectors .

 

My understanding from what he experienced was lots corrosion to connections under the center console. And it was easier to replace it all. Im not familiar with stereos and how to hook them up but I do trust him being a family friend. understand it is 7 years old it just seems that if Everyone is experiencing the same issue it would be recalled. It also sounds like from what iv read on here that it could be multiple different bad connections where its different diagnosis setting off the same noise

 

If there's a lot of corrosion under the console causing the problem, then I don't see how replacing the head unit will fix the problem.

As suggested previously in this thread, you might pull the head unit and reseat/clean all of those connectors.

 

I have a 2010 and it's been doing it for at least 2 years, it's definitely coming from the rear radio as others have said, if you mess with the radio it will stop for a while.

 

So I pulled the RSA (Rear Seat Audio) control and disassembled ( see pictures)

My whine was happening when I first started the truck on these very cold mornings, while the whine was happening, I gently pressed on the face plate of the rear seat audio control panel located in the center console, as soon as I did that the whine stopped and has not returned.
That tells me that its a loose or very poor connection that is intermittent due to the cold. The rear unit does get warm when the vehicle is running so the thermal expansion over the past 7-8 years has taken its time at slowly loosening connections...

*Do not have the key in the ignition* you risk setting off the theft deterrent on the radio if you do, as well as blowing the unit and radio.

Make sure your open the drivers door to remove any latent RAP (Retained Accessory Power) you can disconnect the battery but I did not and had no issues.

Once you have the RSA unit out, separate the two pieces and gently pull them apart after releasing the 4 end clips, the 32 pin DIN connection is the only one, so pull straight apart don't peel or you risk bending the pins...

Once you have it apart use a cotton ball dampened with at least 50% or higher IPA (alcohol) use that cotton ball to gently wipe the pins to remove any oxidation even if you don't see any... wipe in the direction of the pins to prevent leaving cotton fuzzy on the pins as they can prevent good contact once its put back together.

Give the IPA a few minutes to dry, avoid handling or touching components as your risk ESD damage, this is especial true if you're doing this in a cold dry environment.

The only thing that needs to be cleaned is the 32 pins and the only part that needs to be disassembled is the 2 halves of the RSA unit, the pictures I have below are so you can see the whole unit YOU DO NOT NEED TO TOTALLY DISASSEMBLE.. the front and rear covers.

 

I'm going to wait until it warms up and the snow is gone and try the same thing... I also considered running an extra ground wire directly from the rear radio unit to the chassis.

 

Its not difficult, it took a whole 30 minutes, the bezel is held in by clips and pops out with gentle prying, but doing it in the cold could be hazardous so yeah doing it in warmer weather would be wise...
A Phillips is needed to remove the unit from the panel, the small blue lock tabs holding the power connections get pulled up or out depending on how you view it, and that allows the tabs to be released for the electrical connections, a small flat blade can be used to detach the 4 end tabs once you have the unit out.

 

I had an intermittent buzz (sounded like alternator noise) through my back speakers. If I smacked the center console it quit. Then I found that it could be the rear AC/radio control unit. Before I bought a new one, I removed the control unit and found that it is two circuit boards screwed together with a multi-pin connector. That connector was somewhat loose. So I unplugged it from both circuit boards and then plugged them back in tightly. Reinstalled the unit and no noise since then. Glad I save $120+!!!

 

jnssctt Welcome to the forum

Glad the fix worked for you, thanks for taking the time to follow up that it did, that is what makes forums like this one work!







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