Defective car stereo? Diagnostics & is Crutchfield still a good go to?

[KEW]

I have a friend with a 2004 Buick Ranier.
The stereo in it no longer plays CD's and currently refuses to give up the one in it.
I'm pretty sure I can get the CD out by removing and replacing a fuse (I had same problem with a Malibu - the Saab chassis one) I used to have.
It is functioning okay as a basic radio however gets pretty hot ... and overheats on very long trips (like after 8-10 hour of continuous use). It has (I would guess) a 7" display which started to get lines across it and finally shut off. Restarted once the unit got some rest (as in cooled down).
Also, she said one time she went out to the car in the morning and the screen was very dimly lit (it should have turned off to preserve the battery overnight) and battery was dead. That has not happened again and it has been a couple of months, just wanted to mention it in case someone makes an association that helps with the troubleshooting.

My questions are:
1) How would I determine if the problem was the head unit as opposed to something like the wiring harness having a short or something?
2) I haven't done anything like this since the 80's! Have there been any big changes I should know about?
3) How do I determine if this is a major operation before I commit? For example, if I have to remove the dash or something, that would take the car out of commission for the duration!

Sorry my questions are kind of sketchy, but she lives a half an hour away so I can't casually do prep investigations.
4) I would like to be able to give her a reasonably accurate time estimate and knock it out in one session. Is Crutchfield likely to be my best resource for answers?

 

[speakerman39]

Careful when removing power from the unit b/c it might lock up. W/o the proper code it will not even power on again. GM is known for this. If you go aftermarket, you will certainly need a peripheral interface. Does the vehicle have a factory amp? You might also have to run a remote turn-on so that the factory amp will come on if going aftermarket. Not all interfaces have that. Most do nowadays, but some still don't. Just saying...........


Cheers,

Phil

PS: If the vehicle has a factory amp, then hopefully it is not going out. The GM factory amps go out all of the time and may need to be by-passed. The interfaces are very helpful in that regard from what I remember. It has been a while........LOL!!!!!

 

[speakerman39]

If you opt for aftermarket and the vehicle has Onstar in order to retain Onstar those interfaces are much more expensive. Here is a link:

https://pac-audio.com/?fc=module&module=aampsearchbyvehicle&controller=results&aamp-sbv-make=7&aamp-sbv-model=RAINIER&aamp-sbv-year=1068&aamp-sbv-trim=1074&aamp-sbv-submit=

This lists most of the GM interfaces. However, IIRC the GM24 works for most applications. It is a pretty standard GM interface.

If you are interested you can take the unit out and send to United Radio and they will check it out and give you a price/estimate to repair? They also include a warranty and are very prompt. Highly recommend!


Cheers,

Phil

PS: Also looks to be standard GM dash kit and antenna adapter. That is good! The climate control kits are more expensive*

 

[highfigh]

I have a friend with a 2004 Buick Ranier.
The stereo in it no longer plays CD's and currently refuses to give up the one in it.
I'm pretty sure I can get the CD out by removing and replacing a fuse (I had same problem with a Malibu - the Saab chassis one) I used to have.
It is functioning okay as a basic radio however gets pretty hot ... and overheats on very long trips (like after 8-10 hour of continuous use). It has (I would guess) a 7" display which started to get lines across it and finally shut off. Restarted once the unit got some rest (as in cooled down).
Also, she said one time she went out to the car in the morning and the screen was very dimly lit (it should have turned off to preserve the battery overnight) and battery was dead. That has not happened again and it has been a couple of months, just wanted to mention it in case someone makes an association that helps with the troubleshooting.

My questions are:
1) How would I determine if the problem was the head unit as opposed to something like the wiring harness having a short or something?
2) I haven't done anything like this since the 80's! Have there been any big changes I should know about?
3) How do I determine if this is a major operation before I commit? For example, if I have to remove the dash or something, that would take the car out of commission for the duration!

Sorry my questions are kind of sketchy, but she lives a half an hour away so I can't casually do prep investigations.
4) I would like to be able to give her a reasonably accurate time estimate and knock it out in one session. Is Crutchfield likely to be my best resource for answers?

Did anyone do any service in the dash area before this started? If not, it's just a bad radio. If they didn't, it's possible they damaged something, but it's more likely that a fuse would blow in the event of a short. If the disc won't come out after reinserting the fuse, it's probably a bad belt- remove the head unit and inspect it. You may be able to lift the CD clamp to remove the disc, but you may need to rotate the motor to use the mechanism's gearing to raise it.