problem with the radio being locked

i recently bought my riv and put a new tranny in it well after putting the battery back in the radio is locked and the guy i got it from dont know the code either, anyone know how to unlcok this thing without the code?>

There should be a sticker either in the trunk in the back, up top or in the glove box. I think it;s a five digit number.

Did this ever get resolved? My radio is dead after replacing the whole power antenna assy. Dead, as in blank display. If there's a code to unlock the radio, what the heck do you do with the code? I did some reading in my service manuals and have not seen any references to this.

ewolfe0050 wrote:

There should be a sticker either in the trunk in the back, up top or in the glove box. I think it;s a five digit number.

According to my owners manual, there apparently is no default factory code, and when you program your own code to activate this feature, it is only like 3 digits.

Anyway, this is not the problem I'm having, since my display is completely blank, no power at all, no LOC showing on the face.

fuse?

Yeah I checked, it looked good, replaced anyway, no change.

Instructions are here:

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40705


Albertj

But unfortunately does nothing for my dead radio.

Dave, that is really odd that your radio died after and antenna replacement. The only thing that I can suggest is that your going to have to pull the dash apart and see if you are getting power to the radio at the plug.

if i were you Dave, i would run an ohm meter across all the fuses. especially the ones under the back seat. my radio went out one time and it ended up being one of the odd fuses under the seat that had nothing to do with radio. i think it was the ELC fuse that happen to have a wire going to the head unit.

Yes, I figure there's a power lead issue. I won't be pulling the dash apart anytime soon though.

Not likely the ELC fuse, as it's working fine. I might try to check some others out though. Not sure why any fuse BUT the radio fuse would be a problem though.

One time I had a fuse that *looked* good but was blown.

That is, usually on these plastic fuses the use blows on that loop and you can see it real easy. Point is I have had two that blew at an edge. One was an interior lighting circuit on the RIv (I was messing with the latches) and the other was the cig lighter on my Buick Rendezvous (I don't drive that one - I think it was loose change in teh lighter socket or some such). Both were a PITA - Fortunately the lighter circuit was the first time (it was easy to test) - the fuse looked so good I did not bother replacing it with a known good fuse... until I finally pulled it and checked the lighter wiring, which was good. That made me curious, so I tested the fuse with the meter - it was stone cold dead. Boy was I surprised. I am still embarrassed just thinking about it. The second time it was not so hard - circuit down, look at fuse. Fuse looks good, then TEST FUSE. For less than $10 WalMart sells a little box of spare fuses with a fuse tester, in teh automotice section. So does AutoZone.

Hope this helps.

Albertj

I actually did swap out a few fuses with new ones from the spare fuse locations. 'Spose I'll have to check 'em all.

I bought a radio and A/C control head form Ed Morad to swap into my Riv - the night illuminaiton onthe original ones, well the bulbs have almost all burned out.

Anyway, while doing the swap (last night) I noticed the radio plug was difficult to reinstall. It has a lot of fiddly little pins, and it has to be absolutely seated all the way in order to work right.

I know you don't want to pull the dash apart again but if I were you I'd consider doing it sooner rather than later. It's really tight behind the radio and it would not surprise me if the plug came loose during your reinstall.

Albertj

Albert, I never had the radio out. ALL I did was replace the power antenna. Never went anywhere's near the radio. It worked when I turned off the car. I swapped in the new antenna. Started the car, radio is dead.

I can honestly say I'm not really missing it either. I do miss having the time display though, as I do not wear a watch.

oops, should have read your first post Hmmm... check to see that you did not accidentally short the antenna lead. Not the RF wire, rather the wire that signals the antenna to go up and down.

Albertj

But would that result in a dead radio? I'm no electrician...

This is a really tough puzzler. If I were you "d be pretty frustrated by now - dead radio, and no advice wroth a darn...

here are some things I would try and some comments:

1) try this: disconnect the power antenna, and check fuses in the under-seat, engine compartment and dash fuse panels. To move this along I'd get a fuse checker from AutoZone or WalMart - they come with the multi-packs of fuses, and are operated with little button batteries. They work by chekcing for continuity between the recessed contacts on the backs of the fuses (you don't have to pull any fuses to do this check).

2) comment: I have not repaired radios in a *long* time. When I did, I would not be surprised to find a glass in-line fuse soldered into the radio's circuit board for antenna, pilot lamp, or wired remote control leads. Why? Because it's good practice to put an internal fuse on wired interfaces to sensitive equipment and as far as real-world electronic stuff goes, Delco's designs were usually pretty robust. That said, unless you're an electronics hobbyist it might not be appropriate to expect you to pull and disassemble the radio to find out...

3) try this: the Tech II interfaces with the radio. If you know someone with a Tech II, see if they'll check if the radio is really dead or if it is just the display. Hint - with radio on, see if the steering-wheel mount volume control makes the know move up and down.

I am at a loss, really, but I hope this is in the right direction.

Albert

Hey Albert, I do appreciate you taking the time to look at this.

#1 I'll look into the fuse checker tool. How about checking the larger square multi-pin ELC fuses? One seemed to be on the hot side to the touch. Couldn't pull them, maybe need to slip a small screwdriver blade under it to get it out. Looks like a GM only part.

#2 You're right, I won't be pulling and disassembling the radio.

#3 Don't know anyone with a Tech II, but will check around. Can't tell if the radio is on or off. No display and the button seems the same either way. Also do not have the steering wheel controls on my car.

I am pretty sure what you're calling a multi-pin fuse is available at NAPA or CarQuest. And I think it may be a relay, not a fuse (it should still be available there). If it is so warm, it may be stuck on for some reason. I am only guessing - have to see what you're talking about to know for sure.

If an electrical part is warm, it is conducting current and has some degree of internal resistance. That resistance may or may not be normal to the part... That said --- again, I'd check the wiring. By the way - do you have the factory manual? does it troubleshoot this problem, and if so what does it say?

All the GM dealers, and many larger independent shops, have the Tech II. The indies are not universally that good at using the Tech II, however. Some are wizards and others are wanna-bes. Look for a certificate posted in the waiting area or behind the service desk that brags about one or another technician being trained to use the "Tech II." For instance, the Firestone in Pleasant Hills (suburb south of Pittsburgh PA) has several Tech II-trained techs. (Pittsburgh also has a regional GM training facility...) I know this does not help you in ND - point is that not only GM dealers have/know how to use the Tech II, and usually people not-at GM dealers want you to know that they know.

Albertj

You're correct, they are ELC relays, not fuses per se.

I have the factory manual, and did read thru the troubleshooting. Not a process I'm in a position to complete though. Electrical testing not my forte. I'll do a little research on finding someone with a Tech II, maybe we can solve this by that route. Sometime... In the meantime, I can live w/o the radio, No Problem.

Yeah... I think I'd retrace my steps with the wiring you already did. Also, if I could find a workign radio cheap enough, I'd swap 'em and see if that fixed things. That said - I just pulled my dash apart to swap the radio head and A/C control. IT's kind of involved...

I know you did not touch the radio. But if you got some transient voltage spike into the radio it may have blown. Can't tell from here.

Good luck!

Albertj