Greg writes:
Hello, I have a 2002 Toyota Camry SE with about 120K on it that has been overall pretty reliable. For the past few months, the OEM (it is not aftermarket) radio has turned psychotic and turns itself on and off and flips from radio to CD at will – or so it seems. It seems like this is a loose wire as it is really noticeable when I go over certain bumpy areas in the road, the radio pre-sets disappear and I have to reset them again and again. Can you advise me what to do next?
PS – My four year old thinks there is a mouse in the radio since it turns it self off and on all of the time.
Sajeev replies:
It’s probably internal to the stereo, which means your little one is right: the mouse is microscopic and jumping up and down on the circuit boards inside the stereo. It’s usually a simple fix for a stereo rebuilder: a little soldering iron and maybe a few resistors is all it takes. If you want to keep the current unit in your dashboard and can’t find a replacement from a recycler, that is.
You might feel better with the latest aftermarket head unit with MP3 plugs, HD radio and whatever else floats your boat. The aftermarket unit will set you back $175 or more (or less if you DIY) so the only reason to stick with the Toyota unit is if you like the original look and sound of your Camry.
There is no wrong answer, just take the plunge and never look back.
(Send your queries to mehta@ttac.com)
Greg,
Sajeev is correct. This is almost certainly internal to the radio. Personally, I no longer prefer an aftermarket radio as they diminish the resale value of the vehicle significantly, although that may not matter depending on the value of the vehicle. As to getting the current radio repaired, It will cost you at least $50 just to get someone to give you an estimate on the current unit. You would be much better served putting that money towards an exact replacement extracted from a similar vehicle at the local salvage yard. I suggest you go there with the current unit already removed, and the connectors exposed so you can quickly connect the proposed replacement to verify it’s complete functionality.
Get a good aftermarket stereo. They’re pretty inexpensive and have a ton of features that you just don’t have in your stock head unit.
I just replaced the factory unit in my 01 Celica. I got a JVC kind of like the one shown above and I love the ability to use a thumb drive or my iPod. The unit I got also has an HD radio tuner, which is nice. The sound quality is great, and the improvement is even bigger on AM. Most radios are also satelite-ready, though that includes another piece of equipment. Installed, the unit I got cost 260 bucks. You can find cheaper than that.
One feature to look for is a second USB port that allows an installer to run a cable for a a thumb drive or your iPod to an out of the way place, like your glove compartment or a storage compartment in the center console.
You might be stepping down from a double din to a single din, which would require a kit to get it to fit in the dash, but that would give you another little pocket for storage.
Oh, and don’t go to Best Buy. Their selection stinks, their service is a joke, and they’re overpriced. Find a reputable independant installer.
STOP! While with Toyota there were a number of audio issues I experienced with the cars, especially the stacker CD. Replace only with OEM. On any given day you can find a tech in a rats nest of wires in the service dept. trying to figure out why the rest of the electrical system is malfunctioning, only to find out it was caused by some gorilla installing after market sound systems, and cutting useless wires behind the dash that they didn’t need. On other occasions the alarms would malfunction. Do yourself a favor and spend a few extra bucks for peace of mind.
Fixing the factory radio is in no way cost effective. Removal and re-installation is $75 right there; opening it up and fixing it will be as a minimum 1 hour of work so there goes another $100. For a few hundred, you can have a radio that way outperforms what came from the factory. If you really put a lot of stock (no pun intended) in the factory look, consider a used unit, but for dollar per feature, aftermarket is the way to go…
Do what I did a few years ago with my ’96 Maxima: Buy a similar used head unit on eBay from a reputible seller who guarantees the unit will work.
Next, get a Haynes manual for your car and install the “new” unit yourself. You should be able to get by for under $100 if your experience is anything like mine, AND you don’t have to look at a Vegas strip-style display that all aftermarket units seem to be afflicted with.
If the radio is in a standard DIN socket it makes no sense to get another factory radio. These days very decent after market stereos can be had for less than $100.
I would also recommend installing it yourself if you have even just a modest bit of technical ability.
Absolutely buy a wiring harness so that you aren’t cutting any factory wires. The wiring harness plugs into the factory wiring and the back of the radio, I repeat, you should not have to cut any wires anywhere. That way if you need to sell your car, hey no problem, just unplug the wiring harness and plug the factory unit back in.
If you know how to solder, or know someone who does, just solder the same colored wires between the wiring harness and the radio connector together. I shrank wrap mine because I’m anal like that, but you can also buy wiring nuts so no soldering involved.
Crutchfield.com has lots of good information on aftermarket stereos even if they don’t have the best prices on the internet.
I re-read Greg’s original post and have another idea: Get a Haynes manual and take the head unit out of the dash. While you’re in there, make absolutely certain that the wiring harness is securely plugged into the back of the unit. Also check where the wires meet the plug; there should be no gaps.
Something tells me that the loose connection may be just as likely outside of the radio as the chance of it being inside of it, and replacing the head unit won’t solve the issue. An interruption of the power supply will cause a loss of presets, and if intermittent, it will also cause the radio to behave strangely.
I’m big on using eBay to source late model used factory radios for this situation.
This one looks like a possibility:
http://cgi.ebay.com/TOYOTA-Camry-radio-CD-player-02-03-04-2002-JBL-XLE-SE_W0QQitemZ120455117892QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCar_Audio_In_Dash_Receivers?hash=item1c0baf3c44&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
An even better deal:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Toyota-Camry-JBL-AM-FM-CD-cassette-radio-factory-02-06_W0QQitemZ110434286501QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCar_Audio_In_Dash_Receivers?hash=item19b6657ba5&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
You know I had something somewhat similar happen some years back on the cassette deck of a Plymouth Voyager I once had (before that I had an ’85 Mustang GLX convertible, convertible ‘Stang to green minivan, the ultimate emasculation, but that’s another story…). It kept blowing instrument cluster fuses and the radio was working intermittently and doing many of the same things Greg describes. Turns out my daughter had been rumaging in the ashtray/change bin and sticking coins into the cassette opening. That eventually caused a dead short in the circuit which repeatedly blew the fuse. I only got to the bottom of the problem after removing the instrument cluster looking for frayed wires. I couldn’t find any then put a much larger fuse in the box for the cluster and reconnected everything, started everything up and smoke comes out of the stereo! I then proceed to remove the stereo which exposes the problem when it makes a piggy-bank rattle when pulled out. I probably got at least .30 to .40 cents of pennies and nickels out of there.
Now Greg mentioned he had a 4-year old, he might want to up the ante on the interrogation of said youngster to see if there’s something he hasn’t said yet…There may be some surprises in the CD slot there.
BuzzDog: +1
Just what I was thinking – lots of stereos have a separate “standby power” wire that keeps all the presets and mode (cd/radio/am/fm) settings. If this wire (or its associated fuse) were loose, the radio would work when turned on, but once the ignition was turned off, things would get flaky. See if the plug is loose, or if there is a corroded or loose fuse in that line – even an aftermarket stereo could exhibit a similar problem if it uses the same wire for the same purpose (that said, aftermarket stereos may have “non-volatile” memory for that purpose, so the “standby” power would not be needed).
Buzzdog, and Shaker +3. All this is is a loose connection of the constant power that provides the juice to the memory. Heck, it may even be a loose fuse.
You guys are falling into the typical amateur trap. When something goes TU, you suspect the worst and operate on that supposition.
When fixing stuff, you start with the stuff that is easiest and cheapest to fix.
If you get a used replacement OEM radio, make sure the seller includes, and guarantees, the security code if one is needed for your car. If you pull one from a junk yard, write down the VIN of the car it came from so you can contact a Toyota dealer for the code. An unfriendly dealer may charge you for this, so you may have to call around.
I’m with Andy D. Replace the fuse first. After that, learn how to open up your dash and check the connectors into the back of the head unit.
And count me in with the folks who wish after-market radio manufacturers knew how to design a radio that is, well, understated.
Buy an American built car. I have had zero problems with the factory radio. All my cars have seen 130,000 plus in the 25 years I have been driving. Glad to see the so called magic car does have problems. You done wore it out, time to replace.
@racenviper2:
Really? You’d deal with the mechanical reliability issues inherent to most American makes because of a malfunctioning radio?
Priorities, man. Priorities!
Edit: Also the Camry is built in the USA.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Camry states that a build location for the model generation listed here. (for the American market I would assume) is Georgetown, KY
Even TTAC Smacks ya!”
https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/sign-of-the-times-camry-tops-most-american-vehicle-list/
Georgetown, KY and Lafayette, IN
Pfft! try again!
I work in vehicle electronics and can tell you that (unless you get lucky and see a dangling wire) nothing is harder to find than an intermittent fault.
First, NEVER CUT A FACTORY WIRE! Second, check the constant power wire at its connectors. Bad fuses don’t go on and off, and I have never seen a loose one, although I suppose it could happen.
Aftermarket head units are seldom as good as the original equipment unit unless you “need” excessive bass response (and who doesn’t?). They also lack the unified visual “theme” and that can, in fact, detract from resale. If that is not an issue, buy the new one from NewEgg.com or Amazon for price and delivery, but mounting accessories from Walmart (Wal is high on the head, but cheap on adapter harnesses and install kits). Salvage yard head units are too risky. Have a local tech that you know and trust look for loose solder joints, etc. on the board. You know where he lives if you need to throw a brick through his window (did I really say that?).
Finally, on a radio (or any other part of the car) I repeat NEVER, NEVER CUT A FACTORY WIRE! I did once on an ’82 Chevette (cue shame) putting in a radio and killed a diagnostic port. Cars have only gotten more complex, multiplexed and expensive since then.
My 2 cents:
Aftermarket stereos do not always sound better than OEM. My Honda Accord told me that. It has the best-sounding stereo I’ve had in any of my cars in my 35 years of driving, and I have installed quite a few aftermarket stereos in my cars through the years. And it’s a 6-CD changer in-dash, and the car has 217000 miles. And it still works flawlessly…so far.
racenviper2: Being spiteful toward Toyota will not make your piece of crap “‘murkin” better or make the Toyota non-dependable. The truth is the truth. And most GM stereos I’ve heard just have a lot of booming bass and no treble. Why don’t you try a Honda and see how utterly ignorant your remark was? I’m sure RF and all the commenters here will agree. Except the other “buy ‘murkin” folks out there. Buffoons.
By the way, one additional comment. Since virtually all factory car stereos are made in shops following industry standard procedures (e.g. ISO-9001:2000, QS-9000, TS, SAE, IPC, etc.), the quality/reliability differences between European, Asian or American are negligable. This is not necessarily true with the aftermarket, especially in lower priced items that are purchased as commodities from the lowest price offerer.
racenviper2: Being spiteful toward Toyota will not make your piece of crap “‘murkin” better or make the Toyota non-dependable. The truth is the truth. And most GM stereos I’ve heard just have a lot of booming bass and no treble. Why don’t you try a Honda and see how utterly ignorant your remark was? I’m sure RF and all the commenters here will agree. Except the other “buy ‘murkin” folks out there. Buffoons.
Well said. The 1991 Accord I was speeding (and I do mean speeding) around Nashville, TN in 2007 still sounded so nice. I am glad I am not the only one who is tired of the “Huurr America” stuff. (Where’s Daniel Stern for all of this huh? LOL!)
Hey Kevin
As one of those proud Buy American buffoons I would just like to say thank you for the insult. May you and your old beater Accord live happily ever after.
Oh, and have a nice weekend.
Buzzdog +1
As soon as I read “pre-sets disappear” my first thought was intermittent power. Intermittent power could also explain the radio turning itself off and on. It might also explain switching from radio to cd because of power on default settings.
Andy D,
I used to do IT support. I know it’s annoying and sounds condescending when the tech asks if they’re sure everything is plugged in, but it always makes sense to check power and the power supply first.
And count me in with the folks who wish after-market radio manufacturers knew how to design a radio that is, well, understated.
If you want to avoid Tokyo Ginza By Night displays, spend less money. Most of the aftermarket audio companies have cheaper models with fewer features like graphic displays etc. They use the same audio circuitry as the more expensive models so you end up with equal sound quality.
I don’t know why anyone needs more than 50 watts per channel. I’m a bit of an audiophile and my home system uses a 60WPC Adcom.
Besides, features break.
Really? You’d deal with the mechanical reliability issues inherent to most American makes because of a malfunctioning radio?
powerpeecee
Did you know that Consumer Reports no longer assumes that Toyotas will be more reliable than other makes? In terms of what I consider to be mechanical reliability, drivetrain, suspension, brakes, steering and HVAC, based on consumer quality surveys the differences between the automakers are barely statistically significant. Everyone builds cars that last more than 100K miles.
Except the other “buy ‘murkin” folks out there. Buffoons.
Kevin Kluttz
Your disdain for your fellow Americans is odious. It’s too bad that their excrement is odoriferous, unlike your own. Maybe you can move your upper middle class suburb intact to another country so you will feel more like you are living with your peers (pun intended). That way your European washing machine, vacuum cleaner, and coffee maker will feel more at home.
American elites have looked down on their fellow Americans and have looked offshore for role models since the early 19th century. In the 1920s, the elites pined for Paris. In the 1960s it was India and the far East. You’re part of a long and not so distinguished tradition.
It’s true that OEM sound systems have gotten better. There was a time when just about any aftermarket unit from a name brand like Alpine would sound better than even the best OEM unit. Cobranding OEM audio gear with JBL, Sony, Infinity, B&W and B&O ended that distinction.
I don’t care what CR says, I am speaking from experience.
American cars that I seen fail from family members, coworkers, or owned myself:
Several (including mine) Ford Taurus’ with blown AX4S Transmission (they all do this), Two Chevy Luminas failed because of the 3.1 lower intake manifold gasket issue that GM couldn’t be bothered to fix for a decade at least. One Ford Aerostar with a driveshaft that fell out. A Thunderbird with a failed 4r70W transmission. A 1.9 Escort with a thrown rod.
So the Merkin’ cars can make 100k. How many will still be on the road with their Japanese cousins at 200k? Let’s try for 300k? NO American car will make 300k, while there are quite a few Japanese cars that will. I am a run ’em until they are too tired to run anymore type. You guys can stay in debt while I drive my beater around, laughing at you and your car payments. Debt, overspending, and living beyond your means is the American way after all.
Who gives a damn what CR says. CR is glossy toilet paper, IMHO.
As far as disdain for fellow Americans goes, yes, I have disdain for people who buy American just because it is American, and in this way the American auto manufacturers will know they can shovel whatever dreck and banality they wish in your general direction and you will lap it up ’cause it’s AMERICAN!!
Please.
Guys, let’s try to back the heat off a bit, since our friend Greg just wanted help with his radio.
We all tend to base our opinions on our own experience (anecdotal evidence) which is generally pretty subjective, and heavily influenced by what we personally care about the most. I’ve had a lot of cars, British, German, Japanese, Korean and American. Each had positives and negatives. I am not sure I would get too emotionally invested in where a car comes from now, since they are all a blend of sources. I personally tend to buy U.S. nameplates, but all the cars produced today are, in most ways, superior to what anyone was building 20 years ago.
Don’t laugh about the mice thing. I went on an extended business trip to Texas one winter and when I came back mice had colonized the entire back seat of my Nissan. There were tunnels through the seat cushions and nests and everything. Sons of bitches.
So the Merkin’ cars can make 100k. How many will still be on the road with their Japanese cousins at 200k? Let’s try for 300k? NO American car will make 300k…
Don’t be so fast to make such an ignorant comment, when a quick web search finds plenty of examples of many makes that exceed 300K, including some of those “buffoon-mobiles”…and when my AX4S craps out, I’ll let you know…
Regarding stereo power requirements, to say 50 watts (I am assuming RMS power) is all that is needed is false. Some speakers have such low sensitivity that you really need 100 w or more to avoid clipping the amp…
Many thanks to all who have posted responses, but a big shoutout to Jimbear who nailed the diagnosis. As soon as I read his response about his daughter using the cassette deck player as a piggy bank, I recalled my young’un being very interested in the boombox system many months ago. I walked outside to the car took one look at the inside of the cassette player and viola — I spotted multiple coins deposited inside. Unfortunetly, I cannot get at them.
Now what do I do? It appears get a Haynes manual and try to DIY or go and get a aftermarket one and upgrade. For an average DIY ‘er trying to get at the OEM without a crowbar appears impossible.
There you go, isn’t if funny how often problems develop from people sticking things where they don’t belong? Thus endeth the lesson.