Electrical Issue seeking help
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Mar 2022
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Electrical Issue seeking help
I have a 2010 3LT with the bose system and no navigation sounds system. I’ve replaced the amp, battery, and the fuses seeking a solution but no fix.
I’ve accidentally let the battery die twice and had to get jumped and somehow both times my radio would produce sound each time but after I turn the car off the audio will stop working and not turn back on. The radio stays on and I can hear a small static when I turn on and off the radio itself but no music will play. No chimes aswell.
I find it weird that the audio will work only if my battery fully dies or gets near dead when i get it jump started.
Any ideas why this happens? I really miss hearing my sound system they come really good in these cars.
I’ve accidentally let the battery die twice and had to get jumped and somehow both times my radio would produce sound each time but after I turn the car off the audio will stop working and not turn back on. The radio stays on and I can hear a small static when I turn on and off the radio itself but no music will play. No chimes aswell.
I find it weird that the audio will work only if my battery fully dies or gets near dead when i get it jump started.
Any ideas why this happens? I really miss hearing my sound system they come really good in these cars.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 5,426
Likes: 2,307
From: Billings Montana. Out in the wild west
If the battery died twice, chances are it’s toast, and probably needs to be replaced. Once they go dead they never fully recover, so I suggest you get a new battery.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Mar 2022
Posts: 22
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It died the first time completely on my old battery, i replaced it and it almost fully died on the second time, there wasn’t enough volts to start it but the radio audio turned on.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Mar 2022
Posts: 22
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Just grinded down all the ground points in the engine bay area which online it seemed to be the most important grounds that normally go bad, then put my battery back in to come to find out that nothing has changed differently. Still no audio. Anyone have any suggestions?
4th Gear
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 4
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I'm having very similar issues in my 2009 non-Bose C6 with base CD radio:
A couple times I have left the the radio on and have heard a loud pop and immediately music and chimes, again.
- no chimes or sound from radio (even though radio display turns on as normal)
- intermittent issue (but mostly doesn't work at this point)
- I can still hear the faint hiss from the speakers when the radio is on and volume is at the second notch or higher or when the chimes are supposed to play (don't think it's a symptom of this issue as it always hissed)
- pulling RDO and AMP fuses doesn't help
A couple times I have left the the radio on and have heard a loud pop and immediately music and chimes, again.
Intermediate
Joined: Jan 2024
Posts: 37
Likes: 9
From: Cincinnati, Ohio
My guess is the head unit is toast. The car does not have a "switched" power input to the radio (or anything else). There is constant power to the radio and when the car is turned on the radio gets a signal from the CAN bus that says it can turn on (the radio can be turned on and off by the switch on the front of the radio). The CAN bus also provides the chimes, vehicle speed (for auto volume), door open and other info. The other possibility is a CAN bus problem (unplugged or another bad module on the bus).
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Mar 2022
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
I'm having very similar issues in my 2009 non-Bose C6 with base CD radio:
A couple times I have left the the radio on and have heard a loud pop and immediately music and chimes, again.
- no chimes or sound from radio (even though radio display turns on as normal)
- intermittent issue (but mostly doesn't work at this point)
- I can still hear the faint hiss from the speakers when the radio is on and volume is at the second notch or higher or when the chimes are supposed to play (don't think it's a symptom of this issue as it always hissed)
- pulling RDO and AMP fuses doesn't help
A couple times I have left the the radio on and have heard a loud pop and immediately music and chimes, again.
If you are running the stock radio system, this sounds exactly like the issue I was having when you mentioned the pop and radio starts working again. Was the same process mine did when it was going bad.
What fixed my issue was just replacing the radio itself, I ended up using a aftermarket kenwood radio I had sitting around so that I can use bluetooth, and got the pac system from crutchfield along with the install kit, and now works great with no sound issues!
4th Gear
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
My guess is the head unit is toast. The car does not have a "switched" power input to the radio (or anything else). There is constant power to the radio and when the car is turned on the radio gets a signal from the CAN bus that says it can turn on (the radio can be turned on and off by the switch on the front of the radio). The CAN bus also provides the chimes, vehicle speed (for auto volume), door open and other info. The other possibility is a CAN bus problem (unplugged or another bad module on the bus).
I'm guessing that since I hear the faint speaker hiss for the duration a chime is supposed to play, then the CAN bus is working?
I happened to purchase another factory radio to use as parts to replace the display in mine (it had faded - I think due to sun damage). I wonder if there's anything else I could salvage from it or otherwise use to test?
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4th Gear
Joined: Apr 2021
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Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Mar 2022
Posts: 22
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Let me know if this solves your issue! I recommend crutchfield to gather all the parts needed for the replacement.
4th Gear
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 4
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I wonder what the cheapest option is to retain the chimes and steering wheel controls.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 972
Likes: 44
From: Michiana
I would dump the head unit also. It sounds like the canbus decoder chip inside is failing. This can lead to total corruption of the canbus string and cause false fault codes, even limp mode conditions. BTDT chasing false codes for two years. It was the radio chip all along. It's not an uncommon problem.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 928
Likes: 454
From: New Brunswick, Canada
I knew that the door and alert chimes were played through the speakers, but I thought that they were played directly through the amp and not through the radio.
To me, hearing a loud "POP" and then the chimes start working is telling me that there is an issue with the amp, not the radio.
Don't get me wrong I agree with others about replacing the head unit with something newer. I would just like to tell the OP that their issue may be/may also be with the amplifier in the car, which would also need to be replaced either with a used or NOS (New Old Stock) GM part or an aftermarket unit.
To me, hearing a loud "POP" and then the chimes start working is telling me that there is an issue with the amp, not the radio.
Don't get me wrong I agree with others about replacing the head unit with something newer. I would just like to tell the OP that their issue may be/may also be with the amplifier in the car, which would also need to be replaced either with a used or NOS (New Old Stock) GM part or an aftermarket unit.