Here's a dumb one but I'll ask anyway. The radio is on the fritz and I've got the correct code from the dealer. I go to input the code and the radio will not turn on and there is nothing on the display. Nothing in the owners manual about no display...

So....is there something I'm missing or is this unit totally shot? It's a CR-814.

Second question - if shot should I locate another CR-814 from a junkyard or is there a new, modern radio that fits well in that location?

Thanks in avance

Ben

 

you don't mention the car, and I'm too lazy to look up what a CR-814 is. that said, every Volvo I've ever owned has gotten an after market stereo, typically Pioneer or Kenwood, usually 2-3 from the lowest end model (I like the ones with the least obnoxious displays, real volume ****, and a aux input jack for a Mp3 or whatever player... I don't want or need cellphone bluetooth integration, which is most of what the more expensive models add).

any decent car stereo place will have wiring harness adapters that plug into the factory wiring in the car, and they will have DIN mount adapters that fit the factory holes and mount a standard DIN stereo. if yours is one of those extra tall stereos, you can put in a pocket that will hold a few CDs in the other half of the opening (also readily available from said decent car stereo store).

on some volvos, there's an amp hidden under the dash, typically on the drivers side near the steering column, you'll find this and unplug the speaker harnesses from this amp and plug them into the harness you got from the dealer, which you wire to your after market stereo's harness. the 25x4 amp in a modern car stereo is at least as powerful as the factory amp was in these older cars.

 

Cool - figure getting the stereo put in by an installer is a "can't go wrong" deal.

 

the stereos I use tend to be $100-120. the harness and mounting accessories tend to be about $20-25 total. a decent install is that much again. I'd rather do it myself, but then, I'm a computer engineer so electronics is easy.

one thing about car stereo places, theres only one in this town I'll go to, the rest are pretty bad. funny thing is, this one has been in business a long long time (50+ years owned by the same family, they started out as an auto upholstery shop), while all the others come and go. whatever you do, avoid the big chain appliance stores (best buy, frys, circuit city, etc), their installers tend to be hacks.

 

PS - it's a 1993 940 wagon, loaded up with all the options. We cleaned up the car last night and it looks awesome.

I might do the install myself - can't be tough and I've done a few before. First I'm going to check for bad ground, fuses etc...

Got to do the same testing for the fuel guage which isn't working.

 

Radio should display COD before inputting the code. If it says nothing then at least the display is out. I'd try to input the code even without the display then push the AUT button just to see if you get function... Now, the radio should be turned ON for two hours before you start inputting the code as it probably is locked out by now.

 

Should be a very easy install. The nice part about Volvo is that even in the 240 their radio used a standard 1 din space. I would double-check to see if your car came with an extra amp. The 240 radios were easy to install, but wiring was a pain in the butt, and Volvo being Volvo liked to carry over a lot of ideas from car to car. I would also double-check the harness wiring if doing it yourself. I have a 91 240 wagon with the Volvo premium sound, which used an extra amp. I had to order the harness, not in stock at many places, and when I got it, it was wired wrong...and it was a Scosche! The speakers should handle most aftermarket radios with no problem. They are clear, but lack a bit of bass response. Also, the covers pop right off so if you hear a bit of buzzing when your radio gets going, check to make sure the grills didn't get kicked in. Good luck!

 

Got a new starter motor installed last night. First I'll see if I can get the codes to work after leaving the radio on for two hours. That doesn't do it, I'll take you up on the wiring schematic offer! Thanks for all the pointers!

 

on a 940, there's two possible radio harness configurations. if when you pull out your factory radio there's a long rectangular connector and a round DIN connector (looks like the old PC/AT keyboard connector) in addition to the antenna, then you have an amplifier at the other end of that din cable, probably above the kickpanel to the left of the steering column, and you need a two piece harness. if there's no DIN connector, then you use the one piece harness.

the harness should come with a cheat sheet explaining the color codes.

get the right harness from a car stereo stereo place... the big rectangular connector that went into the back of the OEM stereo plugs into this harness, which you wire up to the harness on your aftermarket stereo. I like to solder and use shrinkwrap, but I'm nerdy that way. if you had the seperate amp, it also has a big rectangular connector, unplug this, and plug the wires into the other harness (which goes to the speaker wiring coming out of your factory stereo. if your car has both dash and front door speakers, you can wire those in parallel. you can leave the factory amp disconnected in place, it won't turn on if the din connector is unplugged.

oh, disconnect the battery ground cable before messing with this! hah.

 

Gotta love the easy fix - loose wire and a blown fuse. Let the radio sit for two hours, entered the code Voila! Radio even sounds pretty good.

Last item - oil leak....but that's another thread.