My 1995 Volvo 850 has been kinda weird with the sound for the past few months. It sounds fine then gets kinda quiet. Been happening for a while. Today I was driving down the road and the radio just stopped making any sound. I could still change the stations, but no sound. After work it came on for a while in spurts then after about 15 minutes went quiet all the way home. I did check the fuses under the hood they are ok.


Do I need new speakers? Help!

 

Not the speakers - your car has how many speakers - 6? what's likely is a connector is loose or the head unit or amp is failing internally. What is the radio model number (on the face)? Does this happen for all media or just FM radio? Does the radio's LCD go dark when there's no sound?

 

I've been having this trouble as well. Less since I replaced all 6 of the speakers but it is still there.

In my case, yes I did need 2 new rear speakers due to one being blown and one having a torn paper cone. However, the new speakers have made some difference for the better.

The LCD on the front of my unit does not light up when the headlights/dash lights are on. All connections behind the stereo are tight. I suspect the internal amplifier on the head unit is going bad. I can feel a lot of heat on the faceplate of the factory head unit while its operating, which leads me to believe that its overheating.

I am planning to swap it out in the near future for a touch screen dual din nav/blutooth/dvd system to confirm this.

The one thing I did find out after replacing the speakers is this: Using the factory wiring and head unit, I have to bias the speaker balance towards the rear, otherwise I have little to no bass response and all the sound is mid/high range coming from the door and dash speakers. I suspect this is due to the odd way that the factory wires the speakers and that its because I'm not running the last 2 rear pillar speakers in my wagon, so the rear speakers are running at half power (I have yet to find a set that will fit in place of the factory rear pillar speakers due to their odd size and may opt to just get a small 2 channel amp to power the rear speakers independently instead)

I would suggest trying to swap out the factory unit first before doing anything else. Speaking of which, it seems easiest to use a single din unit, as there is a dash kit available for single din. My plans are to try and cannibalize a factory dual din unit and take the locking brackets off the sides to see if I can make a mount that will work on an aftermarket dual din unit...Otherwise you are limited to modifying surround by filing down the plastic "guide rails" that the factory unit uses.

 

Model number is SC-811
It happens on am and fm radio. I put in a cassette and can hear it running but no sound. I think it is the original, the little flap where you slip in the cassette tape says "Volvo".
LCD screen stays lit whenever it is on with or without sound.
I think 6 speakers is correct.

Is this something I can check myself or do I need to take it to someone? If so, who? Thanks for your help.

 

I think I have a spare 811 with code if interested. I need to check. I swapped out mine for a CD player years ago. Takes all of 5 minutes to replace. Even when speaker surrounds tear (the rubber edge of the cone) they will buzz and make some sound - just not clear. There are repair kits for those too.

 

Sounds good! Thank you! Two questions:
1. How much does the code cost?
2. If I get a code, will you tell me what I do with it? Sorry to be so clueless😢

 

Wait, do you mean the radio/cassette player or just the code?

 

The OEM radios like the 811s have a 4 digit security code that needs to be keyed in when the power is cut. If you buy a replacement unit, you want to have the code to enable the radio. Dealers can match the original radio via the VIN but if its not original you need the code. When you install the radio, the LCD will ask you to enter the code - you do so by pressing the station presets in order (ie a security code of 1234 would have you press preset button 1, then 2 then 3 then 4.) and badabing, the radio turns on. You only need to do this once after the battery power is cut.

 

Oh...that code! I have the code for my radio and have used it a number of times. When I pulled the fuses to check them I had to enter it.

So, it sounds like I need a new radio unit. Correct? I am not a big CD listener but I do listen to the radio all the time. Can I just buy one? You say it is pretty simple to replace. Is this if I put the same exact unit (811) in? Would it be as easy with a different model? I am interested in the 811 you have, if you can find it.

Thank you again for you patience and help!

 

Can't say for certain if its wiring, antenna or the head unit without some testing. Replacing the head unit is fairly easy. pop the two vertical clips and slide the radio out. there's a single connector for power/speakers etc and the antenna. You can replace with any of the standard Volvo OEM "double DIN" they go on eBay used for $50-100. You can upgrade to an 816 or 916 (OEM unit with CD player - the 916 has a bigger amp) which plug right in. They come in black or gray face so if you decide to replace, make sure you get the color you want!

 

Ok, so I have looked around and very much like the idea of being able to replace my current unit with one that has Bluetooth. Austin is all hands free.

I pulled put the factory unit (then put it back). It seems to include the anti-theft device. How hard would it be for me to replace the unit? It has a cassette player too. I am curious about the face. I like having the anti theft part. The back had three connections. Two had many wires into a phone jack typr connection. One is one line, to the antenna.

In a perfect world I could purchase a unit with Bluetooth and install it myself, preserving the anti theft part.

Any and all advice is needed and greatly appreciated!

Shirley

 

This is what I have. SD card, USB, and Aux in.

The anti-theft part would be the removable face plate.

 

Thanks, maybe I am confused about the anti theft. It is the alarm system for the whole car I am calling anti theft. Is that housed in the sound system or a different location?

The face of mine, 1995 850 is lots bigger than the newer ones. How does that work?

 

Alarm system for the whole car have nothing to do with the anti-theft on the stock radio.

Anti-theft on the stock radio is when the battery is disconnected, you have to enter a 4 digits code into the radio before the radio can be used.

The physical size of the radio for a 850 is call din 2 or double din. The radio I have is call din 1 or single din. You can get a tray (9132775) from the Volvo Dealer if you choose to use a single din radio, also call a head unit, like mine.

Factory Volvo Single Din Tray - Audio and Video - Volvospeed Forums

What features do you need? Tape? CD? AM/FM? USB? MP3? Touch Screen? AUX in? SD card? DVD player? Play movies? etc...?
Find what you want, then get it.
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...ords=head+unit

 

The pictures are a great help! So it looks like I will need the Single Din tray and the audio unit. I am pretty keen for the bluetooth feature. Will the connectors it has now work on a single din unit or is there an adapter?

Thanks so much for all your help!

 

you can buy either a single DIN or double DIN head unit. Check out eBay or Amazon for cable adaptors that will plug directly into the factory connectors. Bluetooth would be a feature of any new unit as would a media input. The crutchfield.com web site has good info.

 

Due to the great advice here, I know what I want to upgrade to. Now, I am wondering... What if it is something else like a connection or an electronic issue. Is there a way to test? When I pull the unit out it all looks tip top.


Thank you all for your help and guidance.

 

I'd really doubt you'd be able to see anything by pulling out the head unit - short of the odd chance of finding a broken or loose wire. First question - does it go quiet regardless of media (ie AM, FM, cassette all the same?) If yes, that rules out a wonky antenna (if your antenna is bad, you'd lose your FM and your AM would be static but the cassette would play). Does changing volumes or rapid power on/power off make the sound change in any way? If so, you likely have dirty switches or a bad pot in the head unit. Do the lights flicker or change when driving? (if yes, suggests a bad connector). I don't believe your model has a separate power amp so if the antenna is good, I'd make the leap of faith and replace the head unit with a newer vintage with more features.

 

Hurray! Thanks to the great advice here I installed my new radio with Bluetooth last night! Tried it out today and everything works! I love having the Bluetooth feature! Crutchfield was great with price and everything I needed. The Tech support was fantastic!!! My car has well over 200K miles on it, looking ahead to crack 300K!

Thanks again!!

Shirley