Hey guys,

I have already gotten a lot of great advise as a guest but looking through the windows was not going to answer all of my questions. Anyway, I have had a 1999 Volvo S80 T6 for some time now and just recently the radio kicks in and out and when I put a CD in it diverts back to the Radio signal with an anolog, morse code like ticking electronic sound that plays faintly to the main rythm of the CD. When I choose to go back to the radio i get my radio, but when I turn the volume **** up or down it does the same ticking noise but of the radio. So this is why I have come to you guys. Could it be the radio itself, the antenna or something else? I tried a laser cleaning disc, but to no avail. Any help is greatly appreaciated.

 

I think the radio itself is bad.

 

Thanks. I know my options for a stereo, but does anyone make an adapter for the steering wheel controls?

 

Try Crutchfield.com it would also depend on which radio you had if they made the adapter.

 

It is the HU-801 with the 4-Disc changer.

 

I mean it depends on which radio you are putting in. The adapter has to match the radio you are putting in.

 

Hello I have a 2002 S80 T-6 and I work at Circuit City in car audio...

If you put a aftermarket radio in, its going to be a complete rewire because that is a amplified system... You may loose your center channel as well unless you get a sound processor or wire the center to your left or right speaker. I know they make steering wheel control adapters (only for pioneer and alpine decks, im not sure though) but im almost %100 sure they don't make them for Volvo yet. Also sometimes when you put a new deck in you'll get a message that says "SRS AIRBAG SERVICE URGENT". If you get that you get to make a trip to the dealer. Its a big pain in the butt and your best bet is just buy another HU-801.

Good Luck!
Kaelin Smith
2002 Volvo S80 T-6
Circuit City Car Audio Install Tech and Sales

 

After doing some research, is the any way I can get an amp integration adaptor or find a way to bypass the amp without re-wiring the whole system? Any more insight is greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you for your help mpower989. I recently found that you are entirely right. I thought everyone could know about one distinct difference between the 1999-2001 and 2002 up S80's. Your 2002 needed to be re-wired because the radios (HU-801 for sure) used a fiber optic link to the amplifier (maybe even speakers too, but I am not sure.) My 1999 has good old fashioned regular speaker wire. Therefore I would like everyone to know these differences. The reason for the "SRSAirbagService Urgent" light is for not disconnecting the battery for at least ten minutes before unplugging the radio or climate control module. I failed to do so and got the light and received the warning. A trip to Midas for a code reset solved the issue and I am up an rolling with a new JVC KD-BT11.

Again thank you mpower989. You helped me do more research so as to have a clean install. By the way the wiring harnesses today integrate most amplified systems (unless they are fiber optic). I just think eveyone can benefit from this info (even if some of you may already know it).

P.S. A recent chat with a local dealership with the ServiceManagerin Portland, OR let me know that no radio uninstall software is needed for 1999-2001. He said that that software just removes the car as the digital "mate" to the stereo. He said thatthe radio will still only work in my car and that that all the software does is allows the radio to be put in other S80's.Tech Please correct me if I am wrong. He did not mention 2002 and up but that was not a part of our conversation. He said that the latest Metra, Scosche, and Best Kits wiring harness will close any wiring loops for a fully functional radio and car. I used the Best Kits harness and had great success, but my audio shop in town said they are all the same (at least the branded ones. They said the ebay ones should work too.)

 

I don't think he really knows as much as he thinks he does.
When you look at the main computer of the car(Cem) and all the other computers in the car that are part of the network the radio is one of them.

I also believe there is a few posts on here with people that had the 99's and installed the radio and had problems with the cars till the software was downloaded into the car.

They linked to many computers in the car together. Window switches as modules what were they thinking?

 

Any chance one of those free computer software upgrades from the dealers would fix this as well? I do not know if it was done on my car, but I am honestly shocked that I did not have any real problems with everything. Thank you Tech for clearing things up.

 

The upgrades are not Free. Not sure if there is newer software available for the radio or not.

 

Sorry I meant the ECM upgrades that Volvo releases. I read something similar, but cannot fully remember. Anyway I have just probably proven myself an idiot. I forgot to mention that I have a built-in factory navigation system. Well now that my new radio is in guess what happens when I try to bring it up. No Nav! Okay, I am assuming that since this is a voice guided nav system that it looped through the original stereo. If that is so, has anyone found a way to keep the nav and still have the aftermarket stereo. My other fear is that it might tie into the steering wheel controls for the audio and piggy back off of them. Since I chose to lose them and not try to find anything to integrate them with (as I undestand it is nearly impossible to do), I fear that although in this case it may be possible that the nav still has power but my controls need to be integrated to make the setup work. Any insight is greatly appreciated and thank you Tech.

 

There was the ETM software if you haven't had it done yet. That is free (Recall) But that should be about it.

I think I have read somewhere but forget where that someone had figured out a way to keep the Nav with an aftermarket radio.

 

Cool. I have done some searching but it has come up dry. If you find it (not that I even remotely would expect someone to take a special amount of time to look as I understand people are busy), but if you do I am interested to read it. In the mean time I am going back to my radio installer and they will see what they can do.

 

Been reading up on the ECM and various other modules and how they interconnect. It's very much like a peer-to-peer computer network actually. It's not like a client/server setup where the ECM has all the brains and the clients/accessories are just dumb terminals. Heck, even the driving controls (gas pedal and automatic gear shift) are modular. It's really a fly-by-wire system like in an F16.

No wonder those driver side window switches cost me $330!