Radio, CD, Nav, etc. Cut Out Intermittently
 

I've got a 2003 Volvo XC90. The radio, CD, Navigation, Park Assist, etc. all will stop working intermittently. The dealership says its showing code: ICM-1A51, which is a communication fault with the audio control module. Module signal missing. They say the fault is traced to a defective audio module. $700 for a new part.

Could anyone tell me whether they have seen this problem before? Where is the audio module located? I'm planning to try a salvage part if I can locate where the audio module is at. Evidently not part of the ICM unit.

Thanks for any help!

Solved my own problem thanks to a tip from a Volvo mechanic online. My dealer hooked the system up to their computer and got a code that identified a faulty signal to the audio module (on my car this happens to be under the passenger seat). Without ever bothering to look at the supposedly defective part, my dealership told me that I would have to buy a new audio module ($700 installed) to fix the problem..........you have to be kidding, you can buy a very nice complete audio system for that.

Volvo mechanic I found online recommended that I check the connections to the audio module before buying a new one. It took me a total of 5 minutes to remove 3 bolts, remove the audio module, confirm that one connector was loose, disconnect and reconnect all connectors plus apply a little dielectric grease, and reinstall the module. Problem fixed. Radio has worked perfectly since.

Moral of this story: computers are great, and the diagnostic system has helped solve many issues. But, before you let your mechanic convince you to order a new part based solely on the computer diagnosis, insist that they at least take a look at the defective part. It may be something simple. I made this repair myself in 5 minutes. It would have probably taken a mechanic 2 minutes...........if they had bothered to look.

I'm looking for another Volvo mechanic, and will never take my car back to this dealership for anything.