'91 240 Radio Problems

Hi!
First, I do want to say that I've poked around here looking for an
answer to my question (which actually may have already been answered,
but I didn't see/understand it). So if this is a total repeat thing,
thank you for answering it yet again!

So, I have a '91 240 sedan whose radio has went all weird on me. The
only way I can hear anything is if I turn it up all the way. When I do
that, I hear the music really faint and there's loud buzzing on top of
the music. I thought it was the antenna (because like a dummy I left
it up, went through a carwash, and it broke), so I replaced that.
Still sounds the same. Then I thought that the whole thing was just
old and kaput since it's the original, except that one day, while I
was in traffic it came in all of a sudden crystal clear (and startled
the crap out of me) like normal. So, what gives?

I looked on here for wiring diagrams so I could check the wires
myself, but knowing pretty much nothing about my car, it made no sense
to me at all.

Help!? Please!!! I just want to listen to the radio!

Thanks a bunch,
Ruth

 

It sounds like a cracked trace on the circuit board of the radio, or some
other loose connection, but I've no doubt the problem lies inside the
radio. The problem might lie in a loose connection at a speaker, but then
it would need to be *each and every* speaker. Occam's Razor and all that.
Speaker connections=probable waste of time.
If you can get to the back of the radio, check for loose connections
first, as those will prove the easiest to fix (just plug it back in), but
in all likelihood, the problem is inside the radio. I don't think even a
dealer will fix a radio (they'll sell you a replacement), you might find
an electronics repair shop somewhere, or see if your local area has a
music store (I mean instruments and amps, not CDs) with a repair shop and
bring them the radio. The people who find and fix amps should probably
prove able to get this fixed, but probably not cheaply. After all,
s/he'll have to just poke and prod and play detective inside the radio,
and they deserve to get paid for that time, since once they find it,
fixing it will likely only take 30 seconds with a soldering iron.


--
Lane Gray
get the .lead out before replying (sorry for munging, I can only take so
many copies of automat)
And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. Gen
2:25

 

I have a '92 940 with the same problem (perhaps). I was hoping someone
would come along with a simple answer. I've also not seen a hint of
it elsewhere.

In my case, the buzzing is very clearly related to the speed of the
engine: faster RPM = slightly higher buzz pitch. At idle it's a
"clug clug clug."

It also so happens that if I turn the speakers full rear (so the
front four speakers are off) the sound goes away completely. If I
turn them ever so slightly front the sound returns in full. The
volume seems to be independent of the radio volume.

Finally, if on my morning commute I wait long enough (20 minutes
seems to do it), I can turn the speakers to the front and there is
then no more buzz, as you describe above.

I was going on the assumption that a ground was loose somewhere,
or perhaps a speaker wire was grounded into the frame.

My antenna is also broken and I've never played with it, but
I would expect that kind of problem to be impacted by the volume
of the radio dial.

I'm also toying with the idea that the alternator diodes are
going, and since I have to install a new alternator anyway I'll
let you know if that solves the problem. I don't really think
it will, but it's nice to dream that I'll fix all kinds of
problems at once.

I've not done this yet; to me it's just an annoyance (and the
back speakers work) but this is probably worth a shot if you care.
(Well, and my car has ...other... problems at the moment.)

When I bought the car I was told the radio was broken, and I had
planned to get some old computer speakers and a walkman, and plug them into
an inverter. Might be worth a shot if you can't get it to work.
Otherwise if you're in the States, K-Mart and Walmart both have cheap
radios in many of their stores...

Good luck!

-TC