Hi all. I registered just to post this. My wife drives an 07 Accord and has been having issues with the audio as of late. While she is driving it will just stop. The radio still shows power as the LCD is still lit. This happens with a CD or radio. Sometimes it will come back by turning the car off and back on. Sometimes it just comes back on it's own. I've done some searching but haven't come to anything conclusive. I assume it's a wiring problem but with the layout of the dash I wasn't sure where to start. I'm much more comfortable with the "old" style where you just had a rectangle head unit that was easily removed. Thanks so much!!

 

I'm going to move this over to the A/V Electronics section...
Welcome to HAF!

 

Sorry, wasn't sure where it belonged. Thanks!!

 

the head unit is essentially the same rectangle unit. just has a more shaped face plate. but if you take it out. it is the same.

does your car have a premium stereo or the basic area. sounds like an amp problem, but I dont know if your car has an amp.

 

It's the basic sound. Nothing special, no MP3, aux, satellite, etc. How do you get it out though? And if it's the amp then I assume the head unit needs replaced correct? There is no additional amp (as far as I am aware) other than what it built into the head unit.

 

it could be a short somewhere else. I wouldnt just get a new head unit yet. I would troubleshoot for shorts first. KHA would be better at telling you how to go about this than I would. I am sure he will be on here in a day or so.

to remove the head unit. you pull the plate around the gear shift. remove the screws and pull the "not an ash tray" tray. remove screws and pull out lower pocket. remove the top cover on the dash directly above the head unit. then remove the 4 screws and pull the head unit out. the first time I did it, it took me about an hr. I can do it in 10 min now.

 

typically, shorts occur in the rear speakers which are exposed to the trunk. cramming stuff in there can sometimes lead to the speaker tinsel leads being damaged or short out. if one speaker wire shorts the entire amplifier can shut down while leaving the head unit operational.

another option is an internal fault in the amplifier itself - which lives inside the head unit.

i would start by inspecting the rear speakers. you can easily disconnect them with the stock clips. the problem with an intermittent issue is testing it takes a while - you try something and wait. then if it happens you try something else and wait...

 

also, the cold can cause circuits to cut out. usually from solder joints that aren't 100%. this is very common in winter.

 

@neophyte - thanks for the info. My hope was it would be easier than it seems and that appears to be the case.

@keep_hope_alive - great info, thanks! I know one of the rear speakers is blown. I was planning to replace them when it finally warms up around here. I will start there and check for shorts though. And being in IT I hate intermittent problems, they are always the hardest to track down. Hopefully it's something simple like the rear speakers. I can always bust out the multimeter too and check for shorts at the head unit but since it doesn't occur all the time that's probable easier said than done. Thanks again!!

 

if the speaker is blown it is possible that your coil on the speaker is the short.

also in a car U have found that often times intermidant problems are caused by jarring or shaking of wires. bumps in the road tend to be the cause when driving. often you can replicate bumps in the road by a little wiggling of the wire.

(please excuse my spelling, I know that it is horrible.)