1999 Silhouette radio not working

[wlsnoops]

Been reading on here on about radios being locked out and needing security codes to unlock them.
I just bought a 1999 Silhouette with a radio that doesn't work.
It comes on, shows the different channels and everything else.

When the security code is needed, is there a message displayed? I see no message. It's as if the speakers were unplugged, but they are not.

Thanks.

[merc81]

yea, there would be a message if it were locked.
You have an entertainment system in your van? The overhead console TV?
There are a lot of tie-ins between the front radio and any entertainment stuff overhead. There is also a circuit built in to the radio to shut down the audio when a cell phone is active on the system. Or it could just be that the power amp section on the radio is dead.
Have to pull it to see whats up.

[wlsnoops]

Originally Posted by merc81

yea, there would be a message if it were locked.
You have an entertainment system in your van? The overhead console TV?
There are a lot of tie-ins between the front radio and any entertainment stuff overhead. There is also a circuit built in to the radio to shut down the audio when a cell phone is active on the system. Or it could just be that the power amp section on the radio is dead.
Have to pull it to see whats up.

Okay, now we're getting somewhere. Yes, I have the entertainment center. I was not aware about the cell phone part, though. There is a little thing mounted on to rear driver's side window that looks like it is where an antenna is mounted. There is also a wire hanging down near the driver's side of the windshield that looks like it has a microphone attached. I kinda thought that may be for a cell phone.
Under the driver's seat is what appears to be an amplifier for the radio. There is some kind of coaxial cable that has been disconnected from it. Would this have anything to do with the radio?
Thanks.

[rockwood84]

hook the coaxial cable back up and see if it works. have you tried pushing the fm button to make sure it isn't in aux mode.or put a cd in the cd player and see if it will play a cd. the coaxial could be the antanna cable as there is none on the fender.i know mine won't let the radio work if the entertainment screen is down and on .the controls for it are on the rear controls and the radio has to be in aux mode.

[merc81]

Yer gonna make me do homework I can tell

The cell phone was an option for the van. I have it in my 99. There is a mic up by the overhead light console and there is an electronics box under the driver's seat for the phone. The handset only would come up and attach to the right of the driver's seat. Remember this was 1999, cell phones were big then and analog. When the cell phone was used, either to make or receive a call the radio muted and the cell phone used the speakers.
If someone ripped out the phone on your van, then I'd say its a good chance that this has impacted the stereo since the audio was running through the cell phone under the driver's seat.

Normally the radio is sell contained, and it still is, but there was a provision to switch off the radio from the phone.

I've wanted to dig into this more so I can install my newer cell phone into the system but the information in the shop books is pretty sparse. Of course, part of my effort was going to be finding out the pin functions for my phone's connector so I could make an adapter--you just need to know how the radio ties into all this.

I'll do some reading and repost in a couple of days. . .

[wlsnoops]

Rockwood84, I'll see if I can get the coaxial cable re-attached, but I think Merc81 may be on to something about the electronics box below the driver's seat. (Read his post above.)
The CD player spits CDs back out and gives me an "ERR" message. I've also tried pushing the FM button as well.
The radio scans and finds stations with no problem so I'm thinking along the lines of what Merc81 said about it being muted by something else.

Thanks to both of you for your answers.

[merc81]

Lets make sure I have your model I'm studying here.
You should have:
-The overhead video screen that folds down.
-2nd and 3rd row audio control centers. The 2nd row is overhead, the 3rd row is by the passenger window.
-liftgate speakers
-remote cd player thats not part of the radio
-vcr deck mounted on the floor in front
-steering wheel controls for the radio

If all this is correct, then you need to verify one more thing. Open the video panel to the normal viewing position and look up in the space the panel came out of. There may or may not be a round silver disk which is a "magnetic screen position switch". GM made two versions of the entertainment system in 99 and the presence or absence of that disk is how to tell them apart.

Not that I'm going to be able to tell you anything for sure, but at least I can read the manuals to see where you might look for the problem. I should tell you that none of the information I have on hand mentions the cell phone hookup at all, but I'm thinking it should be apparent how that was installed once the radio system is understood the way they have it setup. . .

[merc81]

There must be separate books for the cell phone option. I can't find any place to even connect one to the existing VES as shown.

I'll have to look at the one in my van and see how they did it. I've been wanting to find this out but have been lazy. As soon as the temps get a bit warmer outside I'll have a go at this and see what I find.

I've wanted to make an adapter that I can plug a normal cell phone into, but that might be more trouble than its worth.

[wlsnoops]

Merc81, there is no round silver disk behind the video screen. A square one, but not a round one.
The more I delve into this, the more I'm thinking my van did not come with the mobile phone option. You had mentioned earlier about a mic by the overhead light console. There isn't one there. The one in my van comes up out of the molding behind the windshield, near the driver side visor. It hangs down with about 3" of wire. This looks more like an aftermarket installment, instead of a factory install.
The "electronics box" under the driver's seat looks more like an amplifier for the sound system. It has baffles on top, probably to disipate heat.
I could not reconnect the coaxial cable (or whatever it is), because it looks like someone may have just yanked it out of there or lost a connector to it.

Between the cold weather and after work chores, I'm lucky to get 5 minutes to poke around. By then, it's dark outside and my eyes ain't what they used to be.

[merc81]

yea, I'm with you on the cold and the dark. Mostly when I get home I want to close my eyes for a spell

It does sound like you have something under the seat the isn't part of the normal stereo package and that's likely where the issue is. I'll try to get a peek under mine today and see what's in there.

[wlsnoops]

Holy crap! I must've been really tired last night. That thing didn't have baffles on it. I must've been dreaming.

The thing IS actually for a car phone. It is an Audiovox CTX-3600A.
I've downloaded the manual for it but it doesn't shed any light on the wiring. (unless, of course, I'm still tired)

[wlsnoops]

The lights on the right side of the steering wheel do not work, nor do the mute and volume buttons. Left side works fine. Should I suspect something in this area?

[merc81]

Sorry,
My wife's been in the hospital and I've not had much chance to look under the seat until today.
I don't have any device under the driver's seat. I do have a factory car phone package that attaches to the side of the driver's seat in the same area the seat belt connects to. I was not able to look under the plastic cover that forms the cradle for the phone. I think there is an electronics package in there that may show connections to the stereo. None of this is in my factory manual set from Helms.
The was a thread on the forum a year or so back about changing out the lights in the steering wheel. I don't think that's related at all to your problem with audio, its just burned out lights.

I believe what may be wrong with your stereo is the unit is designed for audio to leave the receiver, go out to auxiliary devices and return, all before the power amp stage. This permits things like cd players, vcrs, dvds, or cell phones to cut the audio from the receiver and replace it with somthing else when needed. Your car has had the cell phone removed, but the audio circuit may not have been reconnected for the stereo to work.

What we really need is for someone that reads this and has a book for the audio wiring to jump in here and tell us what wire does what!
I'll see if I can find some time to get at the cell phone cradle in my van this week and post back.

[wlsnoops]

Thanks for the quick reply, Merc81. Hope it's nothing too serious with your wife. I know exactly what you're going through. My wife has a lot of health issues and has been in the hospital more than anyone I know.
Try to get some rest yourself. You'll need it.