radio replacement.

talkin about an 01 impala LS with the onstar. not activated but it's still there.

hey guys, my factory radio has lost the radio portion of it. the CD player and every thing else still works sound is fine and whatever, but the radio barely works. if i get right next to the radio station it works. but goes away as i drive away.

so i pulled the radio out last weekend to see it maybe the antenna had pulled itself out. it hadn't, but i noticed something interesting. if i pull the antenna PART WAY out from the back of the radio and put a little pressure on one side, so it's kinda in the cocked to one side, it would work great. let it go, back to fuzz...

so does everyone agree the jack in the back of the radio went bad? cuz thats my thought. and does anyone know how to reprogram a new junkyard radio. my car has the onstar. and i will make sure the donor car does as well. but i was told that with the onstar you had to reprogram the new radio so the onstar would still work. my onstar is not activated. but i can only imagine it would cause issues if i did no regrogram it properly.

thank you.
Sincerely,
Impala Racer:evillol:

Sounds like a ground issue with your antenna. If it worked while you had your hand on it the radio was using you for the ground. Possably you could get your hands on another antenna to try.
If all else fails call crutchfield. These guys are pretty sharpe. I don't know if they will help you with your old unit, but they could set you up with some realy decent new stuff.

Out ANT. is built into the back window. check to see if the connections still connected to the window (I think its like a button clip or some shiet) Could also be a bad solder joint between radio PCB and the connection for the ant wire that finaly cracked.

Im not TOTALLY sure, but I dont think radio plays much of a role in the Onstar, besides the Onstar unit passing sound through to the speakers.

I doubt you'll ever use your onstar, and You'd have to pay up a hefty price to get it upgarded to the new digital service anyways. I ripped the onstar outta the trunk, and threw it in a garbage bin :iceslolan and pulled the stupid antenna off the back window (was busted anyways) and there are no ill effects.

As for the radio, you just have to have your VIN # programmed into the radio. otherwise you turn car on, and radio will just read LOCK. Or alternatively (you'd have to hunt down the post @ NAIOA) You can pull one pin off one of the IC's inside, and it will just say CAL ERR for 1 second upon startup, then work normally without being programmed.

If you can find a good deal on one from a junkyard or something go for it, otherwise I'd just replace it with a better aftermarket unit.