Stereo trouble

[SharkPilot]

This doesn't seem to be the usual Bose problem and I wonder if anyone else has dealt with this?
While driving a week or so ago the radio just suddenly lost the station. At first I thought it was the station until I tried others. All I had was static, as if the antenna was disconnected. The CD player works just fine. A couple of days later I turned it on to show someone and the radio was working but would cut out. Sometimes it even seems like it's slowly tuning up or down the dial as stations fade in then fade back out.
A few months ago I replaced a broken antenna mast. That went well and it's been working fine since. I checked all of the grounds back there and all seems to be well.
Today I thought I would check the connections at the tuner module. The FSM makes look so easy to remove that but I'm baffled. I loosened the nuts and the module will wiggle around a little but won't move forward like the book says it will. While moving the antenna lead a little to check it I popped it out and now can't get it back in. It's too tight in there. There is a speghetti bowl of wiring in that area and I'm wary about doing harm to something else.
So how do I get that module loose and out of there?

Thanks guys.

[tomtom72]

Oh boy does the FSM make it sound simple.....NOT!

I just did one on my friend's Z. It is nearly impossible to get the antenna lead to plug back into the CDM box without having it loose from the rear ( of the car ) facing mount. That mount is up against the passenger side dash.

I'll try to be short so as not to waste your time. I figure you have the fuse box door and the lower trim panel off already? Next, take all the wiring that runs left to right under the CDM and discon the plugs...isn't it odd how they all terminate under the CDM, like the factory knew? I marked all the plugs but I believe it isn't needed because I don't think you can mix them up. I guess I'm just chicken!

After you have all the wires separated and moved out of the way, you can move the flasher off of the front of the mounting bracket along with it's metal clip that holds it to the front of one of the brackets. The bracket that holds the CDM is actually two(?) parts. One is attached to the dash structure and one covers the bottom side of the CDM. If you look to the left & right you will see two 10mm nuts, they come off. The nut studs are attached to the CDM. With the nuts off and the flasher off of the back, you can bend the plastic plate covering the bottom of the CDM downward and off of the studs on the sides of the CDM. At the same time, slid the CDM forward ( towards firewall ) and the rear plastic pin will slide out of it's hole in the upper part of this abortion, and the CDM will be free enough to rotate & move so you can actually see the antenna lead socket. You may have to discon all the plugs going into the CDM, or at least the black, blue and white plugs on the right side of the CDM to get enough movement to get to the antenna hole. It you can't get enough movement with disconning the right side plugs, there are two more on the left side of the CDM that will need to come out. Then for sure it is free enough to move around to get to the antenna jack.

Then, you can, in the words of the FSM, "reverse to reassemble"....

Just take your time as this is a pia job and you will get frustrated at many points. Also, it really helps if you're short like me as you can lay upside down in the seat, legs up over either side of the seat back and head down in the foot well with all the wires hanging in your face like so many gnats....yea, it's fun. The key is once all the wiring is disconned and swept to one side you can get a good look at the mounting system of the CDM and it is actually very obvious how it comes apart. The only thing that is not so obvious is the deal with the rear mounting pin and the top part of the "multi-use bracket". Once the nuts are off and the CDM wiring is out you can bend the lower bracket down & move it around so you can slide the CDM's pin out of the hole.

Hope this helps.

Tom

[SharkPilot]

Thank you Tom. The bummer about this is after I get that antenna lead plugged back in I'm still going to have my original problem. I still have to diagnose the true failure. Is it the CDM or the antenna? I'm actually going to try plugging in another antenna at the rear and seeing if anything changes. But I have to get that silly plug back in first.
I'm am short so your idea of going head first into the foot well may just work.

Once again, thank you.

[todesengel]

With removing the bottom cover from the passenger side under the glovebox I was able to manipulate the plug with some needle nose vice grips.

Originally Posted by SharkPilot

Thank you Tom. The bummer about this is after I get that antenna lead plugged back in I'm still going to have my original problem. I still have to diagnose the true failure. Is it the CDM or the antenna? I'm actually going to try plugging in another antenna at the rear and seeing if anything changes. But I have to get that silly plug back in first.
I'm am short so your idea of going head first into the foot well may just work.

Once again, thank you.

[tomtom72]

Ya know I really should pay attention......sometimes I guess it's senility.

To the original problem. To me that sounds like it could have been a bad (loose antenna jack ) connection at either end of the antenna circuit.

I would get that antenna jack in securely and plug back in the small connectors on either side of the CDM box and then start the car and test the radio reception. If it still is no good then call Doctor Don and run it by him. I would guess since that box is the receiver, it could be a problem with the CDM box itself and Dr. Don can hook you up with that repair.

Oh, if you have to send out the box....the A/C will not work and the CCM will loose one or maybe two serial data communication lines. I believe the ECM and the A/C control head uses a serial data line that goes thru the CDM box. Yea, ain't that some chit! They used the CDM box as a splice point!? I can't see what the CDM box has to contribute to any data that the ECM or the A/C control head has to give to the CCM and vice versa??

Sorry for my lack of paying attention!


Tom

[Huntingbigun]

I agree with the PIA just changed mine, Dr D had a exchange unit so give him a call plus he may have some more checks you can so, he knows the guts of all of it.

[SharkPilot]

Thank you guys for the help and advice.

I tried for some time yesterday and just couldn't get that little plug back in. I will try again this Saturday. Perhaps I will have just the right combo of patience and determination.

I was thinking of giving Dr. Don a call. I've read that he is pretty much the expert, just as you guys have confirmed.

Thank you Tom. I was wondering what would happen if I ran the car without the CDM in place. How weird to loose the A/C but a serial line by definition goes to several places. Kind of like unplugging a PC from an old fashioned network would crash the whole thing?
Hey, as long as that mighty 32 valve stereo under the hood works I'm happy.

I'll keep you posted.
Jim (aka SharkPilot)

[tomtom72]

Jim!

Yea, I never figured anything about sending data thru the CDM. When I did mine 5 yrs ago it was during the winter so i just left the car sit while waiting for all the audio parts to come back. I just last week learned about the data lines when I took the box out of my friend's car and he was repairing the A/C system at the same time. He got no response from the A/C control head and read about it in the FSM, section 8A.

I will say this much about doing anything with the CDM box..reconnecting the antenna jack is the hardest connection to do in this whole deal. If the antenna lead is not oriented just right, you can't get the plug to seat fully into the socket. It's so frustrating, or it was to me anyway.

Good luck with the repair!

Tom

[Z51JEFF]

Stating this job is a pain in the a$$ is an understatement.Its easier to remove the seat,seat tracks.