Radio Stopped Working in 2000 Honda Civic

Hello ...

I have a 2000 Honda Civic. It has a radio and a cassette player.

This morning, I turned on the radio and it's not working. I get a
brief few seconds of broken-up sound, then static. I cannot receive
any stations on AM or FM. Just static.

The cassette player is working fine.

Might anyone know what would cause this? Is there anything I can do,
or do I have to replace the radio?

Many thanks for any information.

Linda W.

 

IT's time to upgrade Linda. Your radio is probably toast. Get a decent
aftermarket one with a CD player and I POd conntion , USB etc. Very
reasonably priced and much better. Or you can go to a junk yard and
get a Honda deck if you just want the same thing fo $50 give or take.

 

Thanks, Clete.

My concern about a new one with a CD player instead of a cassette
player is that I have a lot of tapes that I wouldn't be able to use
any more.

How would I find a junk yard that might have a radio with a cassette
player?

And are they expensive to install? I'm guessing that I'd need to go
to a place that installs radios, rather than my regular auto repair
shop, right?

Thanks again.

Linda

 

Hi Linda,

This could be a radio fault, but possibly just a loose antenna connection or
a broken antenna wire. I wouldn't assume the radio is 'toast' without doing
some simple checks. If these don't show anything up, then think about the
radio.

Wiggle the antenna and see if anything changes.
Try looking under the dash for a black cable about the thickness of a
ballpoint and see if you can see where it plugs into the radio. Try pushing
the cable into the radio gently and see if that helps.

Good luck!

Larry

 

Thanks, Larry.

I looked under the dash, but could only find wires bundled together.
I need to some Internet searching to see if I can find just where to
look for the radio cable.

I did try wiggling the antenna -- no change.

When I first turn it on, there is some brief sound, then just static.
I also noticed that when I shift gears or turn on the turn signal, et
cetera, I hear that particular noise through the radio. And when I
drove in an area with power lines and traffic lights, the static got
louder.

Linda

 

REAL good chance the antenna lead has fallen out / gotten unplugged
from the radio if it is making those kinds of noise.

Take it to your neighbor/local garage for a quick look-see.

Can't hurt.



technomaNge
--

 

"Linda" wrote

What you've just described is good diagnostic information, but just what, I
have no idea. ;-) It sounds as if the radio still has sensitivity, but to
local RFI (radio frequency interference) generated by power lines, etc., as
well as what may be alternator whine. Does it do this/does it receive no
radio signals on both AM and FM? You really have to locate the antenna cable
that connects to the back? of the radio. It is the thickness not of a
"ballpoint," but of a pen or pencil. Until you find that and pull it out
from the radio and push it back in (to help determine if something in it is
loose or broken), you really won't know if the radio is "gone" and needs to
be replaced. Summarily replacing it is not what you're wanting to do. If
the problem is in the antenna and/or its cable, then a new radio won't work,
either.

 

A ballpoint is a pen

 

How long have you owned this car?

Did this just suddenly happen?

Is this an aftermarket radio? (won't say "Honda" on it)

Does the car have any of the following?:
- remote starter
- aftermarket alarm
- aftermarket speakers or amp
- aftermarket antenna
- any other aftermarket accessories or lighting?

 

Thanks!

I called my mechanic to ask about the radio, and he said they don't do
any audio work. He referred me to Best Buy -- that would be if I was
going to purchase a new radio. He recommended having Best Buy install
it, too.

I'll call back to see if he would look at the antenna, though.

Linda

 

It does not receive signals on AM or FM.

I need to figure out where the cable is. Maybe I can find a diagram
online somewhere.

Thanks!

Linda

 

Answering your questions:

- I don't know if it's aftermarket -- but I'm guessing it's Honda. It
is the radio that came with the car, and I purchased the car new from
a Honda dealer. I don't think it says "Honda" on the front, but I'll
check.

-- It does not have a remote starter.

-- No aftermarket speakers or amp, I don't think. The speakers are
the ones that came with the car.

-- Same with the antenna -- it's the one that came with the car.

-- No other aftermarket accessories, if by that you mean things I
installed after I purchased the car. It's all the things that were
installed when I purchased the car.

I don't mean to sound dense or anything. As you can tell, automotive
issues are definitely not my area of expertise.

Thanks!

Linda

 

ALSO ... I just looked on the Best Buy web site, and none of the car
stereos listed will fit my car. So I guess I will have to look
elsewhere.

Linda

 

Just wanted to add that I appreciate all the advice and suggestions
you ALL are giving me!!!

 

Every stereo at Best Buy, with the exception of any that are specifically
for GM or Chrysler (known as "Din and a half" sized) Will fit your car.

For checking the antenna lead to make sure it is in tight, pretty much
anyone (you or someone you know) who is somewhat competent with a
screwdriver can check this, just requires a little patience.

This page should show you the how to take the radio area apart and put it
back together... http://www.installdr.com/InstallDocs/Honda/Accord.asp

A better resource for what fits or doesn't is http://www.crutchfield.com/.
If you have to buy a new radio and don't want to pay for installation, they
are also good to deal with for that as well. Yes, you can beat there prices
by shopping around, but they also include detailed instructions for
installation in your specific car and any kits or wiring harnesses needed
(elsewhere will charge extra for these accessories) and their support for
the novice is priceless.

 

<snip answers>

So, no modifications to the car's electrical system. That's good.

Static and poor reception is often caused by a bad or loose antenna
connection. They don't /usually/ go bad on their own, but it can happen, so
it's unwise to replace the radio until the antenna has been ruled out as
the cause of the problem.

If a competent garage/audio installer inspects the antenna connections, and
maybe swaps in a different antenna temporarily, and the problem is not
fixed, chances are the radio itself is bad.

Aftermarket replacement radios are fine...IF the installer uses the correct
add-in harness to make his connections to the new radio. That way he does
not cut into the factory wiring.

Do not skimp on installation, but use a professional. Amateur butchers can
really make a hash of the electrical system! The only times I've ever seen
electrical problems on a Honda (that were not caused by corrosion or
abrasion) has been when electrical modifications were performed.

 

:

Best Buy is a pretty good choice.

If the installer is good, that's the first thing he'll look at.

And if you end up needing a new radio, have fun choosing! the world is your
oyster when it comes to aftermarket audio accessories. You can get iPod
connectivity, and transfer all your tapes to the iPod. That way you can
carry, literally, all your tapes with you all the time. My wife has a tape
player in her Tercel, but it hasn't been used since she got an iPod years
ago. The iPod is SO much more convenient.

 

I'll check back with Best Buy. When I went online, it asked me to
enter in my car model and year, and then all the listings had the
graphic that said they did not fit my car. But I'll do some
additional exploring. Maybe if I go to the store, someone can advise
me -- if it turns out I have to replace the radio.

Thanks!

Linda

 

Thanks.

I need to figure out if it's the antenna. Since my mechanic doesn't
do that, I'll have to figure out who to take it to.

I am going to add an update at the end of the current messages --
about something that happened this morning with the radio. Makes me
think it's a connection problem. If you'd like to keep up with my
story, please see the update.

Linda

 

If I do need a new radio, I'll look into the options. Actually, I
don't have an iPod at all right now. And my cell phone is about six
or more years old, very basis, doesn't take photos or do any tricks, I
just use it to make phone calls. I'm pretty low-tech. I just
got cable TV two years ago, and that was only because of the digital
conversion. Part of the reason I don't have a lot of gadgets is
because I don't think I really need them, and partly, it's because I'm
self-employed and so quite budget-conscious. So I'll have to explore
what's out there.

It would be great, though, if I could just fix what I have. I just
need to figure out who to take it to who won't charge me a fortune to
check it out.

Thanks!

Linda