Hello,

I picked up a 1990 244 last year. It has a Volvo factory radio. It powers on but I'm not getting any sound. I tried using the tuner and a cassette and no sound.

I am not very familiar with car audio but pulled the unit out to see what I could find. There is a nine pin harness that plugs into the radio. There is a green wire that splits before it enters that harness that connects to a 6A fuse that runs to an amplifier behind the glove box. There is a black cable that plugs into the back of the radio paired with a ground wire that leads to the amplifier. There are 4 wires that come out of the amplifier that lead back towards the radio and plug into a 4 pin connector - I can't see where they end up going but I am guessing they lead to the 4 speakers.

Using a multimeter I read about 12V on the green wire before the 6A fuse and 12V after the fuse. I read about 5.75V on each of the 4 wires coming out of the amplifier and into the 4 pin connector. I read about 5.75V on each of the 4 wires after the connector as well.

Any thoughts as to what needs to be done to fix the problem?

Thanks for your help!

Rob

Hi Rob,

What model (I'll guess Volvo brand) stereo do you have? What model number or identifying mark? If no model number on the stereo head unit fascia, is it a digital display or an analogue dial for tuning with two knobs left and right?

Do you find a model number on the amp or any printed info on it?

I'll bet the amp has failed. If the radio powers on, it may indicate it works, yet without connecting it to a speaker, through an amp, if the radio head unit does not have an amp output, that makes it bothersome.

Images of what you're describing here helps.

With a remote amp, the Volvo stereo head unit outputs a line level to the amp, if one of the model range factory fitted for your 1990 240 244. Or, it may output power speaker level out via the nine-pin harness connector to the (typically) front speakers. The remote amp to the rear speakers. Or, the remote amp outputs to a remote fader control.

Does the stereo head unit have a fader control? Or have you found a fader control, like a knob on the center console in one of the optional accessory rectangular tabs like where the hazard flasher, rear demist, and A/C knob or switch button is / are located?

Each speaker connects to two wires. One positive and one negative as you know. So, I'll guess the remote amp is a two channel. The four wires from the amp to a connector are a set of two pair that drive (presumably) the front, or more likely, rear speaker. Wire colors would help.

Your rear speakers are mounted to the the rear doors or on the rear hat shelf under the back glass?

The amp connects to the line level DIN jack out via a "nine pin harness that plugs into the radio" shielded cable, The round DIN jack at the rear of the Volvo factory stereo head unit is marked (stamped into the sheet metal) "AMP". If you see a plug in another, round, DIN jack with EQ stamped above it, you could fit a 2.5+ decade old Volvo factory EQ; also line level.

Does the amp look like:

Two-channel amp made by Alpine or Maybe Mitsubishi Volvo Radio 2 Ch Amplifier HA-6115

ebay auction: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Volvo-Radio-2-Ch-Amplifier-HA-6115-1384766-2X15W-Smooth-Clipping-Circuit-/222419941487





A six-pin DIN connector. Probably not.


Or looks like:

eBay auction:

Or looks like. HA-4120 20x4 Watts. Doubtful. Harness meant for 700-900 application. Same used in most 240 as remote amp in 1990-91 to ->.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-VOLVO-240-940-960-S90-V90-HA-4120-AMPLIFIER-4X20W-3533097-SWEDEN-1991-1998-/282412138257



If the amp is a square box without heat sinks, it may be an earlier Mitsubishi amp. Though I've not seen a 2-channel Mitsubishi amp.

Please see 1986 wiring diagram radio circuit example for two channel front door speaker setup:


The wire harness colors are about the same. At least green is B+ always from the fuse box for radio digital memory back up, and amp power, sometimes.

Take a look here at 240 diagrams:
http://www.volvowiringdiagrams.com/

See the radio circuits PDF. Listed wire colors from the factory can be a guide. After that, a dealer or prior owner may have installed what you're dealing with now.

See PDF page 13 of Volvo 240 1990.pdf. Does not show a four channel with remote amp setup. Yet some Volvo 240 from the mid 1980s and earlier had such setups. Even earlier into the seventies, with the two channel powered amp out inside the stereo radio head unit powering four speakers.

Factory remote amps started in the early 1980s.

May want to look at the 1991 240 and newer radio circuits, if at least for the listed wire colors for speaker pairs and position, and such.

Or does your amp look like (HA-4020 4x20 Mitsubishi)

eBay Auction: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Volvo-HA-4020-80Watt-Amplifier-for-Early-740-240-cars-Easy-to-install-/151953983575

The DIN connector to the radio head unit is six pin DIN.





Do the amp, radio, and speaker harness connectors look like:

Example two channel harness from 1989-1990 and earlier
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_120701119/Metra-70-1119-Receiver-Wiring-Harness.html



Or this:

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_120701120/Metra-70-1120-Receiver-Wiring-Harness.html




Or this?

From: http://wiringdiagramss.org/volvo/volvo-240-radio-wiring-harness



You can record images and upload them to the BrickPix, or your chosen image hosting service (hates photobucket, hates, hates, hates photobucket).

BrickPix accepts images files no larger than 1 (1,024K) megabyte in size. The actual image size does not matter. Though limiting to 1000 pixel width for posting here, helps. Or just upload the images to BrickPix and reply here that you did under one of the viewable categories like TECHNICAL.

Use the full image URL, whether brickpix or elsewhere, and post as Art describes:



Yet Art's image URL is: http://cleanflametrap.com/imgcode.jpg

One of my BrickPix:
https://www.brickboard.com/IMAGELIB/_images/10244.jpg

Yet per Art's instructions:



And



The BrickPix HTML field as a link to the brickpix is a relative URL and may not display in most browser.

Hope that helps you.
--
Give your brickboard.com a big thumbs up! Way up! - Roger Ebert.

I just had the same problem, except mine would not turn on at all.

All three of my fuses were blown, both 3A ones, and the 6A one.

Did you check the two in the radio?

Matt

Thanks for the reply, Matt. I did check both 3A fuses and they appear to be in good condition. I think I am going to try wiring up another stereo and see what happens.

look in FAQ.

With the age of that radio it could be anything! Did you check the speaker connections?

Another guess would be an internal problem. I suppose you could take the radio apart and check it out.

Me, I'm no electrical genius. So, if nothing turns up in your inspection, based on the age of the radio I would find a used radio that would fit. I had a similar problem recently with my 2002 Passat and found a good used factory radio for that car.

Thanks for the reply jwalker. I have a spare stereo. So I think I will try wiring that up and see what happens.

Rob