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Can this CR-814 be saved? 900

posted by  JockWagon on  Mon May 2 09:25 CST 2005
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last visit: Mon Dec 3 10:56 CST 2012
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My 91 940 has a CR-814, and I really enjoy the FM performance.

Over the past 10 weeks, the FM output has deteriorated, and now intermittently falls into 3 categories:

Great FM signal.
No FM signal.
About 1/3 FM signal and 2/3 rumble. (This can be varied by pressing on the exterior of the unit.)

(AM signal and cassette use are unaffected.)

After removing the radio, I pulled off the plastic head, and top & bottom metal covers.

The faulty part is a steel box, found inside the right-side of the case. It's about 3/8"w x 2"h x 3"d, with PC board on its left side (all looking from the front). It's connected electrically to the topmost PC board, and also physically soldered to a tab on the case metal side. When I flex that side or press this little steel box, the FM signal goes in and out as described above. When the signal is out, and I connect a probe from this box to the radio's ground, there is no change.

All external connections visible on this little box look fine. And, soldering isn't my longest suit, so the less of that the better.

Any ideas?








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    Can this CR-814 be saved? 900

    posted by  rjk on  Mon May 2 11:34 CST 2005
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    last visit: Sat Dec 12 12:30 CST 2009
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    I've got the same problem. I'm planning on doing something about it in 2 weeks (car is going into repair status w/a blown head gasket among other issues). I'll let you know if I am successful with a fix. Otherwise, Crutchfield, here I come, they have an Alpine unit for about $100 that should be a direct replacement.








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    Can this CR-814 be saved? 900

    posted by  940tom on  Mon May 2 11:21 CST 2005
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    last visit: Mon Oct 8 16:39 CST 2007
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    I like working radios too. I see these all the time on ebay.

    20 hours left. Under $10 (plus shipping)
    http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7970813029&category=33716








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      Ebay: Don't forget to get the security code (nmi) 900

      uid 27's pic
      posted by  Art Benstein on  Mon May 2 12:14 CST 2005
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      last visit: Fri Oct 17 20:10 CST 2014
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        Or a serial No. for a dealer decode (nmi) 900

        posted by  940tom on  Mon May 2 12:34 CST 2005
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        last visit: Mon Oct 8 16:39 CST 2007
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          Or a serial No. for a dealer decode 900

          uid 27's pic
          posted by  Art Benstein on  Mon May 2 12:38 CST 2005
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          last visit: Fri Oct 17 20:10 CST 2014
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          It is the serial number of the car (VIN) indicating proof you own it that the dealer wants-- if they (1) will offer you the time of day, or (2) still enforce theft deterrent policy on ten year old radios.
          --
          Art Benstein near Baltimore








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            No argument 900

            posted by  940tom on  Mon May 2 15:21 CST 2005
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            last visit: Mon Oct 8 16:39 CST 2007
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            It could is hit or miss with the dealers. I have asked for and received radio codes twice over the phone by volunteering my name and providing the vin number. I would definitely have the bill of sale and the vendor’s name which doesn’t mean a whole lot other then your own good faith.

            JockWagon, if you are thinking about ebaying this radio check with a dealer before you bid.







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              It helps if you call the dealer that you just purchased your car from. 900

              posted by  RepairmanJackal on  Mon May 2 16:19 CST 2005
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              last visit: Tue Jun 10 09:52 CST 2014
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              A rare ocurrence for me as only two of my 7 volvos came from the dealer. My present 1995 came from the dealer and they gave me no grief in getting the radio code.

              They also told me that if it had been swapped, all I needed was the serial from the radio to get the activation code. There would not likely be an issue for you unless the serial was flagged as belonging to a stolen car.


              Incidently, I have a similar problem with both of my TD-3141 (?) radios. One came stock with my 86 GLE and was an excellent sounding system with a stock amplifier. The stock CR-915 in my 940 sounds terrible. The TD would randomly lose FM signal, but AM would survive - it also had problems loading the cassette. The spare I picked up at a junkyard would load the cassette fine, but it got NO radio at all. I'd be intersted in hearing how you fare in your repair. I'd like to put my TD system in my 940 if I can get one of the radios working.








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    Can this CR-814 be saved? 900

    uid 27's pic
    posted by  Art Benstein on  Mon May 2 10:46 CST 2005
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    last visit: Fri Oct 17 20:10 CST 2014
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    Yes it can be saved. But it isn't recipe simple, and may take a lot of patience and those soldering skills you mention.

    I've been reading this list since 99 without coming across another instance of "intermittent poor FM solved by X" yet you clearly have isolated the region of the bad connection. The box you describe is surely the shielded phase locked loop tuner assembly, like the one in this CR712 , itself housing a circuit board with many more potential cracked solder joints. Mechanical circuit board intermittents are very difficult to find sometimes because the flexing is transmitted widely.

    When you can't locate the actual crack, you can resort to reflowing every pad- not that big a project if you've truly got the region right. It can sometimes help to use a meter to look at voltage in random spots while flexing the board, in an attempt to localize the effect, even though you have no schematic.

    Ninety out of a hundred would use this opportunity to spend money on an updated unit, but I'm one of the ten who keeps the old originals going.

    --
    Art Benstein near Baltimore







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