Honda Car Forum

Greetings,

I have a 1997 Odyssey. Three days ago the speakers to the radio stopped
working. The radio, itself, works -- the LCD lights up, you can switch
stations, switch to CD, etc. -- you just can't hear it. The speakers are
silent.

At least they were silent until last night when I was driving with the
lights on. Then there was engine interference -- a whining buzz directly
linked to the speed of the engine. The faster the engine was spinning
(OK, the engine wasn't spinning, but the parts inside it were) the higher
the buzz. The interference is only present when the lights are on -- it
goes away when the lights are off.

Also, now I cannot turn my parking lights off.

I a confident all these events are linked, and I leave it to some clever
diagnostician to give me some insight.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Frank

Frank Trobaugh <rmills1993@hotmail.com> wrote in
news:Xns957ED4E17EA7Bftrobaugh@130.81.64.196:

> Greetings,
>
> I have a 1997 Odyssey. Three days ago the speakers to the radio stopped
> working. The radio, itself, works -- the LCD lights up, you can switch
> stations, switch to CD, etc. -- you just can't hear it. The speakers are
> silent.
>
> At least they were silent until last night when I was driving with the
> lights on. Then there was engine interference -- a whining buzz directly
> linked to the speed of the engine. The faster the engine was spinning
> (OK, the engine wasn't spinning, but the parts inside it were) the higher
> the buzz. The interference is only present when the lights are on -- it
> goes away when the lights are off.
>
> Also, now I cannot turn my parking lights off.
>
> I a confident all these events are linked, and I leave it to some clever
> diagnostician to give me some insight.
>
> Thanks in advance for your help.
>
> Frank
>

How do you know the radio works if you can't hear anything? Do you mean it
lights up or the display works?



--
"All my friends can't be wrong!"
Remember, stupidity runs in herds.

"Dr.Maggot" <Maggot@nospam.invalid> wrote in
news:Xns957EDAE2BC848DrMaggot@130.81.64.196:

> Frank Trobaugh <rmills1993@hotmail.com> wrote in
> news:Xns957ED4E17EA7Bftrobaugh@130.81.64.196:
>
>> Greetings,
>>
>> I have a 1997 Odyssey. Three days ago the speakers to the radio
>> stopped working. The radio, itself, works -- the LCD lights up, you
>> can switch stations, switch to CD, etc. -- you just can't hear it.
>> The speakers are silent.
>>
>> At least they were silent until last night when I was driving with
>> the lights on. Then there was engine interference -- a whining buzz
>> directly linked to the speed of the engine. The faster the engine
>> was spinning (OK, the engine wasn't spinning, but the parts inside it
>> were) the higher the buzz. The interference is only present when the
>> lights are on -- it goes away when the lights are off.
>>
>> Also, now I cannot turn my parking lights off.
>>
>> I a confident all these events are linked, and I leave it to some
>> clever diagnostician to give me some insight.
>>
>> Thanks in advance for your help.
>>
>> Frank
>>
>
> How do you know the radio works if you can't hear anything? Do you
> mean it lights up or the display works?
>
>
>

Yes. The LCD display lights up enabling me to switch stations, scan
tracks on the CD, etc.

The amp section of your radio is out. There is no getting around it. You
might want to check all the radio fuses. Don't know about the 97 but the 99
on the same fuse feeds the accessory sockets and the audio unit. Do your
accessory sockets work?


"Frank Trobaugh" <rmills1993@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:Xns957F5B9DC87F4ftrobaugh@130.81.64.196...
> "Dr.Maggot" <Maggot@nospam.invalid> wrote in
> news:Xns957EDAE2BC848DrMaggot@130.81.64.196:
>
>> Frank Trobaugh <rmills1993@hotmail.com> wrote in
>> news:Xns957ED4E17EA7Bftrobaugh@130.81.64.196:
>>
>>> Greetings,
>>>
>>> I have a 1997 Odyssey. Three days ago the speakers to the radio
>>> stopped working. The radio, itself, works -- the LCD lights up, you
>>> can switch stations, switch to CD, etc. -- you just can't hear it.
>>> The speakers are silent.
>>>
>>> At least they were silent until last night when I was driving with
>>> the lights on. Then there was engine interference -- a whining buzz
>>> directly linked to the speed of the engine. The faster the engine
>>> was spinning (OK, the engine wasn't spinning, but the parts inside it
>>> were) the higher the buzz. The interference is only present when the
>>> lights are on -- it goes away when the lights are off.
>>>
>>> Also, now I cannot turn my parking lights off.
>>>
>>> I a confident all these events are linked, and I leave it to some
>>> clever diagnostician to give me some insight.
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance for your help.
>>>
>>> Frank
>>>
>>
>> How do you know the radio works if you can't hear anything? Do you
>> mean it lights up or the display works?
>>
>>
>>
>
> Yes. The LCD display lights up enabling me to switch stations, scan
> tracks on the CD, etc.

"Woody" <TheDuck@pond.net> wrote in
news:3bEad.8716$Rf1.4298@newssvr19.news.prodigy.co m:

> The amp section of your radio is out. There is no getting around it.
> You might want to check all the radio fuses. Don't know about the 97
> but the 99 on the same fuse feeds the accessory sockets and the audio
> unit. Do your accessory sockets work?
>
>
> "Frank Trobaugh" <rmills1993@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:Xns957F5B9DC87F4ftrobaugh@130.81.64.196...
>> "Dr.Maggot" <Maggot@nospam.invalid> wrote in
>> news:Xns957EDAE2BC848DrMaggot@130.81.64.196:
>>
>>> Frank Trobaugh <rmills1993@hotmail.com> wrote in
>>> news:Xns957ED4E17EA7Bftrobaugh@130.81.64.196:
>>>
>>>> Greetings,
>>>>
>>>> I have a 1997 Odyssey. Three days ago the speakers to the radio
>>>> stopped working. The radio, itself, works -- the LCD lights up,
>>>> you can switch stations, switch to CD, etc. -- you just can't hear
>>>> it. The speakers are silent.
>>>>
>>>> At least they were silent until last night when I was driving with
>>>> the lights on. Then there was engine interference -- a whining
>>>> buzz directly linked to the speed of the engine. The faster the
>>>> engine was spinning (OK, the engine wasn't spinning, but the parts
>>>> inside it were) the higher the buzz. The interference is only
>>>> present when the lights are on -- it goes away when the lights are
>>>> off.
>>>>
>>>> Also, now I cannot turn my parking lights off.
>>>>
>>>> I a confident all these events are linked, and I leave it to some
>>>> clever diagnostician to give me some insight.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks in advance for your help.
>>>>
>>>> Frank
>>>>
>>>
>>> How do you know the radio works if you can't hear anything? Do you
>>> mean it lights up or the display works?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Yes. The LCD display lights up enabling me to switch stations, scan
>> tracks on the CD, etc.
>
>
>

Thanks for the info. Do you mean that the radio is kaput and need to be
replaced? I will check the radio, fuses, and sockets.

I don't understand why I am getting interference from the engine now when
I never did when the radio worked. Does the amp offer some kind of
shielding? I discovered that banging on the steering wheel affects the
whinning buzz -- it might make it softer or louder. It's all very
interesting.

Ted

Frank Trobaugh wrote:
>
> Greetings,
>
> I have a 1997 Odyssey. Three days ago the speakers to the radio stopped
> working. The radio, itself, works -- the LCD lights up, you can switch
> stations, switch to CD, etc. -- you just can't hear it. The speakers are
> silent.
>
> At least they were silent until last night when I was driving with the
> lights on. Then there was engine interference -- a whining buzz directly
> linked to the speed of the engine. The faster the engine was spinning
> (OK, the engine wasn't spinning, but the parts inside it were) the higher
> the buzz. The interference is only present when the lights are on -- it
> goes away when the lights are off.
>
> Also, now I cannot turn my parking lights off.
>
> I a confident all these events are linked, and I leave it to some clever
> diagnostician to give me some insight.
>

The stereo is connected to the parking lights so that the display may
dim when you turn on your lights. Your now faulty stereo is probably
back-feeding power onto the parking lights wire, thus you can not turn
the parking lights off. The real question is which of your kids emptied
a vanilla Coke inside the stereo? Regardless, I think your stereo is
toast.

Randolph <trash@junkmail.com> wrote in
news:416B7CE3.17C38DE2@junkmail.com:

>
> Frank Trobaugh wrote:
>>
>> Greetings,
>>
>> I have a 1997 Odyssey. Three days ago the speakers to the radio
>> stopped working. The radio, itself, works -- the LCD lights up, you
>> can switch stations, switch to CD, etc. -- you just can't hear it.
>> The speakers are silent.
>>
>> At least they were silent until last night when I was driving with
>> the lights on. Then there was engine interference -- a whining buzz
>> directly linked to the speed of the engine. The faster the engine
>> was spinning (OK, the engine wasn't spinning, but the parts inside it
>> were) the higher the buzz. The interference is only present when the
>> lights are on -- it goes away when the lights are off.
>>
>> Also, now I cannot turn my parking lights off.
>>
>> I a confident all these events are linked, and I leave it to some
>> clever diagnostician to give me some insight.
>>
>
> The stereo is connected to the parking lights so that the display may
> dim when you turn on your lights. Your now faulty stereo is probably
> back-feeding power onto the parking lights wire, thus you can not turn
> the parking lights off. The real question is which of your kids
> emptied a vanilla Coke inside the stereo?

My 2-year old. And I don't think it was vanilla.

Frank


> Regardless, I think your stereo is toast.
>

Frank Trobaugh <rmills1993@hotmail.com> wrote in
news:Xns95865F36923F3ftrobaugh@130.81.64.196:

> Randolph <trash@junkmail.com> wrote in
> news:416B7CE3.17C38DE2@junkmail.com:
>
>>
>> Frank Trobaugh wrote:
>>>
>>> Greetings,
>>>
>>> I have a 1997 Odyssey. Three days ago the speakers to the radio
>>> stopped working. The radio, itself, works -- the LCD lights up, you
>>> can switch stations, switch to CD, etc. -- you just can't hear it.
>>> The speakers are silent.
>>>
>>> At least they were silent until last night when I was driving with
>>> the lights on. Then there was engine interference -- a whining buzz
>>> directly linked to the speed of the engine. The faster the engine
>>> was spinning (OK, the engine wasn't spinning, but the parts inside it
>>> were) the higher the buzz. The interference is only present when the
>>> lights are on -- it goes away when the lights are off.
>>>
>>> Also, now I cannot turn my parking lights off.
>>>
>>> I a confident all these events are linked, and I leave it to some
>>> clever diagnostician to give me some insight.
>>>
>>
>> The stereo is connected to the parking lights so that the display may
>> dim when you turn on your lights. Your now faulty stereo is probably
>> back-feeding power onto the parking lights wire, thus you can not turn
>> the parking lights off. The real question is which of your kids
>> emptied a vanilla Coke inside the stereo?
>
> My 2-year old. And I don't think it was vanilla.
>
> Frank
>
>
>> Regardless, I think your stereo is toast.
>>
>
>

It wasn't Coke, and it wasn't Sprite. It was $0.31 -- three dimes and a
penny. I figured out how to remove the car's radio panel/cover. I took
out the radio, and it jingled. I took the top off the CD player and
shook out four coins. I thought maybe the coins had permanently shorted
out the CD player, but I plugged it back in, and it worked just fine.

So that's the story in case anyone is actually interested

In article <Xns958BA10C8ABDFftrobaugh@130.81.64.196>,
Frank Trobaugh <rmills1993@hotmail.com> wrote:

> Frank Trobaugh <rmills1993@hotmail.com> wrote in
> news:Xns95865F36923F3ftrobaugh@130.81.64.196:
>
> > Randolph <trash@junkmail.com> wrote in
> > news:416B7CE3.17C38DE2@junkmail.com:
> >
> >>
> >> Frank Trobaugh wrote:
> >>>
> >>> Greetings,
> >>>
> >>> I have a 1997 Odyssey. Three days ago the speakers to the radio
> >>> stopped working. The radio, itself, works -- the LCD lights up, you
> >>> can switch stations, switch to CD, etc. -- you just can't hear it.
> >>> The speakers are silent.
> >>>
> >>> At least they were silent until last night when I was driving with
> >>> the lights on. Then there was engine interference -- a whining buzz
> >>> directly linked to the speed of the engine. The faster the engine
> >>> was spinning (OK, the engine wasn't spinning, but the parts inside it
> >>> were) the higher the buzz. The interference is only present when the
> >>> lights are on -- it goes away when the lights are off.
> >>>
> >>> Also, now I cannot turn my parking lights off.
> >>>
> >>> I a confident all these events are linked, and I leave it to some
> >>> clever diagnostician to give me some insight.> >> Regardless, I think your stereo is toast.
> >>
> >
> >
>
> It wasn't Coke, and it wasn't Sprite. It was $0.31 -- three dimes and a
> penny. I figured out how to remove the car's radio panel/cover. I took
> out the radio, and it jingled. I took the top off the CD player and
> shook out four coins. I thought maybe the coins had permanently shorted
> out the CD player, but I plugged it back in, and it worked just fine.
>
> So that's the story in case anyone is actually interested

You forgot the crucial piece of information: you have small children
and allow them to play in the car.

That would have cut the diagnostic time down to about two seconds.