I have problem with AM/FM player on my Mustang. The problem is that it doesn't show any light. CD Player is working fine, but AM/FM player does not show any light. In the past it was working on and off, but in the last few weeks it doesn't work at all.

Anyone had similar problem? What should I do?

Here is what I get:

 

I don't have that problem, but it sounds like a short or a faulty wire. Especially if it was working on and off in the past.

I'm assuming that you've pulled the radio and checked the connections?

Also, is the receiver working? I know you made mention of the CD player operating, but will the receiver tune and do your presets work?

 

You know when you are spending too much time with your car when you look at the picture of someone's car radio and you say: "Hey, that's either a 99 or a 00 model year, because it's got those PITA slots that you have to use to pull the receiver out."

No wonder my wife thinks I'm a little nuts about my car...

 

Everything is working fine other than the fact that I don't get any light on AM/FM player.

In the past if I turn off the engine and then turn on the engine it would work.
Then that stopped working, and light would turn on and off during driving.

Now it doesn't work at all.

 

I had the exact same problem with my radio. The CD display illuminated fine, but the receiver would not light up. It would come on sporadically if I hit a bump (or smacked the radio), but it was definitely a loose wire/connection. I never really resolved the issiue because I bought a CD stereo, but getting the old units out was definitely a huge pain with those fiiggin little pin slots.

My only suggestion would be to take out the radio (but keep it plugged in) and wiggle random wires until it works. If you can find a shop manual or something that tells you which wire conrols the illumination, I'd start there. Good luck.

 

I just pulled out my receiver this past weekend to install an FM modulator for my satallite radio. I ended up using two small (eyeglass sized) screwdrivers on one side and two awls (I think that's what their called, hole punchers) on the other side. I've heard that using a wire hanger works, too! Definately took some wiggling to get it out. What a PITA!

I have a Haynes manual for the 94-04 series Mustang....I know it has some wiring diagrams in it. I'll check it out tomorrow morning and see if I can come up with anything for ya.

The other suggestion I would make is do what I did...upgrade to Satallite! I went with Sirius and I LOVE it! You just tune to one channel (you have to buy the FM modulator, sounds a million times better!), turn on the satallite receiver and you're good to go!

Super easy to install, I even hid the wires pretty well. I'll take some pics of what I did to show you all.

 

Red Star,

Looking through the wiring diagram that I have, the power for the radio is coming from Fuse 13 (10A). I don't think this is your problem though, because if the fuse was blown, you wouldn't get anything out of the receiver.

Unfortunately, the Haynes manual doesn't get more detailed than this...sorry! I think you're gonna have to do what mudshuvel suggested and "hunt and peck" through the individual wires on the back of the receiver.

 

Here's the back of the factory radio...these are the wires you need to look at. There are two wires to the left in this pic (on the right, if you are looking at the radio from the drivers seat), one is the amplifier and the other is the antenna. There are also two cables on the right (detached in this pic, on the left if you are looking at the radio from the drivers seat), I'm not sure what they do (I think they are to the speakers). but they don't have anything to do with the front display, as I detached them and it was still lit.

That leaves the seven wires in the middle (which is behind a black cover that pops right off, not shown in this pic), one of which I bet is your problem, like mudshuvel explained. The only problem is that it might not be on this end, it could be at the other end when the wires tie into the power.

Hope this helps!

 

Here's my Sirius Satallite radio. The '00 model year was really favorable for hiding all the wiring, I think. I hid the antenna wire from the roof underneath the windown molding outside the car to the trunk. Then through the trunk, inbetween the seat and the interior paneling.

Then I fished it under the kickplate to about halfway up the door, then under my seat and under the transmission console. From under the tranny console, I ran it up to the seam in the center console and just tucked it around the seams near the radio and the a/c vents and out the top, to the head unit.

The power supply I ran from the power outlet on the arm rest and underneath the cup holders, which also pop right out (and if anyone knows where I can get a better aftermarket cup holder, please let me know, because this one is SO ugly!). From underneath the cup holder, I just ran it the same way as the antenna.

I also added an FM modulator, which cuts off the car antenna and directly feeds from the satallite antenna (HUGE difference, the only way to go, in my opinion). I ran this from behind the radio, and in the seam up the right hand side of the center console (opposite of the antenna and power lines.

All three cables came out at approximately the same spot and plug into the Sirius head unit.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

cool. my head unit is sirius ready. i do the same as you but when the antenna wire goes underneath the seat it goes to the tuner box there. From there my auxiliary bus wire goes from the tuner to the head unit. Stays clean.

 

Gary,

Can you post any pictures of that setup? I'm thinking about setting up my wife's car with something like this.

Thanks!

Red Star, did you ever get this figured out?

 

Well... funny you ask. It's not installed yet. I had this setup in my 1991 Honda Accord that I just traded in a month ago for my Mustang. I'm waiting for a wire harness and mounting kit that someone from another BB is sending me. Once I get that all together I'll put together some pics. Right now all I have installed is my SIRIUS antenna running down the window into the car and under my driver seat and the plug is just sitting there, lol.

If you're wondering what stereo I have it's a Pioneer DEH-P6700MP (2005 model radio) and my tuner (SNR-PNR1) uses the Pioneer "IP-bus" to connect to the head unit. If you do go for a Pioneer setup, get one of the newer 2006 model stereos that have more control over the satellite radio than the 2005 model radios and get the SNR-PNR2 tuner (not SNR-PNR1 like I have) 'cause it's newer and you have more capbilities. There's a disclaimer of some sort on their website on those particular pages where it states what models do and don't.

I'll let ya know when I have stuff ready to go.

Oh yeah, and BTW, about power from the tuner, I dunno if this even seems realistic but it could be, if the power wires are short (as are mine) you might have to splice more wire onto it to get to the power wires on the head unit's harness. Mine runs inline with the power wires from my CD changer that run from the trunk to the head unit's harness and just splices on there. I'm going to cut a small hole in the carpet so I make the install cleaner and run wires underneath the carpet under the seat so stuff looks clean.

 

Red Star, more than likely if everything else is working normally there is probably a cold solder joint on the circuit board that has the driver IC for the display has opened up or the driver IC itself has "gone off". Either way the choice is have the unit repaired or install an aftermarket unit.
Hope this helps.