Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

Ultimate Subaru Message Board

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

RADIO MEMORY & CD-PLAYER FAILURE

Featured Replies

Hello! I am new here so bear with me please....

 

About a week ago the memory in my stereo (clock and station memory) failed, along with power in my 6-CD player which lives under the passenger seat. The fuses are intact. The radio has power; but, everytime I shut the engine off it loses all memory. The CD player acts as if it has no power, but my mechanic says there is power going right up to the box - he couldn't find a fuse at the player. The mystery is that these 2 events happened the exact same time.

 

This is a 97 Subaru Outback wagon, 4 cyl. The stereo & CD-player are original "Subaru", not after-market. A call to the service dept. was completely unhelpful.

 

Appreciate any and all suggestions. Thanks!

could be that they are dying. Its easy enough to pull out the stero and check to see if there is power to it. If there is its dying.

 

 

 

nipper

Is there a way of separating power from the cd and the radio? Can you power the radio independent of the cd unit?

Is there a way of separating power from the cd and the radio? Can you power the radio independent of the cd unit?

 

 

Yes just take them apart when you yank them out. They are seperate units. For the cost of postage i even think i have a the filler pocket that goes in the place of the cd unit :)

 

 

nipper

  • Author

Okay, thanks for trying to help, but I think you all forgot that the CD player is the kind that lives under the passenger seat. It is not connected to the stereo in the dash.

 

The stereo HAS POWER. It runs - just cannot sustain any memory functions - which is ragingly annoying to say the least. Perhaps you are right, the stereo is dying....? As for the CD player..... must I hold a double funeral?

 

Perhaps they were both programmed to self-destruct on the same day at the same time. [pout].

 

PS: sorry it took me so long to get back here, I was having server trouble.

oh its under the seat...... :(

 

i think something in a nice viking funeral will do .... flames always good. Best to just go on ebay or replace it with an aftermarket one.

 

nipper

OK, back to my first suggestion. Can you separate the power from the CD and the radio? It seems that would eliminate a variable. I don't have this type setup (underseat) but apparently under normal conditions, you turn on the radio and it also powers up the cd player. I don't know where the power goes first though. Unlikely they both died at the same time.

It appears that the radio/cd is losing power completely when you turn the car off, akin to disconnecting the battery. Has anything been done recently to the electrical system of the car? Just musing but perhaps a transistor head on the board can say if there is a component of the audio system that retains a small current to maintain the presets and the instant on function of the radio/cd.

Okay, thanks for trying to help, but I think you all forgot that the CD player is the kind that lives under the passenger seat. It is not connected to the stereo in the dash.

 

The stereo HAS POWER. It runs - just cannot sustain any memory functions - which is ragingly annoying to say the least. Perhaps you are right, the stereo is dying....? As for the CD player..... must I hold a double funeral?

 

Perhaps they were both programmed to self-destruct on the same day at the same time. [pout].

 

PS: sorry it took me so long to get back here, I was having server trouble.

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Author

Okay, thanks again for your thoughts - I will pass them on to the electronically oriented holiday visitors...

  • Author

yeah, ummm, it is pine-needle burning season here... and I live near a lake.... perfect for the viking style send-off! LOL

 

oh its under the seat...... :(

 

i think something in a nice viking funeral will do .... flames always good. Best to just go on ebay or replace it with an aftermarket one.

 

nipper

mmmm you're not the only boat there, I have the same problem with this Clarion PF1519A Radio, it does reset if the ignition is off over night, radio resets itself, looses clock memory, stations etc. I do not have CD player, I sourced another radio its also Clarion but from earlier model, doesn't loose memory.

 

Its got nothing to do with the car, I believe its the radio itself that has some sort of backup memory to preserve the memory contents that is failing.

Cheers

AP

It seems to me, there is a seperate (permanent) power supply that keeps the memory & the time. that wire would appear to be shorted out. If the cd player is external the power to it may be the same source... I once lost a stereo because the seat track ran over a wire (the seat was being readjusted).

Try to locate that wire or fuse.

later,

Peter

I would agree with a wire being cut or something like that. There is usally a lead to keep alive the clock and radio setting.

 

~Howard

:banana:

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in

Sign In Now

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.