GM radios and hieroglyphics

Does anyone have a Delco radio w/cd player that just shows a bunch of krazy hieroglyphics ?? My radio sucks! It seems to do this when I need to be somewhere at a certain time or when it's hot outside. the radio is in a 99' GA but the radio/cd is a newer unit, 03'. the old one died too, but it was stuck on some error message and the dealer just replaced it for free, but I was without tunes for a week. then you here all those rattles, clicks and poping sounds, LOL! thanks \,,/

Thats why I have a Pioneer in my 95 GT, the factory radio was crap anyway.

you're not the only one with the hieroglyphics. I have a 2000 GT w/ 60,500 miles, and I first noticed that happen to me about 6 months ago. I think it only happens when I start the car, and if I power off and on the radio, it usually makes the LCD go back to normal. One of these days, I hope it doesn't get stuck in the hieroglyphics mode....

i've thought of replacing the radio, but it works and sounds alright. I've replaced all the factory speakers. My hieroglyphics seem out of control lately. I think its just the heat though, I crank up the AC and after 20-30 min it'll stop,sometimes. Its not to agrivating but can be. i asked a dealership and they hadn't heard of such a thing.(just like a dealer)
Last monday I got a 2001 GA SE . It has a nicer radio w/cd/tape/eq but it's still just a Fancy'r Delco radio. Yes, I still have cassetes tapes.LOL :)
well i'm glad I'm not alone with this mystery. Thanks !

i've thought of replacing the radio, but it works and sounds alright. I've replaced all the factory speakers. My hieroglyphics seem out of control lately. I think its just the heat though, I crank up the AC and after 20-30 min it'll stop,sometimes. Its not to agrivating but can be. i asked a dealership and they hadn't heard of such a thing.(just like a dealer)
Last monday I got a 2001 GA SE . It has a nicer radio w/cd/tape/eq but it's still just a Fancy'r Delco radio. Yes, I still have cassetes tapes.LOL :)
well i'm glad I'm not alone with this mystery. Thanks !

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Any update on this problem? I have the crapy Delco w/CD. CD works fine, but display and FM are flakey. Sometimes it works OK, sometimes it's staticy and the display has hieroglyphics. I bet its a bad ground somethere.....

http://www.corvetteradios.com/

Hi friends... This is a very common problem, and fortunately a rather easy fix too..
The website above has authentic Delco replacement bulbs for many different year Delco radios. And luckily, there is even a step-by-step tutorial on how to replace your display bulb.
When you go to the website, click the bulb in the center of the screen; (not the LED's, I mean...) That will take you to the proper Delco display bulbs.

There are also issues with a bad Delco volume control on many Delco radios; my Delco w/CD player and EQ has that damn volume problem too. But fortunately I have a two year warranty on my entire 2000 GT1, so my dealership has ordered me a replacement radio with a new/better volume control installed. I should have it any day now; I hope...going nuts with this darn radio here, lol....

Hope this helps you out a bit... Good luck..
Take care friends...

Tommy

yea my radio does the exact same thing... I use to think it was the heat.. probly is dunno, but when I switch to my tape deck for my awsome cd adapted tunes =p the problem gets fixed... I plan to get a new radio though along with new speakers this x-mas :D ... I was thinking about looking into that speaker switch out.. instead of the factory size.. just knock out the plastic guard and drop a bigger speaker in there .. I think its 5" 1/4 but not sure... I might just go with the factory fronts... later on invest in amp/2x10s for the trunk... I dont need much

i dont think its the bulbs you guys are talking about two differnt things. my old grand am gone the same dance on tthe time display. I thought it got worse in teh summer , but i dont know, because it done it in the cold too. fuck delco! lol

i know if you puinch it really hard, it goes back to the propre displa. rrrrrrrrrrrrr! the easy fix throw it away, and buy a new radio with all new wirs(not the stock shit) and speakers, your own 1000watt amps and shit.

The problem is a faulty transistor for the display, that's why it acts stupid when its warm out.

Yes, the more I think about this, I think you are correct... I don't think a bad bulb would cause that; my apologies for recommending that in my earlier post.
Once a transistor or resistor is bad, it is a nightmare to troubleshoot the soundboard; might as well say goodbye to the radio as it wouldn't be cost effective to even try to troubleshoot it. That was what I was told when I contacted an authorized Delco repair facility.
The guy also told me that of all Delco's different radios, that one with the 7 band EQ and CD player is probably Delco's best sounding radio; particularly if the car has the 8 spkr sound system. That is what I have in my GT1, and I am keeping mine.... plenty good enough for this 51 year old guy, lol..... (no pounding rap / heavy bass here, lol..) (no disrespect to our younger friends intended.)
My headpounding days were back in the 70's... Gee, time waits for no-one, I guess....

Take care everyone....

Tommy

if it were a transistor or resistor it would do it all the time. not just when ever the thing wants to work or not. I've had at least 10 delco's do the same damn thing, brand new i might ad from the dealer. go figure

Wow, even new ones too????? I wonder if it could have something to do with a bad solder joint somewhere. Maybe it is expanding/contracting with temperature changes.....
Way beyond my level of experience though; I never knew too much about electronics... About the most I've done was replace the radios in my '74 Trans Am and Firebird Formula 400. If I remember correctly, I think I installed a radio made by Lear Jet....am/fm stereo w/8 track player; and a whopping 12 watts per channel.
Man, either I am gettin' old, or times are changing, lol !!!!!

Tommy

i'm sure its probley a joint of sorts. the delco radios are a pc type board with other boards that plug into main board. the cd player sets at the top in its own housing, kinda like a pc's.

I hav riped more than one apart retrieving cds . i dont under stand why they are so big, its mostly empty space.

i dont under stand why they are so big, its mostly empty space.

Need some room for air to disapate the heat, since radio's don't have fans like computers I would think its so that there is air to keep it from "melting down" electronics put off alot of heat. Since they heat up so much when working, then cool down so much when sitting outside all night on a winter night I would think a solder joint is probably a good place to start, good luck finding it, the term "needle in a haystack" comes to mind. If your insistant on keeping it talk to a radio repair shop, they may either know right away which one it is, or find it quicker then you could, or with all the problems with delco's they may tell you its not worth fixing.

Need some room for air to disapate the heat, since radio's don't have fans like computers I would think its so that there is air to keep it from "melting down" electronics put off alot of heat. Since they heat up so much when working, then cool down so much when sitting outside all night on a winter night I would think a solder joint is probably a good place to start, good luck finding it, the term "needle in a haystack" comes to mind. If your insistant on keeping it talk to a radio repair shop, they may either know right away which one it is, or find it quicker then you could, or with all the problems with delco's they may tell you its not worth fixing.


I just thought, the space may also be for the cassette tape. they just use the same stock radio box then add the differnt componites, depending on what model radio they needed. Its all modul in side.

I am really not concernd with the screwy ass display anymore, I carry a watch now. Any way I think I am getting an 01 GT later today, it has an Alpine syst with new wires and speakers already installed, how nice :) Heres a pic of it , thanks gmack221 !
http://images.autotrader.com/images/2005/11/8/192/059/1943989737.192059885.IM1.MAIN.565x421_A.565x298.jp g

Wow, that's cool! An 01 GT? Good for you; I always was fond of both the 2000, and the 2001's. Just something asbout those years that I admire.
I've never owned an Alpine, but from what I've read about them I'd say you are getting the best. I guess Alpine is reallt top of the line.
Good luck with the 01 !! I love my '00; sure beats my little ole' Olds Cutlass Ciera that just went up to that "big junkyard up in the sky" for an extended rest.
Take care..
Tommy

well i went and looked the 01 over and it was nice, vipr alarm, leather, those non factory wheel and z rated tires , bear brakes i think, had drilled rotors anyway, and I saw the pass side and said, oh shit!

the front fender was screwd up from the door being opend to far and bend everything to hell. the guy said "he" (non mechanic guy, sales man)would just pull it out and glue this and that, i told him $7500 he said 8500, i left. I hated to not get it , it is a beutt! now I'm sad :( it was worth what he was asking, i'm just a dick when it comes to buying cars, because i know whats what, and he didnt pay more than $5-6k from some dealer auctions they go to frequently.

Oh man, that blows..... Maybe somebody left the passenger door open, and backed up into something... probably buckled the door way too far and now it is all cock-eyed.
I hear ya' about being a stickler; I am the same. You gotta be that way, and check the cars over really thoroughly.
But, maybe the '01 just wasn't made to be the one for you... But there will be another beauty....
When I bought my GT1 four months ago, it was the very first Grand Am I looked at. I fell in love with it, and as soon as I learned about the previous owner and the immaculate care he took of it, I was sold....
Funnt too... I was never really too fond of white cars, but this Pontiac Arctic White looks cool on the GT1 for some reason.

Tommy