Here's the background:

I've owned this lovely '09 Honda Fit since August of '09. I love it! Great gas mileage, great room, great memories.

Here's the problem:

Recently (since around November '10) occasionally when listening to something on the radio/cd/aux jack/etc the sound would stop. (The power to the unit is still there, it shows a cd is still playing, radio is still going, or whatever the music source is. But the sound is completely cut off from the speakers.

We've thought about possibly a wiring problem with the head unit? Because it is NOT the speakers. (After the problem started, I replaced the speakers to some better ones thinking it may be that).

Help?!

 

Under 36K miles head to the dealer for warranty service.

Over 36K miles head to crutchfield.com or (fill in your favorite after-market sound shop) for a new head unit.

 

....I pretty much think that is where you are at, if you are under warranty then repair...if you are past warranty...I'd upgrade...BUT...

A reason a sound system that appears to be working is no longer outputting sound to the speakers? It could be a lot of really simple things...or it could be a really complicated break down.

You said you changed "upgraded" the speakers AFTER this problem first manifested? I hope that doesn't potentially void your warranty.

In anycase, you need someone that knows what they are doing to track down the problem. If it's intermittent and from a short within the head unit, that might be hard to do.

Does the sound just come back on it's own? Is there anything you can do to make it come back? IE: Turn the unit off and back on? Tap on it?

If it IS that you are past warranty, and it appears to be deteriation or failure of the head unit...then save up and enjoy the upgrade....

If it's past warranty and shorting out? I personally wouldn't bother fixing it....I'd take the same money and just install new and better...

 

Thanks for the responses.

I am WAY past warranty (47,000+ miles) so that is not an option.

Yes, I did change the speakers AFTER the problem, due to the lack of quality in sound the original stock speakers have.

For the sound to come back on, I do the following:
* turn it off for a good while (2-10 min) and hope that when I turn it back on that it will work cooperatively, which it does so within the ranges of said 2-10 minutes. Although, more and more recently it hasn't come back on for a good 20-30 minutes (making the long trips hard to bare).

* leave it on and wait for it to come back on.

I've tried the whole banging thing, hoping to rattle something into working, but that does nothing.

My boyfriend works with an electronic distributor and I'm just trying to get possibilities or see if anyone else has had these problems before we tear into the radio, haha.

 

You could try a "reboot." Disconnect the car battery for 15/20 minutes. Reconnect (remember to have your radio security code handy before doing this).

If it were bad wiring I'd expect the problem to be in only one speaker. You could try to re-seat the modular connectors on the back of the head-unit. I'm not sure if you can access these by dropping the lower glove-box and reaching behind the radio. If not this set of instructions for the USB module installation tells you how to remove the head (useful too if you want to pop in a new head unit).

The Honda radio retails for $414 at online stores. You should be able to get a better after-market head (with goodies like bluetooth) for under $200 complete with dash trim to make it look more or less "factory."

 

its probably the head unit but you could have a shorted wire to one of the speakers. in hondas, if the car has one shorted speaker, all speakers will stop playing. driving my short/unshort the the connection between a particular speaker giving you that on again-off again problem

 

I'll try that out and see if it works. Thanks

 

lol i can guarantee you it has nothing to do with the connectors on the back of the radio or a "re-boot". this forum is so non-technical its crazy.

 

I tend to rule out easily remedied causes before more difficult ones. Your comment about a short causing all 4 (6?) channels to shut down is helpful.

To the op; unless you're handy with an ohm meter I'd suggest taking it to a reputable after market car stereo shop to troubleshoot. Describe the problem you're having; they'll want to eliminate any possible problems with wiring before selling you a new head-unit whether that's the issue or not.

 

Since it's almost Halloween, I thought I'd bring a thread back from the dead.

I had the same issue with the factory stereo in my 2010 Fit Sport on the way home this evening. I was listening to my iPod via the USB connection, and all of a sudden, there was no sound. I switched it to the radio, and there was still no sound. The head unit itself had switched to the tuner, and everything seemed to work properly in regards to the head unit (turn the knob, the volume numbers increased, etc.), but no sound was coming out of the speakers. I switched back to the USB auxiliary input, and still no sound. Switched back to the radio and disconnected my iPod, and still nothing. Turned it off, turned it back on...nothing.

I did some quick research, and I found this thread, but there didn't seem to be any answers except the one reply about if one speaker has a short, all four stop working. I looked at the fuse diagram, and I saw one labeled "Key Lock/Radio" (#14) and one labeled "Radio" (#61). I just went out to my car to see if #61 was blown, but I turned on the ignition and turned on the radio to see if it happened to be working again, and sure enough...there was sound.

So...here's my question.

Do the factory stereos have some sort of thermal protection built-in? I mean, I'm not going to lie, I listen to my stereo loudly, and it was pretty cranked today when the sound cut out, but it's never ceased to make sound like it did today in the year that I've had the car.

 

I uninstalled my radio and now my car won't start no ignition nothing... Could someone help??

 

I solved a similar problem by replacing the Auxiliary socket assembly in the console. The part was acquired from hondapartsnow.com as the local dealer did not know if or when he could get it but did provide me a part#.

 



 

Thanks for the offer Rod but everything is working well at this point. BTW write the factory radio code on it or it is useless