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climate control and radio intermittently cut out

3096 Views 4 Replies 2 Participants Last post by drive by72, Nov 15, 2011

dato18

Discussion Starter · Nov 13, 2011

Hi there, I'm new but I've searched around and can't quite find the exact problem. My 1998 323is suddenly started having problems with the radio and climate control system at the same time. They start and stop working whenever they feel like it. complete power cut, sometimes both go out, sometimes first one then the other. Sometimes they'll come on but with a mind of their own. (I can't adjust volume or change channels on the radio, or the a/c will be on full blast and I can't adjust)

I thought it might be a faulty relay module, any help on figuring out which one? Is there something that controls both these devices that might have blown? Or could it be two separate problems that just happened to coincide??

Any help is much appreciated....

Thanks!

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drive by72

· #2 · Nov 14, 2011

I suspect a bad ground. All the interior electrics share a few grounds throughout the car, and if one ground group gets loose or starts to corrode, it can make some funny things happen.

Try taking a jumper wire and finding a good ground anywhere in the car. Then find something metal under the dash, and ground it. This should give you a decent ground, and if thats the problem, it should fix it.

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drive by72

· #5 · Nov 15, 2011

No luck? Hm. Dont lose hope yet. Can you manipulate anything to make the problem occur anytime?

I'd check for power behind the radio next, with a test light. Make sure you have the radio code, and then pull the radio. Find the power wire, IIRC its the big red one, and check for power there. Test lights are ~5 dollars, and are very easy to use. You ground the clip on the chassis somewhere, and if theres power at the wire you're testing, a light will light, hence the name test light.

If you have intermittent power, then you know the radio isnt at fault, and that the ground is likely good. If you have steady power, then test the ground. In order to do this, you need to put the test-light's clip on power. Then, find the ground wire and poke it. If you have a good ground, the test light will light up. If not, then the ground is at fault

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