The volume on my radio isn't working, & I can't seem to figure it out. The problem started just yesterday afternoon. The radio turns on when I press the power button; the display works. The radio stations change, the tape player seems to work, the CD player seems to work, but there is no sound at all. The antenna extends when I turn on the radio also.

I checked the fuses, & none appear to be blown. I can't seem to figure it out.

Does anyone have any insight, pointers, advice, etc? I don't want to take it to the dealer, but that may be my last resort.

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

Sounds like it could be an issue with the amp. The amp is located in the trunk, under the center carpet, behind the Navigation System DVD-Rom unit. I'm looking in the service manual I have but, it doesn't list the various circuits. I'm sure the amp is fused separately from the stereo.

The amp may have just "died"; they've been known to do that, on occasion. One of the weak points of the ML system in the SC430.

 

Just thought of something...here's a troubleshooting question...does the navigation voice work? The voice and the "bong"?

That audio doesn't go through the head-unit pre-amp (the level isn't adjusted by the stereo's volume control).

If the Nav audio works, it's almost certainly a problem in your head-unit. If the Nav audio is also non-functioning, I'm going to go with my first instinct and bet on the amp being dead.

 

Questions I always ask...

Was any recent work done to your car? Any strange or unusual happen in the days proceding this event? Wife took the car out? Valet drove it? Etc...

Does both volume buttons not work (on dash and steering wheel)?

Have you tried putting in a CD?

 

Thanks for the replies!

Habious, I'll check the navigation tonight. If it is the amp, do I need to stick with an ML amp? I'm hoping it's not the head unit or anything more serious.

CAMA, there hasn't been any new work done to my car, nor has anything strange happened previous to the radio problem. I'm single, so no wife issues either. Haha! (Come to think of it, my girlfriend hasn't even driven my car.) Also, I don't valet ever since one of them forgot to put the parking brake on my old car. The CD player works, but again, no volume - from the radio controls or the steering wheel controls.

I saw one of the threads asking about upgrades. I would much rather work on upgrading the stereo system first before modding the exterior (which I was planning to do this month - Navtool, VAIS). Does anyone have a ballpark figure on what it would cost to replace the ML system entirely? More than $5K? I plan on adding sway bars, lowering, getting new wheels, etc., but I spend more time inside the car than outside. Once I'm happy with the interior, I can work my way to the exterior.

Thanks again!

 

Ok. So..... the navigation voice works. Hopefully, it's the amp.

 

I had the same problem happen one afternoon, everything worked fine but no volume.

This may sound odd but, one of the tech's at Lexus suggested I try this......I had put the top down and up again that day, after putting the top up things stopped working. He said on very very rare occassions, the amp circuit cuts out while lowering and raising the top....leaving you with no volume, he siad turn the radio off and lower the top and raise it again....... it worked and never have had the problem again.

Just something to try, perhaps it will help.

 

If the navigation voice works...it's NOT the amp. Sounds like it's the head-unit.

 

Oops. Maybe that was selective reading. I've made an appointment with the local (Tampa) dealership to determine the issue. One of the technicians over the phone told me that it may not be the head unit but the amp. We'll see. He also confirmed that I can use an aftermarket amp. I guess it'll be another thing to add to the stereo upgrade list.

MH6, I tried opening & closing the roof, but nothing changed. Thanks though.

 

You told the tech that you could hear the nav lady fine, but not the radio, and he said it was the amp?

Maybe we should name your nav lady "Mary" because you seem to have immaculate amplification.

I think you might need a different tech.

 

When I talked to the Lexus tech last week, he said there are 2 amps - 1 for the radio & 1 for the nav. I set my appointment for this Wednesday.

Well, this morning I discovered that the car battery died. I jump started it, & viola! The radio volume problem somehow resolved itself!

Afterwards, I went to a local car shop (instead of the dealer) to see if they could determine what happened. I told the mechanic (who says he also does stereo installation) about the dead battery, & that I had not touched the car since Friday afternoon. I also told him about the amp issue - thinking that perhaps it was related to the battery drainage.

His response (as best I can remember it) was that the amp is shorting & "not getting the signal to turn off", which may have caused the dead battery. Other than that, he said there was nothing else wrong with the car. He suggested that, due to cost, it would be better to replace the amp rather than fix it. He was nice enough to not charge me for looking at the car.

I'm happy that the radio works, but I'm sure it might be a matter of time before the problem arises again. Has anyone else had this kind of thing happen to their SC? Weird.

 

Did you ever disconect the battery before you had to jump start the car . It
would seem if the amp was still turned on when you shut the radio off then if you would of disconnected the battery that would of also turned off the amp.
On the other hand if the amp were left on why would it not work when you turned on the radio . I think you will no pun intended " will be hearing from the amp again "

Buddy

 

Buddy, I didn't disconnect the battery before jump starting the car. Maybe the power drain "reset" the amp? I have no idea.

I'm preparing to replace the amp, so, hopefully, this problem won't be a recurring problem.