Stock Radio Questions

[Jimsss]

My Radio seem to Work in my Coupe but there
is no sound coming out of the speaker, If I leave the
radio on for about 15-20 mins it starts to crack n pop
From what i've heard the radio was never relly used in this
car. (info from original owner). I'm thinking it is something
with the speaker. Now my question, How do I get to the
speaker? I do'nt want to rip the dash out? has anybody
dealt with this?

thanks for reading:)

[Robroy]

Is it a AM or AM/FM radio?

On my AM I only get in one station (P1), rest is mainly scratching noises....:tonge2:

[Jimsss]

AM/FM....And It's not radio "sounds" I get, It pops.
I wanna play my IPOD with FM transmitter, some
1970's wakka-wakka would be cool!

[73 Centurion]

Hi there,

Speakers rarely stop working completely. They can sound terrible but complete silence is unusual. The fact that you hear some popping after 20 minutes indicates the speaker is capable of working and that the wires are working. I'd bet the problem is your radio. Speakers don't heat up and begin working but radios do.

If there are speakers in back you can get at them through the trunk. Unfortunately getting to the dash speakers is more difficult.

I suggest you have all of the parts you're likely to need before you begin. In this case another radio (bench tested if possible) and a fresh speaker(s). There are 3 places for speakers. Base radios had one speaker in the center, higher level radios had two 3.5 inch speakers at the edges. These speakers require a special bracket to hold them in place. Any early 70's full size GM could have the brackets. Cadillacs are your best bet. If you want to use 2 or 4 speakers you'll need these brackets.

The speakers are attached to the dash pad itself and you can't get at them from below. You have to remove or seriously loosen the pad. It's a bit of a pain. The pad is the top of the dashboard (no frame underneath) and when it's out you have wonderful access to everything in the dash which is nice. That's why I recommend having the extra radio. It will be easier to swap the radio with the pad out.

To get the pad out you need to remove the screws holding it in. This is from memory and I can't be sure I didn't miss one. Go slowly and wiggle it, if it's not moving then you need to find another screw.

One last word of caution. There are a variety of screws that hold it in, you must keep them straight. Most are the same diameter but the length varies.

From the Drivers seat.
There is one underneath each side of the Y shaped plastic trim under the steering column.
There are a handful above the instrument cluster, they screw straight up into the dashpad. These must be short screws or you'll poke a hole in your dashpad when you re-install it.

There are a few along the seam between the metal part of the dash and the pad. You can reach these from underneath. It's easier to remove the glove box to get at a couple that are over it.

I can't remember if there is one on the far right side facing the door.

When you get all of the screws out you can pull the dashpad toward you. There are a couple of clips at the base of the windshield that it pops out of.

Getting those clips lined up when you are reinstalling the pad is a pain. I haven't found a good way of doing it. The clips on the dashpad tend to catch on the gauge cluster.

Since it is such a pain I recommend you confirm if the radio is working before you begin. If you can find an 8ohm speaker (check radio shack) you can use it to test the radio. A wiring diagram will tell you which color wires to check. One wire will be ground and it can be attached to any peice of convenient metal. Get a sturdy pin and attach the other wire to it. (I have a couple of wires with a pin on 1 end and an alligator clip on the other. They are really useful for chasing electrical gremlins.) Poke the pin into the positive speaker wire. If the radio is making noise or music you'll hear it.

Be careful the stock radios use 8ohm speakers and most aftermarket speakers are 4ohms. You shouldn't mix an 8ohm radio with 4 ohm speakers.

There are several threads here for installing modern stereo without it showing. You might want to read those and determine what you want to do if the radio is dead.

John

[Jimsss]

Wow, thank you for that very detailed explenation!
I'll keep you posted if I get it to wrok.
Thanks again

/Jim