Radio cuts out after ten minutes

chazyouwin · Thu Dec 09, 2010 10:14 pm

Is there an anti-theft feature on the radio which cuts it out after ten minutes? Just bought an SLS today and was disappointed that the radio kept cutting out. Restart the car, the radio works for ten minutes.

Charles

ThunderSky · Fri Dec 10, 2010 3:22 am

Ours started that after a couple of weeks too. It is a known issue with some of the factory amps. Just talk to your service manager and they will order you a new amp. It's an easy change out as it's in the trunk.

chazyouwin · Fri Dec 10, 2010 11:58 pm

Well, went to the dealer's service center today. They looked at it for a while, kept it running and couldn't duplicate it UNTIL they started driving it back to its outdoor spot. Then the radio went out on them too. They are ordering a new radio. Not sure about whether it could rather be the amp but I guess I'll find out when they replace the radio. Following are additional symptoms.

Later today there was no sound at the start, just some repetitive noises and a "no audio" sign. Still later today, after restarting the car, I could definitely play the IPod through the USB port (not sure whether I could do that before) despite the "no audio." Even later, after another restart, the radio started working.

chazyouwin · Tue Dec 14, 2010 5:11 am

Got call this afternoon - radio is ready to be installed. They will do first thing in the a.m.

chazyouwin · Tue Dec 14, 2010 3:31 pm

Got the car back with a new radio and NO it is not fixed. Has the same exact problem as before. So I told the service mgr about the problems reported online here and the apparent existence of a TSB on the audio problem. They will take a look at it again tomorrow 7 a.m. (but they want a couple of hours with the car!).

AlexRuiz · Tue Dec 14, 2010 6:21 pm

I am suspecting the issue is the BCM-radio communication. The issue is happening when the car is moving, right? The dealer was able to reproduce the issue when they started driving the car. The BCM is feeding the vehicle speed signal to the radio (pin 18, purple wire in radio connector) I don't know the nature of the signal (PWM, active low, etc) but I suspect this is the cause of the issue.

Alex

chazyouwin · Tue Dec 14, 2010 9:02 pm

Cool Alex - how do you suspect this? Yes, it does happen when the car is moving. But it also happens as it happened today when the radio is not even turned on. 10-20 minutes of driving and a repetitive sound like a helicopter taking off (but much quieter) comes through the speakers. The controls become unresponsive and all you hear is that noise, which can't be eliminated.

chazyouwin · Wed Dec 15, 2010 6:11 pm

At the dealer's service center today - they said now they are ordering a new amp for me. I don't know the logic on it. I would say they are pretty responsive and eager to make me pleased. But I'll be happy when it's over.

chazyouwin · Tue Dec 21, 2010 6:33 pm

Dealer's service center installed the new amp today, after alerting me a few days ago that it was in. Drove twenty miles without incident, so it appears that this was the correct diagnosis. Also picked up the registration and plates, so the net result was three extra 7 a.m. visits, about 1.5 hours average wait time each. I found the dealer and Suzuki very responsive. Dinged Suzuki on the J. D. Power survey for the problem; hated to do it but the problem was absolutely there and unambiguous. Enjoying the car's ride, on the other hand, immensely.

ThunderSky · Wed Dec 22, 2010 2:59 am

Jeez Dude, I really hate to say I told you so, but.....I TOLD YOU SO

Your dealer should have checked with the Susuki Head Office, they would have very likely told them to change the amp first as it's been a known issue for some time now.
Anyway, glad it's working properly now.
Enjoy.