Hi Ive been monitoring this forum for years and now I need some help. Serious help. The radio in the car is on, but no sounds, no turning signal noise, not sure of key in ignition noise. A year ago my mech told me I'd probably need a new radio. This week I finally got another stock radio. Mech called and told me if he installed radio car might not start and would need to tow to dealer ship ( BS I would just tow it across the street to my house!) I said no. Hopped on YouTube, and this site. My car would not do what he said however radio would not work unless I get it programmed to car vin. I found out;

1. You can go in and remove anti theft chip

2. Go through a series of events that program the radio to mesh with vin when after radio is installed says "NO VIN."


As I said I have another radio. Problem is what if radio works, I chng it and still no noise? So I thought speakers?


I watched a couple short vids that showed a man checking the wires leading from radio to amplifier in the harness located on the floor behind passenger F seat closet to the door under the carpet and moldings. Sometimes water starts to leak from the front and slowly starts to corrode the wires therefore the radio isn't getting power from the amp to run sound through the speakers.


I'm a FM in my 60's a Naval vet I have no tools for a car but I want to try to fix this myself. I want to eliminate the least expensive problem and work my way up to just R/R the radio.


Is there anyone out there willing to help me? Be patient, and be smart but not technical about this.

Mahalo in advance, I live in Hawaii dealership is out of the question they would charge me like $200 I'm sure. My mechanic wanted to charge me $150 to RR the radio no effin way was I giving him that, I'd say it would take somebody who knows wat they're doing 1/2 hr w/o program.

 

Aloha from the 808!🌺

ANYONE know how to troubleshoot a stock radio that turns on but no noise coming from speakers!

Is it the wiring from radio to amp?
How would you know 100% radio is broken?

Remove chip
Series of events to program when "no vin"
Find programmer/other option.


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Usual problem is bad speakers. I don't know what the sentence fragments mean.

 

The remove chip thing only works on models that have an accessible chip. Some are not.

 

There is a video where the man removes the outer part of the radio

Turn upside down and remove shell

Shows removing chip from GM radio, can't find the specific hhr one

 

Some radios have the chip integrated into other chips. The HHR radio is not specific to HHR, however they used a few different manufacturers. The big difference between GM radios and after market is the computer link, the radio produces the warning chimes etc.

 

If no warning chimes, like the key still in the ignition and you open the driver’s door, or the clicking of the turn signal has gone silent, 99% of the time it’s the speakers and not the radio, if you still have the original factory radio, you could reinstall it and replace the 4 door speakers.
Crutchfield is a great source for the correct speakers for your HHR.

 

Any chance you were still getting that faint little high pitch sound from the tweeters with the old radio ?
That would be a sure sign that the speakers are bad. The speakers in the doors go bad over time because of water/moisture intrusion. The tweeters are in the windshield pillars away from any moisture so they rarely go bad.

 

​​​​thank you

 

yes I bought the same radio off ebay from a HHR.
Thank u oldblue!
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