The Official answer to: Why does my radio not have any sound

[12v Electronics]

This is probably the most common question asked in this forum. I am also posting a link to this in the Useful links? Post them here! parked thread.

So, you have just installed your aftermarket radio in your BMW as per the instructions that came with your radio installation harness. Now your radio lights up, but does not make any sound or only makes sound when the tuner is on.

The reason for this is because BMW's use 1 wire to turn on the sound amplifier and the antenna amplifier (usually a white wire in the car's harness).

This wire needs to be powered up whenever the radio is on. To do this, connect the AMPLIFIER REMOTE TURN-ON wire from your head unit to this wire.

Do not use the POWER ANTENNA wire from your head unit. This will only give you sound when the radio is playing AM/FM.

Most radio wire harness adaptors list this connection as "Power Antenna" and is usually a blue or blue/white wire coming out of the adaptor. This is the one you will want to connect to the amplifier remote turn-on wire from the head unit.

[Halston Pitman]

Blue to Blue/White

Got it. I hate when this happens.

[euro in the bay]

i tried this again and again, and still no luck i gave up for some time but my subs make the trunk cd changer skip was to much. i desperately need to get my aftermarket alpine cd player hooked up

[kendogg]

Can this be stickied?? I swear at one point in time I answered this question 2-3 times a day here.

[euro in the bay]

Can this be stickied?? I swear at one point in time I answered this question 2-3 times a day here.

you sound like your very intouch with your stereo wiring then , could u give me an answer cause my hours of searching have proved useless. i have tried everything described in this form, as a matter of fact ive tried everything in EVERY form and still no luck, lets keep in mind before i came across this problem in my bimmer i installed 10+ aftermarket cd players and sub/amp set ups; as i am no stranger to stereo instillation. you kno i have even ran a remote (or amp turn on) wire all the way back to the factory amp, and still no luck. this is truely becoming and unbareable pain in the behind.

[kendogg]

Have you checked all of your fuses?

[attack eagle]

what the hell is the problem? your post doesn't list one, just random thoughts.

Subs make cd changer skip? relocate cd player or turn it WAY down.

[12v Electronics]

i tried this again and again, and still no luck i gave up for some time but my subs make the trunk cd changer skip was to much. i desperately need to get my aftermarket alpine cd player hooked up

You shoud IMPROVISE.
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1106424

[euro in the bay]

what the hell is the problem? your post doesn't list one, just random thoughts.

Subs make cd changer skip? relocate cd player or turn it WAY down.

this thread is for a specific problem; but for those who r not capable of figuring out what my problem is by reading the thread...
JUST like stated in the original post of this thread e38's and a good deal of other various bimmers have problems with the wiring when you go to replace your tape deck with an aftermarket cd player, the aftermarket cd player powers on plays the disc inside and the subs play, but the stock speakers in the car do not play. time and time again i have been told and read in the forums that the problem is the factory amp is not turning on (wich makes since seeing as i do have the dsp option) so to try and fix this problem i have followed every tutorial i read i tried everything anyone suggested and a few of my own ideas like running a remote turn on wire back to the factory amp and still no luck. and as for the problem with the subs and the cd changer ... thatd be fixed by having my aftermarket cd player in the dash... why the hell would i have spent a good chunk of change on subs and an amp to "turn it WAY down"??? thatd just be a waste of money, i wouldnt have subwoofers in my vehicle if i did not like LOUD music.

[euro in the bay]

i find it rather amusing when one is looking for an answer on ANY forum on the internet, and is met with rudeness and a since of being looked down upon for asking the question when it is more than obvious that those people themselves cant answer the question that was asked to begin with.

[12v Electronics]

[shayna]

i find it rather amusing when one is looking for an answer on ANY forum on the internet, and is met with rudeness and a since of being looked down upon for asking the question when it is more than obvious that those people themselves cant answer the question that was asked to begin with.

yup... I'm with you on this one. this is the exact reason so many people stay away from communities like this (mostly why I just read these forums instead of joining until recently). there is a time and place for being a complete jerk in life, and believe me, I exercise that right often- but this is not the place for it.

sorry I don't have a solution for you, but I feel for ya.

[attack eagle]

this thread is for a specific problem; but for those who r not capable of figuring out what my problem is by reading the thread...
JUST like stated in the original post of this thread e38's and a good deal of other various bimmers have problems with the wiring when you go to replace your tape deck with an aftermarket cd player, the aftermarket cd player powers on plays the disc inside and the subs play, but the stock speakers in the car do not play.

incorrect
the original post is about people not hooking up the amp turn on wire, or hooking the antenna turn-on instead of the amp turn on, not about the dsp amp turning back off. only a select few cars have this issue, dsp equipped e38s are one of them.

time and time again i have been told and read in the forums that the problem is the factory amp is not turning on (wich makes since seeing as i do have the dsp option) so to try and fix this problem i have followed every tutorial i read i tried everything anyone suggested and a few of my own ideas like running a remote turn on wire back to the factory amp and still no luck. and as for the problem with the subs and the cd changer ... thatd be fixed by having my aftermarket cd player in the dash... why the hell would i have spent a good chunk of change on subs and an amp to "turn it WAY down"??? thatd just be a waste of money, i wouldnt have subwoofers in my vehicle if i did not like LOUD music.

See, that post made sense, your previous one did not. the way you wrote it it sounded like your cd changer was skipping becasue of vibrations from playing your sub too loud.

IIRC the dsp amp does turn on... it just turns back off because it is not getting the I bus data signal.

I can tell you this much, there is no 'fix' to make the dsp amp work again besides putting a factory head back in or a circuit board that can respond to an IPbus interrogation. unless you find out if the non dsp amp will not shut off when installed. maybe check the e39 forums instead of just e38.

you either have to replace it with aftermarket , passive xovers and new speakers... or try this circuit board if you can get this kid to make you one.
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...d.php?t=943043


and subs are not to play LOUD, they are to accurately reproduce the lowest audible octave... at the same level as the other speakers.

I remember now why I put you on my ignore list... I'm neither an astrologer not a mindreader, and you expect people to be both. ie you are a jerk.

[Halston Pitman]

Back on topic guys


Welcome to the forum.

[euro in the bay]

incorrect
the original post is about people not hooking up the amp turn on wire, or hooking the antenna turn-on instead of the amp turn on, not about the dsp amp turning back off. only a select few cars have this issue, dsp equipped e38s are one of them.




and subs are not to play LOUD, they are to accurately reproduce the lowest audible octave... at the same level as the other speakers.



I remember now why I put you on my ignore list... I'm neither an astrologer not a mindreader, and you expect people to be both. ie you are a jerk.

no buddy, u are incorrect the original post was about "the official answer to why my radio does not have sound... and if u ask me that sounds alot like my problem, my radio does not have sound.


and subs are to play however you want them to, who makes u the god of music to decide what is the most enjoyable level to have thier music at? if u came around my parts with sum jackass mind-scribble like that you would get laughed on outa town. i think you need to open your eyes, and ears to the fact that 90% of people that purchase subwoofer/amp set ups do so with the intention to have thier bass a reasonable amount louder than the rest of the music volume.

and where in the world do you get astrologer from, dude do u even kno what an astrologer is? cuz nothing ive ever said in this forum anywhere has any correlation to astrology or being an astrologer, just as well i never asked anyone to read minds.

you my friend are a prime example of that hostileness for nothing over the internet that i was previously speaking of... i did nothing to u and u are attacking me calling me a jerk. internet thug .. ur more than likely insecure about an attribute(s) of your own possibly size, maybe when in school you were than nerd no one liked, perhaps your just shy.. but for whatever reason it is you ultimately feel the need to attack people over the internet time and time again in attempt to gain a boost in your own ego.

[Halston Pitman]

We need a mod cleanup here...

BAD.

[jayhudson]

euro in the bay - You need to tone it down and stop being so argumentative. You apparently have a unique set of circumstances. It took you several posts before you could articulate this. If you want help you must be able to describe your problem in detail and not piss off those trying to help.

The rest of you try to take the high road. If you don't have anything constructive to add..... don't.

Neutral corners please...... carry on.

Jay

[dirtyguido]

Keeping DSP on and everything working is rather simple in an e38. You just need to keep the factory headunit in the car. All you need to do is run 4 wires to it. Constant power, Switched power, ground and Ibus. And yes you can connect to the ibus wire in the trunk at the amp if you chose.

After that everything should work fine..

George

[nickMANDERFIELD]

i have everything stock and no sound, tested new stock amp and checked all fuses, non-dsp e39 here.. 4:3 display

doubt anyone can help, been turned down on 2 forums already, and searched my heart out for the last WEEK

everything displays, i can go through cds, radio, etc, but no audio

correct me if im wrong, but the amp and radio must be getting power since the orange light comes on, and im able to go through AM/FM/Tape/CD Changer?

any help would be ridiculously appreciated

[12v Electronics]

i have everything stock and no sound, tested new stock amp and checked all fuses, non-dsp e39 here.. 4:3 display

doubt anyone can help, been turned down on 2 forums already, and searched my heart out for the last WEEK

everything displays, i can go through cds, radio, etc, but no audio

correct me if im wrong, but the amp and radio must be getting power since the orange light comes on, and im able to go through AM/FM/Tape/CD Changer?

any help would be ridiculously appreciated

Did it just start happening? Did you make any changes to the car recently that could have caused it?

[nickMANDERFIELD]

Did it just start happening? Did you make any changes to the car recently that could have caused it?

everything worked fine one day, started the car and got nothing.. no changes were ever made to any audio parts on the car ever, i am the second owner, first owner never did anything

[12v Electronics]

Sounds like something failed. If you could start a new thread it would be appreciated. This one is for new aftermarket installs.

[tahiles]

Glad to find this here.......

Just got my 98 323 about two days ago and it had one ugly mofo of a Pioneer head unit. Not only that but the FM reception was almost non-existent.

Being the brilliant guy that I am (used to work on AF fighters) I figured there was an antenna amplifier not hooked up properly.

Tore into it tonight and hooked up the pale blue wire from the head unit (used it before to power an antenna amp in another vehicle) to the blue wire in the factory harness. Cranked up the unit and FM out the ying yang.......I'm a genius....right.....not so fast. The MP3 cd would turn, the display said it was playing, but no sound. Noticed when I changed "Source" from FM to CD there was the slight "thump" in the speakers one hears when an amp powers down (or up).

Now I'm thinking.....seems like I need to hook up one of the other "control" wires to the factory harness.

Come here and find the answer. Fixed the wires in < 5 minutes and I'm rockin'.

Thanks folks!

[12v Electronics]

Glad to hear it answered your question. It is probably the most common problem when installing an aftermarket radio in your BMW. The adaptor harnesses are not clear at all.

[tahiles]

Off Topic...............