I have this problem that the audio would switch on then after a short time I lose the audio and telephone. I changed the amplifier and everything ok for about a year and then it happened again so I fitted another secondhand unit and all has been well again but now it is happening again. I have removed the amplifier but even though this is removed and the car is switched off my phone still connects to the car. When it was working the volume of the phone became very low even though it was set at it’s maximum to such an extent that I would Have to shout ring you back later and hope they heard me. So I am thinking that it is not the amplifier but the head itself any ideas?
Keep happy
Jim

 

Currently have the same issue....the sound cuts in/out randomly. Finally, this week the sound is completely off. I tried a used amplifier, but no change. I ordered a used fiber optic loop from the bay. From reading the forum here, there is a chance the optic cable is damaged. I have nothing but return shipping to lose. Fingers crossed. If it works, i'll post it as a fix. If not, then more troubleshooting. by the way, i have no phone, just navigation, CD changer and alpine system.

 

I was going to suggest the fiber optics rather than the electronics... There are NO copper connections from the head unit to the amplifier or the CD changer, it's all on the fiber. That includes not just audio, but control and selections as well. Which disc to play, which on is playing, all of that is carried by the fiber optics.

 

Problems with sound muting are common and the sound can return for no apparent reason.

It is the fibre optic cable for sure and probably a dodgy joint.

I have had the problem a couple of times.

 

Thanks for this. I don’t have a telephone either just the hands free and because the volume has decreased and the brightness of the screen fluctuates periodically sort of points me to the head unit but I will follow the fibre optic trail and see what I can find.

 

Were the broken or faulty cables in the loop with the CD change, amplifier and Navigation units? I sure hope so because this is what i ordered from the bay. Should arrive today and i'm driving a few hours so fingers crossed it arrives in time and is a fix.

 

The screen is an entirely different but well-known issue: cold solder joints from the factory on some transistors driving the lighting. Eventually the lights will go out completely. If you're handy and brave, there's a thread about opening the radio and touching up those solder joints to fix.

 

FIXED....i received the used fiber optic cable today and it did not fix my issue. However, the navigation screen displays the AM/FM and showed the radio information in the upper left corner so that seemed to be fine...Next, the in dash CD player still displays fine and showed the time passing on different tracks so that seemed OK. Next, the CD changer has worked a few times since i purchased it last year, but when you press the CDC button the display does nothing...not even the CDC error it used to display.

So, i'm guessing the CD changer is the issue. Luckily, the new/used cable i received had a loop connected to the other cables. I put my old cables back in the components, but this time i removed the CD changer connection and plugged it into the extra loop. Turned off the car and powered it back on again and BOOM. I now have music and in dash CD player is working.

Moral of the story...i don't believe my cables were bad, it is the broken CD changer that didn't continue the entire loop required to work properly. Hope this helps someone in the future. I'm stoked !