Sound system cutting out

[ueww40]

My 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe OEM GMC 2003-2005 Radio AM FM 6 Disc CD with Aux Input is acting up. For about a year or so I have been having problems with the radio and CD player. It started gradually and now it happens all the time after about 5 minutes of playtime.
Problem #1:
After about 5 minutes of CD play time the CD will just stop. It's not like tracks are skipping or anything like that, it just stops. When that happens I immediately push the band button, listen to the radio for about a minute or so and push the CD button again and the CD continues playing where it left of. And so on, until it gets so bad that the CD will stop 2-3 times within a song. By that time I give up and listen to the radio.
Problem #2:
Every so often the radio seems to be doing something similar. I'll be listening to an FM station and all of a sudden that station goes silent. When that happens ALL FM stations are silent. I can switch to a different FM station or switch from FM1 to FM2 - nothing! However this rarely happens when I switch to an AM station. It may have happened once or twice so far. I switch from FM band to AM band, AM comes in loud and clear. I switch back to FM - silence!

My dilemma is that I have no way of testing whether the problem is with the radio or the BOSE sound system in the car. Any ideas how I can isolate the problem are greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance

 

[ueww40]

It's been almost a year now and I have not done anything about my bum radio. It has gotten worse and maybe it's easier now to pin point the possible problems. I have no FM stations. The CD player cuts out after a while, but the AM band works fine all the time. When the CD player cuts out I bang on the radio to check for cold solders or lose connections, nothing, it's solid, no crackling noise or intermittent ons and offs. I almost think it may be a bad component, which dies when warmed up. I don't even know if it could be the Bose system and the radio is ok and I can't even check it with another radio (if I had one, which I don't) because they are not programmed to my VIN. Any idea where to look? Has anybody ever had anything like that?

 

[Macks2DrTahoe]

Time to replace that 17 year old radio with something new. The cost to trouble shoot and repair the old system will be about the same as going with an aftermarket replacement. Aftermarket can give you Bluetooth, navigation, connection to your mobile phone and even backup camera.

 

[ueww40]

I know, I know, everybody says that, but I am very partial to my CDs and I appreciate the 6 CD changer in my current radio. I will look into it though! Thanks

 

[Macks2DrTahoe]

At 65 years young, I know what you mean. That 6 disc changer helps extends your music selection for those long drives. But since I converted my album and CD collections, I have 500 of my all time favorite songs on a little flash drive. I have playlists for different moods or I just set the player to random and let the player select from MY top 500. I always have one of MY favorites on the radio.

It was touch but I made the change from CDs to USB flash drive. You can do it too.

 

[ueww40]

Thanks Mack. How is the sound? I was always told that the sound of flash drives, ipods or iphones is crappy because of heavy file compression during recording

 

[ueww40]

There is just no way beating this or coming out ahead, no matter what option I take. The engineers at GM must have spend days just trying to figure out how to thoroughly screw the public with this radio locking BS. The best option would be to get a hopefully good unit on ebay and there are maybe 2 or 3 companies that will actually unlock and program their units to your VIN before shipping it to you. You get it truly plug and play. Cost around $325. I bought one of those a few years ago from factorytunes in Las Vegas and it was great. I plugged it in and everything worked just fine. Only problem is that the unit failed shortly after a year and factorytunes does not back their stuff or even repair it. They told me to pound sand or buy another one. Now I am stuck with $325 worth of junk in my dash board. Very nice people. Next option and now it gets ugly. Again buy a good unit on ebay for around $250 but it needs unlocking and programming by a Chevy dealer. All quotes so far from local dealers are around $150. That makes it about $400. And if it doesn't work I am stuck with that too. Now everybody says upgrade, get something better, go aftermarket. Ok, I looked into it. Went to Best Buy, picked out a nice radio of my liking around $300, not the cheapest and not the most expensive. I wanted to stay withing that $300 bracket. So I was encouraged and made up my mind I am going to do it. Salesman says, yeah but, but, but, let me see what else is needed. We need a new harness to make sure everything else in the car is still working $158. Then we need the mounting hardware to install the unit properly in your 2004 Tahoe $28. Then there was another thing we needed (I already forgot what it was) $26. So all of a sudden my new radio will cost me $511. Good thing is Best Buy installs for free and will take it all back if it does not work. That is good in case the problem is with the Bose system. Or maybe I just chuck it off to experience and do nothing. I am just surprised that there are not more entrepreneurs doing the unlocking, programming and catering to radio swapping.

 

[ueww40]

By the way, where is the Bose box. I assume that there is a unit installed somewhere in my Tahoe that produces the Bose sound other than the speakers in the car. I want to check all the connections and make sure that the problem is not with the Bose system, especially now that it is doing something else. Now in the morning when it is very cold, like in the 30s, I have NO SOUND. The radio has power, but I have no AM, FM or CD player. As the day warms up all of a sudden my AM band comes back and CD, but still no FM.