How to Troubleshoot Car Stereos
- 1). Raise the antenna fully if the radio exhibits signs of interference. Crackling and static can also be alleviated by taking a detour from your usual route if the problem occurs at the same location all the time.
- 2). Check the wiring connections for any cutting in and out of sound. There may be a loose or shorted wire. Trace the wires back from the car stereo head to the speakers and make sure they are intact and in good shape. Check the polarity too. The positive and negative wires should be correctly attached---look for plus and minus signs. A booming sound can be an indication of incorrect polarity---the speaker cone movement is reversed, it's moving outwards when it should be moving inwards, and vice versa.
- 3). Wipe the compact disc with a soft cloth and look for scratches if the disc skips. CDs with scratches won't play properly.
- 4). Check the car stereo's buttons. Press the correct button if you have problems hearing the source. For example, press "CD" to hear the CD player and press "Aux" for the MP3 (music) player input.
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