Having a power problem with the old AM/FM/Cassette deck. Most of the time it has no power. Once in a blue moon it will turn on but only for maybe a day. I yanked it out and reseated the connectors a few times thinking the contacts might be corroded and wiping the contacts might clean them enough to get the unit working. It worked after the first time I replugged the connectors but stopped on later replugs. I even used the tip of an Xacto blade to scrape across the contacts (could only to the ones in the unit since the ones in the connectors were unreachable) to make sure there was good contact. Nope, still didn't help.
When I plug in the connectors, I hear a click-clickclick-click noise. Since the key wasn't even in Acc position, I was surprised to hear any electrical sounds but then I realized that the clock is always powered and so is the unit so it remembers the programmed channels. I'm wondering what are the pinouts for the connectors. Some would be to the speakers, one or more for grounds, one for constant power, and one for switched power. It is possible that I have a power problem back in the wiring, like the switched power lead is flaky (i.e., the radio is good but its switched power is flaky). So with a DVM, I'd like to know what to expect on each of the pins, and which were the constant and switched 12V wires. I could then even yank it and hook up to a battery so make sure if it was the radio or wiring harness that were the problem. I'm still trying to dig up my old Subaru manual (Chilton, I think) to see if it gave the wire colors for the various connects to the radio.
I could go with a new AM/FM/CD deck but there are 2 problems: (1) Sizing. The original bezel that fits around the top cup holder, around the radio, around the doored cubby slot, and around the ashtray won't fit. Some models say they fit my make & model *but* will require modification (which is usually cutting away the bezel on each side but then it looks like a hack job). (2) The old cassette deck occuppied 2 slots whereas the new units fit in 1 slot. That would leave a hole in the dash.
I could get the old unit repaired but I just called and they'd charge $100. I found a local salvage place that has the old unit w/1-year warranty for $40 but the front is beat up and one of the pre-programmed buttons doesn't work (switch is bad). The guy at the repair shop said to offer the salvage place half, or less, their asking price considering it was "tested" by them but it has a broken button, and that it's probably been sitting around a long time and they'd like to get rid of it (it was very dusty), then swap the faceplate from my old unit for the faceplate on the salvaged unit. I just don't what to expect when trying to swap the faceplates (these are not the type that are designed to be removed so I'm talking about surgery here on each unit).