Haunted radio '89 245

About 80% of the time my car radio looses its presets when I turn off the engine. Does not seem to be dependent on duration of "off" time. Does the stock Volvo radio have a lithium battery inside to store preset info? Is it owner serviceable?

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Townsend
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It probably gets continuous power from the battery, it'd be easy enough to check. How's the condition of your fuse box? You may have some corroded fuses. Could also be a cracked solder joint inside the radio. If it does use an internal lithium battery it's probably not intended to be user serviceable but it's certainly possible to do so.

Reply to
James Sweet

Another........... "cracked solder" joint........ LOL....... I don't believe it!!!!!!!! James,..... what is your fascination with "cracked solder" joints????????? Herman '83 282 5.0 H.O. formerly 242 Turbo intercooled.

Reply to
Herman

Seems to me that Herman doesn't believe in cracked solder joints. My experience is that the malfunction off any electronics is caused by exactly that in more than 50% occasions. I dont mind if Herman belongs to the majority of this worlds consumers who throw anything away because repair is to expensive. Just leave it to us "believers" to save a lot by fixing solder joints.

P.S just fixed the fuel pump relay on my '98 945 ( cracked solder joints )

Per Hauge

Reply to
Per Hauge

No, no, no my friend,........ actually I "am" one who very strongly believes in "repairing" things. I do not however believe it's "always" cracked solder joints....... I keep reading over & over again in this group ( which by the way I have been reading for several years) how some problems are "possibly" cracked solder joints or cold solder joints, I have "rarely" encountered such a problem over my years and I have been involved with Volvos and electronics for over 35 years. My '83 still has it's original "untouched" fuel relay by the way, which according to "some" in here should be impossible!!! ;-) Herman '83 282 5.0 H.O.& T-5 formerly 242 Turbo intercooled P.S. I would think my car is "some" proof that I believe in "not" throwing something away ;-)

Reply to
Herman

joints?????????

You are a lucky man. You must be able to afford the best electronics/electrics along with your Volvo. Good Luck. I will keep my soldering iron handy after being "involvoed" for only 22 years.

Reply to
Stuart Gray

LOL,........ I guess I must be lucky ;-), but I do research my purchases!!! I "do" have a seldom used soldering iron & gun Herman, '83 282 5.0 H.O. & T-5, formerly 242 Turbo intercooled.

Reply to
Herman

I'm an electronics repair tech, I service consumer electronics and cracked or "cold" solder joints cause at least 75% of the failures I come across, with a large remainder of those going to failing electrolytic capacitors.

99% of the time when you have an intermittant fault, poor soldering is to blame.
Reply to
James Sweet

The thing is, most people keep using a malfunctioning device until something else fails. Very often in TV's for example, the hot running components in the horizontal drive section develop cracked soldering, this causes a spike that takes out the output transistor and sometimes part of the power supply. I've seen other sets, particularly projection, where a cracked solder joint will cause a loss of deflection and burn the phosphors in the picture tube(s).

Reply to
James Sweet

You're running on borrowed time, as a general rule I reflow the solder on the heavy connections in the fuel pump relay of any car I own, it's not worth getting stuck in a bad part of town or some lonely mountain road without a soldering iron. It's such a common problem and so easy to remedy while at home.

Reply to
James Sweet

joints?????????

Very well. I have not been involved with Volvo's for 35 years but does have 20 years off professionel lifes as electronic engineer, and then some on hobby basis with electronics. If you have been involved with electronics for 35 years, I can not believe that you only rarely encountered problems caused by cracked solderings. Any parts that are handling some power (read current),and thus be exposed to temperature cyclings, would be likely to develop bad soldering joints. I also think that you be able to read the same observations on lots of other forums on the internet dealing with consumer electronics ( televisions, radio, PC's ).

Reply to
Per Hauge

Put me in a list of people in favour of the "cracked solder joint" theory. I've seen and fixed many, including one in an overdrive relay in a car my neighbour was test driving at the time with the owner in the back seat! The owner could tell I knew what I was doing, and when the overdrive worked after he was amazed to say the least. (No I didn't have a butane soldering iron with me, I just forced the solder together at the crack with a key.)

While cracked solder joints is not the only thing that goes wrong, it happens often enough, and since the cost of fixing can be $0, it's always a good first place to look.

Reply to
Mike F

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