Dead/no lights on radio & HVAC - fuses seem good?

[Arizona9C3]

2011 9C3, 32K miles. Like topic heading says, cannot control radio or HVAC from dash or steering wheel + no lights at all on dash except instrument cluster. No bowtie or anything on start-up. Reset doesn't help. HVAC stuck in low defrost cold mode. Center display in cluster says there is a CD on track 3, but never changes track, cannot eject.

Car is insurance salvage. I spoke to prior owner, he says everything worked but his (now ex-)girlfriend jumped it across some railroad tracks, snapping a tie rod end and bending LF lower rear control arm. He never saw the car again. No airbags deployed, only that mechanical damage and some scrapes on both sides' doors, but perhaps enough of a jolt to knock some connector loose? I've checked all mini-fuses underdash and in the trunk: they all seem good. Is there a relay or something else I should check next?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Jim

[smwalker]

Has it ever worked since you got it? Is this a new problem? Or never worked since the jump?

[smwalker]

If I had to guess I would think either your face plate came unattached from your silver box or the connection broke with the impact.

Steps I would follow:
1. Press on the face of the radio/HVAC controller to see if it snaps into place. Put your palm in the area between the volume knob and tuning knob and give it a good force push. Right behind there is the connector that connects the radio and HVAC controls to the silver box behind the dash. I know when i disconnected mine to get programmed it also defaulted to high blower and front defrost settings. So yours sounds like it is doing close to the same thing.

2. If pushing it does not seat it back down then dis assembly is in order to determine if the connector may have been damaged. You can find the steps to radio removal here (Link: Radio Removal).. You would obviously only have to go up to the point where the face plate is removed.

But maybe even step 0 should be checking the power plug on the passenger side of the console. See radio removal link above on how to drop down the side panel and you should be able to get you hand up there to make sure the plug is in solid. It locks in with a locking mechanism arm so I doubt it is loose (especially if the car sees a CD in there) but should check it off your list before ripping and tearing up the console.

[Arizona9C3]

Steve was dead-on right! The faceplate must have come slightest bit loose that I could not see, but a couple good firm pushes got it back working normally.

Thanks!!

Jim

[smwalker]

Oh Cool Jim, Glad it worked for you. I have a feeling this will be a common problem with our cars as they get older.

[elc32955]

Yep... On mine the faceplate volume knob is very erratic, I use the steering wheel control more often now to make volume changes. The manual tuning knob jumps around also but it's not quite as bad.... yet. So far I've not seen a good method to do a teardown and clean the controls with Deoxit or similar contact cleaner. Methinks problems are looming with these faceplates. My 3/36 warranty was gone a long time ago...

[orgdnr]

I have the same issue with mine!