Any audio experts out there have any idea why my Harman/Kardon system would just stop making sound? I own a 2003 MINI (May 2003 build). It's got the HK stereo. It's been flawless for about a year, but then a few days ago, I'm listening to an FM station and the radio goes quiet, but the display still shows the station and the song title, etc. So I figure the station is having "dead air" and flip to the next station with the MFSW controls. Again, no sound...just silence...so I put in a CD, and it is obvious it is playing, but no sound....and yes, I tried using both the manual volume control located on the head unit, and the one on the steering wheel.

A few minutes later, the sound comes back...a few minutes later, it goes off again. I go home, turn the car off, and the next morning, the sound works. On the way to work, it goes off. Ughhh!

All of the HK Amp functions appear in the head unit (Bass/Treble/Spatial/Concert, HK Driver On/off, etc. etc) so the head unit obviously "works" and I would assume the amp is functioning too?? I tried to remove the amp from the back wheel well, got one bolt and a screw off, but obviously it has more bolts/screws that are unreachable unless the entire plastic side panel is removed, which I am not able to do myself. However, I did reach behind the amp and I could "feel" that the connections were tight...

Now, the stereo has produced no sound for two days, and doesn't even come on intermittently anymore.

My guess is: loose wire/connection behind the head unit. Does this sound right? I am going to remove the head unit tonight after work, that's easy enough, and check all connections, and re-seat them. Hopefully that will do it.

All I do hear coming through the speakers, with the key in position 1 and engine off, is a cyclic, barely audible "click...........click...........click..........cl ick" that clicking sounds are about 5 seconds apart, so I know the speakers work, too!

This is driving me crazy...why would the radio go silent, yet seemingly all parts of it work fine? I checked all fuses, they are intact...which makes sense since everything else in the car works perfectly.

Any tips/suggestions?

Thanks,

boognish

 

On a related note, I went to crutchfield.com and after I put in that I own a 2003 MINI with H/K, Crutchfield's automated system responds with: "Sorry, there are no head units compatible with your car" "Sorry, there are no speakers compatible with your car".

Sounds like garbage to me...are you saying I can't EASILY swap out my existing HK head unit with a non-OEM brand head-unit? Can't I just keep the same H/K AMP in place, but switch out only the head unit, or is this not possible?

Of course, first I have to figure out why my system is producing no sound...but I figure maybe once I do figure out what's wrong, I may switch to an aftermarket head unit...but still keep the HK amp...or is this a "no-no?"

Thanks,

-boognish

 

First of all, it sounds to me like the simple solution is to take it to the dealer...it is under warranty!

Second, it is entirely possible that you can not just pop in a new (non-factory) head unit. Systems like these are made as a unit. I'm not sure how similar it is, but my '94 RX7 had a Bose Acousitc Wave system in it, and you could neither replace the speakers or the head unit. you could replace the entire system, but it would have to be completely rewired also, at least that's what i'm told.

So head for the dealer man, let them figure it out!

 

Boognish,
There are a couple of signals that go from the head unit to the HK amp (situated in the right pocket in the trunk). You could have a loose wire at the head unit end OR at the HK amp end, or damage anywhere between.
Also, the HK amp gets its own 12V supply so that could be flaky too.

Finally, the head unit and HK amp communicate with data as well as the actual sound signal. This is what makes it tricky to install an aftermarket head unit. But with sufficient effort and "cleverness", it is possible
http://www.gbmini.net/mtblog/archive/000405.shtml