steering wheel radio controls

[fredricow89gta]

Help! The steering wheel radio controls on my recently purchased 89 GTA never worked. Yesterday I needed to replace the battery and the Radio Locked up. I tried hitting the mute button on the steering wheel a few times and the radio began working as did the steering wheel controls which I like. Today when I tried it the steering wheel controls no longer work but the radio does. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

[Ozzy88GTA]

Check the connections in the back of the steering wheel button pad. You can remove it easily, it is attached to the steering wheel with velcro on the sides. If that does not fix it , then check the connections on the back of the radio, especially the small connector. Then the worse check is the pins in the steering wheel, which means you'll have remove the steering wheel. The pins slide on a ring and are lubricated, sometimes they get dirty and don't make good contact.

That's about all I can think of.

-Ozzy

[fredricow89gta]

Originally Posted by Ozzy88GTA

Check the connections in the back of the steering wheel button pad. You can remove it easily, it is attached to the steering wheel with velcro on the sides. If that does not fix it , then check the connections on the back of the radio, especially the small connector. Then the worse check is the pins in the steering wheel, which means you'll have remove the steering wheel. The pins slide on a ring and are lubricated, sometimes they get dirty and don't make good contact.

That's about all I can think of.

-Ozzy

Thank you Ozzy I will give it a try. Fred

[fredricow89gta]

Originally Posted by fredricow89gta

Thank you Ozzy I will give it a try. Fred

Well Ozzy I pulled the steering wheel cleaned the disc where the 4 pins make contact and it still does not work. Could it be the steering wheel control pad is bad and any way to check it before I purchase another? Thanks Fred

[Ozzy88GTA]

Don't know what to tell you. I hate to recommend you buy one and then it turns out it was something else. It could also be the radio. I would wait till everything is checked before buying anything.

Does anybody else on the board recommend another remedy?

[Fred91GTA]

Well, if you got a buddy with a GTA that also has the same setup with the stereo, I'd recommend swapping radios with him to see if it will work. First, make sure he has the steering wheel controls. If your radio works with the steering wheel controls in his car, then your steering wheel controls are faulty. If his radio works in your car with the steering wheel controls, then your radio is faulty.

Either way, I'd check every inch of wiring from the steering wheel to the radio. You may have a short somewhere or a wire cut from age or some critter that got into the car. A damn mouse in the garage chewed up the knock sensor wiring on my car about 3 years ago.