Altea radio problems

[davety]

Hi I don't know if anyone can come up with a solution to this problem? I have an altea on 54 plate the radio has developed a mind of its own. When the car is parked and locked (so alarm is on and the ignition off). The radio comes on at full volume. This of course causes a voltage drop if not notice which sets the alarm off. The car has been to the seat dealer who replaced a circuit board, but at the moment every few days the radio just turns itself on. Went back to when radio turned on again but it does not do it in garage so Seat dealer cannot find wrong.

 

[PhilOfCas]

if it's coming on at full volume i'd check the 'onvol' setting first, I like mine about 6, then i'd pull off the 'on' button and adjust the small spring clip on the inside of it, i had a problem with mine whereby the 'on' button was sticking, all it needed was a slight adjustment of the spring clip to ensure the button moved freely

 

[davety]

Thanks for the reply. I don't think its a sticky knob as it doesn't matter what volume the radio is set at when it turns on by itself its full volume. Since my first post situation has got worse radio is coming on when parked every couple of hours. Only way to stop it has been to pull fuse. I am trying to work out how when the circuit is broken (a)by ignition switch (b) by on/off button on radio, how a power circuit is made to turn the radio on and why it happens couple hours after being left. Could anyone help with wiring diagram?

 

[AndyS Cupra R]

Hi all,

just searching the threads to see if I can find the answer to this issue - I have recently bought an Altea for the wife and today (only after a few mins) went back to the car to check where my mobile was and found the radio on.
Switched it off via the button and left it.
Lots of people saying its a common problem, but no one saying the outcome/solution?

Any help - how was this one resolved long term?
TCC

 

[klawit]

Lots of people saying its a common problem, but no one saying the outcome/solution?

Hi Andy,

have a look at this thread ...
=> A Case of the Headend Switching Itself on...

Just read a couple of days ago, that german dealer(s?) still give the "insert CD" as a workaround advice ... maybe it's because the headunit itself caused the trouble most of the time in the early days (no reports with the facelift headunit so far).
Those days it was said to be exchanged without a fuss (at least in germany) as long as the car was under guarantee/warranty.

greets ... Klaus

 

[davety]

my solution was a new radio. Main dealers not interested because out of warranty.

 

[AndyS Cupra R]

its odd if even after all this time they (Seat) claim not to know what causes the issue.

my car is well out of warranty, 2005 stylance but there must be a solution. It has had a CD in it for ages which we have not removed, so cant have been lack of CD causing the issue. If it was replaced under warranty and the replacement solved the issue, I wonder what the differences are between the two units?

Also, is this HU unique to the Altea or is it the same unit fitted to other Seat ranges - do all these units have a problem?

I cant really belive the only solution is a replacement HU, esp as not under warranty! It has only happened once so far, and I was lucky enough to catch it before it went on too long.

 

[pwmcd]

Hi I don't know if anyone can come up with a solution to this problem? I have an altea on 54 plate the radio has developed a mind of its own. When the car is parked and locked (so alarm is on and the ignition off). The radio comes on at full volume. This of course causes a voltage drop if not notice which sets the alarm off. The car has been to the seat dealer who replaced a circuit board, but at the moment every few days the radio just turns itself on. Went back to when radio turned on again but it does not do it in garage so Seat dealer cannot find wrong.

Hi davety - a common problem on ALTEA's there was a thread about this a while back and about aircon problems not sure if still available. As mine was under warranty new radio fitted by SEAT. The old thread I referred to had some DIY fixes which I copied to a WORD document the thread said:-

"Radio switching itself on by it's self and sometimes running the battery down?

For the record to solve the radio switching on by itself one “solution” is to leave a CD in it, as this problem seems to be related to a micro switch which must get jarred by moving traffic when parked up. It's fuse 56 under the drivers side that is the main aircon fuse [2004 model with climatic control].

Previous reply from forum member - Thanks, I did this pulled out fuse 56, turned car on to make sure the fan was not working, then turned car off, replaced fuse and Cruise Control has worked every time". (Also fixed the radio issue too)

Hope this helps the original thread was number 111967 (I'm not able to post full links!!) and was about aircon/cruise control and radio problems as it seems that the same fuse 56 controls all these 3 items.

These faults (especially the radio) did seem to affect 54 plate models more than later years and I understand that SEAT modified later year cars with a fix as stated on the original old thread. One owner on the forum traded in their 54 car for a 07 model and the problems seem to have been solved.
Patrick