120 Series Radio Aux Input Jack Fault

[mepvic Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mepvic]

Greetings all. Have done a search on the above but can't find any direct link.

Have a 2008 120 series with a stock standard radio. We do a lot of outback trips and plug our iPhone into the aux input jack when out of radio range. Run through all our recorded music tracks in a random pattern. Brilliant.

Have noticed recently however that we occasionally have a problem with the input jack. Lose one of the inputs and the LHS speakers drop out. Put a bit of pressure on the connection jack where it plugs into the radio and it fixes it for a while.
Have tried swapping the cable around but still a problem. Seems to be the connection within the radio.

Has anyone ever removed the radio to access the jack and then replaced the jack?
Other option may be to run a bead of solder around the plug to make it a little larger in diameter hoping to make a better connection internally.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

[Guest Close Guest]

I have an identical problem with my wife's car - probably the same unit as yours.

Hopefully it might be as easy as rebending the tab inside to get the contact repositioned to touch the connector. Otherwise, something is just hanging on in there.

[mepvic Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mepvic]

Thats what I was thinking. Just such a pain to get into it. Definately in the radio. Have tried different cables and extension sockets. Might try a run of solder on a plug to build up the diam a bit.

[LeighW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LeighW]

The contacts can loose tension but it is much more likely the solder has fractured, or the movement has loosened and cracked the copper track where the socket mounts to the board.

Fairly easy fix if you have fine soldering skills and the socket is easy to get to.

The problem with modern car stereos is they are generally very compact units
with several boards and surface mount components, you may need a service
manual just to work out how to get it apart without breaking anything to be
able to access the socket.

I would suggest a stage by stage approach and take pictures, keep screws grouped with the parts if you need to dismantle as they will be different lengths etc.

If you need to force it then you have missed a screw!

Be careful of the ribbon cables if you come across them, they tear easily!

Also with regards to ribbon cables, some just push in, others have retainer clips
on the sockets that need to be released before you try and pull the ribbon cable
out.

Leigh

[mepvic Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mepvic]

Thanks Leigh. With the cable in I can push down on it and get the left side working. Could be putting pressure on the circuit board but still think its the contact. Will try to build up the diam of the plug if I can and see how I get on. Your right about access. Think it will be a major job just to get the radio out let alone opening up the radio.

Mal

[Guest Close Guest]

Getting the stereo out is easy. It is documented here and lcool. Here is one link
http://www.lcool.org/technical/120_s...ra/camera.html

Getting inside it is the unknown bit.

[mepvic Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mepvic]

Thanks Andrew. Will check them out

[pnewfield Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close pnewfield]

Guys, I have a 2009 120 series GXL. I'm guessing that it's the same as yours. I have experienced problems with my aux jack as well. Like you I puzzled with the problem, played around with different connectors and cables to no avail. I was at the point of ripping the whole thing out and investing in an aftermarket unit because this problem along with poor microphone function were driving me nuts. Every time I was on the phone connected to the unit via Bluetooth, I could hear everything perfectly, but the person on the other end couldn't hear me properly. Well in my frustration I decided to pull the unit apart to see if I could work out what was causing these annoying problems. I have now solved both. If you are interested, I can talk you through each one. It's pretty easy to do and you don't have to be an electronics engineer (although I am an electrical engineer & electrician). Anyway let me know if you are interested in the details.

[mepvic Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mepvic]

Hi Pnewfield. Yes I would like to talk. Can you pm me with the details? I will try contacting you also. I am also an electrical engineer. ?

[snewby Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close snewby]

Hi Pnewfield, I also have only half my input working, can you give us a hint on where you found the problem?

[mepvic Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mepvic]

Hi Guys,

This post is to advise all that I have fixed my problem. Thanks to Pete for his help.

Funny setup once you pull it all out. The input jack is on a separate sub board that then plugs into the main PCB.

My problem turned out to be a crook solder joint or crack in the solder track between the jack centre pin connection on the sub board and the plugs on the sub board that connect to the main board. Both ends of the track connect with a small solder points.

No sign of a crack that I could see with my eye glass and the solder points both ends looked fine but definitely an airgap somewhere according to my multimeter. I could have tried just resoldering the points but I thought I would solder a small piece of wire across points while I was there and it works fine now.

Wasn't all that difficult if you have some electrical background and are happy enough to solder on a printed circuit board.

Stero now through the iPhone on the way to the Cape in a month.

[mepvic Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mepvic]

Above is photo of the plug on its separate PCB. Sorry, didn't get to take a photo of the other side with the solder tracks and my wiring fix.

You can see the pins that connect into the contacts on the main PCB. Rear pin on the jack connects to the third pin from the left.