Radio/satnav

[tennopz]

Not been on here for a while, hope this is the right section to post in!

I have an issue with my radio/satnav head unit-it’s completely dead. It was fine the last time the car was driven, but today it’s completely blank. I’ve checked the fuses as best I can in the dark, fuse 17 (in the fuse box behind the glove box) is listed as the radio fuse but it’s ok.
The only thing that’s happened since the car was last driven was we had a series of power cuts during the night (a few in quick succession).

My questions are- has anyone elsehad a blank display? And am I checking the right fuse?
Could a power surge/spike affect the head unit (and nothing else) whilst the vehicle was plugged in?
TIA for any help/advice.

 

[tennopz]

So, I’ve had my head unit looked at by a car audio/electrical expert and it’s officially dead-probably caused by the power cut/surge.
For info, a new head unit from Mitsubishi is £3795-so that won’t be happening!

 

[DibbyDibbyDJ]

Not been on here for a while, hope this is the right section to post in!

I have an issue with my radio/satnav head unit-it’s completely dead. It was fine the last time the car was driven, but today it’s completely blank. I’ve checked the fuses as best I can in the dark, fuse 17 (in the fuse box behind the glove box) is listed as the radio fuse but it’s ok.
The only thing that’s happened since the car was last driven was we had a series of power cuts during the night (a few in quick succession).

My questions are- has anyone elsehad a blank display? And am I checking the right fuse?
Could a power surge/spike affect the head unit (and nothing else) whilst the vehicle was plugged in?
TIA for any help/advice.

Are we talking about MMCS or Smartphone display audio (SDA)

I have seen a few SDA go faulty where the buttons on either side are no longer illuminated. Try pressing where the button used to be.

 

[tennopz]

Are we talking about MMCS or Smartphone display audio (SDA)

I have seen a few SDA go faulty where the buttons on either side are no longer illuminated. Try pressing where the button used to be.

It’s the whole MMCS-no radio/CD/satnav/reversing camera/wi-fi, the whole thing is dead.

 

[jaapv]

So, I’ve had my head unit looked at by a car audio/electrical expert and it’s officially dead-probably caused by the power cut/surge.
For info, a new head unit from Mitsubishi is £3795-so that won’t be happening!

It might be wise to visit your dealer, there could be a simple explanation, like a loose wire or blown internal fuse.
It appears to me that a power surge as a cause is rather unlikely, to say the least, as the head unit is not connected to the mains; it is on the 12V battery circuit. If a power surge should blow anything up, it should be the charging circuit, the charger box, the BMU or something else in the high-voltage electronics.
The charger feeds the main battery by electricity converted from AC to DC, the main battery periodically charges the 12V battery and the 12V battery feeds the computers, lights, accessories, the head unit, etc. Additionally there are multiple fuses in between.
It is hard to imagine that a power surge would come past stage 1, let alone to the end of the chain.
Mitsubishi repaired my head unit when it broke (the touchscreen went haywire) under guaranty. There was no mention of a placement.
FYI, there are several third-party replacements for the MMCS, for instance Pioneer. I even seem to recall seeing one on AliExpress for about 200 $, which even could stream video clips. - I know that that is illegal :lol: .

 

[tennopz]

Found a firm that may have been able to repair my unit, but only if it was the power supply at fault-this could cost £100-300 plus carriage £15 each way. Any other fault they can’t repair as the parts aren’t available from Mitsubishi.

My options were:
New unit £3795,
Repair (if possible) £160-360,
Or a used unit

So, I found one on eBay from a 2017 PHEV and bought it.
The facia and button location looks different to mine, but the connections on the back look the same so I’m hoping it’s just a case of plug and play.

Unfortunately as soon as it’s working again I’m looking at getting rid of my Phev. I love the car, it’s great to drive but until United Utilities can provide a stable power supply a plug in electric car isn’t for me. I can’t afford all the expense and hassle every time we have a power cut-which happens a lot here.

 

[tennopz]

It might be wise to visit your dealer, there could be a simple explanation, like a loose wire or blown internal fuse.
It appears to me that a power surge as a cause is rather unlikely, to say the least, as the head unit is not connected to the mains; it is on the 12V battery circuit. If a power surge should blow anything up, it should be the charging circuit, the charger box, the BMU or something else in the high-voltage electronics.
The charger feeds the main battery by electricity converted from AC to DC, the main battery periodically charges the 12V battery and the 12V battery feeds the computers, lights, accessories, the head unit, etc. Additionally there are multiple fuses in between.
It is hard to imagine that a power surge would come past stage 1, let alone to the end of the chain.
Mitsubishi repaired my head unit when it broke (the touchscreen went haywire) under guaranty. There was no mention of a placement.
FYI, there are several third-party replacements for the MMCS, for instance Pioneer. I even seem to recall seeing one on AliExpress for about 200 $, which even could stream video clips. - I know that that is illegal :lol: .

I did call the dealer. They wanted £90+vat just to plug in to the diagnostic port and look for faults. The audio/electrical expert did this and checked everything you mentioned for a lot less.
The unit was working fine when it was parked up, then we had numerous power cuts during the night and then the next morning it wasn’t working. I guess that could be a coincidence, but both the place I took it to and the place I found to repair it thought the power supply was at fault-as do I. I did contact the Mitsubishi technical line to ask if it was possible for a surge/spike to reach the unit but they just referred me back to the dealer. (Last year it cost me £400 to have the motherboard replaced in my TV after a similar power cut, I didn’t think this was possible with the TV on standby).

I did think about an aftermarket unit but I like the drivetrain monitoring and the WiFi so I wanted to keep it standard if poss. Just hope the used one I’ve bought off eBay works ok. Just need to work out how to get my SD card out of the old unit.

 

[jaapv]

I seem to remember -from posts long ago on the Dutch forum- that you will get nearly full functionality on the Pioneer unit. I don't think the WiFi unit is incorporated in the MMCS.
It must be a trick to remove a non-functioning unit without the "open" function, as my dealer must have been able to do so with a broken touch screen.
I can imagine you problem. Last year an operating error on one of my X-Ray machines blew just one condenser. A new circuit board cost over 4000 Euros. The supplier gave all kinds of silly reasons for not repairing it. I sent it to an independent print board repair service: 75 Euro including VAT and P&P. The part cost was 1.25 Euro.

 

[tennopz]

I don't think the WiFi unit is incorporated in the MMCS.

I think you might be right. There is a separate unit under the head unit (above the Bluetooth module).
The head unit I’ve bought still has this attached, I can’t connect to WiFi so I may need to replace this too-unless it’s not working because it needs to be connected or gets its power from the head unit.

 

[Chichester]

Did anyone get to the bottom of this problem?

I have just had the same thing happen to me and it is possible that the car was plugged in while we had a power cut. We have had several lately.

My Radio Satnav is not working anymore. I have replaced fuse 17 to no avail. Does anyone have any insights as to what the problem might be. My car is a 2015 model with rear camera and so I don't think that will work with a Pioneer replacement if it comes to that. Also I enjoy having an insight into the other read outs that the unit gives.

Any help would b greatly appreciated.

 

[jaapv]

There must be second-hand units around by now.

 

[Chichester]

Oh dear, I hoped it was something simple.

 

[thegiant]

I also have this issue with my 2015 GX4hs. I was driving one cold evening in Jan, the display made a pop noise and went blank. A few days later the weather was warmer and it was working for a day or two and then went blank again, it's been dead since I've checked the fuses, but with no luck. Any updates on show the issue was solved would be appreciated.

 

[cabral]

hello

i know have the same problem on my outlander.
fuses are all ok but but the radio is dead.
did you manage to fix yours?