Radio and HVAC display shut off

08 OBW Ltd, 2800 miles. Started the car and everything was fine.

 

On the way to work I noticed that the digital display for the radio and the heating system was dead. If I push any radio button, there's no effect. I can turn it off and on, but that's it. It was in CD mode, and is still in CD mode. No volume control.

 

As far as the heater, if I push either the front or rear defrost button, the light in the respective button blinks. It seems like I have some level of control, but no idea what mode its really in.

 

Since I got the car, I've noticed a hot / burning circuit board electrical smell on first starts sometimes in the morning. I haven't bothered to take it to the dealer since their history of spotting such things is ahhhh..... non-existent. So hopefully, this is what I've been smelling and it finally had the good graces to die.

 

Called the dealer, described the symptoms and was told to bring it by so they can get the numbers to order a new faceplate. Doesn't sound like the first one of these they've dealt with. Be curious to see if that's the cure.

 

I let it set for a few minutes at work and upon restart it still was out.

 

Update .... Great.... I started the car after it sat for 3.5 hours and everything's fine. Even drove it for 45 minutes and couldn't get the problem to come back.

 

Time to download the service manuals and see if there's an accessible diagnostic mode like my 04 FXT had.

 

Hopefully it was a one time thing, but I doubt it.

 

 

Anyone else seen this? I assume its the same control across the Legacy / Outback product line.

 

Sorry if i missed a thread where this has already been covered.

You should try posting your problem in the Interior / Audio technical forum. More of the right people would probably see it there. Good luck.

http://www.legacygt.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=22

Thanks, I reposted it over there. If a mod sees this can they please delete it?

 

Thanks

I'd get the dealer to replace it. Sounds like a glitchy connector between the faceplate circuit board or perhaps something worse. Either way, your car is new, so why live with it?

Nice to see that three model years later and they still don't have this issue fixed.

is the symptom affected by turning on the headlights or running lights?

is the symptom affected by turning on the headlights or running lights?

 

Nope.

 

I took it to the dealer and they said if it happens again they'll order a new faceplate. Get the feeling this isn't a new problem.........

I've got an '08 and had a similar problem, less the burning smell. I lost all my radio presets and then had no power to radio or HVAC. I had to make a stop so I turned the car off and back on and then everything worked, but my radio presets were still gone.

The dealer here is usually no help at all so I've been waiting for it to happen again before I take it in.

I had this happen to me one time driving home from work on a frikin hotter than hell day...After I let the car sit for a few hours and as the day cooled off, it all worked perfectly again. Hasn't happened since (This was like 18 months ago). It just sucked to drive home that day not being able to turn the A/C on!

 

BTW I did not have any burning smell tho!

This has happened two or three times on my 06 LGT. I completely shut off the ignition, wait a few seconds and restarted. Both AC and radio came back with no loss of presets.

It has not occurred when at the dealership.

I'll try to take a video of this problem next time it occurs and show that to Subaru.

 

Cheers!

Had the same symptoms. Turned out it was the fusebox. The factory screwed it in too tight and cracked it, so it got an intermittent fault. Try wiggling the fusebox and see what happens.

2008 Outback XT w/ 4200 miles on and last weekend on a family trip to the mountains both radio and HVAC display went blank. Had my ipod hooked in and it was still playing, just no control. Pulled over and re-started everything was fine. About a 3.5 hr drive and display went out at about the 1hr mark but made rest of the trip just fine.

 

On the way back home it went out about hour into the trip. Same thing re-started and everything is fine. No loss of presets or anything. Still cannot get it to fail again.

 

Looking at some other post on Subaru outback.org, some there stated the radio was the problem with the display power for both units coming through the radio. Don't know but will be calling the dealer to get their take on it. I will be bringing some of this info with me in case they say they can't fix it if it is not doing it.

 

Other than that love the car.

2008 Outback Xt with 4200 miles. Happened to me on weekend trip with family. About hr into a 3 hr drive the display went blank. Stopped and restarted the car and all was fine. on the return trip did it again. Restarted and all is good and cannot get it to fail again.

 

Will be calling the dealer to get their take it and hope this is correctable with out the hassle of working with some dealers.

05 Legacy Wagon Ltd. with a retrofit OEM MP3 six CD changer/climate unit. This just happened today (11/8/09). All the radio and climate controls work fine, there's just no LED readout. I stopped the car for a few minutes and restarted again, but the problem didn't go away. I'll try again after a few hours to see if it changes.

I had this problem on my 05 Outback XT. The circuit boards have a reputation for shorting out. Replacement is the only solution. My dealer had an exchange program and it ran about $325

If the dealer says they'll order you a new face plate... they won't.

 

All faceplates are reman units.

 

I had an 09 Outback 2.5iSE before the 09 OBXT. It had an odd radio glitch with random volume changes. They replaced the faceplate with a "new" one.

 

The "new" one was scratched and pitted to hell.

 

The dealer said that I did it, and that it was my fault. The car, as it turned out, was a lemon, so I did an almost even exchange for the 09OBXT sitting in my garage.

 

The dealer took the car as a trade... and resold it.