Hi everyone, I am new here. Just got my HHR, it's a 2006, and the stereo has not worked since I got it. The dealership said they would take care of it, but I got tired of waiting.
As far as I can tell, it is the plain AM/FM CD stereo, and now that I have it out, I tested the power leads to check the power into it. Of course there is nothing, and I have checked the fuses that are listed for that circuit. Is there something I am overlooking? Is there another supply circuit that also feeds it? Does someone have a breakdown on what to look for?
I eventually will upgrade to a better head unit, but that will be down the road. Any help would be appreciated!
One more question: I forgot to mention I don't have any door chimes or signal light chimes. Do they also go through the head unit? Are they on a seperate circuit?
Thanks, Myron.

 

The chimes do come out of the left front tweeter by a signal from the BCM {body control module] the radio is also controled by the BCM. Not much you can do if the BCM is bad....

 

If the body control module is defective, is there a circuit in it that also feeds the head unit?

 

Under normal operation your radio is powered at all times. The BCM sends a signal(digital) to the radio to play the chimes in the left front speaker. If the radio is not working the chimes will not work.

See:
https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/audio-video-17/dead-radio-door-chime-24146/

P.S. Yes there is something else. The BCM has power saving circuits that turn off the power, after a certain action or time period has expired, to just about every device in the vehicle. So the fact you found no power at the radio may mean nothing, the BCM may have simply turned off the power to the radio.

P.P.S. Opps, the 12VDC power should be at a radio connector – the BCM just sends a signal to turn off the power circuits inside the radio to save power. Recheck your work.

 

See this thread for a pin out of the radio connectors:

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/audio-video-17/wiring-diagram-23945/

 

I don't know. Couldn't one just jump the power wire to power up the unit for test purposes? would that not work or is it more involved with 3 or 4 circuits working together to provide a turn on mode?

 

Might be, we'll only know if he goes back in and retries to find power now that he has the connector pin outs supplied in post #5.
The HHR radio is of course powered by the 12 VDC that is supplied to it thru the RDO fuse. The "Radio On" logic circuit powers the antenna, without there maybe no reception - I don't know.

The LOW Speed GMLAN(a single wire CAN bus) is what is used to communicate to the rest of the vehicle, the BCM being the most important. The BCM(via RAP) turns the radio off after 10 minutes or the driver's door opens. From what I can tell the BCM is also what turns the radio back on when you get back into the vehicle and put the key in the ignition. I can find nothing in the schematics showing a switched 12VDC to the radio. It seems to be powered at all times – just not turned on, either by the front control or the BCM.

 

Yeah I'm back with the same problem. Back in August I decided to pull the head unit out, and lo and behold I found one of the connectors was not all the way into it's port in the back of the unit. And then it worked, up until...

Now! Last night I took my son and a couple of his friends to a birthday party, everything was fine, had music coming from the vehicle. Now nothing again. Checked all the fuses in both boxes, just had the head unit out, both pigtails are installed correctly. Next I am going to get a test light to see if there is power coming up to the stereo.

One question: don't know if it's related but when it was all working properly the air bag icons right above the head unit would relate the proper info, like if there is one or two air bags working. Now all it shows is NO air bags working, and it says that all the time. Are the two things related? May it have something to do with the BCM?

Any help would be greatly appreciated! This is really p*@#sing me off!

 

Sounds like you have a problem with communications between the BCM, Radio & Inflatable Restraint System modules in the vehicle. Is there anything else in the vehicle that is not working?

I don’t know about the 2006, but other items on the same system in the 2009 are – the DLC, Remote FOB, Tire Pressure, Instrument Panel, Theft Deterrent, Inflatable Restraint System, XM Radio and OnStar. The last two, if so equipped would not be working either without the Radio working.

Since you’ve had problems with one bad connector, maybe you have problems with another bad connector. You could check the junction of all the Lo Speed GMLAN wires - this connector is behind the drivers side console kick panel; usually wrapped up nice and tight around a thick wiring harness. All the wires going into it are some variant of Green - that is how you will know you have the right connector. All the wires enter from one side, the other side of this connector is simply a "shorting" bar - make sure the shorting bar is fully inserted. In my 2009 there are seven wires entering, the XM Radio and OnStar modules plug directly into the BCM and do not go through this connector. Your 2006 I would expect to vary upon how the vehicle is equipped.

Also check the connectors, all four that plug into the BCM, three on the passenger side and a fourth behind that previously mentioned drivers side kick panel.

Other than this, it could of course be the radio or the BCM.

The only reason I am suggesting these connectors is that the vehicle was purchased used and the prior owner could have done his own exploring. The first connector is very strange and most of us would be somewhat confused by it's existence and function.

Another thing to try is to remove power at the battery for a vehicle reset – I have heard some post that thirty minutes is required, I don’t know.

Good Luck.