car radio lcd display problems free sample

It’s fantastic to have the top model of a car radio with a digital display in your car. You can see all the information you need regarding the music you are listening to, the navigation route you have to follow, and more.

As a general rule, your car radio display will not work if it encounters various issues like a blown fuse, the dimmer turned down, or a faulty illumination wire. The connectors between the LCD and radio unit could be wet or defective, or the backlight, LCD, or radio unit itself could be faulty.

Tip:The most common reason for car radios not working can be blown or defective fuse, or faulty illumination wires. If this is the reason in your case, you may need to start the repair by replacing the defective fuse in your stereo. Check out my favoritecar audio fuseson Amazon.com now.

Let’s look at why your car radio display won’t work and all the possible reasons that could impact it. These reasons are not always as dreadful as you may think, and most of them can be cured with little effort.

Today, car radios have come leaps and bounds from the heavy, mechanical, and manual radios of the 1950s that only offered an AM//FM stereo with frequency and volume knobs.

Nowadays, most head units almost seem like you can launch a rocket into outer space with the great infotainment systems having digital displays, voice control, wireless capability, navigation, finding areas of interest, streaming from the net, and more.

You could roll vintage car radio down a hill, and it would still be perfectly fine. However, if you have a cold and sneeze in the direction of your $500 Double Din aftermarket infotainment system, and it is not set up correctly, it won’t function.

If you find yourself in a predicament of your car radio’s display not working, you might feel a little inept at dealing with the situation; however, only a handful of variables can be wrong with it.

This means that if something goes wrong (like a short to ground), the dedicated fuse will take the brunt of the damage and burn out hopefully before any severe damage can be incurred by your car or any equipment that the circuit was connected to.

If you have not assumed it already, this will be one fix that you can apply to your car stereo and could cause the display screen not to turn on, and I will explain it in detail below.

When a fuse is blown, not only display does not work, but the whole radio does not function. If however, your radio works but the screen remains blank, you will need to consider a few other factors when determining why your car stereo display is not working correctly.

When your car stereo is new and you have a warranty, the easiest solution is to take the stereo to the retailer, and they will fix it. The more complicated situations are when your radio is older with the warranty expired.

Keep in mind that all cars are different, and all car systems are different, including a car audio system. I have outlined the basic principles and the most common cause that are usually at fault with these problems’ solutions.

Sometimes, the car stereo display is too bright, and when the radio does not have a day/night display function, most drivers including me, prefer to turn down the display brightness (especially at night).

If this doesn’t work, then there may be a problem with the illumination wire (it may be damaged or loose), and if you remove the radio and check the wiring, you will be looking for an orange or orange/black wire.

Your car radio is not one solid unit. This means that the display is separate from the actual radio unit, and wires and connectors are used to link them together.

Removing the display from the car stereo could be a bit of an issue if you do not consider yourself a DIY individual. The process is not too complicated and well explained in the short video below.

If your display has soldering joints, you can see that a soldering point or wire has come loose and you, again, are comfortable with a little DIY, then all you need to do is solder it back together correctly.

However, if the display is dimmed down and you still have power, then the first thing you should do is check your user manual and go through all the settings and presets that your radio offers to try to find brightness settings that could be used to adjust your radio back to normal.

Suppose you have already gone through all the steps and procedures that I have laid out for you, such as checking the dimmer, checking the illumination wire, checking settings and presets, trying to reset the radio, and checking the fuses. In that case, there may be an issue with one of three things with your car radio.

In a situation like this, the only option you have is to take it in for repair (if it can be repaired). Otherwise, if you have a service plan or an aftermarket radio with a warranty, you should be able to replace it without any hassles.

The main reason the car radio display may not be working is because of a bad fuse. I already touched on this briefly because it is the most common car stereo (radios) problem.

With this kit, you will never have to worry about another fuse blowing in your car, probably for the rest of your life, unless you have a problem that persists and keeps blowing your fuses.

In older cars, the fuse would be placed on the radio, so you would have to take out the entire stereo to get to the back of it just to replace the fuse.

Sometimes this meant having to take off part or most of the dashboard. If this is the case for your car and stereo model, then this might be a hassle, and you may have to take it to an automotive repair shop.

Luckily with most modern cars, the car radio fuses are located in the fuse box with all the other fuses that are grouped together. Typically you can find this box on the dashboard close to the steering wheel or under the hood.

These names indicated which fuses are for which car parts and systems. You would need to look for the fuse (code) name that says either Room, Accessories, Interior Lights, or Radio and check if that fuse is blown and then replace it with a new one your car radio should work and display correctly.

You may be wondering why some of those code names don’t refer to the radio. Sometimes manufacturers have combined circuits in your vehicle, and the fuse used for your radio will also be used for your interior lights. In general, you should replace any fuse you will find that is blown.

If the short to ground has affected the circuit of the radio and caused a surge of current, then the fuse may be blown, and all you will have to do is follow the steps we laid out for you in the section above.

In the instance where your radio is still working, but there is no display, then one scenario could be that a setting or the dimmer was turned down all the way. In this case, you can try resetting your car radio to the factory settings.

This is slightly different from adjusting the dimmer and checking functions and settings on your car radio. Most radios, if not all due to their complicated nature, will have a reset button.

A reset button is usually found behind the removed faceplate of the radio. You will typically need something long and thin to get to the reset button, like a needle or a pen. Just remember that if you reset the radio, you will lose all saved data.

If you cleaned your screen with water and it still works, you are in luck. And the only thing you would need to do is make sure the connection point and wires that sit between your display and the radio unit are dry.

The better way to clean the car radio screen and especially a touch screen is to use a soft microfiber cloth and clean off any dirt, dust, or fingerprints on the screen.

Car radio screens start to fade over time because the internal connections become loose or when the screen is mechanically damaged, for example, when it is pressed using too much finger pressure.

Screen replacement in car radios is not the easiest task. If you are not a DYI or do not have much experience with electronic repairs, it is better to give the radio to a professional.

Is it worth repairing the display? It depends on the radio type, and if this is an expensive model, then definitely yes. On the other hand, if your radio is not too costly or not the new one, it is better and cheaper to replace it with the new one.

If the screen is not mechanically damaged and is working fine but suddenly lost its screen, the simplest way to fix it is to press the reset button and hold it depending on the radio for between 5 and 10 seconds.

If the display panel on the car stereo receiver is dim or does not light, the connectors may need to be cleaned, or a mode setting needs to be adjusted.

Another problem can occur when the radio works, but it has internal screen damage. To fix this, you have to either disassemble the radio, remove the screen, measure the electrical resistance on all connections, or give the radio to a professional.

The car radio dimmer can be set manually, synchronized to the clock, or activated with your car lights, and most dimmed screen problems are related to the last option when the radio has to be connected to the car lights.

If the display is too dim with the brightness set to the highest level, the dimmer could be activated. Your radio may be equipped with a separate brightness setting for when the dimmer mode is activated.

If, after changing the settings on your radio, the display is still too dim or too bright, the radio may be faulty, and you may need to contact the repair service of the radio manufacturer.

However, compared to older, more robust car stereos, the risk of something getting damaged or not working correctly is a real issue and one you will have to face if you are not willing to take it to an automotive repair shop.

Furthermore, there are quite a few factors that could be at the root of this problem. However, most of them are not severe, and they can be rectified without the need to take your car in so your radio can be repaired.

The last thing to note is that if you have gone through all the steps I have provided, and your car stereo display is still not working, you will most likely have to take it to a professional service to figure out what the problem is.

Resetting a touch screen requires turning the radio off and turn on again after around 3 seconds. This should bring the screen to its default settings.

Some car radios have a hard reset button that you must press and hold for around 10 seconds. This will usually be located in the menu or settings of the radio.

After resetting the touch screen, you may need to calibrate it. You can usually do this by going into the menu or settings of the radio and finding the calibration option.

If the car stereo with GPS still shows a white screen after switching it on for the second or third time, you may need to check if the peripheral receptacle is placed correctly.

If none of the above solves the problem and your radio still have a white screen, it is advisable to take it to the nearest service centre for diagnosis.

The first thing you should do is check all the fuses in your car and replace any that are blown. If fuses are okay, there may be a problem with the circuits’ screen panel or solder connections.

If the screen in the Pioneer radio is not working, check the fuse to see if it needs to be replaced. If that doesn’t work, try resetting the display by pressing and holding the power button for 20 seconds.

When the display in Subaru cars stops working, you can reset it by pressing and holding the power button, tune/scroll button, and the CD Eject button together for about 20 seconds.

If resetting the radio does not solve the problem, there might be something wrong with the fuse or the wiring. In that case, you’ll need to take your car to a mechanic to have it checked out.

If the factory Ford radio’s screen is not working, but the radio works, it could be due to a blown lighting panel or a problem with the soldered connections in the head unit.

Another possibility is that the touch screen display is not working because it needs to be recalibrated. You can do a hard reset by disconnecting the battery and reconnecting it after a few minutes.

If your Volkswagen’s radio touch screen is not working, the first thing you should do is reset the display. To do this, press and hold the power button and the volume button at the same time for about 20 seconds.

In that case, you’ll need to either remove the radio from the dash and use the voltmeter to check the wiring or take your car to a mechanic to have it checked out.

The most common reason a BMW radio display is not working is a blown fuse. Unfortunately, the fuse for the radio is usually located in the car’s trunk.

Smart touch screen car stereos are far more convenient to use than their analog counterparts. They allow you to change the stations or control the volume just by touching with your fingertips instead of turning knobs. Some are even fitted with advanced features like GPS, video streaming, phone integration, and more!

Unfortunately, they aren’t immune to problems. The touch screen feature is often the first thing to start malfunctioning. Don’t be disheartened if you’ve accidentally broken the screen or if it has suddenly become unresponsive.

Let’s learn a bit about the major problems of touch screen car stereos. It’s important because you will be aware of the issues you may face in the future and be able to quickly figure out how to resolve them.

Touchscreens are pretty fragile, so they are very prone to physical damage. They can break quite easily. For example, if your car jumps over a speed bump a little too hard, you’re likely to end up with a couple of cracks or, in the worst-case scenario, a broken display!

If you accidentally hit the screen, it’s going to break too. Besides, prolonged touching can create scratches which can lead to significant damage later on. You’d have to be extra careful when using them if you want them to be in one piece for a long time.

Smart touchscreen car stereos rely on software to function properly. Millions of codes allow them to perform as they do. It’s common for the software to have bugs and errors. When that happens, your stereo won’t work as expected. It will start malfunctioning until you find a way to fix the software issue.

These are the most common issues of a touchscreen car stereo. We haven’t covered all of them, so you might come across something that we haven’t discussed.

Now we’re going to address the problems of touchscreen car stereos and provide you with a complete guide on fixing them. This is a guide for both single din and double din screen repair so you’ll learn how to reset car touch screen stereo in no time.

A hard factory reset will solve any software-related problem and fix the calibration as well. So, this should help with car stereo touch screen repair. Most of the stereos come with manuals that will instruct you on how to perform a factory reset.

If your touchscreen is completely broken, there is no alternative to replacing it. It’s actually easier than you think, and you can do it by yourself, even if you’ve never done this yourself before. We’re going to provide a step-by-step guide to touchscreen radio repair for your convenience!

The first step is to remove the car stereo from your car’s dashboard. Grab the panel remover and use it to separate the panel. Then unscrew the screws that are used to keep the stereo placed inside. Before pulling the device out, carefully separate the wires. Take note of the cables you’re removing because you will be rewiring later.

You will notice numerous locks on the body of the car stereo that you will have to unlock. This can be done by applying a little bit of force in the right direction. You can use the panel remover too.

The touchscreen is usually attached using glue or an adhesive instead of screws. So, you’re going to have to loosen the adhesive before removing the screen. As soon as you’re done, the LCD will be completely exposed!

Now, clean the LCD using the screen cleaner gently to get rid of all the residual dust and debris. The microfiber cloth will come in handy so use that to get the best results. You don’t want to press too hard, though.

After you’re done cleaning the LCD, now is the time to install the new touchscreen. You should use a high-quality and strong adhesive like double-sided adhesive tape for mounting the new component. Cut the tapes into thin and long pieces for getting the best results.

Then peel one side of the tapes and place them on both sides of the new screen. Afterward, peel off the other side. Now, make sure to align the screen with the panel perfectly. The wires must be aligned correctly as well. Then gently place the touchscreen carefully on the panel.

This item comes with high-quality audio and video performance. It is compatible with android auto and Apple carplay. Pandora and SiriusXM are also included.

This stereo features 7” capacitive touchscreen display, 6-channel preamp outputs (4-volt front, rear, subwoofer), rear USB port, rear auxiliary input, and two camera inputs.

It features Bluetooth, GPS navigation, Aux, audio/video input, reverse camera, micro-SD port, and separate subwoofer output. It also included a pre-amplifier, preset 9-band EQ, and radio tuner.

This item comes with high-quality audio and video performance. It is compatible with android auto and Apple carplay. Pandora and SiriusXM are also included.

This stereo features 7” capacitive touchscreen display, 6-channel preamp outputs (4-volt front, rear, subwoofer), rear USB port, rear auxiliary input, and two camera inputs.

It features Bluetooth, GPS navigation, Aux, audio/video input, reverse camera, micro-SD port, and separate subwoofer output. It also included a pre-amplifier, preset 9-band EQ, and radio tuner.

With our “how to fix a touch screen car stereo” guide, you should be able to fix your malfunctioning touchscreen stereo easily. Doing it yourself can save you a lot of money. However, if the problem is too great for you or if you’re still experiencing car touch screen not working after cleaning and doing all the steps listed above, you should seek professional help.

For drivers who enjoy listening to podcasts and music or those who desperately need navigation help, a car’s infotainment system can be crucial to their happiness. And nothing sours that happiness faster than a system that refuses to cooperate or has a screen that goes blank.

In fact, in our most recent exclusive Auto Survey, one of the most common reliability complaints from owners of newer models involved infotainment problems, such as when the display screen goes blank or freezes, or the navigation system stops working properly.

ar stereos with screens the size of tablets have arrived at Crutchfield, and that’s good news for more car owners than ever. If you’ve been craving a big screen stereo for easy source selection while driving, car audio legends like Alpine, Pioneer, Sony, Kenwood, and more offer some seriously sleek solutions.

There’s a lot to be excited about when it comes to car stereos with oversized touchscreen displays. Striking resolution and responsive control make these stereos a joy to use. Plus, built-in essentials for smartphone integration and voice control like Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ look great on a big screen. But the most satisfying development here is that most of these car stereos fit dash openings that previously couldn’t accommodate touchscreen receivers. Use our vehicle fit tool to explore your options.

Because the touchscreen display of these special stereos "floats" in front of your dash, it’s important to evaluate the layout of your air vents and any other controls around where your radio lives. No dash layout is the same. So, car stereos with oversized screens, like the Sony shown below, prioritize adjustability.

Jensen"s CAR110X digital media receiver offers nice compatibility with your smartphone for the most affordable price tag in this category. You"ll get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, USB inputs for phone charging, and 4-volt preamp outputs to incorporate an aftermarket amp and build a solid system — all with a 10.1" touchscreen display.

In the case of their DMH-WT8600NEX, the 10.1" capacitive HD touchscreen display looks gorgeous. And as you"d expect, Pioneer builds in excellent audio controls and loads of features, including Amazon Alexa compatibility and inputs for two cameras. I previewed Pioneer"s other stereos in this series and was impressed by the sturdiness and striking beauty of their displays as well.

If you"re not quite ready for the 10.1" display, Pioneer offers stereos car stereos with 8" and 9" floating displays as well as models that are ideal for custom installations.

Alpine has always taken great strides to bring awesome features to popular vehicles, and their Halo9 Series forged a path for all receivers to follow, offering the first oversized display of its kind and customizing it for vehicle-specific use.

And if that"s not big enough, Alpine equipped their newest Halo receiver — the stunning ILX-F411 — with an 11" screen! The ILX-F411 lets you customize your display, but you"ll lose HD Radio® compatibility, the ability to add Alpine"s Truck Accessory Controller, and certain interface controls only available on the ILX-F309.

Kenwood"s Excelon Reference MXD1057XR digital multimedia receiver is the real deal. Upgrade to a 10.1" floating display with built-in HD Radio, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, support of high-res audio, and the confidence that comes with a 2-year warranty. Kenwood gives you the tools to customize your homescreen with essential sources and tools. Plus, you get a good ol" fashioned volume knob!

If you need help determining if a floating screen car stereo is right for you, give our Advisors a call. You can also confirm fit for any of the above stereos by using our vehicle selector.

The Kenwood DMX905S is one of five Kenwood models that feature wireless Android Auto, along with a traditional corded Apple CarPlay app. The Kenwood worked well in our testing, but small usability details separated it from our top pick. It has a capacitive display, although pinching-and-zooming didn’t work in Google Maps. The unit’s hard buttons are large enough to press easily, but they don’t have the nice tactile feel of the Pioneer models’.

The Kenwood DMX7704S is very similar to the DMX905S, above, but lacks its wireless Android Auto capability and capacitive display. It has the same relatively large, but tactile-less buttons along the bottom. And we found the menu structure to be more complicated than the Pioneer or the Sony models’.

The JVC KW-M730BT, our previous runner-up, and the newer JVC KW-M740BT are almost identical models. When plugged in with a USB cord, both CarPlay and Android Auto worked well. The Pandora and Spotify apps were also flawless when using a Bluetooth connection. Our main gripes are the three tiny hard buttons across the top, which offer less functionality and aren’t as easy to access on the fly as those on the other models we tested. Also, you can’t customize the buttons’ illumination colors.

The new Sony XAV-AX5000 is very similar to our budget pick, except that it has a larger, 7-inch, bezel-less display and smaller, hard buttons across the bottom, rather than the XAV-AX100 model’s volume knob and left-mounted buttons. We had no problems connecting to CarPlay and Android Auto through a USB cord, and the AX5000 provides dual USB ports and satellite radio capability. It could be another good budget choice, but it’s sparse on features, compared with our other picks. It doesn’t come with a GPS antenna; it uses the one in your phone. The display isn’t as customizable. You can’t vary the buttons’ colors. And you can’t connect this model to an iDatalink adapter for use with a car’s steering-wheel controls and other features.

Our former also-great pick, the Alpine iLX-107, was the first replacement car stereo to offer a wireless connection to Apple CarPlay, although it doesn’t include Android Auto. The iLX-107 model’s interface is relatively easy to use, with responsive capacitive volume buttons below the screen. Its screen can be finicky, though, and we often had to hunt and peck to find what we wanted in the menus. The iLX-107 has a 7-inch screen and a host of extra features, such as satellite radio and HD Radio, multiple color choices for the controls, and the capability to pair with up to five smartphones over Bluetooth, but it tends to be more expensive than our top pick.

The Alpine iLX-207 has the same bright, 7-inch display as its cousin, the iLX-107, along with Android Auto, which the iLX-107 lacks. However, it doesn’t have the iLX-107 model’s wireless CarPlay connectivity or its slick capacitive volume buttons. Instead, it has a thick lip across the bottom of the screen that protrudes about half an inch from the display, and houses several large plastic buttons that provide some tactile feedback. The iLX-207 worked fine overall, and includes satellite radio compatibility, HD Radio, selectable illumination colors and wallpaper, and an HDMI input and output. But as with the iLX-107, we often had to hunt and peck to find what we wanted in the menus.

The Sony XAV-AX210 is similar to our budget pick, the Sony XAV-AX100, with a 6.4-inch display and volume knob. But it adds a CD/DVD player, satellite radio capability, variable illumination, and the ability to connect to an iDatalink adapter for use with a car’s steering-wheel controls and other features. An SXM version that includes a SiriusXM tuner as part of a package is currently being sold.

The Pioneer AVIC-8201NEX is very similar to our upgrade pick, but without its wireless capability for CarPlay and Android Auto; you need to plug in with a USB cord. Like the AVIC-W8500NEX, this Pioneer comes with a built-in navigation system, capacitive touchscreen, satellite radio compatibility, HD Radio, and Pioneer’s Dual Zone Entertainment (which gives rear-seat passengers the option to enjoy different content than front-seat passengers).

The Kenwood DNX875S is essentially the same as the DMX905S digital media receiver, above, but with an integrated Garmin navigation system. You can connect to Android Auto either wirelessly or with a USB cord, and to CarPlay with only the cord. But, as with the JVC KW-M845BW, above, we had problems wirelessly connecting to Android Auto with our Pixel 2 XL test phone, and switching between two Bluetooth-paired phones wasn’t as seamless as with the Pioneers. We like the nav system; in our car GPS testing, we’ve found Garmin’s navigation system to be easy to use, with an intuitive interface, reliable and responsive routing, and helpful lane guidance at highway interchanges. As with Pioneer’s Here mapping, Garmin’s traffic data isn’t as comprehensive or accurate as that of Google Maps and Waze, though. The DNX875S is compatible with Kenwood’s DRV-N520 dash cam, and can accept two camera inputs.

Our previous upgrade pick, the Kenwood DNX694S, and the newer Kenwood DNX695S are very similar models. We had no trouble connecting to CarPlay and Android Auto through a USB cord. Both models come with built-in Garmin navigation, a CD/DVD player, HD Radio, satellite radio compatibility, variable color adjustments for customizing the controls’ backlighting, and dual video inputs for connecting multiple cameras. Unlike on the other Kenwoods we tested, the buttons are located on the left side of the screen, where they’re easier for a driver to reach, and the CD/DVD slot is visible above the 6.8-inch display. Both models can connect to the company’s DRV-N520 dash cam, and when a backup camera is connected, the stereo overlays helpful parking-guidance lines onto the camera’s image. According to Kenwood’s Seth Halstead, drivers can also connect other accessories, such as an add-on forward-collision warning system.

The Mpow 3 in 1 Bluetooth Receiver for Car has a similar design to the Besign BK01, but the Mpow’s audio is noticeably grainier, and you have to push the center multifunction button to restart your music after a phone call. The included ground-loop isolator improves the sound quality somewhat by cutting back on the interfering frequencies, but the Mpow still loses more fidelity than we’d prefer, sounding more like a radio on a small, blown-out speaker.

We liked the Roav by Anker Bluetooth Receiver, and at first glance its low price makes it seem like a steal. However, it doesn’t include a 12 V USB car charger, and buying your own brings the Roav’s price in line with the Besign BK01’s. The Roav’s audio fidelity is also slightly worse (and quieter) than what you get with the Besign, although the Roav’s phone quality is a little better. You also can’t trigger your phone’s built-in voice assistant or skip tracks while listening to music or podcasts, which makes the whole experience rather limited.

We also liked the Anker Soundsync A3352, which had the next-best music quality to the Besign BK01. But its biggest appeal can also be its biggest flaw: The Anker Soundsync is a small widget that plugs directly into your aux-in jack. With no cable, you’re limited on where you can position the controls on the dashboard. This design could be a fine option if your aux-in jack is high on the dashboard. But it was a major problem in our test car, where the aux-in jack was located toward the bottom of the console. In that location, the microphone was barely able to pick up our voice, and we had to blindly grope around to find the button that changes the song. The A3352 also runs on a rechargeable battery, instead of a plug, and it doesn’t come with its own charging adapter.

The Taotronics TT-BR04 is the only model we tested that can be mounted on the car vents, rather than being attached to the dashboard with an adhesive pad. This makes it easier to reposition, if necessary, or to move between vehicles. The TT-BR04 was also the only model with an on-off switch; we’re not clear on why it has one, since this model powers off when you turn the car off, but if you want that option, then, hey, it’s there. The sound was decent overall, with slightly better phone quality than the Besign BK01’s and slightly worse audio for music and podcasts.

The GOgroove SmartMini Aux was a previous top pick because it has great call and sound quality and a built-in battery. Instead of a round central unit that attaches to your dash, it consists of a small dongle that you can either plug directly into the aux input (if that input is close enough to the driver’s side of the car) or mount on a small Velcro pedestal, which you can then attach anywhere on the dash. However, the single-button interface can be a bit confusing, and although its battery life is decent (up to six hours on a single charge, according to the manufacturer), you must provide your own car charger, which adds to the overall cost.

The Griffin Technology iTrip Aux Bluetooth takes up your car’s accessory-power port without providing additional USB-power ports, and it offers no physical controls.

The Nulaxy KM18 FM Transmitter is similar to our top pick, with a bendable gooseneck and an LCD display. The audio quality both for phone calls and music or podcasts is slightly worse but still serviceable. Unlike the GOgroove, the Nulaxy also has a slot for playing music directly from an optional SD card. (The LCD screen can display song information for the SD card, although not for phone playback.). However, you can’t access your phone’s built-in voice assistant from the Nulaxy’s controls.

The Roav by Anker SmartCharge F2 Car Kit plugs directly into your car’s 12 V power outlet, without a separate mic positioned closer to your face. So even though its voice quality is surprisingly good, that audio is noticeably quieter than that of other models we tested. The SmartCharge also doesn’t offer you a way to make outgoing calls without having to handle your phone. It works well enough as an FM transmitter for music and podcasts, but not quite as well as our pick, the GOgroove. The optional Roav app will supposedly help you locate your car in a large parking lot, if that’s something you need. (We didn’t test this feature, because even if it worked well, it wouldn’t lead us to pick the SmartCharge over the GOgroove.)

We previously recommended GOgroove’s FlexSmart X3, a newer version of our top FM pick. The base, which plugs into your car’s accessory-power outlet, hosts a long, flexible arm, like our pick. But the FlexSmart X3 didn’t perform as well as the FlexSmart X2. CNET’s Antuan Goodwin also reviewed this model and awarded it only 2½ stars (out of five), citing its poor auto-scanning and a high-pitched alternator whine (though we didn’t hear that in our tests).

As its name suggests, the GOgroove FlexSmart X3 Mini is a slimmed-down version of the FlexSmart X3. Instead of a long, flexible arm connecting its control pod and display to its charger plug, it has a short, rigid-plastic arm. However, our unit’s automatic tuning feature stopped only on frequencies that ended in even-numbered tenths (for example, 90.2); since all US radio frequencies have odd-numbered tenths, this is obviously a bug. Amazon reviews indicate that we’re not the only ones to experience this issue with the X3 Mini.

The Jabra Freeway has an FM transmitter, native voice commands, motion sensors, and good audio quality, thanks to its large built-in speaker. The trade-off is its size: At 3.8 inches long and 5 inches wide, the Freeway is too big to easily fit on a car’s visor. Yet despite its size, the Freeway lacks dedicated music-playback controls, instead relying solely on voice commands (such as “play,” “stop,” or “next track”). And when it’s using the FM transmitter, instead of playing phone-call audio through its own speaker, the Freeway sends that audio to your car stereo, resulting in a loss of quality. (We noticed similar quality loss while playing music.) Most annoyingly, the Freeway’s voice-command handling is very clunky, and you must use it even to access your phone’s own voice assistant: You have to push a button on the speaker and say “phone commands” before you can access Siri or Google Assistant. We found this extra step annoying, as well as distracting while driving.

We skipped over any speakerphone that didn’t have a built-in FM transmitter, including the SuperTooth HD Voice, the SuperTooth Buddy, and the Jabra Drive. Even though we generally aren’t impressed by FM transmitters, we think (given the limitations of a speakerphone’s small internal speakers) that it’s essential to have the option to play audio through your car’s speakers.

Vehicle audio is equipment installed in a car or other vehicle to provide in-car entertainment and information for the vehicle occupants. Until the 1950s it consisted of a simple AM radio. Additions since then have included FM radio (1952), 8-track tape players, cassette players, record players, CD players (1984), DVD players, Blu-ray players, navigation systems, Bluetooth telephone integration, and smartphone controllers like CarPlay and Android Auto. Once controlled from the dashboard with a few buttons, they can now be controlled by steering wheel controls and voice commands.

Initially implemented for listening to music and radio, vehicle audio is now part of car telematics, telecommunication, in-vehicle security, handsfree calling, navigation, and remote diagnostics systems. The same loudspeakers may also be used to minimize road and engine noise with active noise control, or they may be used to augment engine sounds, for instance making a smaller engine sound bigger.

In 1904, well before commercially viable technology for mobile radio was in place, American inventor and self-described "Father of Radio" Lee de Forest did some demonstration around a car radio at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis.

Around 1920, vacuum tube technology had matured to the point where the availability of radio receivers made radio broadcasting viable.volt direct current, but car batteries ran at 6V. Voltage was stepped up with a vibrator that provided a pulsating DC which could be converted to a higher voltage with a transformer, rectified, and filtered to create higher-voltage DC.

In 1930, the American Galvin Manufacturing Corporation marketed a Motorola branded radio receiver for $130.Ford Model A cost $540. A Plymouth sedan, "wired for Philco Transitone radio without extra cost," was advertised in Ladies" Home Journal in 1931. In 1932 in Germany the Blaupunkt AS 5 medium wave and longwave radio was marketed for 465 Reichsmark, about one third of the price of a small car. Because it took nearly 10 litres of space, it could not be located near the driver, and was operated via a steering wheel remote control.Crossley Motors offered a factory fitted car radio for £35.

In April 1955, the Chrysler Corporation announced that it was offering a Mopar model 914HR branded Philco all transistor car radio,solid state radio with no vacuum tubes.

From 1974 to 2005, the Autofahrer-Rundfunk-Informationssystem was used by the German ARD network.Institut für Rundfunktechnik and Blaupunkt,kHz subcarrier of the station"s FM signal.Radio Data System.

Mobile players for physical media have been provided for vinyl records, 8-track tapes, cassette tapes, compact discs, and MP3s. The increased sophistication of the vehicle audio system to accommodate such media has made the audio unit a common target of car break-ins, so these are equipped with anti-theft systems too.

Attempts at providing mobile play from media were first made with vinyl records, beginning in the 1950s. The first such player was offered by Chrysler as an option on 1956 Chrysler, Desoto, Dodge, and Plymouth cars. The player was developed by CBS Labs and played a limited selection of specially provided 7-inch discs at 16⅔ RPM. The unit was an expensive option and was dropped after two years. Cheaper options using commonly available 45 rpm records were made by RCA Victor (available only in 1961) and Norelco. All of these players required extra pressure on the needle to avoid skipping during vehicle movement, which caused accelerated wear on the records.

In 1965, Ford and Motorola jointly introduced the in-car 8-track tape player as optional equipment for 1966 Ford car models. In 1968, a dashboard car radio with a built-in cassette tape player was introduced by Philips. In subsequent years, cassettes supplanted the 8-track and improved the technology, with longer play times, better tape quality, auto-reverse, and Dolby noise reduction. They were popular throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Cassette players were still found in vehicles as late as the 2005-06 Honda CR-V and 2008 Acura TL. There have also been vehicle audio units which are able to accept both compact cassettes and CDs.

Pioneer introduced the CDX-1, the first car CD (compact disc) player, in 1984. It was known for its improved sound quality, instant track skipping, and the format"s increased durability over cassette tapes. Car CD changers started to gain popularity in the late 80s and continuing throughout the 90s, with the earlier devices being trunk-mounted and later ones being mounted in the head unit, some able to accommodate six to ten CDs.Lincoln Town Car, and the last new cars in the American market to be factory-equipped with a cassette deck in the dashboard was the 2010 Lexus SC430,

In the early 21st century, compact digital storage media – Bluetooth-enabled devices, thumb drives, memory cards, and dedicated hard drives – came to be accommodated by vehicle audio systems. Around this time auxiliary input jacks and USB ports were added to connect MP3 players to the vehicle"s speakers. Minivans and three-row SUVs have an available rear entertainment system with a DVD player to entertain passengers.

The automobile head unit became increasingly important as a housing for front and backup dashcams, navis, and operating systems with multiple functions, such as Android Auto, CarPlay and MirrorLink, allowing a smartphone"s music library and navigation apps to be controlled via the vehicle"s infotainment system.

The automobile sound system may be part of an active noise control system which reduces engine and road noise for the driver and passengers. One or more microphones are used to pick up sound from various places on the vehicle, especially the engine compartment, underside or exhaust pipes, and these signals are handled by a digital signal processor (DSP) then sent to the loudspeakers in such a way that the processed signal reduces or cancels out the outside noise heard inside the car. An early system focused only on engine noise was developed by Lotus and licensed for the 1992 Nissan Bluebird models sold in Japan.Harman in 2009 to develop a more complete noise reduction system, including road and tire noise as well as chassis vibrations.balance shaft in the engine. Removing the balance shaft also increases fuel efficiency.

The same system may also be used to synthesize or augment engine noise to make the engine sound more powerful to the driver.Ford Mustang EcoBoost Fastback and EcoBoost Fastback Premium, an "Active Noise Control" system was developed that amplifies the engine sound through the car speakers. A similar system is used in the F-150 pickup truck. Volkswagen uses a Soundaktor, a special speaker to play sounds in cars such as the Golf GTi and Beetle Turbo. BMW plays a recorded sample of its motors through the car speakers, using different samples according to the engine"s load and power.

Amplifiers increase the power level of audio signals. Some head units have built-in stereo amplifiers. Other car audio systems use a separate stand-alone amplifier. Every amplifier has a rated power level sometimes noted on the head unit with the built-in amplifier, or on the label of a stand-alone unit.

Sound-deadening material is often used in the door cavities and boot area to dampen excess vibration of the panels in the car in response to loud subwoofer bass tones, especially the boot (trunk).

Excessively loud sound systems in automobiles violate the noise ordinance of municipalities, some of which have outlawed them.U.S. Department of Justice issued a guide to police officers on how to deal with problems associated with loud audio systems in cars.

A 1950s Philips car radio using both transistor and valves. This model used a range of valves that only required 12 volts for their plate (anode) voltage.

Scott, Michael S. (May 22, 2002). Loud Car Stereos (PDF). U.S. Department of Justice, Community Oriented Policing Services. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 23, 2015. Retrieved February 18, 2015.