There are a lot of things that can go wrong with your car, and one of the most common problems is a flashing car radio display.
This can be caused by a variety of different issues, from a loose connection to something more serious like a failed display. If you’re experiencing this problem, don’t panic!
There are several ways to troubleshoot and fix the issue. In this article, we’ll walk you through some of the most common causes and solutions for a flashing car radio display.
Why is Car Radio Display Flashing?
Your car radio display will malfunction if it encounters an issue. If your car radio display is currently flashing, here are the possible causes:
Dirty or Faulty Connectors
This is one of the major reasons why your car radio display may flash. Your car radio display may flash intermittently if the connectors are dirty or faulty. You can find the connectors between the unit and the front panel.
Follow these steps to fix this problem:
- Carefully open the front panel of your car radio.
- Lift up the front panel to detach it from the stereo receiver.
- Behind the front panel and on the main unit, you should see the connectors. Clean these connectors gently with a cotton swab dipped lightly in rubbing alcohol.
- Don’t apply force, or else, you may damage the connectors. Also, be careful not to soak the cotton swab with rubbing alcohol.
- After cleaning, wait for about two minutes before refixing the front panel.
If dirty connectors are the culprit, your car radio display should stop flashing now that you have cleaned the connectors.
But if you notice that a connector or both connectors are wobbling or have a missing link, then the connectors are faulty and need replacement. Connectors can only be replaced by a professional.
For your safety, switch off the engine of your car and take the key off the ignition switch before you clean the connectors. Avoid touching the connectors directly with any metal item or your finger.
Power Issue
Your car radio display may also flash or flicker due to a power issue. If your car radio display flashes or dims intermittently when you turn on the car lights, drive, or step on the accelerator pedal, power related issue is the cause.
The major cause of the power issue is bad wiring connections. Follow these steps to fix this problem:
- Pull out your car radio.
- Carefully check all the wiring connections. Make sure that you connect the wires rightly considering the color codes. If the color codes seem different, you can do a Google search to determine the right way to go about wiring. In most cases, the user manual will have a detailed explanation of this.
- Also, check that no wire connection is loose or shorting out.
- If the circuit is fused, check if the fuse is blown or melted.
Faulty Illumination Wire
If your car radio uses an illumination wire, a faulty illumination wire may be responsible for the flashing or flickering on your car radio display.
The purpose of the illumination wire is to dim the display of your car radio when you turn on your car lights.
But if the illumination wire is wrongly connected, it can make your car radio display flash or dim intermittently.
Follow these steps to fix this problem:
- The illumination wire is usually orange, orange/black, pink, or peach in color.
- Check if you connect this wire rightly or to an incorrect wire.
- You may need to remove the illumination wire from where you hooked it earlier and reconnect it to the right wire or place.
- You may leave the illumination wire loose and not connect it at all. In such a case, make sure that you tape the wire ends to avoid shorting out.
An Issue with the Dimmer
Most car radios come with a dimmer, which dims the car radio display or adjusts its brightness at night or when the car lights are turned on.
Some of these car radio dimmers can be manually set while some operate automatically with an inbuilt day/night function.
Irrespective of how it operates, car radio dimmers can sometimes start malfunctioning, especially if the car radio is of cheap quality.
This could be the reason why your car stereo display is flashing. Also, your car can begin to send an incorrect signal to your radio, causing the display to dim intermittently.
You need to manually switch the dimmer off to solve this issue. Setting the display brightness to the maximum level may sometimes also fix the problem. But if none of this solves the problem, your car radio may be faulty and needs repair.
If the car radio is still under warranty, contact the radio manufacturer. Otherwise, contact a professional engineer.
Demo Mode
This problem occurs mainly with manual car radios. If you have a manual (old-school) car radio and its display starts flashing, demo mode may be the likely cause. Follow these steps to fix the issue:
- Press the menu button to get into the menus.
- Scroll through the menus until you get to the “demo mode.”
- Check if the demo mode is toggled on. If yes, toggle it off and confirm it.
- Return back to the home screen and check if the problem is solved.
Poor Ground Problem
This is another common cause of flashing car radio displays. Poor ground contact on the car radio frame can cause the radio display to flash or flicker. You can easily fix this issue by doing the following:
- Pull off the plastic face of the car radio to remove the car radio from its frame.
- Look around for the ground wire and hook it to any metal part of the car. You may need to scratch off any paint on the car surface before hooking the ground wire.
- Sometimes, there is no ground wire but a metal tab that contacts the car radio frame. Bend this metal tab outwards a bit more to better contact the car radio frame.
- This should fix the problem.
Error with Settings and Presets
Sometimes, the settings and presets of your car radio may be responsible for the flickering display. It’s possible that someone or something has tampered with your car radio settings and presets and this is causing the display to flash.
Since this action is not done deliberately, you may not be able to tell where exactly to go in your car settings to fix the issue. The simplest and best thing to do to fix this issue is to reset the car radio.
Locate the reset button, press and hold it for some seconds (five to 10 seconds) to reset the radio.
Depending on your type of car radio, the reset button may be hidden in a hole such that you will need a pointed object to press it. Some car radios have their reset button in the menu list or settings.
If you can’t find the reset button, disconnect the positive terminal of the car battery for a few minutes and reconnect the terminal. This is referred to as a hard reset and should clear any error in the settings and presets.
Please note that resetting your car radio will erase the clock setting, Bluetooth devices, and any other stored contents.
Faulty backlight or LCD
Another reason why your car radio display may flash is a faulty backlight or LCD. If none of the reasons above applies to why your car radio display is flashing, the backlight of the display or the LCD itself may be faulty.
It’s possible that some components or transistors controlling the backlight or LCD are bad. In such a case, you need to take your car radio to an expert who will determine if the faulty backlight or LCD can be repaired.
If the fault can’t be repaired, you would have to replace the front panel or the entire car radio with a new one. Replacement should be easy if you have a warranty or service plan.
Conclusion
Car radios are electronic devices that are prone to various issues like malfunctioning displays and poor sound quality.
Flashing car radio displays is one of the common problems experienced by many drivers.
There are several reasons why a car radio’s display can flash, but they can typically be fixed with the steps outlined above. If these tips don’t fix the problem, take your car radio to an expert.
Good luck!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is it possible to repair a faulty backlight or LCD?
Yes, it is possible to repair a faulty backlight or LCD but it may require some technical skill. Take your car radio to an expert who will determine if it can be repaired. If not, you may need to replace the front panel or the entire car radio with a new one.
Q: Can I use a soft reset to fix my car radio display?
Yes, you can try a soft reset to fix the problem. This is done by disconnecting the negative terminal of the car battery for a few minutes and reconnecting it. Please note that this may erase stored contents like clock settings and Bluetooth devices.
Q: What should I do if my car radio display is flickering?
Check the wiring and connections of the device, and look for loose connections or faulty ground wire.
Also, check settings and presets by resetting the car radio. If none of these solves the issue, take your car radio to an expert who can determine if it can be repaired.
Q: Does resetting my car radio delete any stored data?
Yes, resetting your car radio will erase clock settings, Bluetooth devices, and other stored contents. So make sure you save important information before resetting your device.
Q: How to fix glitching car radio screen?
Glitching car radio screens can be fixed by the methods outlined above in this article. Such are; resetting the car radio, checking and fixing faulty wiring and connections of the device, and resetting settings and presets.
Most times, dust in the connectors causes the display issue. So, make sure to check that first before considering anything else.
Q: How do I know if my car radio needs a hard or soft reset?
Generally, if all else fails you can try a soft reset first since it is simpler than a hard one. A soft reset is done by disconnecting the negative terminal of the car battery for some minutes and then reconnecting it.
But if that doesn’t work, you can go ahead with a hard reset which is done by pressing and holding down the reset button on your car radio for some seconds in old-school models. In newer models, you should find restore factory settings or similarly named settings in your system menu.