My radio stopped working

This happened again over the weekend, and again pulling the fuse fixed it. Interestingly, both times this has happened have followed a trip to the car wash. Older VW's are known for their tricky electrical systems, but I didn't think I'd encounter it with a 2002 model. Hope this isn't a constant battle during the rainy season!

Whoa, I guess I must have left food in my Jetta overnight, cause I have ended up with the radio Gremlins as well!

I have a Haynes manual, which has been very helpful so far, so I knew which fuse to check according to their wiring diagram, but when I found it "good" it didn't make any sense. So I went straight to TDI Club, and here I found exactly what I needed to find. Pulling the #42 fuse worked, so thanks again guys! I'm at 90k miles and this is the first time, so hopefully it won't become a habit.

'02 Jetta GLS TDI Sedan

Thought car only came with a 250,000 mile radio

Radio stopped working today for first time ever.....some quick research....pulled Fuse 42 for 30 seconds or so and reinserted it....voila. Radio working fine. Thanks TDIClub!

No radio

My radio went dead for no reason and all of a sudden. I looked on this web site. I read that i should pull out fuse #42 for 10seconds and i worked perfectly. Thanks so much for this web site.

Must be a radio gremlin on the loose. Mine did the same thing and fuse 42 fixed it. This is a great website!

It might relate to the fact that we are in winter time and if your battery is even a little low when you crank the radio might get voltage under run. I started making sure to turn my radio off before cranking in the morning and have not had a problem with the radio since.

Dave

Radio on the Fritz and #42 fuse is OK

Hey, my radio stopped working on me one day at random in my 02 Jetta TDI, so I pulled fuse #42 for about 30 seconds and it fixed the problem. I read on some forums that this was a VW recall; however, the dealer told me my car did not qualify for this (my car wasn't produced in the correct month).

A month later the same problem has occurred, but pulling fuse #42 failed to correct the issue. I've read that there is a fuse on the back of the radio that can be pulled out or replaced, is this true? If so, where would I find said fuse?

I watched a video on removing the stereo (I have the VW stock stereo with the CD and tape player), but there was no mention of fuses; furthermore, I don't have the keys to remove the stereo. Is there a quick and cheap solution for this? If not, anyone have a ball park guesstimate on the price of said keys? I'd rather not get ripped off.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

i think those radios get too hot from the heater vents and they must be thermally fused
Mine was acting up whenever I blasted the interior with heat. CDs would come out burning hot and then the player would just refuse to work.
let it cool down , it started working again

I ditched it for an aftermarket one

OK I know this an old Thread.
My 03 Jetta Wagon radio has no power and the vagcom just says no response?

Did you check the 2 fuses?

Have not figured out how to remove the unit yet to check the one in the back?

KCCats said:

Have not figured out how to remove the unit yet to check the one in the back?

Click to expand...

One of the posts in this topic indicated you can make them from an old credit card.
You need 4 wedges in the corners to press the releases.
I made them from a piece of tin I had.
There was a diagram I found for the rough shape.
Don't remember exactly but I searched for VW Monsoon removal key or such.
Ordering Kenwood parts that were missing with mine I remember they had some keys listed through a 3rd party.
Try http://store.kenwoodusa.com/catalog.php?cat_id=S10&page=1
Lower left Q93-4062-32 kinda looks like it.

Would a hooked pick work? X 4?

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=364014

The You Tubes

DIY: Volkswagen MKIV Stereo Removal - YouTube
Video for mk4 radio removal tool diy 3:00
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0ajPWmXj_k
Mar 9, 2011 - Uploaded by 4DIYers
Video tutorial on how to remove the stock radio on a Volkswagen Golf, Jetta, Bora, or Beetle MK4. Speciality ...

Volkswagen Golf Jetta Bora Radio Removal with Homemade Tools ...
Video for mk4 radio removal tool diy 4:27
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqNvhGTyT4c
Oct 24, 2013 - Uploaded by BMAC VAGS
How to remove your VW Radio and make homemade tool If you would like to donate ... Fixing stuff in my ...

How To Remove VW Mk4 Radio Without Special Tools - YouTube
Video for mk4 radio removal tool diy 1:39
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BEo-_dtpws
Nov 20, 2015 - Uploaded by The Shop Life
Only tools you'll need are a screwdriver and some ne... ... How To Remove VW Mk4 Radio Without Special ...

Radio removal tools

Dave_D said:

Is this the stock radio? Is the red light between the "Power" button and the "1" button flashing? If not, go somewhere that installs radios and ask them to help you pull the radio so you can check the fuse in the back. Mine has blown twice in the three years I have owned the vehicle, but I have yet to determine what causes it to blow.

Click to expand...

I made 2 of those tools form sheet aluminum by looking at a photo. they worked fine. I used tools to pull one side a bit, held that side out and used the tools on the other side and it slid right out. Tools weren't even a real accurate copy.

johnastephens said:

I made 2 of those tools form sheet aluminum by looking at a photo. they worked fine. I used tools to pull one side a bit, held that side out and used the tools on the other side and it slid right out. Tools weren't even a real accurate copy.

Click to expand...

I did the same thing, worked OK
I used tin that I had handy.
I made the set of 4.

motorinar said:

The fuse in the back of my radio it was keep on blowing, so instead of the 10 Amps I have put a 15 Amps one and it's been fine for a while.

Click to expand...

DO NOT DO THIS! What's happening is probably indicative of an electrical problem somewhere else. The fuse is meant to blow if too much current flows through it in order to keep your radio from getting fried. It's like a shear bolt; the idea is that it's much cheaper to replace a burnt out fuse than a burnt out radio. With what you're doing, if there's a power surge and you get more than 10A, your radio is blown.

I'm not an electrical engineer though, so take what I say with a grain of salt. Stay safe out there fellas!

With the thin wire VW uses a wire could melt before the fuse blows and start a fire.

I did take a electrical & a electronic course after I got out of the automotive field.

Folks think I'm nuts when I suggest going to the library and study up on automotive electrics.

wonneber said:

With the thin wire VW uses a wire could melt before the fuse blows and start a fire.

I did take a electrical & a electronic course after I got out of the automotive field.

Click to expand...

good on ya.
The small wires are one size too small. Would estimate 50% of issues we now see on the 20 year TDIs is wires or connects.
VW wiring is not their strong point. Too small wire and a ridiculous number of grounds.

BobnOH said:

Folks think I'm nuts when I suggest going to the library and study up on automotive electrics.

good on ya.
The small wires are one size too small. Would estimate 50% of issues we now see on the 20 year TDIs is wires or connects.
VW wiring is not their strong point. Too small wire and a ridiculous number of grounds.

Click to expand...

It's not necessarily the size of the wires.
Most of the wires on the system are sized correctly for the current draw on components.

The bigger issue is how they choose the lengths and how to run them. They get fatigued by moving or rubbing, some of the short lengths aren't conducive to repeated movement. Housing cracks, then it's all downhill.

Flexible stand with silicone sheathing wasn't really a thing when these vehicles were introduced. They have their place and I think a lot of issues could have been solved by using them, but it wasn't an acceptable industry standard.

It's not only VW prone to these issues either, it's common across many vehicles in this era

BobnOH said:

Folks think I'm nuts when I suggest going to the library and study up on automotive electrics.

good on ya.
The small wires are one size too small. Would estimate 50% of issues we now see on the 20 year TDIs is wires or connects.
VW wiring is not their strong point. Too small wire and a ridiculous number of grounds.

Click to expand...

BobnOH said:

Folks think I'm nuts when I suggest going to the library and study up on automotive electrics.

good on ya.
The small wires are one size too small. Would estimate 50% of issues we now see on the 20 year TDIs is wires or connects.
VW wiring is not their strong point. Too small wire and a ridiculous number of grounds.

Click to expand...

After getting out of auto repair I was at Mercedes Benz corporate for almost 20 years, then when they moved to Atlanta I went to Hoffman La-Roche Pharmacal.
I worked with servers, firewalls, routers, gateways and such.
Nice working in climate controlled rooms.