I have a 2005 LX Accord, which originally comes with the single CD audio unit. This unit's sound processing failed (radio controls, environmental controls operated normally (including dimming functionality), but no sound came out of the speakers. The dealer diagnosed this as a bad head unit and recommended replacement of the entire unit. In an attempt to save some money, I decided to handle this myself.

I purchased a remanufactured 6 CD head unit that seems to be compatible with my vehicle. With this unit installed, the system has partially returned to functionality. I can use the radio, change stations, adjust volume, and manage environmental controls. However, some problems remain and some new ones have cropped up. The backlight on the radio display does not illuminate; I need to use a flashlight to read anything off of the display. Dimming of the environmental controls' LEDs in conjunction with the headlights does not function. There also seems to be some sort of new, persistent clicking noise coming from the head unit when the vehicle is or the ignition is in accessory mode.



One of the potential complications is that, prior to purchasing the new unit, I attempted to reflow one of the boards on the radio on the off chance that a cap had come loose and I could get it working again. After the reflow, I attached the radio again. In this state, the radio display was blank (with no other sound system functionality) and the environmental controls functioned, but without dimming.

This behavior is identical to the behavior I get with the radio entirely removed from the console unit, so I can't imagine that this is in any way related, but... I'm lost, so perhaps this attempt at repairing things is worth mentioning. Presumably my hail mary attempt to reflow the board simply destroyed the board entirely.

On the other hand, I didn't do an explicit test of system functionality without the radio present prior to installing the reflowed board, so without that baseline, I can't really be sure I didn't burn out some other component elsewhere in the system by hooking up a damaged radio.



I have checked my fuses for both environmental controls and radio. They appear to be in good condition. Their removal entirely disables the corresponding strangely behaving unit and their return brings it back in the same form.



Before I start assuming that my parts dealer shipped me a bad unit, any advice on how to further diagnose my difficulties would be greatly appreciated. I'm hardly an expert on this front. Some of the thoughts I've currently got, but haven't figured out how to address include:

Did I screw up putting the 6 CD head unit into my model of vehicle?

Would this sort of weirdness be consistent with damage to one of the wiring hardness or a sheared wire? I've inspected what I can readily access for damage, but I'm not ruling out some sort of clumsiness on my part. I've never pulled this before and can't really be sure I wasn't too rough on something somewhere.

Am I missing something entirely unrelated to these guesses?



Any advice or critique would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

There was no good resolution to this issue. I suppose I'd caution others that dropping a 6 CD changer center module into a car in which it wasn't originally installed may not work.

The parts dealer took the unit back for testing, failed to properly test the unit, and gave me a full refund due to their error. End result, no confirmation either way. I purchased an exact match OEM replacement, which worked flawlessly in all capacities.

Original and replacement part number: 39050-SDA-A02
6 disc part number that did not work: 39175-SDN-A12