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  • Aftermarket Android head unit not switching on sometimes

    I have installed an aftermarket head unit in my MY2010 Insignia. The head unit has been working properly for a long time (years), but lately - sometimes it does not switch on. Screen just stays blank.
    I have a separate on/off switch for the unit (just in case) and when I switch it, I can hear a soft popping sound from speakers, meaning that the power goes into the unit. Sometimes I can start the unit by pulling the connectors from behind the head unit's display (connected to the unit via a cable) and reconnecting it. And I can start the unit almost every time if I completely take it out from dashboard, disconnect every plug and then reconnect and put it back. It all has started when weather started to get colder. (it was working fine previous winter in -20 C) At first it happened very rarely and all I had to do was switch off the ignition and then restart the car. Now I have to do all sorts of things to get it to work, but when I get it to work, then everything works perfectly, even if I move the wires to check if it has a bad connection. And after getting the unit to work I also can switch it off-on many times and it will switch on every time. But the next day it won't.
    (working fine, switching off, not working the next day, although nothing touched or moved in the mean time). Sometimes it can be switched on later, after driving some time.

    I suspected a bad connection on the circuit boards, so I re-soldered everything, but no change, still the same behaviour.

    So - no connection problem (power goes into the unit), switching off-on wont work when in the morning I discover that again the unit wont turn on, disconnecting-reconnecting everything most times works, disconnecting-reconnecting just the display cable sometimes works. And sometimes it's just working fine from the beginning, however mostly not working lately.

    What can be the cause of this ? I know it cannot be some chipset problem, because then it shouldn't work at all.

  • #2
    Put your original unit back in to see if you have the same issue.

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by CALEB View Post
      I have installed an aftermarket head unit in my MY2010 Insignia. The head unit has been working properly for a long time (years), but lately - sometimes it does not switch on. Screen just stays blank.
      I have a separate on/off switch for the unit (just in case) and when I switch it, I can hear a soft popping sound from speakers, meaning that the power goes into the unit. Sometimes I can start the unit by pulling the connectors from behind the head unit's display (connected to the unit via a cable) and reconnecting it. And I can start the unit almost every time if I completely take it out from dashboard, disconnect every plug and then reconnect and put it back. It all has started when weather started to get colder. (it was working fine previous winter in -20 C) At first it happened very rarely and all I had to do was switch off the ignition and then restart the car. Now I have to do all sorts of things to get it to work, but when I get it to work, then everything works perfectly, even if I move the wires to check if it has a bad connection. And after getting the unit to work I also can switch it off-on many times and it will switch on every time. But the next day it won't.
      (working fine, switching off, not working the next day, although nothing touched or moved in the mean time). Sometimes it can be switched on later, after driving some time.

      I suspected a bad connection on the circuit boards, so I re-soldered everything, but no change, still the same behaviour.

      So - no connection problem (power goes into the unit), switching off-on wont work when in the morning I discover that again the unit wont turn on, disconnecting-reconnecting everything most times works, disconnecting-reconnecting just the display cable sometimes works. And sometimes it's just working fine from the beginning, however mostly not working lately.

      What can be the cause of this ? I know it cannot be some chipset problem, because then it shouldn't work at all.
      Most likely is the Canbus decoder your problem.

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by sriray View Post
        Put your original unit back in to see if you have the same issue.
        Original unit working normally.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by crunch81 View Post
          Most likely is the Canbus decoder your problem.

          Why do you think it's the canbus decoder ? This unit is basically like an Android tablet and it should work without a car. The decoder is for communicating with car's systems (steering wheel buttons, parking sensors and this kind of stuff). More like a communication thing. Or is there some kind of a "wake-up" signal that goes through the canbus decoder ?
          And how can it be that sometimes everything works ?

          Comment


          • #6
            Get yourself a new android unit, shows nothing wrong with your internal wiring since your original unit works.

            Comment


            • #7
              Aftermarket Android head unit not switching on sometimes

              Nevermind.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by sriray View Post
                Get yourself a new android unit, shows nothing wrong with your internal wiring since your original unit works.
                The original unit is without canbus decoder, the wiring is different and not sure that the unit is broken. If he buys another unit then everything will work but if it is only the decoder it is just 35 pounds

                Comment


                • #9
                  Buying another unit is the last resort. New unit would be quite expensive, because I'd have to pay a high customs tax (unit comes from China). And last time I had to wait almost two months.
                  Now I hope it's the canbus decoder that's failing :-) I'll check the unit with and without the decoder soon.


                  My preference would be to repair the device myself. That's why I ask if anyone has had similar issues. Can it be that some cheap components are aging and cannot withstand colder weathers anymore ? Like capacitors or something ?

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by CALEB View Post
                    Buying another unit is the last resort. New unit would be quite expensive, because I'd have to pay a high customs tax (unit comes from China). And last time I had to wait almost two months.
                    Now I hope it's the canbus decoder that's failing :-) I'll check the unit with and without the decoder soon.


                    My preference would be to repair the device myself. That's why I ask if anyone has had similar issues. Can it be that some cheap components are aging and cannot withstand colder weathers anymore ? Like capacitors or something ?
                    I would contact

                    Shop hundreds of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto radios, Android OS radios and Tesla Style aftermarket systems here!


                    They might be able to help you

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Hi caleb,

                      Without the canbus decoder the unit will not start, I have had the same problem, I replaced the decoder and the problem was solved.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by crunch81 View Post
                        Hi caleb,

                        Without the canbus decoder the unit will not start, I have had the same problem, I replaced the decoder and the problem was solved.
                        Did your unit also worked sometims and then sometimes not ?
                        And where to buy a new decoder for Insignia ? I've searched, but mostly found canbus for LEDs.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Well, it was a little bit different, sometimes it will fall out (poor english) and stops working. When I replaced it then it was working good again. You can order them online. There is a number on the canbus decoder, if you search on canbus decoder with that number behind it that is the way I found it. Take in mind that it is always a gamble. Better order it somewhere where you can send it back. With me this was the solution but doesn’t have to be your solution.

                          What you can do to be sure: take de unit out so you can access behind it. When you have the problem, just take the canbus decoder out the cable wiring and put it back in, if it comes on right away, then you know that is the problem.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by crunch81 View Post
                            Well, it was a little bit different, sometimes it will fall out (poor english) and stops working. When I replaced it then it was working good again. You can order them online. There is a number on the canbus decoder, if you search on canbus decoder with that number behind it that is the way I found it. Take in mind that it is always a gamble. Better order it somewhere where you can send it back. With me this was the solution but doesn’t have to be your solution.

                            What you can do to be sure: take de unit out so you can access behind it. When you have the problem, just take the canbus decoder out the cable wiring and put it back in, if it comes on right away, then you know that is the problem.

                            Thanks, I will search for a replacement once I remove my decoder and check the number.

                            As for removing the decoder and putting it back while the unit is powered on (for the testing), that can be quite complicated - the decoder is behind the unit on a short cable and to remove it, I'll have to remove (by disconnecting all plugs) the unit before I could access the decoder, which makes it impossible to test it that way. And the unit starts to work after just disconnecting and reconnecting all the plugs, making it impossible to determine if it was the canbus decoder's fault or something else. I may be able to loosen some wires to test it the way you suggested, but it needs some work. Involving bloody fingers probably :-)

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Yesterday morning the unit did not turn on (as I expected), but after lunchtime it turned on again and worked perfectly the rest of the day. Not the first time I noticed this kind of behaviour. That suggests that whatever the reason is for the unit not to turn on, it must happen at night. And the only thing that I can think of, is condensation.

                              So, the questions are:

                              1.) Which electronic component exactly is sensitive to condensation ? (It wasn't before, but has become sensitive over time)
                              2.) What can be done to eliminate the problem ? Is it maybe enough just to isolate the component from the environment ? (Seal it hermetically)

                              I was thinking of ordering a new canbus decoder in case this is the faulty component and I can not eliminate the problem otherwise, but as it turns out - this particular canbus is impossible to find. I found a picture of it, taken a few years ago:

                              Click image for larger version

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                              Maybe someone knows a place where to order it.

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