Electronics Fault?

[Jaycee]

My 1998 4.6 HSE's radio will not work nor will the heater display. The suspension also failed. The dealer said that they could not find anything wrong with the vehicle and when it was returned to us both the radio and heater display were working again. This lasted a few days. On a long trip there was a definate 'warm plastic' smell. Any views??

[Disco Mike]

Call your dealer ASAP and let him know his repair didn't hold and that you are smelling something burning, don't wait for a bunch of us to guess what may be wrong or your truck may look like a BBQed marsh mellow soon.
Good luck,
Mike J.

[Jaycee]

Thanks Mike, already called dealer who can't book the vehicle in for at least two weeks!

[troverman]

What I would do is pull the radio head unit out of the dash (pop the plastic surround off, then insert small object into radio removal slots and pull the unit straight out) and smell it (hot / burning?) Some electric smell is obviously normal. Next, check the wiring on the back of the radio. Is everything ok? All plugs in securely? Any frayed, broken, or stripped wiring? With the radio out of the dash but still plugged in, see if it works like that. If it does, then something is getting bent or jammed and shorting somewhere. See if the radio fuse is still good. When you put the radio back in, carefully fit it in the dash, making sure wiring has room. Also, with the radio out you can look down and see the CC unit, which has 3? secure plugs. Of course you can also see if any wiring looks messed up there, too.

Mine had a sort of similar problem just recently--a couple of the bulbs on that top row of buttons next to the air suspension were out, I took the plastic fascia off to change them, when I put it all back none of the interior lights worked (like the button backlighting, not the dome lights) I took the panel back off, put it back on, everything is fine now.

Good luck