# '04 GTO - CD/stereo audio cut out



## nsr (Jul 12, 2007)

i just recently bought an '04 GTO and noticed something i'd like to ret some responses on.

i've had the car for a few days and am familiarizing myself with the car's settings menu. first things first - i disabled the "speed control volume" because it's ridiculous. then, i noticed the "audio distortion limiter" setting. i turned this off, with the intention that if the audio were becoming distorted i could simply turn the volume down on my own (i have fingers).

i think the problem started happening after that - while listening to a CD, the audio would suddenly cut out. the stereo's display would not indicate anything wrong - it would appear as if it were playing normally, however there is no sound. switching to radio or a new CD does not remedy the problem - even in radio mode there is no sound, no matter how high or low you turn the volume.

the only way i could find to resolve the issue was to turn the radio to the "OFF" setting for a few minutes, and then turn it back on. once back on, the radio would work, switching to a CD would play the CD audio just fine. however there was no guarantee that it would not cut out again in a few minutes.

this probably happened to me a handful of times in the last two days since i've had the car. 

recently, in an attempt to change the overspeed setting from 70 mph (that was going off quite frequently... yeeesh) i cleared the factory settings, and decided to disable the speed dependant volume limiter, but leave the audio distortion limiter enabled.

since then, i have not experienced any problems with the audio, whether it be CD, FM, or AM. 

has anyone experienced a situation like this? was my problem related to the distortion limiter? or is it a coincidence that i haven't had any problems since re-enabling it? 

i am taking my car back to the dealership sometime next week to get the tint removed and have the passenger door lock fixed (see my other post). should i bring up the problem with the stereo?


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## PEARL JAM (Sep 6, 2005)

Hope this helps. It's from a GM service bulliton.

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Some customers may comment that the radio audio or speakers may turn off intermittently resulting in no sound. This may occur when the radio is played at very high or full volume for an extended period. The radio is designed to shut itself off to protect the amplifier from overheating under such severe usage. When the amplifier cools down, the radio will reset and function normally. This characteristic is NOT a failure of any component. Do not replace the radio for this condition; it is the designed and intended function of the protection circuit.

Important: This characteristic is NOT a failure of any component. Do not replace the radio for this condition, it is the designed and intended function of the protection circuit. 

Recommendation
The radio has a built in function that limits distortion. Distortion is the main generator that causes heat buildup in the amplifier. This is a user selectable function that is accessible in the Personalization Programming Menu available through the I/P display. The Dynamic Distortion selection must be turned ON to activate this function. The Dynamic Distortion circuit will limit the radio volume and dynamic range to control distortion at high sound levels. The Dynamic Distortion feature will slightly limit volume and will reduce the heat generated in the amplifier, however, continued operation even with the Dynamic Distortion turned on can result in overheat and radio shut down.


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## nsr (Jul 12, 2007)

okay, i don't mean to complain but that is BULL ****. what kind of $35,000 car has a stereo that OVERHEATS?!?!?!? 

for crying out loud! i already notice a HUGE difference compared to my last car. even though it was a delco POS, the firebird's monsoon stereo was extremely loud - louder than the GTO's blaupunkt even with the t-tops off. and now i can't even listen to the blaupunkt at full or "high" volume without it OVERHEATING!?

that just sounds silly to me. i can even remember the day i drove to the dealership to test drive my new car. i had the t-tops off, and i was listening to incubus' "aqueous transmission" - a song that is very heavy on the bass. it was distorting the bejeesus out of it, and i didn't even care to turn it down. also, it DIDN'T OVERHEAT. 

yikes. well it's nice to know that there is no issue, i will certainly leave the distortion limiter in place. thanks for the info. i just can't get over the fact that despite having a nice stereo, it's majorly flawed. maybe cruising with the t-tops off listening to a heavy distorted bass is just a hoosier thing that firebird owners do, and the GTO is more sophisticated and refined....?


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