GM Service Manual Online
For 1990-2009 cars only

Object Number: 941744  Size: B2

Playing the Radio

PWR (Power): Press this knob to turn the system on and off.

VOL (Volume): Turn this knob to increase or to decrease the volume.

DISPL (Display): For RDS, press this knob to change what appears on the display while using RDS. The display options are station name, RDS station frequency, PTY, and the name of the program (if available). To change the default on the display, press the DISPL knob until you see the display you want, then hold the knob for two seconds. The radio will produce one beep and the selected display will now be the default.

AUTO VOL (Automatic Volume): With automatic volume, the audio system adjusts automatically to make up for road and wind noise as you drive. Set the volume at the desired level. Press this button to select LOW, MEDIUM, or HIGH. AVOL will appear on the display. Each higher setting will allow for more volume compensation at faster vehicle speeds. NONE will appear on the display if the radio cannot determine the vehicle speed. To turn automatic volume off, press this button until OFF appears on the display.

Finding a Station

BAND: Press this button to switch between FM1, FM2, and AM. The display will show the selection.

TUNE: Turn this knob to select radio stations.

SEEK : Press the right or the left arrow to go to the next or to the previous station and stay there. The radio will only seek stations with a strong signal that are in the selected band.

PSCAN (Preset Scan): Press and hold either arrow for more than two seconds until SCAN appears on the display and you hear a beep. The radio will go to the first preset station, play for a few seconds, then go on to the next preset station. Press either arrow again or one of the pushbuttons to stop scanning presets. The radio will only scan stations with a strong signal that are in the selected band.

Setting Preset Stations

Up to 18 stations (six FM1, six FM2, and six AM), can be programmed on the six numbered pushbuttons, by performing the following steps:

  1. Turn the radio on.
  2. Press BAND to select FM1, FM2, or AM.
  3. Tune in the desired station.
  4. Press AUTO TONE to select the equalization.
  5. Press and hold one of the six numbered pushbuttons until you hear a beep. Whenever that numbered pushbutton is pressed, the station that was set will return and the equalization that was selected will be stored for that pushbutton.
  6. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton.

Setting the Tone (Bass/Treble)

AUDIO: Push and release the AUDIO knob until BASS or TREB appears on the display. Then turn the knob to increase or to decrease. The display will show the bass or the treble level. If a station is weak or noisy, decrease the treble. To adjust the bass and the treble to the middle position, push and hold the AUDIO knob. The radio will produce one beep and adjust the display level to the middle position. To adjust all tone and speaker controls to the middle position, push and hold the AUDIO knob when no tone or speaker control is displayed. ALL will appear on the display and you will hear a beep.

AUTO TONE (Automatic Tone): Press this button to select customized equalization settings designed for country/western, jazz, talk, pop, rock, and classical. To return the bass and treble to the manual mode, push and release the AUDIO knob until MANUAL appears on the display.

Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade)

AUDIO: To adjust the balance between the right and the left speakers, push and release the AUDIO knob until BAL appears on the display. Turn the AUDIO knob to move the sound toward the right or the left speakers. To adjust the fade between the front and the rear speakers, push and release the AUDIO knob until FADE appears on the display. Turn the knob to move the sound toward the front or the rear speakers. To adjust the balance and the fade to the middle position, push the AUDIO knob, then push it again and hold it until you hear one beep. The balance and the fade will be adjusted to the middle position and the display will show the speaker balance. To adjust all tone and speaker controls to the middle position, push and hold the AUDIO knob when no tone or speaker control is displayed. ALL will appear on the display and you will hear a beep.

Radio Data System (RDS)

The audio system has a Radio Data System (RDS). RDS features are available for use only on FM stations that broadcast RDS information.

With RDS, the radio can do the following:

    • Seek to stations broadcasting the selected type of programming
    • Receive announcements concerning local and national emergencies
    • Display messages from radio stations
    • Seek to stations with traffic announcements.

This system relies upon receiving specific information from these stations and will only work when the information is available. In rare cases, a radio station may broadcast incorrect information that will cause the radio features to work improperly. If this happens, contact the radio station.

While the radio is tuned to an RDS station, the station name or call letters will appear on the display instead of the frequency. RDS stations may also provide the time of day, a program type (PTY) for current programming, and the name of the program being broadcast.

Finding a Program Type (PTY) Station (RDS and XM™)

To select and find a desired PTY perform the following:

  1. Press the P-TYPE knob to activate program type select mode. TYPE and a PTY will appear on the display.
  2. Turn the P-TYPE knob to select a PTY.
  3. Once the desired PTY is displayed, press the SEEK TYPE button to select and to take you to the PTY's first station.
  4. To go to another station within that PTY and the PTY is displayed, press the SEEK TYPE button once. If the PTY is not displayed, press the SEEK TYPE button twice to display the PTY and then to go to another station.
  5. Press the P-TYPE knob to exit program type select mode.
  6. If PTY times out and is no longer on the display, go back to Step 1.

If both PTY and TRAF are on, the radio will search for the selected PTY and traffic announcements.

If the radio cannot find the desired PTY, NONE will appear on the display and the radio will return to the last station you were listening to.

BAND (Alternate Frequency): Alternate frequency allows the radio to switch to a stronger station with the same program type. To turn alternate frequency on, press and hold BAND for two seconds. AF ON will appear on the display. The radio may switch to stations with a stronger frequency. To turn alternate frequency off, press and hold BAND again for two seconds. AF OFF will appear on the display. The radio will not switch to other stations.

RDS Messages

ALERT!: Alert warns of local or national emergencies. When an alert announcement comes on the current radio station, ALERT! will appear on the display. You will hear the announcement, even if the volume is low or a cassette tape or CD is playing. If a cassette tape or CD is playing, play will stop during the announcement. Alert announcements cannot be turned off. ALERT! will not be affected by tests of the emergency broadcast system. This feature is not supported by all RDS stations.

INFO (Information): If the current station has a message, the information symbol will appear on the display. Press this button to see the message. The message may display the artist, song title, call in phone numbers, etc. If the entire message is not displayed, parts of the message will appear every three seconds. To scroll through the message, press the INFO button. A new group of words will appear on the display after every press of this button. Once the complete message has been displayed, the information symbol will disappear from the display until another new message is received. The last message can be displayed by pressing the INFO button. You can view the last message until a new message is received or a different station is tuned to.

TRAF (Traffic): If TRAF appears on the display, the tuned station broadcasts traffic announcements and when a traffic announcement comes on the tuned radio station you will hear it. If the station does not broadcast traffic announcements, press the TRAF button and the radio will seek to a station that does. When a station that broadcasts traffic announcements is found, the radio will stop seeking and TRAF will appear on the display. If no station is found, NO TRAF will appear on the display. If TRAF is on the display, press the TRAF button to turn of the traffic announcements. The radio will play the traffic announcement even if the volume is low. The radio will interrupt the play of a cassette tape or a CD if the last tuned station broadcasts traffic announcements.

Radio Messages

CAL ERR (Calibrate Error): The audio system has been calibrated for your vehicle from the factory. If CAL ERR appears on the display, it means that the radio has not been configured properly for the vehicle and must be returned to your GM dealer for service.

LOCKED: This message is displayed when the THEFTLOCK® system has locked up. Return your vehicle to your GM dealer for service. If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot be corrected, contact your GM dealer.

Playing a Cassette Tape

The tape player is built to work best with tapes that are up to 30 to 45 minutes long on each side. Tapes longer than that are so thin they may not work well in this player. The longer side with the tape visible should face to the right. If you hear nothing or hear a garbled sound, the tape may not be in squarely. Press the EJT button to remove the tape and start over.

If the ignition and radio are off, press the EJT button or the DISPL knob to insert and to begin play of a tape. If the ignition is on and the radio is off, the tape can be inserted and will begin playing.

While the tape is playing, use VOL, TUNE, SEEK, and PSCAN controls just as you do for the radio. TAPE and an arrow will appear on the display to show which side of the tape is playing.

Cassette tape adapter kits for portable CD players will work in the cassette tape player. See "CD Adapter Kits" later for more information.

The tape bias is set automatically when a metal or chrome tape is inserted.

If an error appears on the display, see "Cassette Tape Messages" later in this section.

1 PREV (Previous): The tape must have at least three seconds of silence between each selection for previous to work. Press this pushbutton to go to the previous selection on the tape if the current selection has been playing for less than three seconds. If pressed when the current selection has been playing from 3 to 13 seconds, it will go to the beginning of the previous selection or the beginning of the current selection, depending upon the position on the tape. If pressed when the current selection has been playing for more than 13 seconds, it will go to the beginning of the current selection. SEEK and a negative number will appear on the display while the cassette player is in the previous mode. Pressing this pushbutton multiple times will increase the number of selections to be searched back, up to -9.

2 NEXT: The tape must have at least three seconds of silence between each selection for next to work. Press this pushbutton to go to the next selection on the tape. If this pushbutton is pressed more than once, the player will continue moving forward through the tape. SEEK and a positive number will appear on the display. To forward through each selection press the right SEEK arrow.

3 REV (Reverse): Press this pushbutton to quickly reverse the tape. The station frequency and REV will appear on the display and the radio will play while the tape reverses. Press this pushbutton again to return to playing speed. You may select stations during reverse operation using the TUNE knob and the SEEK arrows.

4 FWD (Forward): Press this pushbutton to quickly advance the tape. The station frequency and FWD will appear on the display and the radio will play while the tape advances. Press the pushbutton again to return to playing speed. You may select stations during forward operation using the TUNE knob and the SEEK arrows.

5 SIDE: Press this pushbutton to play the other side of the tape.

SEEK : If the right or the left arrow is held or pressed more than once, the player will continue moving forward or backward through the tape. SEEK and a positive or a negative number will appear on the display.

BAND: Press this button to listen to the radio when a cassette tape or CD is playing. The inactive tape or CD will remain safely inside the radio for future listening.

TAPE CD: Press this button to play a cassette tape or CD when listening to the radio. The inactive tape or CD will remain safely inside the radio for future listening.

EJT (Eject): Press this button, located next to the cassette tape slot, to eject a tape. Eject may be activated with the radio off. Cassette tapes may be loaded with the ignition and radio off if this button is pressed first.

Cassette Tape Messages

CHK TAPE (Check Tape): If this message appears on the display, the tape will not play because of one of the following errors:

    • The tape is tight and the player cannot turn the tape hubs. Remove the tape. Hold the tape with the open end down and try to turn the right hub counterclockwise with a pencil. Turn the tape over and repeat. If the hubs do not turn easily, the tape may be damaged and should not be used in the player. Try a new tape to make sure the player is working properly.
    • The tape is broken. Try a new tape.
    • The tape is wrapped around the tape head. Attempt to get the cassette out. Try a new tape.
CLEAN: If this message appears on the display, the cassette tape player needs to be cleaned. It will still play tapes, but it should be cleaned as soon as possible to prevent damage to the tapes and player. See Care of the Cassette Tape Player . If the cassette tape is not playing correctly, for any other reason, try a known good cassette. If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot be corrected, contact your GM dealer. If the radio displays an error message, write it down and provide it to your GM dealer when reporting the problem.

CD Adapter Kits

It is possible to use a portable CD player with the cassette tape player after activating the bypass feature on the tape player.

To activate the bypass feature, use the following steps:

  1. Turn the radio off.
  2. Press and hold the TAPE CD button for five seconds. READY will appear on the display, indicating the feature is active.
  3. Insert the adapter into the cassette slot. It will power up the radio and begin playing.

The override feature will remain active until EJT is pressed.

Playing a CD

Insert a CD partway into the slot, label side up. The player will pull it in and the CD should begin playing. If you want to insert a CD with the ignition or the radio off, first press the EJT button or the DISPL knob.

If the ignition or radio is turned off with the CD in the player, it will stay in the player. When the ignition or radio is turned on, the CD will start playing where it stopped, if it was the last selected audio source.

When a CD is inserted, the CD symbol will appear on the display. As each new track starts to play, the track number will appear on the display.

The CD player can play the smaller 3 inch (8 cm) single CDs with an adapter ring. Full-size CDs and the smaller CDs are loaded in the same manner.

If playing a CD-R, the sound quality may be reduced due to CD-R quality, the method of recording, the quality of the music that has been recorded, and the way the CD-R has been handled. There may be an increase in skipping, difficulty in finding tracks, and/or difficulty in loading and ejecting. If these problems occur, check the bottom surface of the CD. If the surface of the CD is damaged, such as cracked, broken, or scratched, the CD will not play properly. If the surface of the CD is soiled, see Care of Your CDs for more information.

If there is no apparent damage, try a known good CD.

Do not add any label to a CD, it could get caught in the CD player. If a CD is recorded on a personal computer and a description label is needed, try labeling the top of the recorded CD with a marking pen instead.

Notice: If a label is added to a CD, or more than one CD is inserted into the slot at a time, or an attempt is made to play scratched or damaged CDs, the CD player could be damaged. While using the CD player, use only CDs in good condition without any label, load one CD at a time, and keep the CD player and the loading slot free of foreign materials, liquids, and debris.

If an error appears on the display, see "CD Messages" later in this section.

1 PREV (Previous): Press this pushbutton to go to the start of the current track if more than eight seconds have played. TRACK and the track number will appear on the display. If this pushbutton is held or pressed more than once, the player will continue moving backward through the CD.

2 NEXT: Press this pushbutton to go to the next track. TRACK and the track number will appear on the display. If his pushbutton is held or pressed more than once, the player will continue moving forward through the CD.

3 REV (Reverse): Press and hold this pushbutton to reverse quickly within a track. Press and hold this pushbutton for less than two seconds to reverse at six times the normal playing speed. Press and hold it for more than two seconds to reverse at 17 times the normal playing speed. ET and the elapsed time of the track will appear on the display. Release this pushbutton to play the passage.

4 FWD (Forward): Press and hold this pushbutton to advance quickly within a track. Press and hold this pushbutton for less than two seconds to advance at six times the normal playing speed. Press and hold this pushbutton for more than two seconds to advance at 17 times the normal playing speed. ET and the elapsed time of the track will appear on the display. Release this pushbutton to play the passage.

6 RDM (Random): Press this pushbutton to hear the tracks in random, rather than sequential, order. RDM ON will appear on the display. RDM T and the track number will appear on the display when each track starts to play. Press RDM again to turn off random play. RDM OFF will appear on the display.

SEEK : Press the left arrow to go to the start of the current or of the previous track. Press the right arrow to go to the start of the next track. If either arrow is held or pressed more than once, the player will continue moving backward or forward through the CD.

DISPL (Display): Press this knob to see how long the current track has been playing. ET and the elapsed time of the track will appear on the display. To change the default on the display, track or elapsed time, press the knob until you see the display you want, then hold the knob for two seconds. The radio will produce one beep and the selected display will now be the default.

BAND: Press this button to listen to the radio when a cassette tape or a CD is playing. The inactive tape or CD will remain safely inside the radio for future listening.

TAPE CD: Press this button to play a cassette tape or a CD when listening to the radio. The inactive tape or CD will remain safely inside the radio for future listening.

EJT (Eject): Press this button, located next to the CD slot, to eject a CD. Eject may be activated with either the ignition or radio off. CDs may be loaded with the ignition and radio off if this button is pressed first.

CD Messages

CHECK CD: If this message appears on the display and/or the CD comes out, it could be for one of the following reasons:

    • You are driving on a very rough road. When the road becomes smoother, the CD should play.
    • The CD is dirty, scratched, wet, or upside down.
    • The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour and try again.
    • There may have been a problem while burning the CD.
    • The label may be caught in the CD player.

If the CD is not playing correctly, for any other reason, try a known good CD.

If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot be corrected, contact your GM dealer. If the radio displays an error message, write it down and provide it to your GM dealer when reporting the problem.