GM Service Manual Online
For 1990-2009 cars only
Table 1: Radio Features
Table 2: Cassette Features
Table 3: Compact Disc Features
Table 4: XM Radio Messages

The entertainment system on this vehicle is configured with either a base or an uplevel system. Both the base and uplevel systems contain a radio, antenna, speakers, and on some vehicle lines a rear seat audio (RSA) unit.

The uplevel system differs from the base level system by providing enhanced audio system features. These features may include the radio data system (RDS), two additional speakers, rear seat audio (RSA), and DVD video entertainment system. The uplevel radio units are also OnStar and XM Radio compatible.

The radio head includes the driver information display (DID). Driver information is provided to the radio head via GMLAN serial data link to the body control module (BCM).

The following list shows the radios available for this vehicle:

    • Base Radio (U1C)--AM/FM Stereo with CD
    • Uplevel Radio (UN0)--AM/FM Stereo, CD, Auto Tone, and RDS
    • Uplevel Radio (UP0)--AM/FM Stereo, Cassette, CD, and RDS
    • Uplevel Radio (UC6)--AM/FM, Integral 6 Disc CD Changer (ICDX), and RDS

Speaker System

There are two speaker systems available on this vehicle and consist of the following components:

Base UW4 System

4 Speaker System

    • Two 6 inch extended range speakers (ERS) mounted in both front doors.
    • Two 6 x 9 extended range speakers (ERS) mounted to the rear shelf (sedan only).
    • Two 6 inch extended range speakers (ERS) mounted in both rear doors (extended sedan only).

Premium UZ6 System

6 Speaker System

    • Two 6 inch high sensitivity speakers (HSS) mounted in both front doors.
    • Two 6 x 9 extended range speakers (ERS) mounted to the rear shelf (sedan only).
    • Two 6 inch extended range speakers (ERS) mounted in both rear doors (extended sedan only).
    • Two tweeter speakers mounted in the upper door trim on both front doors.

Radio Features

Controls

Base U1C

Uplevel UN0

Uplevel UP0

Uplevel ICDX

Power

Push the Power ON/OFF knob to turn the radio ON.

Volume

The volume is adjusted by rotating the POWER knob.

DISP (Display)

Press DISP knob to switch the display between time, temperature, or radio frequency

Press DISP knob to switch the display between time, temperature, or radio frequency.

For RDS, press DISP knob to change what appears on the display while using RDS.

For XM™, if equipped, press DISP knob while in XM mode to retrieve four different categories of information related to the current song or channel.

SCV

N/A

Press the AUTO VOL button.

Adjust the SCV by pressing the AUTO VOL until the desired volume setting appears on the display. Three settings are available; LOW, MEDIUM, and HIGH.

Tune

Turn the DISP/ADJ knob.

Seek

Press the SEEK-SCAN UP button within 2  seconds for radio to find next strong signal, in current band, of increased frequency.

Press the SEEK-SCAN DOWN button within 2 seconds for radio to find next strong signal, in current band, of decreased frequency.

Scan

Press and hold the SEEK-SCAN UP button longer than 2 seconds but less than 4 seconds. One audible beep is heard before it starts scanning.

Presets

Six AM, Six FM1 and Six FM2

Preset Saving

Press and hold any User Preset button (1-6) greater than 2 seconds. One audible beep is heard.

Preset Scan

Press and hold SEEK-SCAN UP or SEEK-SCAN DOWN button at least 4 seconds. Two audible beeps are heard before it starts preset scanning.

Mute

Steering Wheel Audio Controls only.

Press the MUTE button to silence the system. Press it again, or any other radio button, to restore the sound.

Fade or Balance

Push and release the BAL/FADE knob, within 2 seconds, to select and adjust w/Adj knob.

Pushing and holding the BAL/FADE knob longer than 2 seconds, before a particular setting is displayed, produces one audible beep and sets the fade/balance settings to the center detent. The radio displays ALL CENTERED.

Bass, Treble or Midrange

Push and release the TONE knob, within 2 seconds, to select and adjust w/ADJ knob.

Pushing and holding the TONE knob longer than 2 seconds, before a particular setting is displayed, produces one audible beep and sets the audio settings to the center detent. The radio displays ALL CENTERED.

Automatic Tone Control (ATC)

N/A

Press and release the AUTO EQ button to choose and program preset bass and treble equalization settings.

Set Clock Base (U1C) Radio

Set Hour Mode

Press and hold the CLOCK button until an audible beep is heard. The radio displays the clock icon, the time and the text ADJ HOUR when it enters the Set Hour Mode. The hours will flash. Turn the ADJ KNOB in increments to adjust the hour. Pressing and releasing the CLOCK button exits the Set Hour Mode and enters the Set Minute Mode.

Set Minute Mode

Press and hold the CLOCK button until an audible beep is heard. The radio displays the clock icon, the time and the text ADJ MIN when it enters the Set Minute Mode. The minutes will flash. Turn the ADJ KNOB in increments to adjust the minutes. Pressing and releasing the CLOCK button exits the Set Clock Mode and turns OFF the clock icon.

Set Clock Uplevel (UN0, UP0, UC6) Radio

Set Hour Mode

Press and hold the CLOCK button for less than 3 seconds. The radio displays the clock icon, the time and the text ADJ HOUR when it enters the Set Hour Mode. The hours will flash. Turn the ADJ KNOB in increments to adjust the hour. Pressing and releasing the CLOCK button for less than 3 seconds exits the Set Hour Mode and enters the Set Minute Mode. Pressing and holding the CLOCK button for 3 seconds or more exits the Set Hour Mode and enters the RDS Auto Set Clock Mode.

Set Minute Mode

Press and hold the CLOCK button for less than 3 seconds. The radio displays the clock icon, the time and the text ADJ MIN when it enters the Set Minute Mode. The minutes will flash. Turn the ADJ KNOB in increments to adjust the minutes. Pressing and releasing the CLOCK button for less than 3 seconds exits the Set Clock Mode and turns OFF the clock icon. Pressing and holding the CLOCK button for 3 seconds or more exits the Set Minute Mode and enters the RDS Auto Set Mode.

RDS Auto Set Mode

Pressing and holding the CLOCK button for 3 seconds or more enters the RDS Auto Set Mode. When the radio enters the RDS Auto Set Mode an audible beep is heard. If time information is available from RDS, the radio displays the new RDS time and the text UPDATED. If time information is not available, the radio displays the unchanged time and the text NO UPDATE.

To exit RDS Auto Set Mode, press and release the CLOCK button for less than 3 seconds, press any other non-clock function, or wait 5 seconds after pressing the CLOCK button or turning the ADJ KNOB.

Cassette Features

Controls

Base U1C

Uplevel UN0

Uplevel UP0

Uplevel ICDX UC6

Play/Stop

N/A

N/A

CD TAPE button

N/A

Eject

Press the EJECT button

Forward

Press the FWD button

Side

Press the SIDE button

Reverse

Press the REV button

Repeat

Press the RPT button

Cassette Automatic Music Search (AMS)

Previous AMS

Pressing and releasing the SEEK SCAN DOWN button within 2 seconds enters the previous selection AMS mode.

The radio will seek at a faster then normal playing speed to the beginning of the current cassette selection or to the previous selection.

Pressing the SEEK SCAN DOWN button within 2 seconds a number of times will seek back a number of selections equal to the number of button presses. Pressing the SEEK SCAN UP button will reduce the number of selections the radio will seek back to.

Next AMS

Pressing and releasing the SEEK SCAN UP button within 2 seconds enters the next selection AMS mode.

The radio will seek at a faster then normal playing speed to the beginning of the next cassette selection.

Pressing the SEEK SCAN UP button within 2 seconds a number of times will seek forward a number of selections equal to the number of button presses. Pressing the SEEK SCAN DOWN button will reduce the number of selections the radio will seek back to.

Cut Tape Bypass

The Cut Tape Bypass feature detects when a cassette tape breaks or becomes too tight to play. When this is detected the tape will stop playing and eject.

To activate the Cut Tape Bypass feature follow these steps:

  1. The radio must be OFF and in one of the following modes.
  2. • Retained accessory power (RAP)
    • RUN power mode
    • ACCESSORY power mode
  3. Press and hold the SOURCE button for 2 seconds. After 2 seconds the TAPE ICON appears and begins to flash for 5 seconds. The text READY is displayed and the TAPE ICON will flash.
  4. The feature is now active.

  5. The Cut Tape Bypass will remain On until the accessory is ejected.

Without the activation of the Cut Tape Bypass feature accessories, like scrubbing type tape head cleaners and CD adapter kits (which have no internal tape for the radio to sense), will be ejected.

Clean Cassette Player

The radio provides a feature that alerts the user when the tape player requires cleaning. The radio still plays tapes when cleaning is required. The tape player should be cleaned as soon as possible to prevent damage to the tapes and player.

The radio provides a tape clean timer (50 hours typical). When the tape clean timer expires, the radio displays CLEAN TAPE for 5 seconds whenever the radio enters the tape mode. Use a non-abrasive cleaning cassette to clean the tape player.

After cleaning the tape player, reset the tape clean timer by pressing and holding the EJECT button for 2 seconds. The radio displays TAPE CLEANED.

Compact Disc Features

Controls

Base U1C

Uplevel UN0

Uplevel UP0

Uplevel UC6

Play/Stop

Press the AM/FM/CD button when listening to the radio to play a CD

Press the SRCE (source) button when listening to the radio to play a CD.

Eject

Pressing the EJECT button when CD is active or not active ejects the CD.

Pressing this button with no CD loaded will load a CD.

After Loading, CD becomes active audio source.

Press and hold the EJECT button for less than 2 seconds to enter the single CD eject mode.

Press and hold the EJECT button for more than 2 seconds to enter the all CD eject mode.

Forward

Pressing and holding the FWD button for 2 seconds plays the CD 6-10 times the normal speed.

Pressing and holding the FWD button greater than 2 seconds plays the CD 15-30  times the normal speed.

During the fast forward mode the radio will reduce audio output by 6 dB.

Reverse

Pressing and holding the REV button for 2 seconds plays the CD 6-10 times the normal speed in reverse.

Pressing and holding the REV button greater than 2 seconds plays the CD 15-30 times the normal speed in reverse.

During the reverse mode the radio will reduce audio output by 6 dB.

Previous

Press and release the down arrow on SEEK/SCAN button for 2 seconds or less and the elapsed time of the track is greater than 8 seconds, the radio will seek play the beginning of the current CD track.

Press and release the down arrow on SEEK/SCAN button for 2 seconds or less and the elapsed time of the track is less than 8 seconds, the radio will go to the previous track.

Press and release the down arrow on SEEK/SCAN button a number of times and the radio will seek back the number of tracks equal to the number of button presses.

Next

Press and release the up arrow once on SEEK/SCAN button within 2 seconds and the radio will seek the beginning of the next CD track.

Press and release the up arrow on the SEEK/SCAN button a number of times and the radio will seek forward a number of tracks equal to number of button presses.

CD Track Scan

Press and release the SEEK (U1C), SEEK/SCAN (UN0, UP0) or SEEK SCAN UP/DOWN (UC6) button for more than 2 seconds.

The radio produces an audible beep and will scan up to the next track and play the first 10 seconds.

Will continue to scan the first 10 seconds of each track until all the tracks on the disk or the scan is stopped.

If the SEEK SCAN UP or SEEK SCAN DOWN button on the UC6 model is pressed and held for 4 seconds the radio produces 2 audible beeps and enters the all CD scan mode.

Repeat

Press and release the RPT button to enter the repeat selection mode.

When the track ends, the radio will play the same track on the CD from the beginning.

Pressing and holding the RPT button greater than 2 seconds on the UC6 model will produce one audible beep and continue to play the current CD at the beginning.

Press and release the RPT button while in the repeat mode to exit.

Random

Press the RDM button to enter the random access mode.

The radio will pick the tracks to play in random order.

Press the EJECT or RDM button to exit the random access mode.

Press and release the RDM button within 2 seconds to enter the single disc random access mode.

The radio will pick the tracks to play in random order.

Press and release the RDM button for greater than 2 seconds to enter the all CD Random access mode.

The radio will produce an audible beep and pick the tracks to play in random order on all CDs loaded. Press the EJECT button to exit both random access mode.

Each item in the list below represents topics covered in detail below.

    • AM/FM Reception
    • Antenna System
    • Theft Deterrent
    • Integral 6 Disc CD Changer (ICDX)
    • Rear Seat Audio (RSA)
    • Rear Seat Entertainment Control
    • Radio Data System (RDS)
    • Steering Wheel Audio Controls
    • XM Satellite Radio
    • XM Advisory Messages
    • Radio Circuit Operation

AM/FM Reception

Radio Signal

A radio broadcast station uses a transmitter to send radio signals radiated from an antenna. A receiver uses an antenna to capture the radio signals. The strength of the signal depends on the following factors:

    • The power output, or wattage of the broadcasting station
    • The location of the vehicle, or receiver relative to the broadcast tower
    • Obstacles between the tower and the receiver
    • Atmospheric conditions
    • What band, AM or FM the station is broadcasting
    • Type of antenna and the ground plane

AM Reception

The AM band has a lower frequency range than the FM band. These longer wavelengths:

    • Bend around Obstacles
    • Follow the curvature of the earth
    • May reflect off the ionosphere--skip

The AM frequencies have longer range due to the ground wave. The ground wave follows the curvature of the earth and is affected by its conductivity. Greater conductivity equates to less signal loss thus transmission over water is better than over land. The AM band has a range of 80-320 km (50-200 miles).

FM Reception

The shorter wavelengths of the higher frequency FM band:

    • Reflect off obstacles
    • Are absorbed by the ground
    • Penetrate the ionosphere

Broadcasts in the FM band are limited to "line of sight" reception which is typically 40 km (25 miles). Even when out of a direct line of sight, the signal may be reflected into areas that would be in a "shadow" otherwise. Factors which affect the line of sight include:

    • Height of the broadcast antenna
    • Height of the receiving antenna
    • Terrain and buildings in the broadcast path

Antenna System

The radio receiver uses an antenna to receive transmitted radio signals from a radio broadcast station. After the radio signal is received by the radio, it undergoes further processing by the radio tuner.

There are two types of antenna systems available on this vehicle. The antenna system (RPO U77) on the sedan model is comprised of a very thin metal grid which is permanently affixed to the rear glass. A radio antenna module connects to the antenna via a coax cable. On the extended model a fixed mast antenna (RPO U71) is used.

Theft Deterrent

The Theftlock theft deterrent system is a feature on all base and uplevel radios. The theft deterrent system utilizes GMLAN serial data to determine if the radio is in the appropriate vehicle. Each time the radio receives the vehicle ID (VIN) packet message and is in the RUN power mode, it compares the VIN information it has stored to the received VIN packet message containing VIN information. The radio receives this message from a module on the GMLAN serial data circuit responsible for transmitting that information. If a mis-match occurs, the radio display will indicate to the user the radio is locked. Once this takes place, the radio will not respond to any button presses and become inoperative. The 2 scenarios able to cause this condition are:

    • A radio is installed from another vehicle.
    • A module which communicates on the GMLAN serial data circuit which supplies VIN information to the radio is replaced and not properly setup with the correct VIN information for that vehicle.

The only way to unlock the radio is by using a scan tool. The scan tool sends the appropriate diagnostic message (relearn VIN) to reset the radio. Using a scan tool, select the radio VIN relearn procedure from the module replacement screen in Vehicle Control Systems.

Integral 6 Disc CD Changer (ICDX [Uplevel])

The Integral Multi Disc CD Changer has the capability of storing and playing up to 6 compact discs. The Integral Multi Disc CD Changer has a shock-absorbing system. Only under extreme operating temperatures or severe shock or vibration should the compact disc player skip or mute. If the customer travels an abnormally rough road, a skip condition may be normal. Test drive the vehicle on a normal road with a known good CD. If the condition is still present, replace the radio.

The use of CD lens cleaner discs is not advised, due to the risk of contaminating the lens of the CD optics with lubricants internal to the CD mechanism.

Important: The CD mechanism within the ICDX radio will begin an initialization routine after a battery connect (e.g., connecting radio connector C1). The initialization process takes approximately 25 seconds to complete. It is very critical that the initialization is completed before removing battery power from the radio, in order for the complex moving parts of the CD mechanism to be positioned properly before shipping and/or handling purposes. Damage may result to the moving parts of the CD mechanism if battery power is removed during the initialization routine. The damage occurs to the CD mechanism during subsequent shipping or handling operations. The extent of the damage causes the CD mechanism not to recover and the mechanism becomes inoperative.

Single Disc Loading

To operate the Integral Multi Disc CD Changer in the single play mode, press and release the LOAD button within 2 seconds. The radio display indicates to wait before inserting a CD. The CD mechanism will move the lowest numbered empty slot into position and then produce an audible beep. Load a disc when the radio display indicates to insert a CD. If the radio is ON, the disc will begin to play automatically. If the radio is OFF, press the LOAD button for the disc to play.

Multi Disc Loading

To operate the Multi Disc CD Changer in the multi disc mode, press and hold the LOAD button for more than two seconds. An audible beep will be heard and the radio displays the message ALL CDs then an indication to wait before inserting a CD. The CD mechanism will move the lowest numbered empty slot into position and then produce an audible beep. The radio will then display a message to insert a CD. After inserting a CD the radio produces an audible beep. The radio displays another message indicating to wait before inserting a CD. Insert another CD when the display indicates inserting one. Repeat this procedure to continue loading the remaining discs. The CD changer holds up to six discs.

When the changer is full, six discs are loaded, and the LOAD button is pressed, three audible beeps are heard and the message CHANGER FULL is displayed.

To play one of the CD's, press one of the preset buttons.

Removing CDs

Use the eject button, the button labeled CD to remove a disc or discs.

Perform the following to eject:

    • To remove a single disc, press and release the EJECT button within 2 seconds. The message REMOVE CD is displayed.

       Important:: Pressing the CD button repeatedly, causes the radio receivers 25 second eject timer to reset at each press of the button. This will cause the receiver to not eject a disc until the 25 second time period has elapsed.

    • To remove multiple discs, press and release the EJECT button for more than 2 seconds. An audible beep is heard and the radio displays a message indicating a disc is being ejected. The message REMOVE CD is displayed. After removing the CD, the CD mechanism moves into place to eject the next CD. This process is repeated until the last CD is removed.

Song List Feature

The Multi Disc CD Changer has a feature called Song List. This feature is capable of saving 20 track selections to a play list.

To save tracks into Song List, perform the following :

  1. The disc player must be ON with at least one disc loaded.
  2. The message S-LIST should not be displayed on the radio. If S-LIST is present, press the SONG LIST button to turn it OFF.
  3. Select the desired disc by pressing the numbered push-button and then use the SEEK right arrow button to locate the track that you want to save. The track will begin to play.
  4. Press and hold the SONG LIST button for 2 or more seconds to save the track into memory. When SONG LIST is pressed an audible beep is heard. After 2 seconds of pressing SONG LIST continually, 2 audible beeps will sound to confirm that the track has been saved. The message TRACK ADDED is displayed.
  5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for saving other selections.
  6. The radio displays SONG LIST FULL when the song list contains 20 songs.

To play the Song List press the SONG LIST button. One beep is heard and S-LIST appears on the display. The recorded tracks will begin to play in the order that they were saved.

To delete tracks from the Song List:

  1. The disc player must be ON.
  2. Press the SONG LIST button. The message S-LIST appears on the display.
  3. Press the SEEK button to locate desired track to be deleted.
  4. Press and hold the SONG LIST button for 2 seconds. One beep is heard immediately followed by 2 beeps confirming that the track has been deleted. The message TRACK DELETE is displayed for 5 seconds.

To delete the entire Song List:

  1. The disc player must be ON.
  2. Press the SONG LIST button. The message S-LIST appears on display.
  3. Press and hold the SONG LIST button for more than 4 seconds. One beep is heard immediately followed by 2 beeps. Then another 2 beeps are heard signifying the song list is deleted. The message SONG LIST EMPTY appears on the display for 5 seconds.

When a CD is ejected, the CD track selections saved for the CD are deleted from the song list.

Rear Seat Audio (RSA)

The rear seat audio (RSA) control allows the rear seat passengers to listen to a different music source than the front seat passengers. For example, the rear seat passengers may listen to the cassette or CD through headphones while the driver listens to the radio through the front speakers. The rear seat passengers have control of the volume for each headphone. The primary radio controls always override the RSA controls.

When the radio is ON, the radio supplies battery voltage on the RSA enable circuit and 10 volts on the remote user interface reference circuit to the RSA control. Enabling the RSA control connects the 10-volt reference and the remote radio control signal (RUI2) circuits internally. This forms a voltage divider with a resistive network within the RSA control. The voltage signal resulting from this combination is sent to the radio on the RUI2 circuit. The radio interprets the voltage signal as an analog input. When the radio receives the voltage input signal, indicating the POWER (PWR) button was pressed on the RSA control, the rear speakers will be muted. This allows the user to listen to the audio through the headphones.

Using the buttons on the RSA control allows the user to operate various audio functions. The RSA control consists of momentary contact switches (buttons) and a series of resistors. The switches and resistor network is arranged so that each switch has a different resistance value. When a switch is pressed, a voltage drop occurs in the resistor network which produces a specific voltage value unique to the switch selected. These specific voltage values allow the radio to identify which switch has been pressed. The radio responds just as if the corresponding radio front panel button had been pressed. The specific voltage signal from the switch is sent to the radio on the RUI2 circuit.

Seek (SEEK)

Press the SEEK button in order to seek to the next higher or lower station. The sound will mute when seeking another frequency. The SEEK button is inactive when the front radio is in the SEEK mode.

Power (PWR)

Press the PWR push button in order to turn the rear seat audio system ON or OFF. The rear speakers mute when the power is turned ON. The rear seat audio functions are operable even when the primary radio power is OFF.

Band Switching (AM/FM)

Press the AM/FM push button in order to select between (AM and FM) or (AM, FM1 and FM2) for radios with 2 FM bands. The selection appears on the display. If the front passengers are already listening to AM-FM, the rear seat audio controller will not switch between the bands and cannot change the frequency.

Source Switching (TAPE CD)

Press the TAPE CD push button in order to activate the source switching feature. There must be a cassette tape and/or compact disc in the player.

Preset Program (P.SET PROG)

Press the P.SET PROG button in order to select between pre-programmed station presets. The front passenger must be listening to something different for the P.SET PROG to operate.

Volume (VOL)

Rotate the volume control in order to increase or decrease the volume. The top VOL knob controls the top headphone and the bottom VOL knob controls the bottom headphone.

Rear Seat Entertainment Control

Various control features are available on uplevel radios in conjunction with the DVD player option. The rear seat entertainment (RSE) DVD control feature allows the user to select and play CDs (audio content only) and DVDs (audio and video content) from the DVD player. The radio interfaces with the DVD player via GMLAN messages. After pressing a button, the radio transmits a specific remote changer command GMLAN frame message which contains signal data unique to the button pressed.

DVD Source Selection

The DVD player can be selected as the audio source after the radio determines that the DVD player is present and enables it. After this determination, the radio displays RSE on the SOURCE menu. The DVD player can only control starting and stopping of the player. The radio will not send play or stop commands when it connects to the DVD player.

DVD Forward and Reverse

Press and hold the FWD button to fast forward the media. The DVD player plays the disc 4 times the normal speed forward. Press and hold the REV button to fast reverse the media. The DVD player plays the disc 4 times the normal play speed in reverse.

During the fast forward and reverse modes the DVD player reduces the audio output by 6 db for audio CDs and will mute the audio output for DVDs.

DVD Track and Chapter Selection

When the PREV or SEEK/SCAN DOWN button is pressed and released within 2 seconds and the elapsed playing time is greater than 8 seconds, the DVD player seeks the beginning of the current track/chapter. If the elapsed time is less than 8 seconds the DVD player will go to the previous track/chapter. Pressing and releasing the button a number of times in a row allows the DVD player to seek back a number of tracks/chapters equal to the number of buttons presses.

When the NEXT or SEEK/SCAN UP button is pressed and released the DVD player seeks the beginning of the next CD track/chapter. The DVD player will go to the first track/chapter on the same disk if the user selects the last track/chapter and seeks to the next track. Pressing and releasing the button a number of times in a row allows the DVD player to seek forward a number of tracks equal to the number of buttons presses.

The DVD player enters the DVD track scan mode when the SEEK/SCAN UP or DOWN button is pressed and held for longer than 2 seconds.

The DVD player mutes while seeking the next track in previous or next, track/chapter mode.

DVD Random Track Selection

The radio allows random track functions for audio CDs only. When the RDM button is pressed and released, the DVD player enters the random one disc access mode. The tracks on the current CD plays in a quasi-random order. Quasi-random means the tracks are picked randomly. No track is repeated until all tracks are played.

The DVD player mutes while switching tracks in the random access mode.

If the DVD player becomes the active audio source, the radio defaults the random access mode to OFF.

Radio Data System (RDS)

All uplevel audio systems are equipped with technology known as the radio data system (RDS). RDS is a system that sends data along with the audio of the FM station you are currently tuned to. RDS is a standard that defines how a FM broadcast station may send digital data along with the audio program. Think of it as a one way wireless modem, allowing the broadcaster to send information about his program to your receiver.

RDS data is carried in what is known as a subcarrier. A subcarrier is a frequency that the FM broadcaster is authorized to use to send data or other audio programs that are not audible in the main audio program. RDS information can be used to display program information and to control the radio.

To receive the RDS signal, all that is needed is an FM receiver with a RDS circuit. A special integrated circuit capable of dealing with the RDS signal is in the RDS circuit and passes it along to the receiver's microprocessor where it is decoded and acted upon.

RDS Basic Information

    • RDS functions are provided in the FM broadcast band only.
    • RDS functions will only work with FM broadcast stations that are broadcasting RDS data.
    • Not all FM Broadcast stations broadcast RDS data or offer all of the RDS services.
    • RDS functions may not work properly when reception is weak, reception is of poor quality, or RDS is not implemented properly by the FM Broadcaster.

In some cases, a radio station broadcasting incorrect information may cause the RDS features of the radio to appear to work improperly.

Displaying RDS Information

The RDS feature is always on. When tuned to a non-RDS station, the radio will display frequency information as you would normally expect. When tuned to a RDS station, the radio can operate as follows:

    • The radio will change from displaying the frequency of the FM station to displaying the call letters of the station or display the nickname of the station.
    • Display the type of program.
    • Display general information such as artist and song title, call in phone numbers, etc.

Viewing and Selecting RDS Information for Display

Press the P-Type knob to enter the program type mode. The radio displays the last program type selected.

Using RDS Program Types to Tune Radio

Listed are several ways on how to tune your radio using RDS program types.

The radio will now be configured to tune based on RDS data rather than frequency.

A Fast Way to Find a RDS Station In Your Listening Area

  1. Press the P-TYPE button, the radio displays the current P-Type to search for.
  2. Rotating the ADJ knob scrolls through a display of all available program types.
  3. The program type selected becomes the active program type.

Finding a RDS Station By Specific Program Type

  1. Press the PROG TYPE or P-TYPE button, the radio will display the current P-Type to search for.
  2. Rotate the TUNE knob until the desired program type is shown in the display.
  3. Press the PROG TYPE or P-TYPE button and the radio will now seek the first RDS Broadcaster of the selected P-Type.

If the radio cannot find the desired P-Type, the radio displays "NONE" and will return to the last station you were listening to.

Using the INFO Feature

When the INFO icon appears in the radio display, a new text message is available for viewing. These text messages are from the RDS broadcaster to the listening public and may be general information such as artist and song title, call in phone numbers, etc.

How to view the INFO message

    • To view the message when the INFO icon appears, press the INFO button to display the text message. If you do not press the INFO button again, the text message will automatically be displayed 8 characters at a time, 3 seconds between updates.
    • To view the text message faster, press the INFO button for less than 1 second to scroll through the message at your own speed.
    • The INFO icon disappears as soon as you press the INFO button. The INFO icon will appear when a new different message is received.
    • To view the most recent received message, press the INFO icon at any time even if the icon does not appear in the display.

Controlling the Radio

RDS can control the radio when data the receiver can use responds to timely information performing the following:

    • Interrupt the playback of your cassette or CD for traffic or emergency bulletins.
    • Search for stations by type of program.
    • Automatically follow network programming from transmitter to transmitter as you travel from one listening area to another.
    • Set your clock to the time that the RDS broadcast station broadcasts.

Using the RDS Traffic Feature

Some RDS broadcasters may carry traffic information programming to inform you of current traffic conditions in your listening area and is indicated by the TRAF icon in the radio display. RDS enables the broadcaster to get this information to you even when you are listening to a tape or compact disc. This feature can be enabled or disabled by the listener. Press the TRAF button to find a station that claims to carry traffic information. You may do this even when playing a cassette tape or compact disc. This action will operate in the background without interrupting the current playback. If the radio is not currently tuned to an RDS traffic station, the radio will immediately seek an RDS traffic station. If the radio finds an RDS traffic station, the TRAF icon will appear on the radio display as will brackets around the [TRAF] icon. If the radio cannot find an RDS traffic station after searching through the entire FM band, the radio will display NO TRAFFIC.

Traffic Interrupt Feature

Whenever the TRAF icon is displayed, the current FM station may also broadcast traffic announcements. Traffic announcements are reports of the current traffic conditions in the listening area of the tuned FM broadcasters.

Your radio can interrupt the playback of a cassette or compact disc by use of the traffic interrupt feature. The traffic interrupt feature is enabled when the TRAF icon is displayed.

If the broadcaster sends out a traffic announcement while you are listening to FM or in the playback mode, TRAFFIC will be displayed on the radio and the audio from the broadcaster will be heard. At the conclusion of the traffic announcement, the radio will return to the previous playback mode.

During the time the radio displays TRAFFIC, you can adjust the volume of the traffic announcement. This will be the volume at which all future traffic announcements will be heard.

You can also interrupt a traffic announcement interrupt by pressing the TRAF button.

RDS Program Type Interrupts

When the program type feature is ON, all program types may be selected as interrupts. Perform the following to select a program type as an interrupt.

  1. Turn ON the radio.
  2. Select the program type.
  3. Press and hold the program type button, labeled PROG TYPE or P-TYPE, for 2 seconds while the program type is displayed.

When an interrupt is set, the display shows the program type followed by an asterisk and the brackets around the [P-TYPE] icon are illuminated.

To turn an interrupt OFF:

  1. Select a program type marked as an interrupt.
  2. Press and hold the program type button, labeled PROG TYPE or P-TYPE, for 2 seconds. The program type will be unmarked by turning OFF the asterisk. If no other program type interrupts are set, the brackets around the [P-TYPE] icon are also turned OFF.

When a program type interrupt is set, the radio will wait for the current FM RDS station to change its program type to one of those selected as an interrupt. When the station program type changes to a program type interrupt setting then the interrupt is activated. If the radio is in a playback mode, an interrupt will cause the radio to switch to the FM band, display the program type followed by INT, and adjust the volume to the last active interrupt volume. If the radio is in the FM mode when an interrupt occurs, only the volume will change. The radio resumes the mode that was active prior to the interrupt, when an interrupt ends. An interrupt in progress may be canceled by pressing the program type button or a mode button.

During a national or local emergency, a special program type interrupt message ALERT! is displayed. This special announcement will cancel all other RDS features that are in progress, such as a traffic announcement.

Alternate Frequency (AF) Switching

RDS permits broadcaster's to send information to the radio that allows the radio to automatically switch frequency to the best quality station in that broadcaster's network.

Since the radio is displaying the broadcaster call letters or nickname, the listener will not see the frequency during an AF switch unless you have changed the default display to be frequency instead of Program Service name.

To enable or disable AF switching perform the following:

    • Press and hold the AM/FM button for 2 seconds or more.
    • The radio will display AF ON or AF OFF depending on the current condition of AF and a confirmation beep will be heard.

When AF is enabled and you recall a RDS station stored on preset, the radio determines if the station stored is of acceptable quality. If not, the radio checks all available AFs for your station. If the radio fails to locate your program, AF SEARCH will be displayed as the radio scans across the band looking for your program or an affiliated network. If the radio cannot find the original station or an acceptable alternate frequency NOT FOUND will be displayed and the radio returns to the original frequency for the preset.

RDS Clock Time

Broadcasters can choose to send clock time information in the RDS data. This information can be used to update the clock time on the radio. RDS clock time is broadcast once a minute. To set the clock using RDS clock data perform the following:

    • Press and hold the HR and MIN buttons together for 2 or more seconds to update the time.
    • The display will show UPDATED after receiving the broadcasted time data.
    • If the broadcaster is not broadcasting the time data, the radio will display NO UPDATE and the time remains unchanged.

Steering Wheel Audio Controls

Some audio functions are available using the steering wheel controls. The steering wheel controls are actually a resistor network which consists of multiple momentary contact switches and a series of resistors. The switches and resistor network is arranged so that each switch has a different resistance value. When a switch is pressed, a voltage drop occurs in the resistor network which produces a specific voltage value unique to the switch selected. These specific voltage values allow the radio to identify which switch has been pressed. The radio responds just as if the corresponding radio front panel button had been pressed.

When the radio is ON, the radio supplies approximately 10 volts to the switches on the 10-volt reference circuit. The specific voltage signal from the switch is returned to the radio on the steering wheel controls signal circuit.

XM Satellite Radio

XM is a national satellite radio service that offers up to 100 coast to coast channels including music, news, sports, talk and children's programming. XM provides digital quality audio and text information, including song title and artist name. A service fee is required in order to receive the XM service. For more information, contact XM at www.xmradio.com or call 1-800-556-3600.

Digital Radio Receiver

The radio communicates with the digital radio receiver (DRR) via the GMLAN data bus. When the radio communicates with the DRR, the virtual network (VN INFOTAINMENT) is activated by the radio. During this communication phase, the radio sends a specific GMLAN frame message to establish a link with the DRR. The DRR responds with a specific frame message back to the radio confirming the link was successful. The scan tool can be used to check if any remote device is connected to the radio. In this case, observe the RSE parameter in the Radio Data Display. The scan tool will indicate RSE - Present. When a XMI or XM2 frequency setting is selected from pressing a button on the radio, a specific GMLAN frame message is sent to the DRR to change to the selected frequency. During XM operation the audio signals are sent over the left and right audio signal circuits from the DRR to the radio.

Viewing Messages

Press the DISP or RCL button while in XM mode to view various pieces of information related to the current song or channel. By pressing and releasing the DISP or RCL button, you may view four different categories of information: Artist Name/Feature, Song/Program Title, Channel Category, and other Additional Information that may be broadcast on that channel. Additional Information messages may not always be available. If an Additional Information message is being broadcast on the tuned channel, the INFO icon will appear on the display. Each of the four information types may have multiple pages of text. To reach a category, press and release the DISP or RCL button consecutively until the desired type is displayed. If there are multiple pages of text for the selected information type, the radio will automatically display all the pages for that type at a rate of approximately one page every three seconds before timing out and returning to the default display. You may override this feature by pressing the DISP or RCL button to review all of the pages at your own pace.

XM Radio Messages

Radio Display Message

Condition

Updating

Updating encryption code

No Signal

Loss of signal

Loading XM

Acquiring channel audio (after 4 second delay)

Off Air

Channel not in service

CH Unavl

Channel no longer available

No Info

Artist Name/Feature not available

No Info

Song/Program Title not available

No Info

Category name not available

No Info

No text/informational message available

Not Found

No channel available for the chosen category

XM Lock

Theft Lock active

Radio ID

Radio ID label (channel 0)

Unknown

Radio ID not known (should only be if hardware failure)

Check DAB

Hardware failure

Radio Circuit Operation

Radio Power: The main radio power is supplied by the 10-amp RADIO fuse located in the body control module (BCM). The radio does not use a discrete ignition feed circuit for power moding. The power mode master (PMM) provides the system power mode to the radio via GMLAN signals. The PMM determines the system power mode by processing power mode information from ignition switch inputs. GMLAN vehicle power modes supported by the radio are OFF, ACCESSORY, RUN, and CRANK REQUEST.

Radio Grounds: The main radio ground provides a ground for the radio circuits. The radio is also case grounded.

Radio Data Link Communication: The radio communicates with other modules via the GMLAN data bus which is a CAN based protocol. This vehicle uses 2 variants of the GMLAN data bus. The variants are a low speed and high speed vehicle bus. The radio connects to the low speed vehicle bus which runs between 12.5-40 kbps.

Radio Speaker Outputs: At minimum volume, the plus (+) and minus (-) speaker outputs are approximately 5-6 volts, measured to vehicle ground. If a plus or minus for any speaker output is shorted to ground or voltage, the radio circuitry will turn OFF the affected speaker output for component protection and set a diagnostic trouble code (DTC). As the volume increases, the plus and minus change to create a voltage difference between each other driving the voice coil of the speaker.

Radio Head Unit Dimming: Dimming and backlighting levels are determined by the GMLAN signal data the radio receives. The radio sets the backlight and VF display dimming to the value indicated by the interior dimming level and interior dimming display level signals in the GMLAN dimming information frame. The radio provides faceplate and control/graphics backlighting in the OFF (RAP inactive) when the exterior lighting VN is activated. The radio display is consistent then with the surrounding devices that use analog PWM dimming to backlight their control/graphics when the power mode is OFF and the park lights are ON.