GM Service Manual Online
For 1990-2009 cars only

Object Number: 861303  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 volume.

AUTO VOL (Automatic Volume): With automatic volume, your 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. Then as you drive, automatic volume increases the volume as necessary to overcome noise at any speed. The volume level should always sound the same to you as you drive. NONE will appear on the display if the radio cannot determine the vehicle speed. If you don't want to use automatic volume, select OFF.

DISP (Display): Press this knob to switch the display between the radio station frequency and the time. Time display is available with the ignition turned off. For RDS, press the DISP 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 DISP knob until you see the display you want, then hold the knob for two seconds. The radio will produce one beep and selected display will now be the default.

Finding a Station

BAND: Press this button to switch between FM1, FM2, or AM. The display will show your 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 seek only to stations that are in the selected band and only to those with a strong signal.

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

Setting Preset Stations

The six numbered pushbuttons let you return to your favorite stations. You can set up to 30 stations (six FM1, six FM2, and six AM), 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 you press that numbered pushbutton, the station you set will return and the equalization that you selected will be automatically 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. 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, you may want to decrease the treble. To adjust bass and 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 with the level display in the middle position.

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 is displayed.

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 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 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. 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 with the level display in the middle position.

Radio Data System (RDS)

Your audio system is equipped with a Radio Data System (RDS). RDS features are available for use only on FM stations that broadcast RDS information.

With RDS, your 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 you are tuned to an RDS station, the station name or the 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

To select and find a desired PTY perform the following:

  1. Press the P-TYPE LIST knob to activate program type select mode. TYPE and a PTY will appear on the display.
  2. Turn the P-TYPE LIST knob to select a PTY.
  3. Once the desired PTY is displayed, press the SEEK TYPE button to take you to the PTY's first station.
  4. If you want 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 P-TYPE LIST 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 stations with the selected PTY and traffic announcements.

If the radio cannot find the desired program type, 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 stronger stations. 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 muted or a cassette tape or CD is playing. If a cassette tape or CD is playing, play will stop during the announcement. You will not be able to turn off alert announcements. 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 whole message is not displayed, parts of the message will appear every three seconds. To scroll through the message at your own speed, press the INFO button repeatedly. A new group of words will appear on the display with each press. Once the complete message has been displayed, the information symbol will disappear from the display until another new message is received. The old message can be displayed by pressing the INFO button. You can view an old message until a new message is received or a different station is tuned to. When a message is not available from a station, NO INFO will appear on the display.

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 current tuned station does not broadcast traffic announcements, press the TRAF button and the radio will seek to a station that does. When the radio finds a station that broadcasts traffic announcements, the radio will stop and TRAF will be displayed. When a traffic announcement comes on the tuned radio station you will hear it. If no station is found, NO TRAF will appear on the display. If TRAF is on the display you can press the TRAF button to turn off the traffic announcements. Your radio will play the traffic announcement even if the volume is muted or interrupt the play of a cassette tape or CD if the last tuned station broadcasts traffic announcements.

Radio Messages

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

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

Playing a Cassette Tape

Your 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 the ignition is on, but the radio is off, the tape can be inserted and will begin playing. A tape symbol is shown on the display whenever a tape is inserted. If you hear nothing or hear a garbled sound, the tape may not be in squarely. Press EJT to remove the tape and start over.

While the tape is playing, use the VOL, AUDIO, and SEEK controls just as you do for the radio. The display will show TAPE and an arrow showing which side of the tape is playing.

If you want to insert a tape while the ignition is off, first press the EJT button or the DISP knob.

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

1 PREV (Previous): Your 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 or holding it will increase the number of selections to be searched back, up to -9.

2 NEXT: Your 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 you press this pushbutton more than once, the player will continue moving forward through the tape. SEEK and a positive number will appear on the display.

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

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

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

SEEK : The right arrow is the same as the NEXT pushbutton, and the left arrow is the same as the PREV pushbutton. If the arrows are 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 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 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 to the right of the cassette tape slot, to eject a tape. Eject may be activated with the ignition or radio off. Cassette tapes may be loaded with the 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 reasons:

    • 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, your tape may be damaged and should not be used in the player. Try a new tape to make sure your 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 you should clean it as soon as possible to prevent damage to the tapes and player. See Care of the Cassette Tape Player . If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot be corrected, contact your dealer. If you radio displays an error message, write it down and provide it to your dealer when reporting the problem.

CD Adapter Kits

It is possible to use a portable CD player adapter kit with your cassette tape player after disabling the tight/loose tape sensing feature on your tape player.

To disable the feature, use the following steps:

  1. Turn the ignition on.
  2. Turn the radio off.
  3. Press and hold the TAPE CD button. The radio will display READY and flash the cassette symbol.
  4. 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. The CD symbol will appear on the display. If you want to insert a CD with the ignition off, first press the EJT button or the DISP knob.

If you turn off the ignition or radio with a CD in the player, it will stay in the player. When you turn on the ignition or the radio, the CD will start playing, if it was the last selected audio source.

As each new track starts to play, the track number will appear on the display.

The CD player can play the smaller 8cm 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. You may experience an increase in skipping, difficulty in finding tracks and/or difficulty in loading and ejecting. If these problems occur try a known good CD.

Do not add paper labels to CDs, they could get caught in the CD player.

Do not play 3 inch CDs without a standard adapter CD.

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

1 PREV (Previous): Press this pushbutton to go to the beginning of the current track if it has been playing for more than eight seconds. TRACK and the track number will appear on the display. If you hold this pushbutton or press it 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 you hold this pushbutton or press it 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. Release it to play the passage. The display will show ET and the elapsed time of the track.

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 it for more than two seconds to advance at 17 times the normal playing speed. Release it to play the passage. The display will show ET and the elapsed time of the track.

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 you hold either arrow or press it more than once, the player will continue moving backward or forward through the CD.

DISP (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 DISP 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 CD is playing. The inactive CD will remain safely inside the radio for future listening.

TAPE CD): Press this button to play a CD when listening to the radio.

EJT (Eject): Press this button 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

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

    • It is very hot. When the temperature returns to normal, the CD should play.
    • You are driving on a very rough road. When the road becomes smooth, 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 dealer. If your radio displays an error message, write it down and provide it to your dealer when reporting the problem.