'95 940, CR-915 Radio Troubles

[tylerwcai02006]

So, i bought this 940 last summer, used from my neighbor. The radio at the time was anti-theft locked so i had to get the code thru the VIN after i bought it. Once I inputed the code into the radio and it turned on, I put in a tape into the casette deck. Music played for about 3 seconds, before all sound shut off and it went to static. Ever since the casette deck hasn't work at all, and everytime i insert a new tape I can't hear anything unless I turn the volume all the way up, then I can hear very faint static.


Also, I tried using a bluetooth adapter a few months ago, at first it also did not work unless I turned the volume all the way up, then i could very faintly hear what I was trying to play. After doing this a few times that no longer works either. So what is wrong with this? It worked fine and sounded fine when I first tried it, and then immediately died. The radio DOES periodically play music on FM, sometimes it only plays static and then will suddenly start working on FM, or in the middle of a song on FM frequency's the radio will go back to static (very frustrating) but AM works all the time, theres never an issue getting AM signal.

And a side note, only the front left speaker worked in the car. I did take out the factory radio, and installed an identical CR-915 (by the way, incredibly hard to find) and that too did not work. BUT, when I installed that radio, now only the back left speaker worked, but it just made the same static noise as well. And every so often when I do turn on the car with the radio powered on, theres a deafening screeching sound from the front left speaker.

I really dont wanna get a new stereo installed since I like the original look of the car, but if i have to I'll buck up

So what the hell is wrong with it?? Is it a fuse? I checked the fuse box and everything looked in order, although I dont actually know what fuse I should be looking for. And I have no idea what to do about the speakers. Is it a wiring issue within the car?

[Volvo3000]

I don't know if this applies to your car, but in my 92' 940 I was looking at the wiring diagrams and there's not only a radio, but an amplifier, which I think is situated at the back of the fuse box. I was going to put a new stereo in but gave up because it would mean taking the interior apart and running new cables. I've done that job on an 80's Ford but that was easy to take apart compared to my 940.

Also, I found with another car in the past, that the wires in the door must have got like metal fatigue from opening and closing the door over 30 years, causing the radio to make funny noises when the door was closed. This also caused the left speaker only to work.

You say it works on AM and not FM - have you checked the aerial connection? Does it have an automatic aerial that works every time?

[Forrest]

I’m fairly sure the CR-915 was only available in the USA so you may not get too much help from a British forum. However, there is some information in the FAQ which might be of use to you.

https://www.volvoclub.org.uk/faq/Rad...#CR915Failures

I think I’ve seen elsewhere that some CR-915s did use an external amplifier so your first step will probably need to be to find out whether you have a separate amplifier or not.

+ YouTube Video

Assuming you don’t, based on that information in the FAQ, I’d say there is a good chance any vintage CR-915 you managed to find could also be faulty. Also, as you would have direct speaker wiring from the back of the radio, it would also be easy to substitute any other Volvo or third-party radio with an internal amplifier.

It is tidier to use a harness adapter rather than start butchering the factory wiring if your replacement has different connectors. You might need to look at adapters for different models of Volvo from that era as many 940s did use the external amplifier.