Have you ever had a touch screen in your car that’s not working? This can be really frustrating, especially when you are trying to change the radio station or want to do something else.
Recently, my Pioneer touch screen wasn’t working and I followed the steps here to troubleshoot the issue!
Whether you have a Pioneer stereo, Boss Audio, Kenwood, JVC, or Sony radio unit, the article should help you as the troubleshooting methods are more or less the same.
Why the Car Stereo Touchscreen is Not Working?
There are many reasons why a car stereo touch screen may stop working. Some of those are-
1. Overheating Issue
The touch screen in a car stops working when it gets overheated. This can happen if you have been playing the music for hours at full blast!
In order to fix this problem, just turn off the system and wait until the unit is cool down. After a few moments, the touchscreen should start responding again. In case turning off the unit isn’t an option, use buttons to do what you want to.
2. System Having Difficulty Processing
If your touch screen is not working, it may be because the unit’s software cannot process what you are trying to do. This can happen if many things are going on at once- for instance when someone else in the car is using Bluetooth, navigation, or something else that uses up too much system resources – and there isn’t enough processing power left for the touchscreen to work.
In order to fix this problem, you need to be patient and wait until things settle down. If the touch screen is still not working when everything else in your car has calmed down, then try restarting it by turning it off and on again.
3. Disconnected Wire
Sometimes the touchscreen can stop working because there is a loose connection in one of its wires.
If you think that this may be the case, then try checking if everything else continues to work properly when you restart it. Also, check all connections between different parts of your car- especially those with power outlets and speakers – since they sometimes get disconnected without any known reason.
4. Physical Damage
There are chances that your touch screen has been damaged, and this is why it isn’t working.
It may have happened if you were trying to clean the touchscreen with a cloth or something else, which instead of cleaning made some part of the unit scratchy.
In order to fix this problem, you need to replace parts responsible for receiving touch. You can do it yourself, or take the unit to a service center if you don’t know how.
5. Calibration Issue
If your touchscreen isn’t working properly, it may be because of calibration issues.
In order to fix this problem, you need to recalibrate the machine by following the method described in the user manual. Modern-day products come calibrated from the factory, but some may require recalibration.
6. Software Bug
Sometimes, the touchscreen doesn’t work because of a software bug.
In order to fix this problem, you need to either update your machine’s operating system or contact its manufacturer for further instructions. Updating is normally as easy as downloading an app and following some simple instructions!
7. Dirty Touch Screen
If your touch screen is dirty, then it may not respond to touches.
In order to fix this problem, use a wet microfiber cloth and gently wipe until there are no fingerprints or marks left on the touchscreen. Once you have made sure the touchscreen doesn’t have any residue from oil or other substances that can interfere with its performance, try using it again.
If you follow these instructions, then your touchscreen should start working normally! If that didn’t solve the issue, follow the steps below-
How to Fix Car Stereo Touchscreen That Stopped Working
As you already know some of the troubleshooting techniques, we are going to share the other ways if the above methods failed to rectify the issue-
Fixing Software Issues
If the software issues are preventing you from using your car stereo touchscreen, then try to look for updates.
Check if there is an update available and download it in order to fix any possible faults that may be present on the machine’s system. If this isn’t helping either, contact the manufacturer of your unit in order to get help with updating the machine.
Sometimes you need to reset the stereo in order to fix these kinds of problems. In our experience, around 90% of the stereo issues get resolved after you perform a reset.
Fixing Physical Damage
If the touchscreen is physically damaged, then you will need to replace it.
Some car stereo touchscreens come as a single unit that includes all parts necessary for the operation which makes replacement harder and expensive compared to the units with separate screens and other components.
Check your user manual in order to find out whether it comes with a replaceable touch screen or not. If it has a replaceable screen follow the method described below-
How to Fix a Broken Car Stereo Touch Screen Display
If your touchscreen is broken, damaged, or faulty, and you need to fix it, then follow the steps below-
1. Collect the Tools Needed
- Flathead screwdriver
- DIN tools
- Phillips head and other screwdrivers (depends on the stereo model)
- Microfiber towel
- Double-sided tape
2. Remove the Stereo
Follow the steps according to your model of car stereo in order to remove it. Removing car stereos is generally easy with DIN tools. You need to put the tools in appropriate holes and pull the system out of the dash.
After removing it, carefully disconnect all the wires after you take a snap so that you can easily put them back in their appropriate location when the touch screen is replaced.
3. Disassemble the Radio Unit
Now, you need to disassemble the car stereo unit by removing screws that hold different parts together.
There will be around five or six main components of your machine- LCD screen, motherboard (which includes an amplifier and other chips), buttons board, front panel with all controls like volume knobs, etc., shifter knob for changing tracks, etc.
Take a snap of each part before you start removing them as it may be helpful when putting the system back together.
Before starting to remove parts, disconnect different wires and take off knobs, etc. Be careful while detaching components as they are delicate and can get damaged if you act carelessly.
It’s better to have a printed layout of the stereo typically found on the manufacturer’s website for disassembling. It will be easy for you to understand what to do without blindly guessing.
Disconnect Touch Screen
After disassembling the unit, find the touchscreen ribbon and disconnect it from the mainboard.
After disconnecting the ribbon, you need to remove screws that hold it in place. Don’t force anything as these are delicate parts and can be damaged if handled roughly. Some displays are attached with glue and some with screws.
If it’s attached with glue, you need to use a heat gun to warm it up so that the glue becomes loose.
Replace the Faulty Touch Screen
If you have a touchscreen with front panel buttons, then try replacing them along with the touch screen as they fit in one piece together. If the touchscreen doesn’t include these components, then replace only the touch screen without touching other parts.
If your touch screen is attached with double-sided tape, then simply put the new one in place of it.
Reassemble and Put back the System
Now, it’s time to put back all components. Make sure to be vigilant here as people often miss connecting tiny ribbons and connectors and end up with a machine that requires another round of fix.
After assembling everything together, check whether your car stereo works fine or not. If it works fine without any issues, then great! If it doesn’t work properly or has some other problems, then you need to go back and find out what went wrong.
Read also: https://www.carsumu.com/car-radio-display-not-working/
Conclusion
The touchscreen on your car stereo system is broken? You’re not alone. So many people are having issues with their unit that it’s hard to know whether the problem lies in the connection, or if there’s something wrong internally.
It may be difficult to repair a touch screen yourself without specific knowledge of how these work and where they go inside the machine. However, in most cases, you will be able to troubleshoot the issue without removing the radio unit from the dashboard. So, don’t worry!