Remote Radio Controls

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2004 Dodge Pickup and 2004 Dodge Cab & Chassis. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

These radios can be controlled via remote radio switches (optional). These switches are located on the back side of the steering wheel. They control mode, preset, seek up, seek down, volume up and volume down functions.

These functions are inputs to the Instrument Cluster (MIC) and can be read with the DRBIII®. The switches are a multiplexed signal to the MIC. The radio control MUX circuit is a 5 volt line that is pulled to ground through different value resistors built into the switches. This causes a voltage drop to be seen by the MIC and it sends a specific message to the radio on the PCI Bus circuit. The radio then responses to the message.

This circuit is fairly simple to troubleshoot. The circuit must be complete from the switches in the steering wheel to the MIC. The ground must be complete so that the switches can cause the voltage drop for the MIC to see. The circuit passes through the clockspring so continuity through this devise must be verified.