Audio system problem (C200 Kompressor 2001)
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W203 C200 Kompressor
Audio system problem (C200 Kompressor 2001)
Hello! I have been having a problem with the audio system in my car for the last month. Front left and rear right speakers randomly start crackling and making strange noises. When I turn up the volume all the way, the front right speaker also starts to crackle. I checked each speaker individually and they all seem healthy, I even replaced the worst sounding one (front left) with a brand new one and there was no difference, which I can be sure the speakers are not the problem. The radio receiver is a Mercedes Audio 10 B6019 on which I've added a bluetooth receiver in place of the cassette player for convenience (hardwired to CAS-L, CAS-R and CAS-Ground and triggered via the CC button). At first I thought the problem was my clumsy soldering, but the same problem happens while listening to FM radio too. The strange sounds appear completely randomly and disappear completely randomly, sometimes briefly, sometimes for several hours. The problem is temporarily fixed when I change the song and the next 20-30 seconds of the next song the sound is perfect and then it starts to crackle again.
If anyone knows what might be causing this (audio amp, wiring, faulty radio receiver etc) feel free to share an opinion.
If anyone knows what might be causing this (audio amp, wiring, faulty radio receiver etc) feel free to share an opinion.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: BC, Canada
2003 C230K Coupe Orion Blue
Might be a faulty radio. Have you tried buying a used unit online and swapping out?
Could be a cold joint that finally failed. Unfortunately these things do randomly happen.
Could be a cold joint that finally failed. Unfortunately these things do randomly happen.
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Joined: May 2021
Posts: 121
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From: Melbourne, Vic, Australia
C230K M271 CL203 2003 model
Some Mercedes radios had Bluetooth accessories for receiving mobile calls through the audio system. This used a signal wire that would automatically cut the radio output when it sensed an incoming/outgoing call.. my old car had some faulty cabling and occasionally the sound would cut out even though i wasn't using the Bluetooth module!.. it was a rare occurrence and didn't last long, I never did find the root cause.. sorry can't help further..
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W203 C200 Kompressor
No I haven't tried with other units because they are quite expensive even used. In the near future I'm considering to put aftermarket multimedia, but I decided to ask first what could be causing this problem because I don't want to have the same problem after replacing the head unit. Do you have any idea which cold joint may have failed and can it be fixed at all with a basic re-soldering?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,276
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From: BC, Canada
2003 C230K Coupe Orion Blue
Cold joints are notoriously difficult to find on complex electronics. You're basically looking for a (possibly invisible) crack(s) in the solder somewhere. A shop may be able to remove the circuit boards and bake the boards to reflow all the solder. You can actually DIY this with a toaster oven as well.
The other option is to take a soldering iron to every suspected joint. Melt the solder and let it cool again. This is called reflowing the solder. It would eliminate any cracks. The hard part is making sure you successfully reflow every joint that actually has a crack.
Because of the pita factor, that's why I would simply recommend replacing the entire radio. The cold joint would be somewhere in the circuitry that outputs to the speakers, so it would be on the main PCB.
The other option is to take a soldering iron to every suspected joint. Melt the solder and let it cool again. This is called reflowing the solder. It would eliminate any cracks. The hard part is making sure you successfully reflow every joint that actually has a crack.
Because of the pita factor, that's why I would simply recommend replacing the entire radio. The cold joint would be somewhere in the circuitry that outputs to the speakers, so it would be on the main PCB.
Last edited by slammer111; Feb 28, 2023 at 12:12 AM.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 4
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W203 C200 Kompressor
Cold joints are notoriously difficult to find on complex electronics. You're basically looking for a (possibly invisible) crack(s) in the solder somewhere. A shop may be able to remove the circuit boards and bake the boards to reflow all the solder. You can actually DIY this with a toaster oven as well.
The other option is to take a soldering iron to every suspected joint. Melt the solder and let it cool again. This is called reflowing the solder. It would eliminate any cracks. The hard part is making sure you successfully reflow every joint that actually has a crack.
Because of the pita factor, that's why I would simply recommend replacing the entire radio. The cold joint would be somewhere in the circuitry that outputs to the speakers, so it would be on the main PCB.
The other option is to take a soldering iron to every suspected joint. Melt the solder and let it cool again. This is called reflowing the solder. It would eliminate any cracks. The hard part is making sure you successfully reflow every joint that actually has a crack.
Because of the pita factor, that's why I would simply recommend replacing the entire radio. The cold joint would be somewhere in the circuitry that outputs to the speakers, so it would be on the main PCB.
