Emperor5353 Posted November 12, 2014 Report Share Posted November 12, 2014 Not sure if this is the normal sound of these radio units but it is absolute garbage Static is heard through everything I listen to and the sound just distorts and the slightest volume increase Is there a software update that addresses this problem..or is the Journey radio just not a good sounding unit?? I have the UConnect 4.3s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobitz68 Posted November 12, 2014 Report Share Posted November 12, 2014 Mine does not display these characteristics at all... Perhaps someone blew the speakers before you got the vehicle? The satellite is "tinny" sometimes, but I have never heard anything that I would describe as "absolute garbage" come through my speakers (unless the wife is listening to her music, ha!). I have the 8.4 if that matters... jkeaton and Emperor5353 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Official Dodge Support DodgeCares Posted November 12, 2014 Official Dodge Support Report Share Posted November 12, 2014 Not sure if this is the normal sound of these radio units but it is absolute garbage Static is heard through everything I listen to and the sound just distorts and the slightest volume increase Is there a software update that addresses this problem..or is the Journey radio just not a good sounding unit?? I have the UConnect 4.3s I am sorry to hear your radio sound is static and distorted. Your servicing dealer should be able to check for any software updates and diagnose the radio system for the performance issues. Emperor5353 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted November 12, 2014 Report Share Posted November 12, 2014 Mine sounds great. As stated, you could have something wrong in your sound system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhareFred Posted November 12, 2014 Report Share Posted November 12, 2014 Mine sounds great as well. I have the basic cd/DVDs/sat radio too, the REN model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor5353 Posted November 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2014 Thanks for the replies!! The radio actually sounds decent..there is great bass response and it sounds like a radio should The problem is when I play cd's...the sound is dreadful...I cannot turn the volume up very much at all..there are even songs where I don't even hear the instruments..heck, when I played "Smoke on the Water" the opening guitar is not even audible..and that's criminal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobitz68 Posted November 12, 2014 Report Share Posted November 12, 2014 Thanks for the replies!! The radio actually sounds decent..there is great bass response and it sounds like a radio should The problem is when I play cd's...the sound is dreadful...I cannot turn the volume up very much at all..there are even songs where I don't even hear the instruments..heck, when I played "Smoke on the Water" the opening guitar is not even audible..and that's criminal Should sound even better from a CD... Definitely check out the speakers... You can replace them with low wattage aftermarket speakers for a reasonable price that will sound better even if they are good... Can't hurt. Emperor5353 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobitz68 Posted November 12, 2014 Report Share Posted November 12, 2014 Mine sounds great. As stated, you could have something wrong in your sound system. Mine sounds great as well. I have the basic cd/DVDs/sat radio too, the REN model. I wouldn't say that they sound "great", but they should be sufficient for the average listener... Emperor5353 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaptorsFan Posted November 12, 2014 Report Share Posted November 12, 2014 Not sure if this is the normal sound of these radio units but it is absolute garbage Static is heard through everything I listen to and the sound just distorts and the slightest volume increase Is there a software update that addresses this problem..or is the Journey radio just not a good sounding unit?? I have the UConnect 4.3s You can check and see if your system requires a software update here - https://rsur.extra.chrysler.com/rsur/Uconnect.do If an update is required you can do this yourself very easily (did an update to mine not too long ago). Worth a shot to see if it fixes your issue. Emperor5353 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted November 12, 2014 Report Share Posted November 12, 2014 (edited) You could also try cleaning the CD player if that's where the problem is. I think they sell kits. Lobitz, to my old ears it does sound great. Does everything I need it to. I don't need the license plate vibrating anymore. Guess I'm an average listener. : ) Edited November 12, 2014 by jkeaton rolly, OhareFred and Emperor5353 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobitz68 Posted November 13, 2014 Report Share Posted November 13, 2014 (edited) You could also try cleaning the CD player if that's where the problem is. I think they sell kits. Lobitz, to my old ears it does sound great. Does everything I need it to. I don't need the license plate vibrating anymore. Guess I'm an average listener. : ) Indeed, you are "average"... Ha! I guess my point was that audiophiles (or even audio enthusiasts) usually pick up on small nuances in the staging, clarity and overall sound quality more so than the "average" listener. I wouldn't put myself in either of those categories, but do enjoy upgrades that offer an improved audio experience as I enjoy listening to my music as it was recorded...something you just aren't going to get out of any oem sound system. That being said, it does not sound bad at all. Edited November 13, 2014 by Lobitz68 Emperor5353 and jkeaton 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhh3 Posted November 13, 2014 Report Share Posted November 13, 2014 (edited) If your radio sounds decent, and this only does this with CDs, the laser may be going out. The factory speakers are crap paper. I switched my 4 door speakers for 6x9 Alpines. According to Crutchfield, no one makes a replacement for the dash speakers, so I left them as is. If it it the laser, check out oemautoparts.com. They specialize in Mopar radios; some are brand new dealer takeouts. They bench test every radio they sell, update it to the most current software, and replace the screen if there are any marks. Great prices and great people to work with Edited November 13, 2014 by dhh3 Lobitz68 and Emperor5353 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor5353 Posted November 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2014 I am going to try and test some of the same music on an IPod and see how it compares to the cd I generally burn my own music for driving...hate the radio I just cannot play music from cd too loud..just too harsh with the lack of bass and the sizzle of the static dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhh3 Posted November 13, 2014 Report Share Posted November 13, 2014 (edited) Do you know if the 4.3 is the actual radio? When my dealer was installing my rear view camera, I walked back to check on their progress when everyone was at lunch. The 8.4 is just a screen. The radio actually sits behind it somewhere (it was loose when I checked). It looks like a mygig without the screen. I'm with you on listening to the radio. All my music is on my iPhone, but I screwed up. I updated my phone to iOS8 and now it no longer plays well with Uconnect. So, I listen to The Spectrum. At least they play some of my music, until an update comes out. Edited November 13, 2014 by dhh3 Emperor5353 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor5353 Posted November 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2014 Well, I listened to the same songs from my phone (Samsung G4) and the sound was about the same as my burnt cd's Maybe the issue isn't the stereo but the files I am burning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted November 14, 2014 Report Share Posted November 14, 2014 Good thing to compare with something else before blaming the Journey!! Poor car gets a bad rap sometimes through no fault of her own....... Emperor5353 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhh3 Posted November 14, 2014 Report Share Posted November 14, 2014 Well, I listened to the same songs from my phone (Samsung G4) and the sound was about the same as my burnt cd's Maybe the issue isn't the stereo but the files I am burning What did you burn the CDs from? If from your computer, play an original CD on your computer, or whatever you started with and see how it sounds. I have an HP desktop and copied all of my CDs directly into my iTunes Library. The copied CDs sound as good or better using this method, when played from iTunes. All I had to do then was to copy my entire iTunes Library to my iPhone. Everything sounds the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor5353 Posted November 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2014 What did you burn the CDs from? If from your computer, play an original CD on your computer, or whatever you started with and see how it sounds. I have an HP desktop and copied all of my CDs directly into my iTunes Library. The copied CDs sound as good or better using this method, when played from iTunes. All I had to do then was to copy my entire iTunes Library to my iPhone. Everything sounds the same. I grabbed a couple of original cd's..and they sound just as bad, if not worse...when louf passages come on it's like the player compresses itself...the sound gets even more distorted The output of the cd player and aux outputs all sound the same...overly distorted and compressed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhh3 Posted November 14, 2014 Report Share Posted November 14, 2014 I do not know how the radio is wired. An educated guess would be that the radio goes through it's own Eq, then out to the speakers. The Aux and CD may have a separate Eq to pass through, which may be shot. Can you play your phone or CDs in someone elses car? If both sound as they should, I'm guessing something is electronically wrong with your radio, because you said the radio sounds fine; external sources do not, In my experience, Dealers do not work on radios. They send them out to be repaired. This can be costly. If you have good luck in another car, contact oemautoparts. They may give you a core charge/discount if you send them your radio. Again, I have no idea if the 4.3 is an integrated radio/screen like the mygigs. The 8.4 is not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor5353 Posted November 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2014 I do not know how the radio is wired. An educated guess would be that the radio goes through it's own Eq, then out to the speakers. The Aux and CD may have a separate Eq to pass through, which may be shot. Can you play your phone or CDs in someone elses car? If both sound as they should, I'm guessing something is electronically wrong with your radio, because you said the radio sounds fine; external sources do not, In my experience, Dealers do not work on radios. They send them out to be repaired. This can be costly. If you have good luck in another car, contact oemautoparts. They may give you a core charge/discount if you send them your radio. Again, I have no idea if the 4.3 is an integrated radio/screen like the mygigs. The 8.4 is not. My wife has a 2012 Town and Country and these same cd's sound flawless So, I am guessing there is an issue with the internal wiring of the radio that is shot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhh3 Posted November 15, 2014 Report Share Posted November 15, 2014 (edited) Issue solved! Now, you need to find out if the 4.3 is an integrated screen + radio, just like the mygigs. You wife's T and C is a mygig, or older style radio. They are very easy to pop out. Remove the surround panel that is usually held on with metal friction clips, and the radio is held in with 4 screws. Use a panel removal tool, so that you don't scratch or break anything. If the 4.3 is an integrated radio/screen, it may be just as simple as the T and C. Edited November 15, 2014 by dhh3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halofan.3 Posted November 15, 2014 Report Share Posted November 15, 2014 The 4.3 head unit is separate from the screen, just like the 8.4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor5353 Posted November 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2014 Issue solved! Now, you need to find out if the 4.3 is an integrated screen + radio, just like the mygigs. You wife's T and C is a mygig, or older style radio. They are very easy to pop out. Remove the surround panel that is usually held on with metal friction clips, and the radio is held in with 4 screws. Use a panel removal tool, so that you don't scratch or break anything. If the 4.3 is an integrated radio/screen, it may be just as simple as the T and C. Ok, somehow I must have gotten confused...what exactly am I looking for? Loose wiring? oemparts does not have replacement radio's for the Journey I am stopping on Monday at the dealer I bought the vehicle from and taking the cd's and asking if I could listen to them in a different Journey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhh3 Posted November 15, 2014 Report Share Posted November 15, 2014 The HU is a silver box, located behind the center stack. The antennas (AM,FM and Sirius) will be plugged into it, along with the plugs for the speaker and power harnesses. On my 8.4, there is a slot for the CD under the round heater/AC control knobs. On the mygigs, the CD player was located behind the screen; thus integrated with the HU. I'm not sure about these new HUs - the CD player might be separate. You can call oemautoparts.com. They are very friendly and helpful. I'd call them before you tear into it. As I said, my HU was just laying on the floor, and I really didn't look at it closely; so I'm not sure if the CD player is built into it. Now you have my curiosity going. I went out and looked at mine. By the contours of the dash and where my CD player is located, the HU may be mounted just behind the screen, which must be very thin; if the CD player is built into the HU. The harness for the BU Camera plugs into the back of the HU, but it only works on the 8.4 HUs. So, I have no idea why the tech at my dealer had my whole dash apart while he was installing the BU camera. So there must be some sort of difference between the HU for the 4.2 and 8.4. Emperor5353 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhh3 Posted November 15, 2014 Report Share Posted November 15, 2014 Ok, somehow I must have gotten confused...what exactly am I looking for? Loose wiring? oemparts does not have replacement radio's for the Journey I am stopping on Monday at the dealer I bought the vehicle from and taking the cd's and asking if I could listen to them in a different Journey I don't think that it would be loose wiring. If it was loose wiring, I don't think the CD player would play anything. It has to be a bad CD player. We were posting at the same time! With luck, the CD player is a separate unit. Where is your slot for the CD? How are you playing music through your phone: Bluetooth, Aux or USB? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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