'01 550 Radio/CD Problems | FerrariChat

'01 550 Radio/CD Problems

Discussion in 'Technical Q&A' started by tiger 6, Nov 16, 2005.

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  1. tiger 6

    tiger 6 Karting

    Aug 7, 2004
    99
    virginia
    Full Name:
    Stephen C Darrah
    #1 tiger 6, Nov 16, 2005
    The radio/cd player in my '01 550 has gone kaput-no sound.It went out around 6 months ago,came back on for a while, and has recently quit.I understand that there is not a separate amp for the Becker unit-the amp is in the playback unit itself.The solution to my problem is to replace the Becker unit,which I understand is very expensive and time consuming.
    Has anyone replaced their Becker unit in a 550 with another after market radio/cd changer?If so,any problems/issues I should be aware of before doing this?
    Any recommendations as to which manufacturer to consider?
    Thanks for the help.
     
  2. stephens

    stephens F1 Rookie
    Lifetime Rossa

    Feb 13, 2004
    4,647
    Australia
    Full Name:
    Stephen S
    #2 stephens, Nov 16, 2005
    I have a spare working unit, including changer with codes etc if you are interested.
     
  3. thibaut

    thibaut Formula Junior

    Feb 28, 2004
    528
    London, UK
    Full Name:
    Thibaut A.
    #3 thibaut, Nov 16, 2005
    Hi

    I am not sure the Becker unit in the 550 is that exotic. Becker usually has good reputation and I would definitively go at a Becker dealer first get the unit checked. It will be cheaper than F-dealer.
    Car stereos - especially OEM installations - are not rocket science.

    If the unit is kaputt and you need ot replace, then there are several brands / type of units you will have to consider.

    But I am sure you can have a pretty cheap fix - cheap in F-terms of course
     
  4. speedball

    speedball Formula Junior

    Mar 29, 2004
    268
    Pasadena Area
    Full Name:
    Scot Anderson
    #4 speedball, Nov 17, 2005
    I still have the OEM Becker in my 2000 550 ..... but I must say it's the worst radio I've ever seen. The AM band is only static .... the CD changer skips with every road imperfection, and the sound is equal to what one would expect in a $ 10k vehicle. I'm sure many on this fourm agree with this statement. I keep thinking of changing my radio to a better quality aftermarket brand ... maybe even an sat receiver .... but just haven't gotten around to it. But if my radio failed, I wouldn't bother replacing it with another OEM model. Changing these is as simple as with any other vehicle ..... they just slide out of their holder, but you'll probably need the release tools.
     
  5. teachdna

    teachdna Formula Junior

    Sep 1, 2001
    374
    Cincinnati
    Full Name:
    Jeffrey Robbins
    #5 teachdna, Nov 17, 2005
    A couple of things.
    1) Believe the previous comments. The OEM unit stinks and any decent car radio shop can replace it with a better unit.

    2) If you want to keep an OEM for authenticity's sake, take advantage of the offers that the other members are making.

    3) It may not be "broken" at all. The 550 radio unit is set up with, gently put, arcane wiring. One of the wires actually is run along the kick plate on the doors and is subject to shorts. This has the effect of rendering the unit silent, even though it looks as if it's powered up. Again, a decent car radio store is the best place to go look for a definitive diagnosis of your particular problem. The usual dealer Ferrari place, in my experience, doesn't have a clue and will charge you 90-130/hour to misdiagnose the problem (bitter personal experience).
     
  6. rmfurzeland

    rmfurzeland Formula Junior

    Jan 7, 2005
    554
    Houston, TX
    Full Name:
    Ron Furzeland
    #6 rmfurzeland, Nov 19, 2005
    If you have no sound from unit then, assuming you still have the radio stations showing on the LCD display, the problem is on the amplifier -speaker side. The amplifier is built in to the back of the radio and seems to automatically switch of all 4 channels if it detects a faulty loudpeaker circuit (presumably to protect the amp).
    If any of the 4 speakers is no longer working then the amp cuts out sound to all four. Most probable fault is the left or right front speaker in the footwell since their wiring gets pulled when service or inspection computer connected up.
    You will see the 2 tab connector on the speaker has 2 braided wires to speaker coil. Often damaged.
    I have 2 spare speakers if you need them.
    Regards,
    Ron Furzeland
     

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