When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I've searched and all I can find are threads about a radio not powering on. Am I dumb? I can't seem to power off my factory radio. It shuts off with the key, but while the key is on or engine is running, I cannot turn the music off which I find strange. Is it not supposed to turn off? This is a UM6 in my 90 Formula which is basically hack free and I've had the radio out while fixing the HVAC unit and all wiring appears factory with no obvious "changes." There are no random wires going to my fuse box either. It's not a huge deal, but just wondering if there is something wrong with the radio or if it's supposed to do that?
Updated below - switch was disconnected and bypassed.
Last edited by kentuckyKITT; 06-10-2020 at 09:19 PM.
A bad power button is a VERY common problem,.... It's not the only "POWER" problem a radio can have - but BY FAR the most common.
Thirdgen UM6 and UX1 radios use the same power button as do most similar GM radios of that era. Some times they feel like a weird (not normal) "click" but no response, sometimes they don't click at all, and sometimes they "click" on and off normally - but the radio only stays on as long as the button is pushed. Often times the little plastic 'tabs' or 'channels' inside the button itself will break or the internal spring will fail, but sometimes they can be fixed after tinkering with them.
Okay thanks for the info. I had a feeling it must be the radio. The button does press and release normally as far as I can tell. Think I'll just leave the button alone since the radio currently works.
Just wanted to update this. Recently, the radio speaker channels stopped working and I removed it to look into installing a new radio. Anyway, in my quest to learn how the face comes off (in case I could transfer the face to a working radio), I discovered why the power button does not work. This picture should make that clear.
08-13-2019, 05:45 PM
