Digits of Radio Blinking

[John F. Russo]

After buying the car new and having 10 to 20,000 miles my radio digital readout has blinked periodically about every 10-30 seconds from high brightness to lower brightness. It is a random occurence--once every two weeks or so for an hour or two. ( I have to get more preise data.)

My Ford dealer replaced the radio and it still continued. I also went to a stereo equipment specialist with no success.

Now at 100,000 miles I've finally come to the most experienced group of experts who have endured about just about everything--or almost everything.

I should have started here to begin with.

Go to it guys (or whatever you want to call yourselves).


This is the place I should have started from. Make me a believer!

[Blackened300a]

You sure your headlights aren't blinking and what you are seeing is the interior lights coming on and off? I had that when I had the wacky wiper issue.

[Bluerauder]

You sure your headlights aren't blinking and what you are seeing is the interior lights coming on and off? I had that when I had the wacky wiper issue.

I think these ^^^^^ are 2 different issues. The dimming radio display has been happening on mine since new in 2003. I usually run my display at the highest/brightest setting and will notice that it occasionally dims "just slightly" but enough to notice. Other than being an annoyance (only when I look at it), I don't consider it enough of a problem to get it fixed. When there is no display at all .... I'll replace the radio. My heated seats buttons flicker too so I stopped looking at them. :o

I have experienced the other problem too when riding in the daytime in rain with the lights set on "Auto". I would notice that the dash lights would go off -- I checked and the headlights were going off at the same time. This was a very early sign that the "wacky wiper problem" was imminent .... and within a few days all the wiper problems started. The fix for that is "Richie04's" wiper fix or replacement of the wiper motor/pigtail and enlarging the drain hole under the motor tray.

[Black Dynamite]

The dimming radio display has been happening on mine since new in 2003. I usually run my display at the highest/brightest setting and will notice that it occasionally dims "just slightly" but enough to notice. Other than being an annoyance (only when I look at it), I don't consider it enough of a problem to get it fixed. When there is no display at all .... I'll replace the radio. My heated seats buttons flicker too so I stopped looking at them. :o

+1.... My radios been doing the same thing for longer than I can remember. As long as it works I'm not worried about it. The most annoying thing to me is that from time to time my steering wheel audio controls won't work.

[Bluerauder]

+1.... My radios been doing the same thing for longer than I can remember. As long as it works I'm not worried about it. The most annoying thing to me is that from time to time my steering wheel audio controls won't work.

This ^^^^^^ has never happened to me. The buttons on the steering wheel have all worked just fine.

[Mr. Man]

I think these ^^^^^ are 2 different issues. The dimming radio display has been happening on mine since new in 2003. I usually run my display at the highest/brightest setting and will notice that it occasionally dims "just slightly" but enough to notice. Other than being an annoyance (only when I look at it), I don't consider it enough of a problem to get it fixed. When there is no display at all .... I'll replace the radio. My heated seats buttons flicker too so I stopped looking at them. :o

I have experienced the other problem too when riding in the daytime in rain with the lights set on "Auto". I would notice that the dash lights would go off -- I checked and the headlights were going off at the same time. This was a very early sign that the "wacky wiper problem" was imminent .... and within a few days all the wiper problems started. The fix for that is "Richie04's" wiper fix or replacement of the wiper motor/pigtail and enlarging the drain hole under the motor tray.
Paula's did this too till they finally blinked out. I believe it's poor solder joints on the circuit board. From what I remember it's an easy fix if you have a soldering iron. The hardest part is removing the panel on the door w/o breaking any of the holding tabs.:)

[John F. Russo]

The circuit board connection is a possiblity.

If it is a loose wire I should be able to detect it when riding on a rough road.

I don't see this correlation yet.

But thank you all for your thoughts.

As I read the rest of the complaints I read, this is non-issue.

[mrjones]

Mine does the same thing and has as long as I can remember. At one point the dealer ordered a new radio for it, but I never took it in and had it changed. Still works fine after 9 years.

[omarauder]

When the headlights are ON, it assumes its dark outside and dims the radio display. When their OFF, it assumes bright outside and the radio display brightens.
If your in Auto-Headlight mode durring daytime, the headlights could cycle from OFF to ON and then OFF again when passing under a dark shadow or going thru a tunnel. I think this is normal...

[JoeBoomz]

There is a wire going to the deck that controls "dimming," if you don't want dimming features it is possible to disconnect the wire and your problem should go away. I would have to look up the wire color but if you wanted to go this route let me know and I can dig it up. Top of my head is that it's orange/brown-ish with white stripe but don't quote me on that just yet.

I know this because I replaced mine with an aftermarket deck and ended up not using the dimming wire.

[John F. Russo]

When the headlights are ON, it assumes its dark outside and dims the radio display. When their OFF, it assumes bright outside and the radio display brightens.
If your in Auto-Headlight mode durring daytime, the headlights could cycle from OFF to ON and then OFF again when passing under a dark shadow or going thru a tunnel. I think this is normal...


This is an interesting comment, but I don't use the auto headlight feature.

Thank you.

[John F. Russo]

There is a wire going to the deck that controls "dimming," if you don't want dimming features it is possible to disconnect the wire and your problem should go away. I would have to look up the wire color but if you wanted to go this route let me know and I can dig it up. Top of my head is that it's orange/brown-ish with white stripe but don't quote me on that just yet.

I know this because I replaced mine with an aftermarket deck and ended up not using the dimming wire.


Unfortunately, I use the dimming feature periodically.

Thank you anyway.

[Ozark Marauder]

After buying the car new and having 10 to 20,000 miles my radio digital readout has blinked periodically about every 10-30 seconds from high brightness to lower brightness. It is a random occurence--once every two weeks or so for an hour or two. ( I have to get more preise data.)

My Ford dealer replaced the radio and it still continued. I also went to a stereo equipment specialist with no success.

Now at 100,000 miles I've finally come to the most experienced group of experts who have endured about just about everything--or almost everything.

I should have started here to begin with.

Go to it guys (or whatever you want to call yourselves).


This is the place I should have started from. Make me a believer!

Mine does this occasionally, I just move the wheel dimmer below the headlight switch back and forth a couple of time and it settles down. Note: always use the automatic on the light switch. Assumed it was a dead spot on the switch or just dust.

[John F. Russo]

Mine does this occasionally, I just move the wheel dimmer below the headlight switch back and forth a couple of time and it settles down. Note: always use the automatic on the light switch. Assumed it was a dead spot on the switch or just dust.

I'll try your suggestion. Thank you.

[ROB502]

My 2003 has been doing this blinking radio readout since day one. Dealer replace the headlight modual and radio still doing it.

[Richy04]

Almost all of the answers are correct..

I would check the dimmer control for dead spots, moving the control lower or higher and observing for a while will reveal if this is the case.

The photocell for the light dimmer is located on the dashboard top. If it is devoid of light, the headlights will come on and the radio/other control lighting will dim. Make sure your Justin Bieber air freshener isn't blocking the cell. Or that your "Guido" items hanging from the mirror aren't flapping in front of it.

If the windshield wiper motor is wet, this can cause the wipers to come on and in turn the headlights causing the radio to dim. Being that the water can migrate anywhere onto the module and not command the wipers on but it can still command the lights to dim with the headlights.

Changing the LCM, probably not the problem, especially if they dim the radio when the headlights come on. This means its working.

Loose connection, possibility... Re-seating the radio a few times might help.

Cold solder joint, a big possibility. I've repaired cold solder joints in several modules and switches all over this car. Make a Jag look reliable sometimes.. lol.. The radio in this car is notorious for failure, just about every problem that creeps up here bites most of us..

Be advised, if you choose to reflow solder on any boards, some of them have a thin clear coating over them, you must remove this in order to flow solder properly. Richy04

[John F. Russo]

I'm reviewing the comments and will report on my action and results.

Thank you all.