Oh Boy. I know I have read other posts about this, but....

I purchased my 2009 Quest as a second family car back last March. I have since rebuilt the transmission and it runs great, but 1 problem - the radio doesn't work and so neither does the dvd player. When we purchased the van it all worked flawlessly, and it made those long trips bearable. But then...

One morning I got in the van to run to the store by myself and I noticed all of the channels were reset. No big deal. I reset the channels. It worked fine for a few weeks. Then one day I noticed the volume knob was acting funny. I would have to turn it almost 2 turns in one direction for it to register any difference. Strange, but after stopping the car at a store and turning it back on, the symptom was gone. Then one day I heard a pop and the display vanished. The time and temperature still showed along with all other non radio functions, but all radio display was gone and so was the sound. The Dvd player would still take and eject discs, and the cd player would still be heard spinning occasionally, but other than that the radio gave nothing.

So I pulled it out thinking I would buy another unit. Called Nissan and they told me $2800 for a van I only paid $2500 for. Yeah, no. So, I thought let's open this up and see if I can see anything wrong. There was dirt and stuff, but nothing I could see. Put the radio back together and thought before you give up, let's just check it Plugged it in and it worked! Put the whole dash back together and it still worked! My family was happy again. It worked for 1 two hour trip. Then the volume knob started acting funny again. Then there was a pop. Now I am back to the same thing.

I have the base stereo, single disc system. I have no radio function or display for the radio in the display, but all other display functions work. The only display functions that don't work are the audio ones. The Dvd player still gets power and takes and ejects discs. The cd player still spins sometimes because I can hear it so I know it is getting power. I ordered a refurbished control panel and replaced it, but it did not fix the issue.

Any ideas? Does it sound like the head unit is shot? Rebuilding the unit has been given a quote of between $200-600. Has anyone had any luck with modifying and installing an aftermarket stereo? I am at the end of my rope trying to figure this out.

There's an unobvious Audio fuse in the underhood Fuse-and-Relay Box on most Nissans that will cause exactly the symptoms you're describing if it blows. However, the question will be why it blew. Usually the answer is a dead or dying amplifier inside the head unit.

I will check that fuse again, but would it have started working again if I didn't replace the fuse?

A second question. I have been given different answers by different Nissan service departments. If I install a used radio, does it have to be unlocked by the dealer? Some have said it will and others not.

Also, what does an unlocked radio act like? Would it show me some sign on life so I would know it works or not?

There's no "locking" on Nissan vehicles like there is on, say, a Honda. Some AV Units do need configuration, but the SM doesn't show any for the '09 Quest and the AV isn't on the CANbus. So a used one should be plug-and-play. However, pop the unit and get the part number off the tag, don't go by "application" when looking for a used one. Once you have the OE p/n, you can search using that number. If you come up dry, the dealer Parts Dept can give you a list of superseding part numbers (if any) and you can try those. Don't put in a mismatched part, you'll almost always be sorry.

Here's the AV section for your ride with the R&R and diagnostic info:
https://www.nicoclub.com/service-manual ... 9%2FAV.pdf

Well, I found an aftermarket wiring harness and cheap radio that I ordered. The harness doesn't have all the plugs for the back, but I am imagining some of the plugs after for the control panel and DVD player. The company guarantees it will work so I figured about $75 to test an aftermarket radio is cheaper than any other option I've found. Before I do any modifications I'll make sure the radio works. If it does, I'll lose the control panel (no big deal), steering wheel controls I don't use, and the built in DVD, but I figure I can buy a separate DVD system and still pay less than going back factory. I mean, its a $2800 car....$5300 if you include the new transmission. Lol I'll let you know how it goes