Ford F150 Radio Not Working [How to Troubleshoot & Reset] – f150advisor.com (2024)

Is the radio in your Ford F-150 truck not working? In this post, we’re going to be looking into this topic to establish why already is not working and how you can fix the issues thereare several reasons why your radio might not be working and we are going to try and give you the main ones.

There are three main reasons why your radio may stop working in your Ford F-150. These reasons are Blown fuses Solder flow and Bad factory radio.

Main Reasons Why Your F150 Radio is Not Working

It’s pretty frustrating to have your radio all of a sudden stop working in your Ford F-150 truck. Unfortunately, this problem happens frequently in the F-150.

The reasons why the radio isn’t working can range in severity. It can be an easy fix like a soft reset or something that requires a bit more effort. One of the main issues is a blown fuse. For this particular problem, you need to access the fuse box which is located on the right-hand side of the instrument panel.

The specific location is under the instrument panel. When you access the fuse panel, you will need to locate the radio fuse. Depending on the model year of your F-150, the fuse number will vary.

You want to try fuse number 8, number 11, and fuse number 31. Either one of these fuses should be the one for the radio.

If you suspect a bad fuse, the first thing you need to do is pull each one of these out and then push them back in again. If the fuse is not blown this should fix the issue. If the fuse is blown, you should be able to tell by a simple visual inspection.

If you cannot see whether or not the fuse is blown, you might need to use a test meter to see if it’s passing current. The next possible reason for your radio not working could it be bad solder joints. This is often indicated by your radio not working for a few hours, days or weeks and then all of a sudden starts working again like nothing ever happened.

The reason for this may be loose connections or faulty solder joints where the solder leaks onto other tracks. To fix this problem, you need to take the radio out and then inspect all the radio connections as well as solder joints.

You will need a soldering gun and resolder any loose joints making sure that no solder flows onto other tracks. Another possible cause of your radio not functioning properly in your Ford F-150 is simply because it’s a faulty radio. Some radios simply come out of the factory with design flaws that end up manifesting months or even years later.

In such a case you need to have it looked at by the dealership. If still under warranty, you should be able to have it fixed it’s no additional cost to you. However, if it is no longer under warranty, you most likely need to foot the bill.

How to Troubleshoot a Ford F150 Radio Problem

So, how can you tell what exactly is wrong with your radio? For you to be able to take the right corrective action, you will need to be able to diagnose properly. Here are a few tips that can help you properly diagnose your radio the first time around.

If it is to do with the fuse, you will most likely encounter a situation where the screen or the clock on the radio goes completely blank. The radio will most likely refuse to respond in any way shape or form.

This can also point to a loose connection or a faulty solder joint. In short, the blank screen or clock indicates that power is not reaching the radio.

In this case, you need to zero in on issues that relate to the supply of power to your radio. If, on the other hand, your radio screen or clock is showing but not responsive, it may indicate a need for a hard or soft reset. Now, let’s talk about resetting your radio next.

How Do you Reset the Radio on a Ford F150?

Doing a soft reset of your Ford F-150 radio is a simple process. If your screen or clock is on but not responsive or any of your dials on the radio are not working, you need to do a soft reset.

To do so, you hold down the left-hand side dial together with the skip forward button. Hold them down until the Ford logo or the clock switches on. This will take roughly about 10 seconds before the radio reboots.

If this doesn’t work, you can try the following trick. However, this only works if your Ford F-150 has a remote start. Close all the doors on your Ford while outside. Start your truck remotely and then try to switch on the radio again. This will not always work but if you’re lucky enough it will fix your problem.

Conclusion

So, there you have it. If you’re having problems with your Ford F-150 radio, try one or all of the above to see if any one of them fixes your problem. If any of the above fails, you most likely need to visit the Ford dealership nearby to have it fixed.