Repairing/replace a USB port

Rather annoyingly the USB port on the van’s radio decided to suddenly stop working.

Has been fine since forever. Parked up and the phone was plugged in showing Google maps on the radio display. Come back, plug the phone into the cable that is always connected to the radio and nothing…..

Like I said, rather annoying.

Is there a way to bring the USB port back to life or to replace it?

Radio is a built in factory jobbie from Fiat.

First, replace the cable.

If the change of cable fixes it, perhaps consider some strain relief on the cable / port to prevent damage in the future. 

Have the same issue in my Mondeo, trying to find audio auto specialist that will just fix it rather than install a new system is trying!

Nope…. It’s not the cable. Tried it and several others on a normal charging USB and they work fine.

The radio doesn’t acknowledge that there’s anything connected.

Have the same issue in my Mondeo, trying to find audio auto specialist that will just fix it rather than install a new system is trying!

I guess it’s one of those fiddly/unappealing jobs that requires dismantling the stereo and soldering in a new socket, assuming that’s actually the cause of the issue… the time you spend faffing with it, it’s tempting I guess for a repair person to think the cost they’d have to charge vs effort is not worth it compared to just shrugging and putting a new head unit in.

One possibility is there’s compacted muck/dust in the socket preventing a decent connection…could maybe see if you can see the state of the contacts inside, and scrub it with some iso alcahol?

Is it a separate socket like this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/256165190204?var=0&shprz=EBAY_GB_131090&_ul=GB&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&toolid=20006&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338986375&customid=Cj0KCQiAwbitBhDIARIsABfFYII5vSgmn3ffyuZMiGuugvduUaKIEb7FygKvwRaD7xTK5TMdpRedXOkaAghFEALw_wcB&gbraid=0AAAAADcddnaJu8bcVxm27itxqGhDS4lC8&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAwbitBhDIARIsABfFYII5vSgmn3ffyuZMiGuugvduUaKIEb7FygKvwRaD7xTK5TMdpRedXOkaAghFEALw_wcB

or integrated with the actual stereo unit?

One possibility is there’s compacted muck/dust in the socket preventing a decent connection

The cable was never unplugged from the radio… Cable had been plugged into the radio for months so no chance of dirt getting in there.

That cable, plus others, work in a charger, just not in the radio. Radio doesn’t recognise anything being plugged in.

Also fearful if I take it to Fiat they’ll just want to replace the radio. Only a few months ago the 2 year warranty ran out.

Can you source a new radio unit from a 3rd party? might be a reasonable price, or more reasonable than fiat?

Does it have bluetooth? could you just ignore the USB and just use a BT connection?

It’s integrated.

Bluetooth still works for music/podcasts, but I then don’t have maps being displayed on the screen and nor can I use the radio to get to podcasts/music.

Might try and take the head unit out tomorrow, see if the usb port is accessible and whether a new one can be installed.

Have also tried electrical contact spray to no avail.

Might be just the picture, but the socket looks a bit manky inside to me…I’d try cleaning it out with some pure alcohol/contact cleaner first, but youd need to be able to give it a gentle scrub on the contacts, rather than just a spray, so you might need to improvise some sort of little scrubbing brush, maybe one of those dental sticks?

Something like this, maybe?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Interdental-Toothpicks-Flossing-Cleaning-Tool%EF%BC%8CBraces/dp/B0B3RL1NFY/ref=sr_1_34?crid=2T6IEEPHTJJX2&keywords=dental%2Bcleaning%2Bstick&qid=1705955394&sprefix=dental%2Bcleaning%2Bstick%2Caps%2C82&sr=8-34&th=1

Tried a pick just scratch the surface of the contacts and just bend then up a little?

Beaten to it! I was thinking the same looking at the socket.

Nope… Shitty pic, I know, but the inside is clean.

Just odd that it was working and then a few hours later not working despite me not unplugging the cable from the radio.

Appreciate you’ve tried a few, but fact that the cable charges from a plug doesn’t automatically mean it’s a fully working cable – the charge contacts are different to the data contacts.
USB socket is only 4 contacts, they are cheaper than (micro) chips so pretty easy to solder if you can get to it. You tube for tutorials if you’ve never done it before.

It’s also feasible that it’s not the socket, but something else on the board – that will be harder to diagnose without a bit of experience.

Try some contact cleaner? Maybe some corrosion on the socket. Which can happen even if cable left plugged in.

Do some searching and see if that stereo model supports more than one usb port. It might be you could retrofit a second usb port connected to the back.

Looks like a standard double din unit would slot into there (possibly with a new surround). Find a car audio specialist!

That looks corroded. Can’t really offer any other advice than trying a different cable that you know supports data. The actual contacts are underneath the “tongue” that you can see in the photo. Lack of mechanical sympathy can lead to them being bent back and folded over, which is terminal for the USB port.

If not and you’re willing to take it out and apart, the constant flexing might have just broken the solder joint on the board and a spot of heat and flux could fix it.

It’s now working…. 

Left it unplugged overnight, plugged it in this afternoon and all works like normal…..

Looks like a standard double din unit would slot into there (possibly with a new surround). Find a car audio specialist!

I previously considered that before as there isn’t a connection thingy for the rear camera and I wanted the head unit display to show what’s behind me.

Then realised a decent 4″ display costs 35€ and Google auto thing works well. Certainly well enough that that I didn’t feel the need to spend ~450€ on unit and surround. 

It’s now working….

Now give it a clean…

My money is now of contact corrosion, which you probably wore off by poking a few different cables in there 🙂