Owners of 2010-2011 Suzuki Kizashi vehicles equipped with the Panasonic radio tuner may complain of intermittent display and backlighting blinking or complete failure.
The cause has been traced to the front lower portion of the tuner frame backing plate being bent during the removal of the radio, preventing faceplate connectors to seat properly.
According to Suzuki, do not replace the radio tuner assembly. Inspect the tuner frame. If the frame is bent, restore the bent portion to the original position to allow proper connector seating.
During the radio tuner removal process, while separating the clips that secure the tuner to the dash mounting, there is a risk of bending the sheet metal frame acting as the backing plate for the radio display panel.
Perform a visual inspection of the backing plate portion of the frame. Use a straightedge to check for sheet metal straightness.
When the backing plate is bent it can prevent the connectors of the face plate and the tuner body from seating correctly. When testing a unit with a failed display, apply light pressure against the display at the two points where the connectors are directly behind and see if the display begins to operate. This is an easy way to confirm that the frame may be bent prior to removing the tuner assembly.
