I have a 2005 Toyota Avalon. The radio will not come on if the temperature is 40 degrees or below. I have to turn on the heater for several minutes and then it will come on fine. WTH?
This have been going on for years. Not a problem in Mississippi but bums me out in Denver!
The only thing I can think of is condensation that’s shorting something out. Very weird.
On my '03, the heater mode control will not work when it’s really cold. Something in the plastic contracts, I think, and sticks. When it warms up it works fine. OK, so in-dash replacement radios are not expensive, especially if you don’t care about a CD player.
It could be the radio, but it could be a bad connection in the 12v supply, too, which a new radio won’t fix. The OP will need to figure out if the radio is getting power when it’s cold out.
Good idea as Texases says above, first thing to make sure the radio is getting power when it is cold out. Some radios have two separate power connectors, one which is powered all the time, and one which is powered with the key in “on” and “acc”. Make sure both are powered up when they should be. Sometimes just cleaning the contacts of the connector will fix this kind of problem. A faulty fuse can do this too. Might try replacing the fuse in the circuit which powers the radio. Cheap fix. Might work.
But it could be something inside the radio. I have a telephone answering machine that won’t work unless the temperature is above 60 degrees. Seriously, it stops working on esp cold winter nights, I have to use my hair dryer in the morning to warm it up, then it works again. If that’s the problem your sol’n is the same as for me, buy new ones.
The problem could be with the radio or the radio connection. But I’m thinking radio.
The radio is a solid state device with circuit boards. Just like the fuel pump relays on Hondas which is circuit board. The solder joints in the circuit board can make a poor connection depending on the temperature, and the fuel pump doesn’t run.
Same thing with the radio.
Tester