Chevrolet Cruze Forums banner

HOW TO: Identify the Hardware/Software/Firmware Version of your Cruze Radio/PDIM

71K views 27 replies 15 participants last post by  Sam Cardinal  
#1 · (Edited)
Howdy folks!

I guess this thread is more dedicated to those people who are still having problems with their radios in their Cruzes. There are both hardware and firmware updates available to hopefully address the issues that some of us have been having.

The latest release, as of this post is:

Hardware: DB
Software: DD

To display the hardware and firmware versions, simply plug in a USB stick / iPod to start playing some music, then PRESS AND HOLD the MENU button for several seconds. The display will show what version you have. If you have anything earlier, send it in and hopefully they will update the software or install a new PDIM for you!

Hope this helps.

I have DB/DB version and I'm still having issues with dropped iPod/USB connections and Play/Pause not working. I'll be trying to get a dealership to install latest firmware to hopefully resolve the issues.

Also, if you want to directly order the latest version DB/DD, it looks like part number 22797218 will do the trick.
 
#2 · (Edited)
Interesting. I also have the DB/DB version. I have experienced iPod drop a lot lately but thought it was due to my 4 year old iPod classic. I'll have to inquire about this when I go for my free oil change next week.

Here is the PDF explaining the problems we are all seeing: Required GM P/N #22797218
 
#5 ·
I'm going in Thursday to get the car looked at. I tried and tried to get them to simply order the part today to have someone install the new PDIM, but they keep saying that they need to inspect it. I told them if it's not fixed, I'm looking elsewhere, and by elsewhere, I mean a different brand that is not GM. Reason for this: a third party does the radio stuff here in the GTA of Toronto, Ontario, so I can't blame the dealership (the dealership is actually quite good).

I also got the sales guy involved (whom I bought it from). He likes to see stuff get done and I can tell from the way he talks to me. I've never had a sales guy that talks to me this way.

I will be talking to the radio guy when he comes in and will also show him the TSB and what I've found on the internet. They've already replaced the radio, the Bluetooth antenna, USB/AUX jacks, and Onstar module. If I'm not mistaken, they have not replaced the PDIM yet. Maybe DD firmware is available for flashing now.

Hoping that it gets resolved!
 
#6 ·
So the car went to the dealership today. Sure enough they need it for another day! They're ordering a new PDIM with HOPEFULLY the latest firmware. They said the one I listed above was not the right one, but we'll see once I get the car back (I know how to check the firmware now :) ).

For the meantime, they gave me a 2011 Cadillac CTS to drive. Great ride, great looks, but I feel like the interior is aging! Loving the luxury right now though...
 
#7 ·
Well, I'm pissed. They didn't fix anything. It worked when I got the car, but as soon as I drove off, let the car sit in the parking while I was shopping, and then come back, IT DOESN'T WORK. Play/Pause still doesn't work, my Bluetooth cuts out, I get static here and there, still the same firmware DB. ****, I didn't even see any fingerprints on my console to show that they even took it apart. WHAT THE ****.

They left a note saying that if the noise comes again, use a different cable (for iPod). I HAD TWO CABLES IN THERE TO TEST WITH. Also, he said that Play/Pause only works for iPod. No, it works for USB too. I'VE SEEN IT WORK.

What am I supposed to do now?
 
#10 ·
Probably, take a picture of it before, then after and go talk to the dealership owner. If you still don't get results, call that 800 number in the back of the owners manual and insist on talking to a regional or area director. To solve the troubles I was having with my Malibu they replaced the entire system with the upgraded stereo. Speakers and all. With just that one phone call to GM. I also found out later that the service Manager was demoted at Carl Black Chevy in Nashville TN.
 
#9 ·
I just called the service manager at the dealership to complain that it wasn't working again. No answer, so I left a message. He got York Electronics (the third party I mentioned) to give me a call back. They want to come to me to get it fixed. I mentioned that the Camaro radio is very similar, listed all my problems and what I did to troubleshoot, as well as the P/N above.


Hopefully they will be coming next week.
 
#13 ·
York Electronics showed up this morning to diagnose my car. Sure enough, he was able to reproduce the problems I was having with DB/DB. He couldn't fix it today, as he needs to talk to the GM engineers to look into this.

Looks like I'm getting an answer out of this FINALLY. They will have to come back next week...
 
#14 ·
Just had a huge discussion with the technician. I got a little upset with him:

He told me to try using the Power On/Off button on the radio for the Play/Pause functionality. To me, that sounds like he's trying to workaround a problem that he can't fix himself. Then he was all "Blah, blah, blah, the manual doesn't say anything about Play/Pause," essentially saying that GM doesn't directly say it supports correct playback functionality.

He says he doesn't know what else to do, so I told him "then the PDIM module is his last option." He said he'd look up the part and get back to me. He called me back and said that it wouldn't work in my car. He said the module had something to do with adding A2DP to the car (He actually said Streaming Audio). He was very reluctant to agree to installing the part, but I convinced him to at least try it out. The part will be in next week.

So, if this works out, would I be the first Cruze with A2DP?

Here's hoping that this latest firmware release will fix my problems, with a cherry on top!
 
#19 ·
So, if this works out, would I be the first Cruze with A2DP?
No - I installed the A2DP PDIM on Fathers' Day. The sound quality is sooooo much better with the Bluetooth PDIM I thought I had installed a whole new stereo system.
 
#17 ·
I have the regular radio.

The module they put in had failed on me so they had to put the original one back in (which takes me back to DB/DB). I'd like to try out the part again and see if it was just a defective component. Unfortunately it will be on my own money this time...
 
#22 ·
Sounds like its time for me to buy this. How much, and where is it available?

I did notice some issues playing anything off of the 3.5mm jack, so I've been using my usb drive for most of my music.

Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using AutoGuide.Com Free App
 
#23 ·
My wife purchased the PDIM for me at Amazon.com. Follow the link Bluetooth Stereo AUX in my sig for a link to the page at Amazon as well as installation instructions. Here are the MT modifications to Extibal's installation instructions:

Extibal - thanks for this writeup.

Minor change for those of us with manual transmissions.

You don't need to take the passenger kick plate off (step 2).

To take the trim off in step 3, do the following:

Set your handbrake and turn your car off - you will need to move the shifter between 1st and 2nd gears several times while removing the trim, coin holder, and PDIM. Make sure you can shift from 1st to 2nd and back without pushing in the clutch.

3A - With your fingernails, lift the top part of the shift boot ring off the silver trim. The ring is silver as well and you want to slide your fingernails between the ring and the silver trim. The front of the shift boot trim will come up and then you can pull the back part up. Pull the boot trim up so it covers the shift knob.

3B - Reach into the opening and lift the rear of the silver trim up. You can get the four tabs around the shifter this way. To get the tabs at the top of the silver trim, I used a 1.5 inch spackle blade. Lifting the trim about halfway up the side (next to the A/C control knobs) you can gently slide the spackle blade in and twist. The silver trim will pop off.
When I went to pull the old PDIM out, I used a pair of pliers to grab the lip of the old PDIM. I then pushed each of the two tabs down with my fingers and pulled. You only need the pliers to pull out far enough to pass the tab edge.

The rest of the instructions are the same as Extibal's instructions for an automatic transmission Cruze.
Remember to test your system electrically before reassembling. The ports on the PDIM are tight and at least one person has reported here they didn't get the USB/AUX cable resecured properly on the first try. It took me about 45 minutes to install.
 
#24 · (Edited)
Android over USB after A2DP install

Yesterday I installed the Camero PDIM per suggestions in this thread and others, and would like to post some observations, in the hope that it helps others, or that others can help me :) I started with DB/DB, and when I was done had DB/DD.

Upon swapping in the PDIM, before buttoning up the panels in the car, I tested bluetooth audio on my iPhone 4 - worked! Put it all back together, and tried to pair my wife's Galaxy SIII - no dice. I tried to plug in the SIII to USB - again,no luck, told me it wasn't compatible, told me to unplug it. More on Android in a minute.

USB and iOS
The iPhone 3gs we usually left plugged in with my wife's music on it always played flawlessly over usb, where my iPhone 4 would sometimes hiss and/or pop - crazy for a digital connection. So far, the iPhone 4 works MUCH better via usb than it did before. Here is how I rate the quality in order from best to worst as far as connection types go for my iPhone 4:
USB
Bluetooth A2DP
3.5mm jack

Bluetooth a2dp, iOS and Android
A2dp with the same iPhone 4, playing the same songs, sound MUCH better in our Volt than in the Cruze, but is way better than the 3.5mm jack in the Cruze.
While I could not pair my wife's SIII, I was able to pair my Nexus 7. Quality of audio over bluetooth was MUCH better than with the iPhone 4. Just like with the iphone, I had no track information, I had to start playing music in the Google Music app on the Nexus 7, but after that, I could control track forward, back, play/pause from the stereo and/or steering wheel. Great!
After driving with my Nexus locked for a couple miles, I noticed that every so often I was getting breaks and skips over a2dp. Unlocking the Nexus prevented this from happening. Not ideal, but workable. USB, however, did not work on the Nexus, at least not right away.

USB and Android, working together. Kinda.
This is where it gets interesting - and where I'm hoping others are wiser than I. When I started the car with the Nexus 7 plugged into USB, it told me it was not useable. When I tried plugging in the 7 while the car was already running, I got the same error - pretty much instantly.
At this point I'd like to note that I have both the Google Music app and the Amazon Cloud Player installed on this nexus 7, and while the Google Music app can see all the local Amazon files, the reverse is NOT true.
OK. So, I was actually listening to a song in Google Music over a2dp, with the Nexus screen unlocked, and I plugged in the USB. Suddenly, the radio on the Cruze went into "Play From Device" (PFD) mode, indexed the nexus 7, and started playing a DIFFERENT song. After a little poking, I discovered that what was indexed (and what started playing) were songs that the Amazon Cloud Player had access to, but not the local files downloaded only to Google Music.
Sound quality was EXCELLENT, and I had access to the track, artist, and album information through the Cruze stereo. I was QUITE happy - no skips or jumps, Nexus can stay closed, I just have to only access music avialble from Amazon Cloud Player....

What I have left to test:
I only tried to pair the SIII for a couple minutes before giving up, I will do more work there soon.
I have two Kindle Fire's - one with the standard load, and one with Jelly Bean 4.2.2 loaded. I will be trying to see if I can get them connected via USB, since they don't do bluetooth.

I've read several forum posts about problems with interfacing with the Cruze stereo, but nothing so far has indicated that I need to do anything more to my Android devices than I've already done, but if anyone knows something I should check so that the Cruze will go into "PFD" mode without jumping through Bluetooth first, I'm all ears! Mostly I'd like my wife's SIII to work so we can ditch her old iPhone 3g for good.

Sorry for the dissertation, but I hope the information I've put here gives others something to try with their devices.
 
#25 ·
ok so I guess I’m a little late to party with it being 2020 and all. But I have a 2015 Chevy Cruze and it has Bluetooth just not not for music. According to your post I have the DB/DF software. Is their a part I can order maybe from a camero or amazon or something to get Bluetooth music compatibility?