Many Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep vehicles with MyGIG in-dash head units have had a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) issued for software upgrades that fix many of the unit’s unexplained operational issues.

If your customers have had their MyGIG radios behaving badly or operating in a glitchy fashion, it’s not your fault! Have them check with their dealer to see if there’s a factory issued TSB for a software upgrade on their model.

This affects MyGIG head units with (sales code RER) and without navigation (sales code REN). Some of the known vehicles affected are Dodge Journey, Dodge Grand Caravan, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Commander.

Haven’t checked out the MyGIG system for yourself? Click this link to learn more about it, so you’ll have a plan in place to add on to this system when your customers are seeking better audio solutions.

With a high degree of functionality already built in, this is a great building block for adding amplifiers and speakers for upgraded sound.

Volvo has announced that it will be recalling certain models of the 2008 Volvo XC70 due to software errors in the supplemental restraint system.

The company, which is owned by Ford Motor Co., stated that in certain vehicles, two software errors have been found in the control unit software of the supplemental restraint system (SRS).

These software errors may result in delayed inflatable curtain and side-impact protection system air bag deployment in certain side-impact crash situations.

In addition, these software errors may also cause the message, “SRS airbag Service Urgent,” to appear and the SRS warning light to illuminate.

Volvo dealers will perform a simple software upgrade to the system as a fix, but if aftermarket retailers have customers who own this vehicle or are doing a remote-starter installation on them, they should make customers aware of the recall.

A few issues back, Installer Central reported on some backlighting problems in Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice vehicles and that problem has been reported on other GM vehicles. The problem is that that the instrument cluster backlighting doesn’t work when the headlights are turned on manually during daytime driving.

According to GM, the backlighting for the instrument cluster is not controlled by the headlight switch, but rather through a photocell that determines the ambient light conditions necessary to turn on the backlight of the cluster.

Owners of affected vehicles can have GM dealers reprogram the BCM with an updated service calibration. The new software update switches the daytime input trigger from the photocell to the headlight switch to activate the backlighting to full intensity during the daytime hours.

This list of affected vehicles has been expanded to include:

• 2004-’06 Chevy Malibu & Malibu Maxx
• 2005-’06 Chevy Cobalt
• 2005-’06 Pontiac G6
• 2006 Chevy HHR
• 2007 and earlier Saturn Sky
• 2007 and earlier Pontiac Solstice