What Causes the Car Multimedia Screen to Go Black?

[HarmonyMarie]

The phenomenon of a black screen is mostly caused by poor line contact, so it is necessary to promptly check whether there is a loose connection in the lines. Due to overheating of the central control screen: This is generally caused by the installation of additional equipment, such as navigation modules, reversing cameras, etc. The workload of the central control screen exceeds its design parameters, triggering the overheating protection function. In this case, the issue can be resolved by disconnecting the additional equipment or reasonably increasing the heat dissipation capacity. Due to loose power or grounding lines of the central control screen: This often occurs after the central control screen has been disassembled or additional equipment has been installed, altering the original car lines.

[LaLandon]

Last time my car's infotainment screen suddenly went black, and after struggling for a while, I found out it was a blown fuse. It's in that small box under the left side of the steering wheel—you can change it yourself with a pair of needle-nose pliers. If the screen is completely unresponsive, nine times out of ten, it's a fuse issue. If the screen occasionally flickers or the touch function fails, it's probably due to the infotainment system overheating or freezing. In that case, turn off the engine, lock the car, wait ten minutes, and then restart it—just like rebooting a phone. Remember to always plug in a power bank before a system update; if the power cuts out during the update, the whole module will need to be sent back to the factory for repair. If that doesn’t work, check the connectors for the camera and radar. Last time, when I installed a dash cam, I accidentally loosened the reverse camera cable, and the screen just stopped working.

[MiaMarie]

My daughter's car infotainment screen went black last week too, first time in three years of driving this commuter car. Turned out she accidentally pressed the power button and forced shutdown by holding it for 10 seconds. Nowadays these new car screens are just like tablets - there's a deep sleep mode in the system that sometimes activates when battery is low. Just charge via USB power bank for half an hour to wake it up, no need to visit the repair shop at all. If the screen lights up but shows no image, most likely the wrong input source is selected in settings - Android head units often default to HDMI as main signal. Those who modified audio systems should pay special attention to amplifier wiring - my neighbor once short-circuited his amp and fried the main unit.

[OJesse]

A seasoned driver who has experienced three black screens shares some practical tips: It's normal for the screen to flash the logo when powering on, but a complete blackout should raise alarms. For models with physical knobs, try twisting the volume button—if it wakes up, it's likely a software bug. CarPlay users should first unplug their phone cables; my car blacked out when connected to an iPhone 13, but switching to an original cable fixed it. For large-screen vehicles like Teslas, pressing both steering wheel scroll wheels simultaneously for 30 seconds forces a reboot. For aftermarket knockoff screens, check the power cables directly—third-party parts often splice wires behind the glove box. With heavy rains lately, sunroof leakages require checking the A-pillar drainage—waterlogged navigation modules will definitely cause black screens.

[McLukas]

My old Tiguan had a black screen last year, and the repair manual suggested checking the BCM module first. This body control module manages the entire vehicle's electrical system and is located in the metal box under the driver's seat. Use a multimeter to measure the voltage at pin 5; if it's below 11 volts, it indicates a power supply issue. Vehicles with modified circuits are most prone to this problem, and mine was caused by a short circuit from added ambient lighting. The most cost-effective solution is to disconnect the negative terminal of the battery for half an hour, which essentially performs a deep reset on the car's system. For models with a CD player, try inserting a disc; if it reads, it means the motherboard isn't damaged. Be especially cautious with used cars that have been refurbished after flooding, as the multimedia modules in water-damaged vehicles typically fail within six months.