Linear Series RV Stereo Manual, Troubleshooting, Replacement
There is more than one RV stereo system. That is good news for those owners who do not care for the other brands. You have a little choice after you purchase your RV and can pick the right stereo system that you want. That is if it isn’t already installed in your unit.
Troubleshooting a Linear Series RV stereo is not going to be that difficult. You have a few possible sources to check before you come to the conclusion that you need to replace the stereo. One main area to check is the power source. Make sure the fuses and breakers are all okay.
To learn more about this stereo brand, system, and how to troubleshoot problems, just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about so you can decide if you can repair it or if you need to replace the unit.
Linear Series RV Stereo
Troubleshooting a Linear Series RV Stereo
This aspect of owning a Linear Series RV stereo is not that difficult. Like all other RV stereo systems you have to search for the correct source of the problem before you can apply the correct repair.
Some of these sources will be found in the unit and the speakers so make sure to check everything when your stereo is not working right.
1. The speakers
In this component, you will find that speakers also need power. There will be fuses that will blow and need to be replaced. If that does not solve your problem or is not the source, then you will need to check the wire connections.
The fuse is usually found in the amplifier and speaking of the amplifier, make sure it is turned on before you move on to checking the wires. Those simple sources can cause a lot of embarrassment if you do not check them first.
Once that is done, check your wire connections to make sure they are all connected correctly and securely. If they are check to see if the speakers are plugged into the outlet. Another simple source that is the source of lots of embarrassment.
Finally, check to see if the speakers have been damaged or not working. If so, you may have to replace the speakers.
2. The stereo
The usual suspects for electrical devices all need to be checked. That means a power source to see if the batteries are charged and connected without corrosion. The breakers to see if they have not tripped and any fuses inside the stereo to see if they have not blown.
If all these components are okay, then check the wires and connections. Road vibration can shake them loose from time to time and this is a simple fix. Also, check to see if any small animals got inside and started chewing on the wires.
Tighten and replace anything you find wrong. In the case of the breaker tripping or the fuse blowing, use a multimeter to track down the power supply as well as any shorts that may have entered the system.
Finally, check your controls, zone settings, volume, and the mute button to make sure they are in their proper place. If all these check out, it may be that you need to replace your stereo or at least call a technician to see if you missed something.
Linear Series RV Stereo Not Turning On
First off, check to see if the power button is turning on. Sometimes the light will come on even when there is not a full 12-volt charge being sent to it. If it does turn on but you cannot get music, etc., then use your multimeter to check the power level.
If it is getting full power, then you can eliminate many possible components from being the source. If not, then you will need to check your power source and see if there is a connection problem, needs recharging, or if there is corrosion on the connections.
Second, check the fuse in the back of the device as well as the breaker. If they are blown or tripped, check for a possible short and replace the fuse. If the fuse blows or the breaker trips again, you know there is a short somewhere or a power supply issue.
The problem could be that you left the mute button engaged or you set the stereo to play in the wrong zone, or you put the stereo in the wrong mode. Check your settings to see if they are set properly. If not, set them up again.
Finally, you may have to reset the unit and the instructions to do that will come in the next section. If all these items check out fine, then you may have to replace the stereo unit but not the speakers.
Linear Series RV Stereo Reset
This is not a difficult task to do. Linear seems to have designed its stereo system to be very user-friendly and makes resetting a matter of time and patience. Here are the instructions to follow.
First, you have to turn off the power to the stereo system. Second, leaving the power off, remove the face plate. Third, once the face plate is off, look for the reset button.
Now press and hold the reset button for 5 seconds. Just count to 5 or use your watch and when the 5 seconds have passed, release the reset button. Next, put the face plate back on and turn the power to the stereo back on.
The stereo should play like normal if nothing serious or major is wrong with it. The instructions may be in the owner’s manual for your specific Linear stereo model hopefully, they are not different from the ones given above.
The Linear Series RV Stereo Speaker Button Not Working
It is possible that you may have to use the reset process to get the button to work. That is an easy fix to try and if it does not work, go to the wires next. The wires to the button or the speaker system may have come loose or been damaged in some way.
Check for loose wires, corrosion, damaged wires, and also the connection to see if it was damaged or not. According to one photo, one Linear model has 3 speaker buttons. You should check all three to see if they have the same damage etc.
This is one of the major problems you will find with speakers. It could be the speaker wires were not connected properly thus pushing the button brings no results. Check the wires and the fuse in the back of the stereo.
If it has blown, then the speaker buttons should not work. Also, check the volume and mute controls. If those controls are engaged or set to a very low volume, the speaker buttons will look like they do not work yet and are perfectly fine. Adjust the settings to solve the problem.
Linear Series RV Stereo Bluetooth Pairing
The following instructions come from the Linear Series RV 4800 model manual:
1. Press the BT/AX button. "Bt" appears in the display.
2. Open the mobile device's setup menu.
3. Open the BT settings program on the mobile device and activate the BT feature.
4. From your mobile device scan for available devices.
5. Select "WALL MOUNT RECEIVER" to connect to the unit. The "•" indicator will flash quickly during pairing.
Note: If the mobile device requires a password enter "0000" as the password.
6. When the mobile device has been paired the "•" will be illuminated continuously. When the unit starts streaming music the "•" indicator will flash every 5 seconds
Note 1: If the BT mobile device is already paired with the entertainment center, select "WALL MOUNT RECEIVER" on your phone and touch "Connect".
Note 2: To select the BT mode using the remote control, press the MODE button until "Bt" appears in the display
Linear Series RV Stereo Remote
The remote for this stereo system is very detailed and operates a wide variety of functions. You might need very slender fingers to reach the interior buttons without hitting any of the outside ones.
All the buttons are self-explanatory but the detail on this remote may make your eyes go a little bit cross-eyed. There are 40 buttons on this device including the numbers from 1 to 0 and there is a sub-title button that lets you access the movie disc’s subtitle content.
Page 5 of the owner’s manual not only has a diagram of the remote, but it also contains all the descriptions needed for each button. What you need to be aware of will be the batteries.
You should check them frequently to make sure they have not run out of power. Those batteries may be the source for why your stereo is to working as it should. Check the batteries to see if they lost power or not.
This is a simple check that should only take a couple of minutes to do. If the batteries are fine, you know the problem lies elsewhere.
Finding a Linear Series RV Stereo Replacement
This is not too difficult of a task. You just have to find a replacement brand that will fit in the opening left behind by the Linear Series model. There are some very good brands to choose from.
One option would be the Jensen RV Stereo part # JWM60A to replace the LS6050DVD Magnadyn Linear series model. This Jenson model seems to replace several Linear Series models.
Then the LS3500CD can be replaced with the Jensen JWM62A. The way to go about this is to talk to your RV stereo shop that is near you. They will have compatible models from different brands that may not be as expensive as the Jenson models.
Basically, what you are doing is replacing what can be considered an auto stereo system. Your local auto radio store should be able to find a compatible stereo system as well.
Linear Series RV Stereo Removal
The removal process is just a matter of locating the mounting screws and using a screwdriver to take those screws out. The key is to be gentle with the face plate as it is made of plastic and may break easily.
To do that you may have to use your fingers or a flat-head screwdriver to take the face plate off. A gentle but firm pull should do the trick. Once the face plate is off, simply locate the mounting screws and remove them.
You should be able to remove the stereo now but be careful as you do not want to damage any wires or connections attached to it.
Download The Linear Series RV Stereo Manual
The one good thing about our go-to manual website is that you can read the manual without downloading it. Then you can decide to buy the manual or not. We are not sure of the price for the download.
Go to this link to get to the RV4800 manual and then search the website for your specific model’s manual. There seem to be plenty of them there. This link takes you to the Heartland Owners manual for the RV5090 model.
Finally, this link takes you to the manufacturers' manual web page. There is a long list of manuals for the different models the company makes. Then if you own a Forest River brand, go to the Forest River website.
It will take several clicks but once you get to the section that lists all the manuals, look for the title component manuals and click on it. You should find what you are looking for there.
Some Additional Words
No matter the brand name of your RV stereo, you will find that the possible sources for your problems are all the same. Electrical devices have a limited number of sources which makes tracking them down a little easier and faster.
If all is well with the possible sources, then you may have to replace the stereo with another one. Not a pleasant thought but it may have to be done.
