So my sister drives a mazda 3 (05 or 06 I can't remember) and when she turns the car on the radio will work for about 5 seconds, she can change stations and hear sound and all that, but after those 5 seconds, all sound goes away, music, beeps from station changes, etc. She has powered it on and off, all the things you'd think of. I don't think it's a fuse, because the speakers will work for the first 5 or so seconds the car is on.

Does anyone have any ideas or ideas where to start looking for the problem?

Oh, btw I drive an rx8, so I've searched and stuff. Haha i've learned over the years on rx8club

 

Alex,

Sounds like it's possibly a heat related problem with audio system itself. I know it's real quick when it happens, but it's all I can really think of. It's not a fuse, it's possible it could be just a connection at the back, but that doesn't really seem that possible either. Just for grins.....has she had any car starting issues? Any way....can you can get at and measure the voltage at the power input to the unit?
Seen you on the rx8 site as I have one too! My daughter drives a 3.

 

Well, I'm in texas and she goes to college in OK. So I can't get to it right now. But thanks for the advice, I think you might be right, I'm afraid it's something at the back, or maybe the HU itself is going bad.

 

Just read something that may or may not be of use. Apparently some have experienced an issue simliar to what you describe and it turns out that the faceplate isn't making good connection with the HU unit itself. I guess the faceplate might therefore be detachable? You might want to tell her about this, and while I don't recommend she try to pull it off, maybe she can start the car, let the radio cut out as it has been doing, and then press on all areas of the faceplate and see if it comes back on. If it does, then you know that's it and you could eventually remove that faceplate and clean the connections!
I'm not sure about all this, but it's worth a shot!