Chevy Silverado Touch Screen Not Working [Radio Problem Fix]

The Chevy Silverado stands out as a top-tier pickup truck, combining rugged durability with advanced technology. However, even the best vehicles have their quirks, and the Silverado is no exception.

A frequent concern among owners, which I’ve often encountered in my career as a mechanic, is issues with the radio touchscreen.

In this article, I’ll go over the primary reasons behind a malfunctioning Chevy Silverado mylink touch screen.

More importantly, I’ll guide you through troubleshooting steps and provide solutions to get your truck’s tech features back in prime condition.

Let’s get into it!

Common Symptoms of a Malfunctioning Silverado Touchscreen

Here are some of the things you might experience if your Touch screen is not working.

• The screen turning black suddenly or intermittently
• Delayed response or no response when touching the screen (freeze)
• Icons, buttons or menus not working properly
• Functions like navigation, Bluetooth or backup camera not operating
• Display freezing or becoming unresponsive
• Display resetting itself or rebooting randomly
• Display showing visual artifacts, distorted images or discoloration
• Audio sound cutting in and out or not working at all
• Climate and temperature controls not adjusting properly
• Warning messages about touchscreen failure appearing.

Here are Some Common Causes of Chevy Silverado Touch screen Issues and Malfunctions:

Now let’s look at what the potential reasons why your Chevrolet Silverado infotainment touchscreen is not working.

Fortunately, I have worked with a handful of Silverados over the years, so I have a pretty good idea of the main causes of touchscreen malfunctions.

Here are the leading causes ((in order of most to least common):

1. Software Glitch:

The most common reason why the touchscreen won’t work is because there’s a glitch in the software.

Like any computerized system, the Silverado’s Mylink infotainment center and touchscreen run on software that can encounter errors or bugs.

This software controls everything from the graphical user interface, input recognition, screen response times, and interfacing with other truck systems.

It’s written by the manufacturer and updated over time.

As a technician, I have observed that software issues tend to increase as the vehicle ages over time.

This may be due to programming degradation or outdated software, leading to operational issues.

Fortunately, this is an easy fix in most cases.

2.Your Silverado Software is Outdated:

The second possible reason why your Chevy Silverado touchscreen is not working is that your Silverado’s software is outdated.

As I mentioned above, General Motors and Chevrolet release software updates over time to fix bugs and improve performance.

However, if you don’t update your truck’s operating system when a new version is released,

it will eventually become obsolete and cause your infotainment and radio to not work properly.

3.Loose/Blown 20A fuse:

The Chevrolet Silverado’s radio/infotainment system is powered through a dedicated 20A fuse in the interior fuse box.

If this fuse becomes loose or blows, it will cut off electrical power to the radio head unit and disable the touchscreen display.

A loose fuse can cause intermittent power loss to the radio, leading to the touch screen randomly cutting out or resetting.

The fuse may wiggle around when driving, disrupting the circuit. A blown fuse is more straightforward, no power will reach the radio at all.

4. Weak Battery:

The fourth most common cause of a Chevy Silverado radio not working is a weak battery.

The battery on your Chevy Pickup plays a critical role in powering virtually all of the electrical components in your vehicle.

If your battery is battery is undercharged or drained (needs charging), it may not be able to supply enough juice to power the radio.

If you haven’t been driving your Silverado long enough for the alternator to recharge the battery, this will cause the infotainment system to malfunction.

5. Damaged Head Unit Screen:

The last but least likely cause of a Chevy Silverado radio not working is a damaged head unit screen.

Sometimes the Infotainment screen can become damaged due to internal faults like faulty wiring.

This issue can be fixed by replacing the head unit itself, or by repairing the wiring harness connected to the screen.

How to Fix and Reset the Chevy Silverado Touch Screen

Now that I have explained the possible causes of a Chevy Silverado radio not working,

Let’s talk about what you can do to fix it. Here is what I recommend:

1. Battery Reset

Disconnect the battery for 5-10 minutes. This will reset the truck’s computers and may resolve a software glitch causing the problem.

Reconnect the battery and check if the touchscreen is working properly.

2. Check the Fuse

If disconnecting the battery did not work, turn off the vehicle completely.

Locate and remove the 20A RADIO fuse in the passenger fuse panel.

Start the truck and see if the touchscreen begins responding now. If it does, turn the vehicle off again, replace the 20A fuse, and check for normal operation.

This tests for a loose/faulty radio fuse.

3. Software Reboot

If the fuse reset did not fix it, try a software reboot – with the truck on, hold down the HOME and FAST FORWARD buttons on the radio for 10+ seconds.

This will force a reboot of the infotainment software and hardware. Check if the touch screen works properly after the reboot.

Note: Even if your Silverado’s touchscreen is not displaying anything while you’re holding the buttons down, it’s still working in the background.

4. Take your Car to the Nearest Chevrolet Dealer

If you have tried these troubleshooting steps and the touch screen is still unresponsive, malfunctioning, or not displaying anything,

The best option is to take your Silverado to your local Chevrolet dealership.

Chevy factory technicians have the diagnostics tools and software access needed to fully test the touch screen system and determine if replacement parts or complex software updates are required.

Trying these basic steps first can potentially save an unnecessary trip to the dealer. But for anything more complicated, the professionals at the dealership are best equipped to get your Silverado’s high-tech touch screen up and running again.

Additional Sources:

https://www.chevrolet.com/support/onstar-connected-services/data-wifi-hotspot/software-updates

https://www.caranddriver.com/car-accessories/a38150622/chevrolet-mylink/

https://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/topic/255203-touch-screen-problems/