David:

I'm not sure what radio you have in the 1988, but I can tell you about my experiences with the oem jobber in my 1985 745t.

My radio is the one with 4 preset bands (2 am, 2 fm), 6 presets to each band, auto reverse tqape deck, bass/treble/fade levers on the bottom left, two dials (one for volume and one for tuning) on the right and left of the deck.

The radio has always worked well for me, regardless of the apparent problems experienced by many folks on this board. However, recently I have started to experience annoying little oddities and have been trying topeg them down. Some of my issues are as follow:

1) Dimming of radio lights
Sometimes when I am driving the lights in the radio will dim on their own. These lighst are tied in to the dimmer rheostat system that manages the console lighting, and the dimming happens when the dial is set to maximum. Additionally, whe the radio dims the dash lights stay fully lit, indicating that this problem is the radio or the system that delivers electrical power to the radio.

2) Presets lost
Sometimes when I start up I find all my presets wiped and the radio set to factory defaults.

3) Tape needs help loading
Sometimes (more often these days) I must forcefully "push" n the front of a tape to trigger the loading sequence, or even give it a tiny nudge up to start the radio loading a tape.

My analysis has concluded that problems 1 and 2 are, in fact, related to another problem I have been having with my ignition switch. For awhile now I have been experiencing the known problem where I must sometimes "jiggle" the keys to bring the dash electrical system online. The reason for this (I have read) is that the weight of keys and wear on the switch can cause it to warp or slip over time, effecting the internal contacts and preventing the system from working properly. the symptom of this is if you sometimes turn the car on and find that the dash lights/radio/etc. are off, and that they come on when you "jiggle" or move the key slightly.

The reason I have concluded this is the problem has to do with the preset issue (#2) above. I have noticed that the problem ONLY arises when I have to jiggle the keys on start-up. As an example, the last two days it has started up fine with no jiggle needed and the station I have it set to has been properly saved.

So, while some people have said it might be a problem in the radio itself, I believe that the fauly ignition switch is causing an interuption or surge in the electrical flow to the radio and causing all my little problems. I can't confirm that the dimming is a result of this as well, but I have a gut feeling it is.

I suggest you go to a junkyard near you, pull the console in an old 700 (ormaybe a 900 has the same system?), and take the ignition switch off a junker to replace yours. Get a couple of them in case one doesn't work, and then just switch yours out.

BTW, the ignition switch is in the middle of the key/ignition assembly between the plastic wire housing (this just pushes on the back of the ignition switch) and the key mechanism itself. When you go make sure to bring a short screwdrive (flathead) since the switch is held onto the key mechanism by two flathead screws whose heads face the engine (this means you have to unscrew them blind). Additionally, there is very little room in there to work, and a full screw driver can't make the angle.

Good luck,
Rick