One day on my way to work, listening to my radio, the radio screen started dimming and the sound started cutting out, I fiddled with the dials and smelt an electronic burning smell. After fiddling for a while I decided to turn the radio off.

My kids had posted coins into the CD player and they were short-circuiting something in the radio.
Her's how to fix it (sort of) in 5 minutes:

1) take the radio out:its very easy - you push in the two vertical lines to the left and right of the dials, they pop out giving you nice handles to pull with a finger, the whole radio unit slides out, its only friction holding it in place.
2) Unplug the three plugs from the back of the radio: there is a small catch that you need to depress on the top of each plug. (The small plug is the antenna I think)
3) hold the unit upside down and shake. Eventually the money should fall to the top plate. DONT shake the money to the bottom plate - the bottom plate can only be removed by dismantling the whole radio (more on this later)
4) Use a philips screw driver and unscrew the screws holding the top plate in place, there are only about two that obviously hold the plate. dont worry if you unscreww too many, you can put them back in place afterwards
5)Prise the top plate off with a flat screwdriver
6) take out the coins, shake the unit vigorously - if ANYTHING rattles you have more money in there- I shook 4 coins out.
7)screw the plate back on, plug the 3 plugs in and push the unit back in. Note: you might have to reset the handles that you pulled the unit out with - they have a latching system- click them in completely and then click them out and pull them to un-latch.
8) type your radio code in and hold thumbs. :57:

If the coins are deeper in, you can systematically dismantle the whole radio. Does anyone want me to describe how to do this?

Unfortunately permanent damage was done to my radio - it scans but cant lock onto any channels. CD still works but jumps a bit on bumps. Does anyone have any suggestions/ want to sell me a second-hand unit?

This rings a bell.

My kids broke 4 video recorders by putting lego, bricks and other stuff in the slot.
3 DVD players by putting stuff in the drawer, and now a back door of my car has had the handle wrecked from the inside because my son wanted to be first to the front door.

Kids :beer: