One night I cleaned mu battery cables. I was very careful not to touch any metal to metal. The next morning my stereo wouldn't work. It won't even turn on. I have changed all the fuses even though they weren't blown. That obviously wasn't it. I pulled off the dash to make sure everything was plugged in correctly. It was. Now I'm looking at 2 things. Either theirs no voltage going through the main power cord or the reciever/cd player is just shot. Any ideas or info would be of great help. My stereo is only 4 years old. FROWN. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Replies (30)
Swez on 08/21/2003 15:15:08
Some stereo (HU's) have built in codes for anti theft and if they lose power, the codes have to be reset, before the unit will work again.
Wait for ttocs to log in on this one as he has a good deal of experience with such system bugs.
Swez
PS Can you check to see if you do have power going into the HU with a 12 volt test lamp or voltmeter?
ttocs on 08/22/2003 01:33:49
what kind of deck is it? If you have access to a voltmeter or test light this is the time to dig it out. If you don't have one, a testlight is only like $10 at your local auto parts store, everyone needs one in my opinion...
Tray on 08/22/2003 12:02:09
Hmmm,
Well, it's not a Stock HU, as you said it's only 4 years old. This means it must be aftermarket. If it has any of the security features Swez mentioned, the user manual should explain this sort of situation.
Does your unit have a fuse in the power line itself in the wire harness? Some aftermarket HUs have this, and it is in a small plastic box, or tube on the power line.
ram360hp on 08/22/2003 16:29:02
It's a clarion. I have a voltmeter. I will have time to check it this weekend and get back to you on monday as to what it read. I know this is bad but I don't even know where the user manual is. I will have to try and find it. It did have a fuse in the power line. It wasn't blown, but I changed anyway about a week ago. Thanks for the quick response. Talk to you on Monday.
Swez on 08/22/2003 18:27:18
You may be able to get the manual via the web site for Clarion if they have it in a .pdf (Adobe Read) file.
Yeah, they do have manuals on their website: http://www.clarion.com/home.htm
Swez
ram360hp on 09/8/2003 09:47:43
Ok. Sorry it took so long to get back to you. I checked it with a volt meter and everything was fine. So what now? It still doesn't work. If I need a new head unit can you recommend a good one for around $200? I don't need anything fancy. I just want clean, clear sound.
ttocs on 09/8/2003 11:30:59
look for a reset button on the deck. Sometimes when pwr is disconnected you have to push it to get it to work.
ram360hp on 09/24/2003 11:50:50
ok Here's an update. I ordered a new cd player. Same thing happening. I pulled my dash and noticed that one of my ground wires (braided ground strap) just laying there. It was frayed on one end and not hooked to anything on the other. Could this be one of my problems?
Tray on 09/24/2003 14:53:36
Sounds like you've found the problem my man.
You definitely need the ground, or you'll never get anything working.
ttocs on 09/24/2003 23:28:35
that would be the factory ground. Although normally the deck will seek ground through the ant...
ram360hp on 09/25/2003 16:18:32
Ok now the deck is on but extremely hot on the back. I burnt the crap out of my hand and i'm getting no sound. I hooked it up to a bookshelf speaker to test and make sure there was no and still nothing. So defective radio? Well Crutchfield is sending a new one. By the way Tray, I'm a girl. lol
Swez on 09/26/2003 08:56:45
Does that matter that you are a female? We don't see gender as the issue here... just to serve the needs of those who come here and ask for help.
BTW... pretty gutsy gal you are... we don't see to many women on this site as most don't seem to give a rip about high end audio.
Welcome aboard...
Swez SMILE
ttocs on 09/26/2003 19:04:11
a girl? on here? oh no..........
Just kidding, I agree with swez.
head units often get hot to the point that you do not want to touch it. Did it not get this hot before? Have you ever checked?
Relax_The_Mind on 09/26/2003 19:08:35
hi there... are you single? hehe j/k
sorry guys i been hopping around the states doing performances and competitions... im glad this hotel has a lan connection. hope all is well on the boards but i gotta get going once again.
later all
rtm
Swez on 09/27/2003 07:46:22
Was beginning to think your were AWOL there RTM!
Swez
ttocs on 09/28/2003 11:36:06
what kind of performances?
ram360hp on 09/29/2003 16:43:08
The gender is not an issue at all. I just started laughing cause Tray said "souns like you've found your problem my man." I thought it was funny. And honestly I am a little frustrated. Everytime I think I have something fixed soomething else goes wrong. I am learning as I go. My HU never got that hot before on the back. I'm afraid there is a short somewhere also.
Swez on 09/29/2003 19:26:34
You can test the resistance of each speaker that feeds off the HU amps. They should read pretty close to 4.0 ohms per speaker. If you get a "flier" that reads well below that number, either the speaker is damaged or there is a short in that speaker line somewhere.
The proper tool is a Volt/Ohm meter and theyare pretty cheap at Radio Shack and the like. Sure, you can buy a fancy Fluke model for a few hundred bucks, but for under $20.00, the R-shack meter will do just fine.
Have you replaced any of the speakers recently? If yes, look at those first as you may have created a short on the lugs that connect the wire to speaker... very common or blew a voice coil and it shorted. The 3rd issue is having a trim screw that was run through the speaker wiring is not unusual. The meter will help you sort these out.
If you put in a new HU and there are shorts in the speakers/wires, the new one will do the same thing in short order.
Swez
ttocs on 09/29/2003 22:23:21
the ground could not have just fallen off. I have broken nut drivers trying to get those off... Fess up, what have you been doing?
We need to know the specifics. Equipment, wiring, connections, your favorite color, dress size.......
ram360hp on 09/30/2003 08:26:00
I have never touched anything with the speakers. I have had my truck apart though lately to repair a leak and replace the carpet padding. I just recently touched the HU because it quit working. No joke the ground was just laying there and the only thing I can think of is that when they put my HU in 4 yrs ago they just laid it in there. Does anyone know someone in Ft. Luaderdale or Miami that's reliable and could help me a little? It's been almost 2 months since I've had music and I am going crazy!
dress: 2
color: don't really have one
Swez on 09/30/2003 09:11:10
Sounds like the HU may have been running off an insufficient ground (antenna lead) for some time. Who ever installed that HU may have just yanked the old HU out and did not install a proper ground or that braid was used as a restraint to hold the old unit in place.
With your willingness and some basic tools, you can do this job well on your own. Since the present HU is Aftermarket, hopefully all the wires are correct and an adapter harness was also used to simplify the install.
When you buy gear from Crutchfield, they include a nice installer guide that covers many of the basics you will get involved in during the install. If after you receive your new HU and it seems over your head, then look for a good install shop in your area. Ask your friends who doe a good job in that area.
A #2 dress size??? My... you are a tiny gal... petite as the French would say.
Swez
ram360hp on 09/30/2003 09:58:02
I know how to do the install. That's no big deal. It's the other electrical problems I am unsure of. I don't want to mess up something even larger.
Swez on 10/1/2003 09:35:24
We can walk you through those steps... no need to worry about rewiring the new HU when you get it. Ttocs is well skilled in these install issues and other can help as well.
You can do this! It is not rocket science stuff... just patience, the proper tools and a little coaching from the guys here.
Swez
ttocs on 10/1/2003 12:02:24
we can get you through it. I am not going to say that it is impossible to mess anything up while doing the stereo, but it is hard.
#2 I LOVE IT.....
and no fav color? I will have to guess what color roses to send?
Bet you can't tell that we do not get alot of women in here huh?
ram360hp on 10/1/2003 14:20:45
You guys are funny. So where do I start? It's the IOD fuse that is blowing. That controls the door ajar alarm, my radio, my doom lights and the under hood light. I'm guessing I need am Ohm meter.
ttocs on 10/1/2003 15:58:26
an amp meter would be better. When is it blowing? As soon as you put it in or later? If you get an amp meter you can pull the fuse and insert the meter in the same slots. It should not be more then 15-20 amps I would guess. If it is then we need to start troubleshooting each item on that circuit to see what it is. What size fuse is it?
If I had to guess I would have to say it is those pesky "doom" lights. They always draw too much current(sarcasm).
Glad I am keeping you laughing. My sence of humor is a bit on the dry sarcastic side and has upset people before they got to know me....
Swez on 10/2/2003 23:29:43
Yep, he's a funny guy alright... but knows his stuff too. Especially about "doom lights".
Am wondering if you might do well to find a new location to tap your power for the HU. Blown fuses mean too much current is flowing through that circuit. The ammeter mentioned will help you figure out what the actual amperage is on that circuit, but if you are consistantly blowing the same fuse, that circuit cannot take the extra load or the HU is pulling way to much current.
If the fuse is say a 20A fuse, it will take 30-40A for a short period of time before it blows. If it blows almost immediately, that indicates a short or severe overload on that circuit.
Since this wiring worked for a few years before you had this trouble, this points to the HU gone bad, a shorted output section or bad power supply. The high heat (burned your hand) mentioned previously from the heat sinks in the HU amplifier section lead me to think in that vein.
Swez
ttocs on 10/3/2003 00:51:37
I would check speaker impedence first.
ram360hp on 10/3/2003 08:39:43
I will be doing this little project on Sat. So, I will let you know on Mon. how it went. Thanks guys!
Pinch on 10/3/2003 12:26:58
You could try to disconnect all the speakers and then power up the HU. Sure you won't get sound, but if you still blow fuses you've eliminated 4+ variables with one step. :) If you don't blow fuses, hook speakers up one at a time until you blow a fuse. If you blow a fuse on the first attempt disconnect it, replace the fuse, and try to hook up a different speaker. If that blows a fuse, maybe the deck doesn't like being loaded down (and I'd point blame to the deck). If not (I feel like I'm writing a choose your own adventure book here), you may have found the speaker/channel on the deck that is faulty.
Replies (30)
Swez on 08/21/2003 15:15:08
Some stereo (HU's) have built in codes for anti theft and if they lose power, the codes have to be reset, before the unit will work again.
Wait for ttocs to log in on this one as he has a good deal of experience with such system bugs.
Swez
PS Can you check to see if you do have power going into the HU with a 12 volt test lamp or voltmeter?
ttocs on 08/22/2003 01:33:49
what kind of deck is it? If you have access to a voltmeter or test light this is the time to dig it out. If you don't have one, a testlight is only like $10 at your local auto parts store, everyone needs one in my opinion...
Tray on 08/22/2003 12:02:09
Hmmm,
Well, it's not a Stock HU, as you said it's only 4 years old. This means it must be aftermarket. If it has any of the security features Swez mentioned, the user manual should explain this sort of situation.
Does your unit have a fuse in the power line itself in the wire harness? Some aftermarket HUs have this, and it is in a small plastic box, or tube on the power line.
ram360hp on 08/22/2003 16:29:02
It's a clarion. I have a voltmeter. I will have time to check it this weekend and get back to you on monday as to what it read. I know this is bad but I don't even know where the user manual is. I will have to try and find it. It did have a fuse in the power line. It wasn't blown, but I changed anyway about a week ago. Thanks for the quick response. Talk to you on Monday.
Swez on 08/22/2003 18:27:18
You may be able to get the manual via the web site for Clarion if they have it in a .pdf (Adobe Read) file.
Yeah, they do have manuals on their website: http://www.clarion.com/home.htm
Swez
ram360hp on 09/8/2003 09:47:43
Ok. Sorry it took so long to get back to you. I checked it with a volt meter and everything was fine. So what now? It still doesn't work. If I need a new head unit can you recommend a good one for around $200? I don't need anything fancy. I just want clean, clear sound.
ttocs on 09/8/2003 11:30:59
look for a reset button on the deck. Sometimes when pwr is disconnected you have to push it to get it to work.
ram360hp on 09/24/2003 11:50:50
ok Here's an update. I ordered a new cd player. Same thing happening. I pulled my dash and noticed that one of my ground wires (braided ground strap) just laying there. It was frayed on one end and not hooked to anything on the other. Could this be one of my problems?
Tray on 09/24/2003 14:53:36
Sounds like you've found the problem my man.
You definitely need the ground, or you'll never get anything working.
ttocs on 09/24/2003 23:28:35
that would be the factory ground. Although normally the deck will seek ground through the ant...
ram360hp on 09/25/2003 16:18:32
Ok now the deck is on but extremely hot on the back. I burnt the crap out of my hand and i'm getting no sound. I hooked it up to a bookshelf speaker to test and make sure there was no and still nothing. So defective radio? Well Crutchfield is sending a new one. By the way Tray, I'm a girl. lol
Swez on 09/26/2003 08:56:45
Does that matter that you are a female? We don't see gender as the issue here... just to serve the needs of those who come here and ask for help.
BTW... pretty gutsy gal you are... we don't see to many women on this site as most don't seem to give a rip about high end audio.
Welcome aboard...
Swez SMILE
ttocs on 09/26/2003 19:04:11
a girl? on here? oh no..........
Just kidding, I agree with swez.
head units often get hot to the point that you do not want to touch it. Did it not get this hot before? Have you ever checked?
Relax_The_Mind on 09/26/2003 19:08:35
hi there... are you single? hehe j/k
sorry guys i been hopping around the states doing performances and competitions... im glad this hotel has a lan connection. hope all is well on the boards but i gotta get going once again.
later all
rtm
Swez on 09/27/2003 07:46:22
Was beginning to think your were AWOL there RTM!
Swez
ttocs on 09/28/2003 11:36:06
what kind of performances?
ram360hp on 09/29/2003 16:43:08
The gender is not an issue at all. I just started laughing cause Tray said "souns like you've found your problem my man." I thought it was funny. And honestly I am a little frustrated. Everytime I think I have something fixed soomething else goes wrong. I am learning as I go. My HU never got that hot before on the back. I'm afraid there is a short somewhere also.
Swez on 09/29/2003 19:26:34
You can test the resistance of each speaker that feeds off the HU amps. They should read pretty close to 4.0 ohms per speaker. If you get a "flier" that reads well below that number, either the speaker is damaged or there is a short in that speaker line somewhere.
The proper tool is a Volt/Ohm meter and theyare pretty cheap at Radio Shack and the like. Sure, you can buy a fancy Fluke model for a few hundred bucks, but for under $20.00, the R-shack meter will do just fine.
Have you replaced any of the speakers recently? If yes, look at those first as you may have created a short on the lugs that connect the wire to speaker... very common or blew a voice coil and it shorted. The 3rd issue is having a trim screw that was run through the speaker wiring is not unusual. The meter will help you sort these out.
If you put in a new HU and there are shorts in the speakers/wires, the new one will do the same thing in short order.
Swez
ttocs on 09/29/2003 22:23:21
the ground could not have just fallen off. I have broken nut drivers trying to get those off... Fess up, what have you been doing?
We need to know the specifics. Equipment, wiring, connections, your favorite color, dress size.......
ram360hp on 09/30/2003 08:26:00
I have never touched anything with the speakers. I have had my truck apart though lately to repair a leak and replace the carpet padding. I just recently touched the HU because it quit working. No joke the ground was just laying there and the only thing I can think of is that when they put my HU in 4 yrs ago they just laid it in there. Does anyone know someone in Ft. Luaderdale or Miami that's reliable and could help me a little? It's been almost 2 months since I've had music and I am going crazy!
dress: 2
color: don't really have one
Swez on 09/30/2003 09:11:10
Sounds like the HU may have been running off an insufficient ground (antenna lead) for some time. Who ever installed that HU may have just yanked the old HU out and did not install a proper ground or that braid was used as a restraint to hold the old unit in place.
With your willingness and some basic tools, you can do this job well on your own. Since the present HU is Aftermarket, hopefully all the wires are correct and an adapter harness was also used to simplify the install.
When you buy gear from Crutchfield, they include a nice installer guide that covers many of the basics you will get involved in during the install. If after you receive your new HU and it seems over your head, then look for a good install shop in your area. Ask your friends who doe a good job in that area.
A #2 dress size??? My... you are a tiny gal... petite as the French would say.
Swez
ram360hp on 09/30/2003 09:58:02
I know how to do the install. That's no big deal. It's the other electrical problems I am unsure of. I don't want to mess up something even larger.
Swez on 10/1/2003 09:35:24
We can walk you through those steps... no need to worry about rewiring the new HU when you get it. Ttocs is well skilled in these install issues and other can help as well.
You can do this! It is not rocket science stuff... just patience, the proper tools and a little coaching from the guys here.
Swez
ttocs on 10/1/2003 12:02:24
we can get you through it. I am not going to say that it is impossible to mess anything up while doing the stereo, but it is hard.
#2 I LOVE IT.....
and no fav color? I will have to guess what color roses to send?
Bet you can't tell that we do not get alot of women in here huh?
ram360hp on 10/1/2003 14:20:45
You guys are funny. So where do I start? It's the IOD fuse that is blowing. That controls the door ajar alarm, my radio, my doom lights and the under hood light. I'm guessing I need am Ohm meter.
ttocs on 10/1/2003 15:58:26
an amp meter would be better. When is it blowing? As soon as you put it in or later? If you get an amp meter you can pull the fuse and insert the meter in the same slots. It should not be more then 15-20 amps I would guess. If it is then we need to start troubleshooting each item on that circuit to see what it is. What size fuse is it?
If I had to guess I would have to say it is those pesky "doom" lights. They always draw too much current(sarcasm).
Glad I am keeping you laughing. My sence of humor is a bit on the dry sarcastic side and has upset people before they got to know me....
Swez on 10/2/2003 23:29:43
Yep, he's a funny guy alright... but knows his stuff too. Especially about "doom lights".
Am wondering if you might do well to find a new location to tap your power for the HU. Blown fuses mean too much current is flowing through that circuit. The ammeter mentioned will help you figure out what the actual amperage is on that circuit, but if you are consistantly blowing the same fuse, that circuit cannot take the extra load or the HU is pulling way to much current.
If the fuse is say a 20A fuse, it will take 30-40A for a short period of time before it blows. If it blows almost immediately, that indicates a short or severe overload on that circuit.
Since this wiring worked for a few years before you had this trouble, this points to the HU gone bad, a shorted output section or bad power supply. The high heat (burned your hand) mentioned previously from the heat sinks in the HU amplifier section lead me to think in that vein.
Swez
ttocs on 10/3/2003 00:51:37
I would check speaker impedence first.
ram360hp on 10/3/2003 08:39:43
I will be doing this little project on Sat. So, I will let you know on Mon. how it went. Thanks guys!
Pinch on 10/3/2003 12:26:58
You could try to disconnect all the speakers and then power up the HU. Sure you won't get sound, but if you still blow fuses you've eliminated 4+ variables with one step. :) If you don't blow fuses, hook speakers up one at a time until you blow a fuse. If you blow a fuse on the first attempt disconnect it, replace the fuse, and try to hook up a different speaker. If that blows a fuse, maybe the deck doesn't like being loaded down (and I'd point blame to the deck). If not (I feel like I'm writing a choose your own adventure book here), you may have found the speaker/channel on the deck that is faulty.
Copyright ClubKnowledge 2009 * All Rights Reserved
