Crapped out stereo

**gaskett** · 29-03-2006, 03:01 PM

So I was driving home yesterday after work, thought to myself enough radio how bout a CD instead. Innocent enoug I hear you say. So I selected the CD on the Kenwood 10 Disc Stacker and commensed listening. Enjoying my sing along when the head unit lights all faded and then went out and no lyrically genious of Audio Slave could be head. Very Pissed off.

To date I have no tunes to speak of. Checked the fuse, its ok.

Heres the specs: Rockford AMP (pretty old came with car) It does not have an exteral fuse installed.
Two 6x9 kenwood speakers (pretty old came with car)
Kenwood head unit (pretty old came with car)

AMP did have an indicator light on prior to incident- now no light (leads me to believe no power is getting to unit)

I push the on/off button and get a pop in the speakers sought of indicating some form of life.

trying to convince the wife that I have a s##t box sound system and it needs replacing. No luck at this stage. She's using wife logic "it will probably just come back on" If I went with that logic, Knight Rider would still be on TV with the Greatest American Hero and MacGyver (sorry if I stepped outside the demographics of this forum for just a second )

Any clues as to what the f##k happened here?

**draza** · 29-03-2006, 03:21 PM

I would say pull the deck out and check the wires, make sure that the deck is getting power. Also to make sure that all the wires are still connected. If still no go try pushing in each wire to the deck, the might have just wiggled away from their contact and just need a push back together.

**stradlater** · 29-03-2006, 03:22 PM

I'd say your head unit has packed it in mate..

If the fuse is OK, it sounds much much more like your head unit has died.

You'll note that the power indicator light on the amp is driven by an output from the head unit.

THEREFORE, the amp will only switch on if it is told to do so by the head unit. But if the head unit is dead, it won't tell the amp to turn on..

I'd suggest, just to try and rule the headunit as the likely problem, take the 'remote' line off the amp and put it straight to a 12V source. If the amp powers up then, that tells you that the amp is fine, and it's more than likely the head unit. Try pulling all the inputs&outputs off the head unit and see if it powers up (Leave power connected of course). If the head unit doesn't power, then you've got a dead head unit I'd say. It may be worth replacing the head unit fuse anyway, JUST INCASE it's a hair line fracture in the fuse or something like that.

**boris** · 29-03-2006, 03:23 PM

No light on the amp? Hmmm 12v trigger wire to the amp isn't happening anymore?

**andy** · 29-03-2006, 03:24 PM

edit: <been answered already above.>

**WiLo** · 29-03-2006, 03:25 PM

you say you checked fuses, does the wiring for the HU have an inline fuse aswell as the fuse on the HU, i know mine does, used the fuse that was in there from existing tape player, did the fuse the other day after wanting a little more volume that the HU can get, changed the fused, when i noticed it was only a 2amp fuse

**Cool1** · 29-03-2006, 08:59 PM

If this isn't a case of the dreaded bad earth, I don't know what is

Be sure to check all earth's going to your head unit and then double check them. You could even try just getting a jumper lead and clamp it around the chassis of the stereo and then onto the chassis of the car.
Also be sure that all the wires are black! Yes that's right! Black!
We all know that if your alarm system has any colour wires other than black its rubbish, well the same goes for stereos! We don't want some stereo freak breaking into our cars and trying to hot wire our stereos now do we? So make sure those wires are black. The blackness also helps with the ground effect too because black is the traditional colour of ground

If none of that works, you could try encasing your stereo in some form of container and then filling it with dirt from your garden! This will improve your earthing 10fold!

Hope this helps.
Your earth moving friend, Shane

**Tarkers** · 29-03-2006, 09:14 PM

hmm dirt ay, might have to try that one day

This is something you should do when you do any wiring, but make sure you dissconnect the battery. I watched as a mate pulled his head unit out on his rolla, he hadnt even dissconect the wires on the back and white smoke started pouring out from under his steering column. Best to be on the safe side

Cheers
Kyle

**EldarO** · 29-03-2006, 09:19 PM

Originally Posted by WiLo

you say you checked fuses, does the wiring for the HU have an inline fuse aswell as the fuse on the HU, i know mine does, used the fuse that was in there from existing tape player, did the fuse the other day after wanting a little more volume that the HU can get, changed the fused, when i noticed it was only a 2amp fuse

this happened to mine, pissed me off for a day or so, got sick of no beats and pulled the prick out, only to find that an inline fuse behind it had gone, it was a small 10 amp "blade" fuse that i got a packet of 5 of for $2.

half an hour in 40 degree heat to change a 40 cent fuse.

my car is also black, which pissed me off more.

end of the day, if it has packed it in, there are Mp3 players nowadays for $150, cheap as chups.

nuff said.

Eldar.O.

**Invid** · 30-03-2006, 03:49 PM

Originally Posted by WiLo

you say you checked fuses, does the wiring for the HU have an inline fuse aswell as the fuse on the HU, i know mine does, used the fuse that was in there from existing tape player, did the fuse the other day after wanting a little more volume that the HU can get, changed the fused, when i noticed it was only a 2amp fuse

Speaking of fuses, you may also want to check the original audio fuse in the cars fuse box. Replaced the stereo in my GF car, it was running a built in blade fuse, an inline fuse and the original fuse in the fuse box. How's that for surge protection... Now to work out how to get out the pen lid stuck in the head unit ?

**LeeRoy** · 30-03-2006, 04:31 PM

This has heppened to both myself and friends of mine, the stereo fuse in the car is for the ignition wire and is prob around 15a, the stereo one will be around the same id imagine, my best advice is to check the dome fuse which runs shit like power windows, clocks, central locking etc and often includes dash lighting, that fuse is located in the engine bay fuse box. As for it shorting mine did the same about 2 weeks ago and it was a wire casing wearing through and touching something metal behind the dash. Check the cars stereo harness in the dash. Hope this helps you

- LeeRoy

**WiLo** · 30-03-2006, 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by EldarO

this happened to mine, pissed me off for a day or so, got sick of no beats and pulled the prick out, only to find that an inline fuse behind it had gone, it was a small 10 amp "blade" fuse that i got a packet of 5 of for $2.

end of the day, if it has packed it in, there are Mp3 players nowadays for $150, cheap as chups.

yep, mine happnened on the way to uni, i had some fuses in my bag from megacruise because i was putting CD player in mates car so i was sitting on the side of the road pulling the car apart to replace fuse, took about 10minutes if that.

as for tarkers note about disconnecting the battery(i never do but do as i say not as i do) some cd players have to have the earth connected before the constant power so if it isnt functioning properly make sure you connect earth before power to the HU.

sort of off topic but what is the correct order to connect the battery? positive or earth first?

**love ke70** · 30-03-2006, 06:12 PM

wilo always use the earth to make or break a connection on the battery
so on last, off first
gasket, check any fuses and connections and make sure the earth is good and not corroded. also check all connections on your amp.
my stereo died one time and all i was getting was bass thru the subs (2 amps, one powers components and splits, other powers subs.) it turned out that the earth had slipped out of its connector on the amp. luckily no damage done. might be a good idea for you to check similiar things just in case