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So I just recently wrapped up installing my pioneer FH-X720BT radio. Bought a GM88* harness adapter, and soldered the connections and heat shrink tubed the connections... Now my problem is the radio only sometimes works! Sometimes it comes on when the car starts and sometimes it doesn't, sometimes driving down the road it will turn on and sometimes it will turn off. I'm pretty confident in my solder connections but what else would there be to look for? I have replaced the older fuse with a brand new one and still having the same symptoms!
I'd recheck all the wiring first. Also I'd check speaker wire connections but sounds mostly power related?
Only power related yes, I checked all speakers by using the fader/balance settings and all speakers are working very well. Just power.. I'm going to use a spare set of harnesses I have and use butt splices to see if it's just something weird or I have a cold soldering joint. It can only be ground, power and switched power... So if the butt splices fix the problem I'll go through the soldered harness and re-do the 3 power related wires. But I was wandering if anyone else had ever had this issue.
You've got a loose connection on your power wire. Recheck all connectors like you said. Does wiggling the wires make it cut out?
I have not verified a loose connection yet. Tomorrow when i get home from work I will run by the parts store and pick up some posi connectors and use my spare 88-05 harness to a spare pioneer harness with the posi connections and if the problems is eliminated I will re solder all 3 power wires on the current in car harness.
When it cuts out, does it loose the time and audio settings? If so, it's the ground or battery power wire. If not, it's the ignition power wire.
Not all radios are the same. But IIRC, typically the red wire is ignition power and the yellow one is battery.
It's probably the ignition power from my symptoms. It doesn't reset the time, audio settings, or color setting that I have for it, just comes on sometimes, and sometimes it won't. I had this problem with my stock one twice, but this one does it almost every time I drive the car.
........... I had this problem with my stock one twice, but this one does it almost every time I drive the car.
If you've had the problem with two different radios, and the OE radio presumably was hooked up via the OE wiring, it sounds like you have a bad connection in the harness, most likely in the "hot" lead between the fuse box and the radio plug......maybe a bad "pin" in the plug where the harness hooks to the radio (or the adapter for the aftermarket connection)
If you've had the problem with two different radios, and the OE radio presumably was hooked up via the OE wiring, it sounds like you have a bad connection in the harness, most likely in the "hot" lead between the fuse box and the radio plug......maybe a bad "pin" in the plug where the harness hooks to the radio (or the adapter for the aftermarket connection)
My interior fuse box is fairly loose, I don't know if that could cause it... But yes that could be the cause. I really don't wanna trace the wires back... haha hopefully it was just a bad soldering connection and a coincidence for the OE radio..
I'm not really sure if these have the same BCM as LS1 F-bodies, but that sounds to me like the BCM issue I had. The radio would cut out occasionally, and the power windows would also not work because it had something to do with the retained accessory power function. As I mentioned, I'm not really sure if LT1 cars share the same BCM, but I had to fill the cracked solder on the BCM board and it works perfectly now.
I'm not really sure if LT1 cars share the same BCM...
93-95 cars don't have a BCM, and AFAIK us 96-97 guys don't have the kind of problems with the BCM that the later ones do.
OP, have you ohmed all your connections, and checked continuity while wiggling the wires around? Try that with the power wires through the stock harness too, and just to be sure I would also check from the battery to the fuse block. Check your grounds too.
93-95 cars don't have a BCM, and AFAIK us 96-97 guys don't have the kind of problems with the BCM that the later ones do.
OP, have you ohmed all your connections, and checked continuity while wiggling the wires around? Try that with the power wires through the stock harness too, and just to be sure I would also check from the battery to the fuse block. Check your grounds too.
No I haven't had time. I've busy at work and other things around my house. Is there any way to use a separate ground, and use a wire coming out of the cigarette lighter fuse so the radio will retained switched power? And not become a fire hazard lol.
Sure, you can run a separate ground right off the radio harness. There is a ground lug on both driver and passenger sides, right under the top part of the kick panels. For 12v switched, there is a spade connector right on the I/P fuse block labeled "IGN".
If you've had the problem with two different radios, and the OE radio presumably was hooked up via the OE wiring, it sounds like you have a bad connection in the harness, most likely in the "hot" lead between the fuse box and the radio plug......maybe a bad "pin" in the plug where the harness hooks to the radio (or the adapter for the aftermarket connection)
Sure, you can run a separate ground right off the radio harness. There is a ground lug on both driver and passenger sides, right under the top part of the kick panels. For 12v switched, there is a spade connector right on the I/P fuse block labeled "IGN".
Thanks for the info, I'll probably do this if my problem wasn't related to my soldering joints! I ordered some posi-connectors, a new pioneer harness (mine became way to short to strip wires) and a new metra 88-05 harness adapter. They should be here tomorrow, so I guess I'll see tomorrow where my problem lies.
It's probably the ignition power from my symptoms. It doesn't reset the time, audio settings, or color setting that I have for it, just comes on sometimes, and sometimes it won't. I had this problem with my stock one twice, but this one does it almost every time I drive the car.
Originally Posted by VoyagerCamaro
Thanks for the info, I'll probably do this if my problem wasn't related to my soldering joints! I ordered some posi-connectors, a new pioneer harness (mine became way to short to strip wires) and a new metra 88-05 harness adapter. They should be here tomorrow, so I guess I'll see tomorrow where my problem lies.
You've already admitted that the problem existed BEFORE you did anything with a new adapter harness, and "soldered joints"........Then, while installing the new radio, you jostled around the OE wiring, while hooking up the adapter harness. The problem, most likely, is somewhere in the car's harness!
You've already admitted that the problem existed BEFORE you did anything with a new adapter harness, and "soldered joints"........Then, while installing the new radio, you jostled around the OE wiring, while hooking up the adapter harness. The problem, most likely, is somewhere in the car's harness!
Very true but I also said earlier maybe it was a coincidence on the old OE radio.. Just wishful thinking I know. I'll probably run a separate ground and switched power before tracing back the wires. Unless I get reaaaal bored..
93-95 cars don't have a BCM, and AFAIK us 96-97 guys don't have the kind of problems with the BCM that the later ones do.
OP, have you ohmed all your connections, and checked continuity while wiggling the wires around? Try that with the power wires through the stock harness too, and just to be sure I would also check from the battery to the fuse block. Check your grounds too.
Mine does it from time to time. The radio power and the power windows gut out. There is a relay in the BCM that needs the solder joints reflowed.
Okay so, here's what I've got going on with the radio situation. I went ahead an ordered a Metra 88-05 GM Harness, a new 16 pin pioneer harness from harmony audio, a set of posi-twist connectors to insure a good connection. Since when the radio never lost the audio settings and time, I can rule out the yellow colored "memory" wire. I'm going to use the ground lug on the passenger side under the kick panel as suggested above, and use a in-line fuse holder for the red "power" wire and run it from an empty/spare fuse slot on the fuse block. If something still is acting funny I'll let yall know. It will be just a bit though, still waiting on my mail order tune!
Got everything in the car and wired up today. Used a spay connector crimped running into a 20A inline fuse holder, to then go into the pioneer (radio) harness. Also have a ground wire coming from the passenger side ground lug, got the radio installed again, and now just gotta wait on my Mail order tune to get back so I can hook the battery back up and we will see if that solved the problem!
Good ground. Very easy to run under the black plastic piece hiding other wiring under the glove box. for a nice concealed look this is what I opted to do.
Closer up.
Here is the spayed connector crimped to a wire inserted in the IGN slot on the fuse block for a easy switched 12v source. This then leads into a 20a inline fuse holder, to then lead into the pioneer (radio) harness.
To make the car a non fire hazard and also protect the head unit from frying this is a nice addition if your running from the IGN slot like me.
Lastly everything all hooked up. Hope this works!
Last edited by VoyagerCamaro; 05-07-2016 at 06:04 PM.
04-27-2016, 09:41 PM
Aftermarket radio only sometimes works?? 
haha hopefully it was just a bad soldering connection and a coincidence for the OE radio.. 
