Aftermarket radio problem
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 145
Likes: 1
From: Alabama
Aftermarket radio problem Hey guys, didn't really know if I should go to pioneer with this one or here; I'll ask here first because I could probably get a quicker response (talk to pioneer or here's your problem) I recently installed a pioneer avh-x2700bt in my '01 firebird. I have been having an issue with the amp not turning off so I've just been pulling the radio accy fuse to shut it off. (Just adding that info Incase it's relevant to this situation) well I had my phone connected via blue tooth and was listening to music when out of no where the music stopped, weird thing though, on my phone and radio display the time bar for the song was still moving. So I turned the car off and pulled the fuse to kind of "reset" the radio. When I turned the car back on the radio wouldn't come on for a solid minute then just came on out of nowhere and started playing my music again but the Time bar on the radio wasn't moving at all and never did the whole song. It was going from song to song and the time bar would sit at 0.00 on the radio. I'd really like to solve this issue because if it is electrical it's only getting worse. Btw it WAS raining. (My amp cuts on all by its self if my car sits out in the rain. Just thought that might be worth mentioning also) help please. 
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,329
Likes: 346
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
I would fix the obvious electrical issues first and then see if the radio behaves normally.
Are you still using the Monsoon amp or have you installed an aftermarket one? The Monsoon amp doesn't have a turn-on signal wire - it has constant power and turns on/off based on detecting audio signal input from the head unit. On the other hand, most aftermarket amps have a separate turn-on wire that powers up the amp whenever 12v power is applied on that wire.
So, if you still have the Monsoon amp and it is staying on then either it's seeing some audio signal from your HU or it's defective. If you have an aftermarket amp and it's staying on then it must be getting power on its turn-on wire all the time. Your Pioneer HU has a turn-on output (blue/white wire) that should be the only thing connected to the amp's turn-on wire. If it is connected that way then either your HU isn't turning off when it should or it's defective.
The raining thing concerns me... there should be no difference in what the audio system does regardless of rain. First because the wiring is all inside the car and second because even if it was outside it is all properly sealed from moisture (all your connections are tight and secure, aren't they?)
Are you still using the Monsoon amp or have you installed an aftermarket one? The Monsoon amp doesn't have a turn-on signal wire - it has constant power and turns on/off based on detecting audio signal input from the head unit. On the other hand, most aftermarket amps have a separate turn-on wire that powers up the amp whenever 12v power is applied on that wire.
So, if you still have the Monsoon amp and it is staying on then either it's seeing some audio signal from your HU or it's defective. If you have an aftermarket amp and it's staying on then it must be getting power on its turn-on wire all the time. Your Pioneer HU has a turn-on output (blue/white wire) that should be the only thing connected to the amp's turn-on wire. If it is connected that way then either your HU isn't turning off when it should or it's defective.
The raining thing concerns me... there should be no difference in what the audio system does regardless of rain. First because the wiring is all inside the car and second because even if it was outside it is all properly sealed from moisture (all your connections are tight and secure, aren't they?)
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 145
Likes: 1
From: Alabama
Aftermarket radio problem I am still using the monsoon amp. Never had a problem with it till I installed after market hu. Then all of the sudden problems. Everything is sealed properly, all wires are crimped to the reverse harness I bought and taped off
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,329
Likes: 346
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
Does the head unit remain on when the car is off? That could be caused by one of a couple of things... the constant (battery) power and the ignition switched power wires are reversed or there is something wrong with the Retained Accessory Power (RAP) circuit that powers the radio and windows. The head unit being on will keep the amp on as well.
I would say it's a fair guess to figure the problem is somewhere related to the aftermarket HU installation since that's when the problem started. Do you still have the factory HU that you could plug in to check if the problem goes away?
I would say it's a fair guess to figure the problem is somewhere related to the aftermarket HU installation since that's when the problem started. Do you still have the factory HU that you could plug in to check if the problem goes away?
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 145
Likes: 1
From: Alabama
Aftermarket radio problem Yes I do. I held on to it just Incase I ever sold the car. But no the radio shuts off with the car but the amp stays on (till I pull the radio accy fuse and put it back in) then it shuts off and stays that way until I turn on the ignition; except when it rains, when it rains the amp cuts on all by itself.
From harness adapter I have two wires left (blue and orange) from aftermarket HU I have 4 wires left (blue/white, purple/white, orange/white and yellow black) number of connected wires are only 11. (Yellow, red, black, green, white, gray, purple, gray/black, green/black, white/black and purple/black. Do you see any flaw?
Plugged in old radio, works fine no problems.
From harness adapter I have two wires left (blue and orange) from aftermarket HU I have 4 wires left (blue/white, purple/white, orange/white and yellow black) number of connected wires are only 11. (Yellow, red, black, green, white, gray, purple, gray/black, green/black, white/black and purple/black. Do you see any flaw?
Plugged in old radio, works fine no problems.
Last edited by BamaBird22; May 3, 2016 at 05:45 PM.
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,329
Likes: 346
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
The four unused HU wires shouldn't cause a problem except for the orange/white. It is the illumination feed that switches the display between day and night mode based on whether the car's lights are on. The others are amp remote turn-on (blue/white), reverse gear signal (purple/white) and external device mute (yellow/black).
This shouldn't happen when using an adapter harness but it never hurts to double check. Make sure that the red wire from the HU harness goes through the adapter harness and connects to the yellow wire in the factory wiring. Then make sure the yellow wire in the HU harness connects through the adapter harness to the orange wire in the factory wiring. Both are power so reversing them won't cause damage but it will cause weird symptoms.
While you're checking, connect your unused orange/white wire to either orange or orange/white in the adapter harness - whichever one goes to the brown wire on the factory side.
I think we're looking in the right place since reinstalling the old radio works properly. We just have to find what it is about the aftermarket HU installation that is causing the problem.
This shouldn't happen when using an adapter harness but it never hurts to double check. Make sure that the red wire from the HU harness goes through the adapter harness and connects to the yellow wire in the factory wiring. Then make sure the yellow wire in the HU harness connects through the adapter harness to the orange wire in the factory wiring. Both are power so reversing them won't cause damage but it will cause weird symptoms.
While you're checking, connect your unused orange/white wire to either orange or orange/white in the adapter harness - whichever one goes to the brown wire on the factory side.
I think we're looking in the right place since reinstalling the old radio works properly. We just have to find what it is about the aftermarket HU installation that is causing the problem.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 145
Likes: 1
From: Alabama
Okay, red wire is connected to yellow and yellow connected to orange. Problem still persists. Also connected orange and orange white wire from hu to adapter. Thanks for that lol it'll save me some eye strain at night
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On The Tree
Joined: Apr 2015
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From: Alabama
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,329
Likes: 346
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
The 3-pin connector in the photo is the factory power antenna connector (orange, pink and black wires). Orange is battery (constant) power, pink is RAP (ignition) on signal and black is ground.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 145
Likes: 1
From: Alabama
Originally Posted by WhiteBird00
The 3-pin connector in the photo is the factory power antenna connector (orange, pink and black wires). Orange is battery (constant) power, pink is RAP (ignition) on signal and black is ground.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 145
Likes: 1
From: Alabama
Originally Posted by WhiteBird00
That would only affect your power antenna. Without it connected, the antenna will remain retracted.
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,329
Likes: 346
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
That's easy enough to check. Here are the aftermarket wire colors and the corresponding factory wire colors to which they should connect:
Aftermarket -> Factory
red -> yellow
yellow -> orange
black -> black
orange -> gray (most aftermarket HUs won't have this wire)
orange/white -> brown
blue -> pink (Firebird only... used for power antenna)
white -> tan
white/black -> gray
gray -> light green
gray/black -> dark green
green -> brown
green/black -> yellow
purple -> dark blue
purple/black -> light blue
Note: There are colors used more than once in the factory harness. The power, ground and front speaker wires are in the black connector. The rear speakers are in the white connector.
Other wires:
brown -> (not used these days... it was for some devices that required an external mute signal)
blue/white -> aftermarket amplifier remote turn on (not used with Monsoon amp)
light green -> parking brake switch (used for GPS and video safety)
purple/white -> backup lights (used for backup camera activation)
Plug the aftermarket harness adapter into the factory connectors and then check that the adapter wires match up with the corresponding factory wires.
Aftermarket -> Factory
red -> yellow
yellow -> orange
black -> black
orange -> gray (most aftermarket HUs won't have this wire)
orange/white -> brown
blue -> pink (Firebird only... used for power antenna)
white -> tan
white/black -> gray
gray -> light green
gray/black -> dark green
green -> brown
green/black -> yellow
purple -> dark blue
purple/black -> light blue
Note: There are colors used more than once in the factory harness. The power, ground and front speaker wires are in the black connector. The rear speakers are in the white connector.
Other wires:
brown -> (not used these days... it was for some devices that required an external mute signal)
blue/white -> aftermarket amplifier remote turn on (not used with Monsoon amp)
light green -> parking brake switch (used for GPS and video safety)
purple/white -> backup lights (used for backup camera activation)
Plug the aftermarket harness adapter into the factory connectors and then check that the adapter wires match up with the corresponding factory wires.