No Power to Antenna Switch Wire
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From: Allendale, Michigan
No Power to Antenna Switch Wire Hi all, I’ve been stumped on an annoying electrical gremlin that my car has had for two years now. I wired in my amp remote switch to the power antenna switch so that the amp kicks on whenever the stereo is on. This worked beautifully for a few years but then intermittently it started cutting out. It is now to the point that I do not get power at the pink wire back by the antenna at all except when I bump the terminals for the constant power wire against the remote switch wire. This solves the problem for a short time before I lose power again. Has anyone else had this issue or know what might be causing it? I’ve traced the pink wire up to my dash and cannot find any issues or damage to it; I also can’t explain why it works for a time after tapping the live wire to the switch wire, thoughts? Suggestions? Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,328
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From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
I assume it's a Firebird? Do you still have the factory head unit or is it an aftermarket one?
With a factory HU, the pink wire is powered by the HU whenever it is powered on. Some aftermarket head units work that way as well but some only power the antenna when using a radio source (as opposed to CD, USB, etc.). In either case, it sounds like the connection for the pink wire is loose or the conductor is broken (otherwise tapping it wouldn't make any difference) or the HU has a problem where it isn't powering that connection.
If it's an aftermarket HU, you can use the blue/white wire instead. If it's a factory HU, you could cut the pink wire and splice it to the yellow wire right next to it so that it has power whenever the ignition is on.
With a factory HU, the pink wire is powered by the HU whenever it is powered on. Some aftermarket head units work that way as well but some only power the antenna when using a radio source (as opposed to CD, USB, etc.). In either case, it sounds like the connection for the pink wire is loose or the conductor is broken (otherwise tapping it wouldn't make any difference) or the HU has a problem where it isn't powering that connection.
If it's an aftermarket HU, you can use the blue/white wire instead. If it's a factory HU, you could cut the pink wire and splice it to the yellow wire right next to it so that it has power whenever the ignition is on.
Thread Starter
Launching!
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From: Allendale, Michigan
It’s a factory headunit. I spliced into the yellow ignition power wire and it seemingly worked for a couple times I turned on and off the key. Unfortunately as soon as I started the car the radio fuse popped and the power does not go to the amp/antenna. Does this sound like a stereo ground issue? Where is the ground located for the stereo? It looks like the black wire goes behind the gauge bezel heading toward the fuse box.
Any other ideas? I’m pulling my hair out here trying to figure this annoying this out.
Any other ideas? I’m pulling my hair out here trying to figure this annoying this out.
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,328
Likes: 345
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
A ground issue will never cause a fuse to blow. Fuses blow because too much current is flowing through the circuit. This is often because of a dead short - a power wire is somehow coming in contact with a grounded surface. But it can also be caused by a device (such as an amp) drawing too much current over a period of time. Finding that kind of problem can be tricky. Assuming the only two devices on the pink wire are the amp and the power antenna, you should disconnect them and see if the fuse still blows. If it does then there is a short in the wire someplace between the HU and the back of the car. If it doesn't blow then plug in the antenna and try again. If it blows this time then the antenna is drawing too much current. Then unplug the antenna again and try the same thing with the amp. Finally, try again with both antenna and amp plugged in. The results will tell you whether the antenna, the amp, or both together are drawing more current than they should. Then you will have to repair or replace the device(s) that causes the fuse to blow.
