PLEASE HELP! Radio fuse keeps blowing!
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 170
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From: North of Cinci OH
PLEASE HELP! Radio fuse keeps blowing! Monsoon system in 2000 T/A in sig...
Proffesionally installed kicker amp and kicker comp 10" in stealth box last August...so almost 8 months ago!.
Yesterday at work, start the car to move parking spots (long explanation, had no choice) and radio worked fine for the 1 minute car was running.
This morning get in to leave work and no radio. Backlighting was on, antenna didn't go up, radio won't turn on.
Have another head unit on the way from a member of this board...
As soon as I had the chance checked the 15amp fuse for radio and found it blown. Figured cool, easy fix.
Put new fuse in, turned key on and pop, blew it immediately. Pulled head unit out and found nothing obvious, everything looked great.
Pulled fuse from amp, tried again, fuse blew immedately.
The head unit has had issues with the display not working/showing weird symbols since I bought the car, but it has always worked flawlessly, so I'm okay replacing it anyway.
Please help me out and/or lead me in the right direction for what could be the problem!
Dennis
Proffesionally installed kicker amp and kicker comp 10" in stealth box last August...so almost 8 months ago!.
Yesterday at work, start the car to move parking spots (long explanation, had no choice) and radio worked fine for the 1 minute car was running.
This morning get in to leave work and no radio. Backlighting was on, antenna didn't go up, radio won't turn on.
Have another head unit on the way from a member of this board...
As soon as I had the chance checked the 15amp fuse for radio and found it blown. Figured cool, easy fix.
Put new fuse in, turned key on and pop, blew it immediately. Pulled head unit out and found nothing obvious, everything looked great.
Pulled fuse from amp, tried again, fuse blew immedately.
The head unit has had issues with the display not working/showing weird symbols since I bought the car, but it has always worked flawlessly, so I'm okay replacing it anyway.
Please help me out and/or lead me in the right direction for what could be the problem!
Dennis
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 170
Likes: 0
From: North of Cinci OH
Oh yeah.. the "recall" function still brings up the time and CD's still eject and are accepted normally, just wont play cause darn thing won't actually turn on!!
Thanks for any and all help with this!
Thanks for any and all help with this!
Launching!
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 257
Likes: 0
From: H-Town
Try this: unplug stereo, replace 15A fuse, turn ignition on with radio unplugged. If fuse blows, problem is NOT in the HU. Start tracing the problem thru the wiring harness (damn, I hope that's not it). If the fuse DOESN'T blow, then it's in the radio. Replace as necessary.
Launching!
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 257
Likes: 0
From: H-Town
I hate to burst your bubble, but that's REALLY bad advice. Stepping up *one* size MIGHT be okay for testing purposes ONLY, but the reason there's different size fuses is to avoid starting a fire!! If the wire is designed to handle a maximum of 20 amps, you put in a 25 amp fuse and there's a short, what happens? You'd better have good insurance is all I've got to say. I've seen plenty of electrical fires in the past due to exactly that sort of thinking. Please, do not put in a bigger fuse than what's recommended.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 170
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From: North of Cinci OH
I'll try unplugging the stereo tomorrow and see if that works...
I've done the "upsized" fuse deal in the past and never had a problem, but that was all early 80's vehicles with a LOT less electronics. I'd be pretty weary of doing that on a newer vehicle.
Thanks for the advise though!
Dennis
I've done the "upsized" fuse deal in the past and never had a problem, but that was all early 80's vehicles with a LOT less electronics. I'd be pretty weary of doing that on a newer vehicle.
Thanks for the advise though!
Dennis
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 170
Likes: 0
From: North of Cinci OH
Okay- I removed the head unit completely and the fuse still pops as soon as the key is turned to the accessory position (obviously does the same then when car is started).
Where in the world do I start??
Again--amp was installed proff over 8 months ago and has worked perfectly- I've checked most, but not all the wiring for it.
NO OTHER mods, or alterations performed inside the veh (If putting new wheels on caused this I'm really screwed!)
Thanks for any advise!
Dennis
Where in the world do I start??
Again--amp was installed proff over 8 months ago and has worked perfectly- I've checked most, but not all the wiring for it.
NO OTHER mods, or alterations performed inside the veh (If putting new wheels on caused this I'm really screwed!)
Thanks for any advise!
Dennis
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Sounds to me like there's a short in the wire somewhere, maybe over time the insulation rubbed off around a sharp bend or where something was spliced into it. Maybe the shop attached the remote turn-on for the amp into the power wire for the deck and the connector is starting to short out to something.
There are two power wires for the deck, one is always on (battery) to keep the clock memory set and to allow you to load/eject CDs when the car is off. The other one is the one that switches on and off with the ignition, which is the one you should be checking.
There are two power wires for the deck, one is always on (battery) to keep the clock memory set and to allow you to load/eject CDs when the car is off. The other one is the one that switches on and off with the ignition, which is the one you should be checking.
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TECH Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Texas
Originally Posted by SmOkInEmSS02
try a bigger fuse....sometimes factory puts in too small or too large of fuses...if its a 15, try 25 or 30? never know. good luck and keep us posted
If it was me, since you have an aftermarket amp, I would start on the back of the radios wire harness.
Launching!
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 257
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From: H-Town
Curious - where did they splice in the remote-turn-on for the amp? If that's tied to IGN and shorted somewhere, having the radio unplugged would still blow the fuse when the key goes on. Try this: see if there's a non-factory connection to a yellow wire at the radio harness - if so, disconnect it and try again (I guess it doesn't matter if the radio's plugged in or not). I hate to see you keep blowing fuses, but unless you're good with a multimeter, it's really the only safe way to do it. If that turns out to be the problem, you've got a shorted wire in the run between the dash and your amp - shouldn't be too hard to find. If that's not it, you've got a short between the fuse-block and the dash, which will be much more of a challenge to find.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 170
Likes: 0
From: North of Cinci OH
The PAC converter is spliced into the harness right behind the radio. All the connection's there look good and nothing directly behind the radio looks frayed (sp?) or anything. Guess I'll just start checking wires with a multimeter and going that route. Hopefully like Daley said it'll be something in the amp wiring, it's easy to get to.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 170
Likes: 0
From: North of Cinci OH
WOOHOO! Got the problem resolved! The power turn on for the amp was run behind (under) the drivers side T-Top mount. Somehow it had developed a "flat spot" in the cable. The outer sheathing was not cut at all, but it was so flat it had damage the actual wire causing a short. replaced that section of wire and it took care of the problem! Of course this was the LAST place I looked after taking apart interior tracing the wirs from the head unit!
Thanks for all the help gents!
Thanks for all the help gents!
