1993 Navajo Radio quite working, e-bay one no better detailed description

[93nav]

2004-08-26
The radio in my 1993 Mazda Navajo has quite working entirely. I can press any of the buttons and nothing happens. I have checked the fuses and they are all ok. All other displays, lights, etc on the vehicle work, with the possible exception of the right speakers, which have never worked. When I pull on the headlights, the buttons etc on the radio do light up. The radio is original with cassette. I think that it is the mid level radio. For about one or two months before this happend, when I pushed the 'clock' button on the radio while the ignition was off, the time did not always display correctly, usually it was garbage, not even recognizable characters.

I pulled the radio out and could see nothing wrong with the conectors. I bought a replacement (exact same model near as I can tell) on e-bay that was supposed to have been bench tested. That one does not work either, though when I first plug it in, and before I turn on the ignition, I can press the 'clock' button ONE time and get '12:00' to display. This only occurs the first time that I press the clock button, after that nothing. I can unplug it and replug it in again and get the 12:00 one time agaion. This does not occur with my original radio.

I used my multimeter to try to test the connectors (I am new to this, so results are not guarantteed). No matter what the position of the ignition switch, I always got 12.0v +/- on the 'memory feed' line (light green and yellow). With the ignition turned on, I got 11.84v on the 'Radio power feed' line (yellow and black). Pulling on the headlighs, I got 10.16v on the 'panel illumination' line (light blue and red), plus the other two results. There are three connectors going into the radio, a round single 'plug' type one, a long rectangular one with places for 8 wires, but only 6 were used (this is the one I checked), and a square one (speakers???).

I have not looked at the amp at all (I think I know where it is, but....)

I would appreciate any help with this if possible. Or if it turns one I got a bad one from e-bay, I am interested in a replacement.

Thanks!!!

 

[Crankcase]

When you have the "ignition turned on ands get 11.84 volts, is the Navaho running? There should be more voltage there if so.

Also,

The flat connector is for the radio power, memory, illumination, and ground
The square connector is for the speaker output....since you have that square connector, that means you have a factory amp in the rear passenger cargo area, underneath the side window. Sometimes they can be toast.

The round thing is only the antenna connector.

I would reccomend just getting a aftermarket radio, and bypassing the amp/speaker crap altogether.....If the right speakers never worked, it is probably toast anyways.

 

[93nav]

Thanks for the reply Crankcas.

A follow up. I went to a car audio shop and he checked out the connections on the Navajo, plugged the radio in and it worked!! Don't ask me. The only t thing he did different was he was using a simple tester and grounded to someplace other that the radio's ground. He also checked the square connector (speakers)? which I did not do. When I checked the radio, I am not sure if I plugged in the speakers or not. I think I assumed I would at least get a display even if the speakers were not plugged in. He also said that he had something similar happen to his Towncar, that it did not work, and then he tested it and it was like some 'switch' was tripped in the amp when a power was applied. Like I said, don't ask me!!!!!!!

 

[Crankcase]

So it works perfectly now?

The ground was bad? I bet the old one worked fine also then.....

So the radios say MAZDA on them right? Can you get a picture? i've never seen one up close...

 

[cobrajeff]

The Navajo radio is the SAME radio radio as an Explorer unit. Only difference is the lettering "MAZDA" on the cassette door instead of a Ford oval logo. Both units were manufactured by Ford Electronics.

cobrajeff