Help from the audio gurus

[ahhjaws]

Hey, I thought I'd ask you guys since I know zip about stereos. First of this is in my Mustang. I'm having a problem with my head unit. It's a Pioneer and It's not turning on anymore. I was having electrical problems (negative battery cable was corroded, so it would get power than shut off, on, off...) It was working fine until last weekend, when the cable finally had enough and I couldn't turn anything on, it's when I found out what was actually wrong. Anyway, Is there like some "reset" button, or something I'm not aware. I don't have the manual at all. I checked all the fuses leading to the radio and all were fine. I highly dought its the wiring since nothing really has happened other than the power outages. Any thoughts?

I'll check tomorrow whether power is actually getting there.

 

[4FordFamily]

Perhaps it fried. I had a kenwood that did this. Not very good news, but then again kenwood = POS. Good luck, I don't know what else to tell you!

Well maybe check the wiring harness make sure everything is intact, just to double check. I think there is another fuse for the headunit somewhere else. At least there was on my buddies 99 sport.

Sorry im not much more help hopefully someone else will chime in here!

 

[member02]

Perhaps it fried. I had a kenwood that did this. Not very good news, but then again kenwood = POS. Good luck, I don't know what else to tell you!

Well maybe check the wiring harness make sure everything is intact, just to double check. I think there is another fuse for the headunit somewhere else. At least there was on my buddies 99 sport.

Sorry im not much more help hopefully someone else will chime in here!

kenwood =POS? you don't even know what model he has, it could be the excelon kvt-911, one of the best dvd players on the market. either way don't say something like that without knowing it truely is a POS.

yea, always double check wiring and fuses, I can't say how many times i've doubled checked a fuse box to find that I somehow missed the blown fuse.

otherwise, as long as that negative is fixed you shouldn't have problems, I'm very familiar with a mustang since I hang out at http://www.3.8mustang.com's audio forum for mustangs and answer questions there too, this is a problem I've never heard from a mustang chances are that it's something wrong with the head unit. first things first, remove it, hook it up to your car battery by holding the power wires with your hands, then see if it turns on, this will prove whether or not it's your car or the cd player.

it's usually a red and a yellow wire that are the power/memory wires (+), then a black wire for the negative(-)

if it works on the battery, then you've got something wrong with your car's electrical system, check the obvious spots like fuses, make sure wiring is live behind head unit, etc... and if ytou cannot find it, then you are kind of screwed and have to get a pro to help you... chances are it's the cd player though.

 

[Mbrooks420]

Actually he can say it was a POS. He was talking about a deck he had. Ahhjaws has a Pioneer. Was it working then quit, or just didn't come when you turned the car on?

 

[ahhjaws]

Yeah, it hasn't worked since that night. I wasn't the one who wired it, it was the previous owner, as far as I can tell, he wasn't a master electrician. The wires are everywhere. I'll mess around with it today. If it is the unit, there isn't much I'd be able to do right? Since I don't know when it was bought, no reciept, or anything.

 

[huskyfan23]

Maybe blew a fuse? Sometimes HU's have a wafer fuse in the back. Might wanna pull the deck and see if yours is the same. If there is no fuse or it's fine, I second the idea of taking it out. Connect an inline fuse to the power wire and touch that to the + on the battery. Take the ground wire and ground it to the body or block, don't ground it on the - battery post.

 

[davesexplorer]

yeah check your HU fuse (should be on the back by the harness), and some head units do have reset switches, my alpine does...

Worst case scenario the deck is fried... Did you make sure your deck is getting proper power, turn-on and batt, and the ground..? Dig out a multimeter and check it out,...

 

[huskyfan23]

Yeah if you have a multimeter check for power. My HU has a reset button too. It's on the faceplate, need a toothpick or pin to push it. Maybe look for a manual online to see exactly where it is if you can't find it?

 

[ahhjaws]

Thanks for everyone's help, I diognosed it today and found the problem. The positive wire was loose half way around where it goes throu8gh the firewall. I don't know what this guy was thinking when he wired this, it is about 5 different wires and connections, so I replaced the entire line with a solid one.