Radio wont power on intermittently

[keylewm]

I have a 2007 XLT 4.6 - Stock except for an aftermarket radio that was installed October 2022. Everything has been fine except In the last week(ish) the radio wont turn on with the ignition reliably. I checked all 5 fuses (3 under dash on drivers' side and 2 under the hood), all fuses are good and test good. After pulling and reinstalling fuses, I can get the radio to power on for a start or two but after that nothing.

There is the one main 20amp fuse that provides constant power. If I pull it and immediately put it back in the issue is still there. If I pull the fuse and wait @20 seconds the radio will come on at startup for a time or two. The only thing I have to do is reset the clock.

I'm at a loss as to what to check next and wanted to see if anyone had any ideas? Can fuses go bad even if they arent blown and cause intermittent power when they are seated firmly in the slot?

 

[Rick]

Use a test light or voltmeter at the harness connector for the radio and check to see if it's getting a steady 12v when the ignition is on. If you have solid 12v to the radio's bat+ and ign+ it must be an issue with the radio.

 

[keylewm]

Thank you! I think I found the issue. The 12V battery was weak. The truck starts fine and it wasn't showing any errors, but when I hooked up the trickle charger on a whim, the battery was only 50%. I let it charge up fully and Ive driven it a couple of days with zero issues. I think it was just low enough to not let the radio power on during starting, but still strong enough to start the truck.

This isnt my DD so it does sit a bit, so I thought why not try the battery just to see.