Radio won't turn off, unless p/w button pressed

[R93ExplorerSport]

Yea its weird, 50% of the time, the radio won't turn off when you turn off the motor unless you press any of the p/w motor button(up/down/driver/or passenger). Key is out of the ignition and the radio keeps on going. Before i figured out the p/w button turned it off, it would take anywhere from5min to and hour to turn off. I've replace the radio and problem seemed to go away for about a month, but came back. I've had 4 minor car fires (3camaro's and a old saturn), which is why i'm concerned. I'm sure its a ground, but where to i check??

Also driver side lock won't lock or unlock with button, have to do it manualy. I've yet to investigate this problem as it just started a week ago.

Thanks,
Jared

 

[TedJ]

Do you happen to have an amp with a capacitor installed?

 

[R93ExplorerSport]

Do you happen to have an amp with a capacitor installed?

Nope. No amps, just an Alpine radio. Weird huh?

 

[TedJ]

I was thinking that there might have been a cap feeding back voltage into the switched +12 circuit, but I guess not....

I guess there has to be some kind of residual voltage in the +12 switched that goes to the radio, and the window motor lets that voltage drain off....

How good are the connections on the radio harness?
Was a plug in adapter used to make the connections to the factory harness?
And was the adapter harness soldered (or at least crimped well) to the radio harness?

Maybe try grounding the chassis of the radio? Look for bad grounds?

 

[R93ExplorerSport]

I was thinking that there might have been a cap feeding back voltage into the switched +12 circuit, but I guess not....

I guess there has to be some kind of residual voltage in the +12 switched that goes to the radio, and the window motor lets that voltage drain off....

How good are the connections on the radio harness?
Was a plug in adapter used to make the connections to the factory harness?
And was the adapter harness soldered (or at least crimped well) to the radio harness?

Maybe try grounding the chassis of the radio? Look for bad grounds?

It does have an adapter in order for the Alpine to hook up, and from the looks of the way the old Panisonic was hooked up, it looked like it was perfessionaly done, very well crimped. I installed the Alpine, also making sure it was crimped properly. I was hoping someone would have experienced this problem before, but it seems no one has. Freakin weird.

 

[TedJ]

Yea it seems to be some kind of residual voltage in the switched circuit... I just don't get where that voltage could be coming from...

The radio just uses that +12 on the switched wire to tell it to turn on and off, there is virtually no load placed on that wire, so it wouldn't take much to keep it on. I still don't understand how it's even possible.... :scratch:

Is there an aftermarket alarm installed (or was there one previously)?

Maybe bad ignition switch that has a really slight conductive path to the radio circuit? (now I'm just really guessing)

 

[R93ExplorerSport]

Yea it seems to be some kind of residual voltage in the switched circuit... I just don't get where that voltage could be coming from...

The radio just uses that +12 on the switched wire to tell it to turn on and off, there is virtually no load placed on that wire, so it wouldn't take much to keep it on. I still don't understand how it's even possible.... :scratch:

Is there an aftermarket alarm installed (or was there one previously)?

Maybe bad ignition switch that has a really slight conductive path to the radio circuit? (now I'm just really guessing)

Nope, no alarm. I bought the truck in Sept 07, had 82,000miles, I'm the second owner, and looked like the previous really took care of it, meaning i'm not seeing any rigged up wires, nothing aftermarket on it at all except for airfilter and exhaust, which i put on.

As far as the ignition switch, I guess its possible, lol, I wouldn't know though.

 

[JIGAWHAAT]

I've had 4 minor car fires

Sounds to me like you have really really bad luck.

 

[R93ExplorerSport]

Sounds to me like you have really really bad luck.

LoL, you ain't lying, given 3rd gen camaro's tend to be electrical nightmares, I've always made it a habit buying a fire extinguisher since the first fire.

 

[Blacksheep Josh]

The same problem was kinda happening to me, except when I pressed the p/w button everything would turn off. It ended up being the auto-down relay, and the driver window switch. I have no idea how it happened, or how it was possible, but I replaced the driver switch, and the relay and everything is in fine order now.

When you take off your door panel, there's a box connected to it that has a plug, I think it has 2 red/yellow wires, a black wire, adn maybe something else. About the size of a pack of cigarettes, mine had gone bad. I took it apart and there was electrical burning everywhere, like it had shorted out. But I replaced that, and my switch and everything is fine.

It was a very weird problem, and thank god that fixed it. Good Luck

 

[R93ExplorerSport]

The same problem was kinda happening to me, except when I pressed the p/w button everything would turn off. It ended up being the auto-down relay, and the driver window switch. I have no idea how it happened, or how it was possible, but I replaced the driver switch, and the relay and everything is in fine order now.

When you take off your door panel, there's a box connected to it that has a plug, I think it has 2 red/yellow wires, a black wire, adn maybe something else. About the size of a pack of cigarettes, mine had gone bad. I took it apart and there was electrical burning everywhere, like it had shorted out. But I replaced that, and my switch and everything is fine.

It was a very weird problem, and thank god that fixed it. Good Luck

I shall try that. I got home today, and radio stayed on. I pressed random buttons and switch till it cut off, this time the rear window wiper turned it off.