Problem with my stereo

**digifreak** · 08-02-2005, 12:48 AM

Hello, I've only posted on here maybe one or two times before a while back, anyways, here's my dilemma:

My friend's obnoxious girlfriend was sitting in the backseat of my truck, near my PC's power cable and she saw the wires, asked what they were, and pulled on them. When she did, the ground wire popped out of the molex connector I had them saudered into. The computer immediately started to freak out on me, so I reached back and disconnected the connector quick.

The stereo worked fine for me the rest of the time driving home, but the next morning, it wouldn't turn on at all, the amps don't even turn on. I checked to make sure there weren't any other loose wires from the connector, and there aren't. I've removed the PC for now, at least until I get the stereo operating again, the PC isn't really the issue right now.

First thing I did was check my fuses under the dash with a fuse checker, all of them are fine. I opened the dash to get to the inline fuses with the stereo and replaced both of them, they looked fine, but I couldn't check em, so I just replaced them. I popped my hood and checked the fuses under there. The one for the sound system was blown, replaced it, checked all the other fuses, the fuse to the amp, and the fuse to the PC, all of them were fine.

The stereo still doesn't start up at all. I can tell it has power, because it opened the front of it to eject a cd when I hit the button, just no display, and the amps don't even power on. I checked the local fuses on the amps also, they were fine. I even hit the reset button on the front of the headunit, and still no luck. I even hooked up my engine code reader just for ****s n' giggles, but nothing. I don't know what else to do.

I've spent the last two days searching the net, and all the sites say the same thing, blown fuse, or bad wiring. I checked all the fuses, and I know it's not wiring because my setup has been working fine for nearly a year, until this.

Just thought someone here could help me out before I go to the dreaded repair shop and spend a ton of money on an easy fix.

FYI, I was running a M10000, with an itps, clarion HU (PC connected to AUX in), 2 kicker kx 200.2 amps, and a fosgate 10" sub in an '04 Nissan frontier.

I'm thinking it's something with the accessory line, because the pc was hooked up to it (for the ITPS), as well as the amps, and the stereo, I just don't know what the problem is if all the fuses are fine.

Thanks in advance, and I've very sorry for the long post.

**fantomas** · 08-02-2005, 12:53 AM

sounds like a problem with the acc line.. grab a volt meter and check the red line going to the HU and see if its hot when the car is on. the red wire is usually the line switched on with the ignition. also, temporarily, short the remote wire to the power wire so you KNOW the amp should turn on and see what happens.

dont take it to a shop!

**digifreak** · 08-02-2005, 01:14 AM

Cool, thanks for the info, I'll have to try that after work tomorrow, too dark now. Your help is much appreciated, and yea, I really don't wanna take it to a shop, the shops out here are infamous for swindling people.

**RedGTiVR6** · 08-02-2005, 12:15 PM

I think you need to take HER to a shop and have her pay for it...lol

I think she also dervers the title of '*****' for doing something like that.....she gets to ride in the back in the bed of the truck from now on I hope!

chekc that accessory line and let us know what you come up with!

**evandude** · 08-02-2005, 12:32 PM

Hope it's the acc line, because if not it could be pretty bad. when you pull the ground wire, the PC will stay running, only it will then be grounding itself through whatever source it can; suddenly things like your audio outputs (where one wire should be grounded in the head unit or amps) suddenly start carrying all the current that is powering the PC... which would, of course, not be too good for them.

**digifreak** · 08-03-2005, 12:25 AM

Ok, just got through testing the accessory line. 0 volts even with truck on. The power wire has a healthy 12.65 volts. As far as shorting the power wire to the remote wire for the amp to see if it turns on, it didn't. Let me make sure I did it right though, I disconnected the remote wire from the amp, and had another wire that I touched to the screw holding down the power wire for the amp, I then touched the wire where the remote wire was screwed in. I did this with the truck on.

Well, after I did all this, I re-checked all the fuses and they're all good still. One of my friends said it could be something with a relay? I don't know, I'm not an electrical buff. I know some basics, but that's about it.

Anyways, there's the data that I have so far, if you have any recommendations, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks

**digifreak** · 08-03-2005, 12:30 AM

LOL, yea, I wish I could make her pay for it, but what would probably happen is my friend giving me some cash, and saying it was from her. I'm not even gonna worry about bothering her. Talking to her makes my head hurt, I really don't know what my friend sees in her, well, she is hot, but with the way I see her act, she's one of the ugliest girls in the world.

Yes, she is a *****, and she's never going to ride in my truck again, not even in the back. I'm afraid to think of what she could screw up back there.

**WhiteRabbit** · 08-03-2005, 12:36 AM

if your ground and power reads 12 volts, shorting to remote does nothing, car on or off, doesnt matter, and the AMP fuse is not blown, your amp is toast. time to call the manufactuer and get it repaired.

the problem is definitely at the amp though, if you are reading 12 volts at the amp itself. open it up, sometimes fuses are internal. certainly youll be able to check for burnt components.

**digifreak** · 08-03-2005, 12:54 AM

Ok, I just went and checked the power wire at the amp (which should just pretty much be battery voltage), it was 12.7 volts. I then checked to see if there was anything going through the ground wire, and got 0 volts.

Is the power wire at the amp not supposed to have a voltage on it? I figured it would since it is run straight off of the battery (minus an inline fuse).

If that is the problem, I would be suprised and relieved, it's easy to replace an amp. Thanks for the reply!

**WhiteRabbit** · 08-03-2005, 01:08 AM

yes, ground should be 0 volts. if you use the ground at the amp and the power at the amp as the points for your multimeter and read 12 volts, thats sufficient.