Desperate for Help, Power Failures
08-04-2009, 05:45 PM
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Desperate for Help, Power Failures
I am at a complete loss for what to do. In a previous post, I explained some frustrations I’ve been having with my Pioneer head unit.
If interested, https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/show...01#post4159001
Some new twists have came so I thought I would just record everything to see if some guru out there can help me. At the very least, I can document everything if I have to take the vehicle in somewhere for service.
I purchased and installed a Pioneer DEH-P3900-MP back in August of 2007. At the time, I purchased a wiring harness from Crutchfield that was compatible with my stock system. I would lose the retained accessory power feature of the stereo but that was not a problem. We tapped into the sunroof fuse using a mini-tap device and the system worked without a single problem or strange occurrence for almost two years.
Almost a month ago, on July 13th, my stereo, randomly and without reason decided to just stop working one night while I was driving. The power just completely failed for a few seconds but then returned. This then happened again before returning and staying on. It worked until the drive home from work the next day and this time it did not return on its own.
This is what I have replaced/changed so far:
• Changed location of mini-tap to different accessory fuse (including the always on interior dome light fuse)
• Replaced 15 amp RDO fuse
• Replaced 10 amp fuse for interior lights, and back of head unit (despite the fact that no fuses were blown)
• Checked every other fuse in box for burnt connection points
• Purchased two-in-one fuse tap and tapped the windshield wiper fuses
After doing all of these things, I would sometimes be able to get the head unit to work normally, but it would not remain functioning. Sometimes it would fail in mere minutes, other times after a day or two.
This is what I have observed about the failures:
• No correlation to volume; has failed at loud listening volumes and low listening volumes
• No correlation to operating duration; has failed immediately after starting vehicle, after driving for a distance
• No correlation to temperature; has failed after sitting out in the sun all day, has failed first thing in the morning after sitting in cooled garage all night (and working previously the night before)
• No correlation to accessory power circuit; has failed when accessory power was spliced to 12v battery circuit (yellow wire)
• No correlation with blown fuses; no observable damage to any of the related RDO or tapped fuse circuits
• No correlation with speakers; have disconnected all speakers and still had intermittent failures of the system
• No correlation with engine running; has failed with engine running or engine turned off with ignition in On position
• No correlation to air conditioning/windshield wipers; has failed with both devices operating or not operating
There is no observable pattern to what is going on. In fact, last week I decided I would rule out the accessory wire circuit by wiring the accessory power line directly to the battery memory wire (yellow wire in harness). This immediately gave me power at all times no matter what the condition of the ignition was. This worked for almost two days. It worked for a one hour drive. Then, after the car sat in the shade for about 4 hours, it failed to regain power on the drive home. The next morning however, I went to power on the unit and it started up immediately with no loss of memory features.
This lead me to believe that the head unit was damaged so I purchased a brand new JVC-KD-HDR20 head unit. I re-spliced every connection, rewired my fuse tap, and received power immediately to my head unit. Things worked properly from Sunday afternoon until today, Tuesday afternoon.
On my way home from work today, the power to my unit went off and came back on repeatedly for seemingly no reason. It was as if the system was ‘browning out’ if such a thing were possible. Granted, I have made no recent modifications to anything electrical in my car prior to July 13th when this issue initially started. I have done nothing other than try to replace fuses and resplice the wiring harness for the stereo.
Since this new stereo appears to be having the same issues as the previous one, it does not appear to be a problem with the head unit. What, if any, are my options? I am going to be driving 12+ hours this weekend to go on vacation and I am concerned that my car may have some significant electrical issues. I have not driven my vehicle over 2 hours straight in quite some time and I am concerned about making such a long trip.
Are there any other relays, circuits, or other things that I can check? I doubt I will be able to be seen by a shop in such short notice and my vehicle just recently passed the warranty expiration.
I am desperate for help so I appreciate any and all responses.
If interested, https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/show...01#post4159001
Some new twists have came so I thought I would just record everything to see if some guru out there can help me. At the very least, I can document everything if I have to take the vehicle in somewhere for service.
I purchased and installed a Pioneer DEH-P3900-MP back in August of 2007. At the time, I purchased a wiring harness from Crutchfield that was compatible with my stock system. I would lose the retained accessory power feature of the stereo but that was not a problem. We tapped into the sunroof fuse using a mini-tap device and the system worked without a single problem or strange occurrence for almost two years.
Almost a month ago, on July 13th, my stereo, randomly and without reason decided to just stop working one night while I was driving. The power just completely failed for a few seconds but then returned. This then happened again before returning and staying on. It worked until the drive home from work the next day and this time it did not return on its own.
This is what I have replaced/changed so far:
• Changed location of mini-tap to different accessory fuse (including the always on interior dome light fuse)
• Replaced 15 amp RDO fuse
• Replaced 10 amp fuse for interior lights, and back of head unit (despite the fact that no fuses were blown)
• Checked every other fuse in box for burnt connection points
• Purchased two-in-one fuse tap and tapped the windshield wiper fuses
After doing all of these things, I would sometimes be able to get the head unit to work normally, but it would not remain functioning. Sometimes it would fail in mere minutes, other times after a day or two.
This is what I have observed about the failures:
• No correlation to volume; has failed at loud listening volumes and low listening volumes
• No correlation to operating duration; has failed immediately after starting vehicle, after driving for a distance
• No correlation to temperature; has failed after sitting out in the sun all day, has failed first thing in the morning after sitting in cooled garage all night (and working previously the night before)
• No correlation to accessory power circuit; has failed when accessory power was spliced to 12v battery circuit (yellow wire)
• No correlation with blown fuses; no observable damage to any of the related RDO or tapped fuse circuits
• No correlation with speakers; have disconnected all speakers and still had intermittent failures of the system
• No correlation with engine running; has failed with engine running or engine turned off with ignition in On position
• No correlation to air conditioning/windshield wipers; has failed with both devices operating or not operating
There is no observable pattern to what is going on. In fact, last week I decided I would rule out the accessory wire circuit by wiring the accessory power line directly to the battery memory wire (yellow wire in harness). This immediately gave me power at all times no matter what the condition of the ignition was. This worked for almost two days. It worked for a one hour drive. Then, after the car sat in the shade for about 4 hours, it failed to regain power on the drive home. The next morning however, I went to power on the unit and it started up immediately with no loss of memory features.
This lead me to believe that the head unit was damaged so I purchased a brand new JVC-KD-HDR20 head unit. I re-spliced every connection, rewired my fuse tap, and received power immediately to my head unit. Things worked properly from Sunday afternoon until today, Tuesday afternoon.
On my way home from work today, the power to my unit went off and came back on repeatedly for seemingly no reason. It was as if the system was ‘browning out’ if such a thing were possible. Granted, I have made no recent modifications to anything electrical in my car prior to July 13th when this issue initially started. I have done nothing other than try to replace fuses and resplice the wiring harness for the stereo.
Since this new stereo appears to be having the same issues as the previous one, it does not appear to be a problem with the head unit. What, if any, are my options? I am going to be driving 12+ hours this weekend to go on vacation and I am concerned that my car may have some significant electrical issues. I have not driven my vehicle over 2 hours straight in quite some time and I am concerned about making such a long trip.
Are there any other relays, circuits, or other things that I can check? I doubt I will be able to be seen by a shop in such short notice and my vehicle just recently passed the warranty expiration.
I am desperate for help so I appreciate any and all responses.
08-06-2009, 02:03 AM
#3
do this... go out and buy some thick ass speaker wire. 12g or something bullshit crazy get like 5 ft since u will need 3 runs. disconnect the power ground and constant from the cobalt harness and cap them off. The only thing u want running threw that harness at this point is speaker wires they are tan/gray blue/light blue green/light green and yellow/brown. They will be right next to each other in the harness and right buy its partner wire color (if that makes sense)
Buy 2 new add a fuse units and take off the but connector. Solder on the 12 g wire and use heat shrink over the connection. run one off the "sunroof fuse" with a 10a fuse for the radio acc, run the second off the "radio fuse" or a similar constant (ill check tomorrow for you) power for the radio. run both of those to the radio harness and solder/heat shrink the connections there
for the ground look for a heat shrinkable ring terminal. Pull the heat shrink off and on to the wire itself. crimp the connection and then proceed to solder it as well. let it cool pull the heat shrink to the ring terminal itself and heat shrink the connection. find a piece of metal somewhere behind the radio or even on the side opposite the fusebox and with a small self tap screw screw it in there. then proceed to solder/heat shrink the ground connection to the radio harness.
At this point you have completely bypassed the stock wiring to a point you can at least eliminate that the only failure point now is fuse box or those add a fuse units. so drive around and try to get it to **** up if nothing then hopefully your good, otherwise there's one more trick to get rap power and power other then using the fusebox but that connection is a little more difficult and i probably wouldnt attempt that until after the trip. Good luck man
Buy 2 new add a fuse units and take off the but connector. Solder on the 12 g wire and use heat shrink over the connection. run one off the "sunroof fuse" with a 10a fuse for the radio acc, run the second off the "radio fuse" or a similar constant (ill check tomorrow for you) power for the radio. run both of those to the radio harness and solder/heat shrink the connections there
for the ground look for a heat shrinkable ring terminal. Pull the heat shrink off and on to the wire itself. crimp the connection and then proceed to solder it as well. let it cool pull the heat shrink to the ring terminal itself and heat shrink the connection. find a piece of metal somewhere behind the radio or even on the side opposite the fusebox and with a small self tap screw screw it in there. then proceed to solder/heat shrink the ground connection to the radio harness.
At this point you have completely bypassed the stock wiring to a point you can at least eliminate that the only failure point now is fuse box or those add a fuse units. so drive around and try to get it to **** up if nothing then hopefully your good, otherwise there's one more trick to get rap power and power other then using the fusebox but that connection is a little more difficult and i probably wouldnt attempt that until after the trip. Good luck man
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