Radio issues with anything newer

[Flash517]

If I try to put in any radio in that is newer than around 2010, it cuts in and off. I think it’s a power issue. Cheap Walmart radio only units from today work. Any radio with features does not. Even the older ones cut out when they are turned louder. Is this something more common? Or possibly an alternator issue? Was going to see about running the power wire direct from the battery to see if that will fix it. Any suggestions?

[zxr250cc]

Hi all,

Have you traced the power lead to see what kind of fuse holder is in line? The old kind with a glass tube fuse can oxidize with time and they also break easily and the internal spring could weaken with age.

A more modern design fuse holder could be put in line to use the blade type fuses and it would be more reliable. Some of them are even water proof which should not be needed, hopefully.

I am guessing that the radio plays when the key is off? You mention thinking of a direct connection to the battery. If you do this be certain to have a fuse inline rated for whatever the radio chosen needs.

Cheers

[milehighXR]

Could be wiring issue. I have a unit that worked in my car years ago, and now it won't. I redid some of my wiring, and thought I had it fixed. Drive to work the next monday and every bump in the road caused power to die, but battery(keep alive) fine as it remembered settings. Turned it on today, and no more keep alive either. Didn't try to see it worked over bumps, as I didn't wanna mess with it at 4:45am...

[andyofcolumbusmerkur]

If I try to put in any radio in that is newer than around 2010, it cuts in and off. I think it’s a power issue. Cheap Walmart radio only units from today work. Any radio with features does not. Even the older ones cut out when they are turned louder. Is this something more common? Or possibly an alternator issue? Was going to see about running the power wire direct from the battery to see if that will fix it. Any suggestions?

Sure sounds like an issue getting enough power. I would find the wire behind the head unit that's hot with ignition switched on using a test light or a meter. Use that only for turning on the radio. Then run a quality wire to the battery (with fuse of course) for the constant 12 volt supply. I used 16 gauge install bay brand red wire and a 30 amp spade fuse near the battery which works great. Cheap wire can give you some unwanted noise.

[zxr250cc]

Hi all,

The on/off with bumps makes me wonder about the in dash install kit maybe being a little loose and the radio losing ground when you hit a bump. Obviously, it needs a a good ground as well as power.

The inline fuse for the radio, excluding any power amplifier, should be no more than whatever it is rated for in the owners manual. A normal in dash radio would never need 30 amps, more like 3 to 5 amps as a rating. The fuse is the 'fail safe' for the radio. It is supposed to blow before the radio cooks if there is a problem. A separate power amplifier could need 30 amps or even a lot more and the remote switch on the radio can switch that on and off but it is not the power supply for the amp, only the on/off trigger switch for the remote amp. The amp would have its' own power wire. An eight gauge wire would be a good choice for a 30-40 amp draw, for example. I should mention that I am thinking of the amp in the trunk for the install and an eight gauge wire would work. A four gauge wire would look more impressive... I have seen custom installs with two gauge wire run individually to multiple amps for the visual effect, I believe.

Cheers

[milehighXR]

I bought a generic freightliner radio wire harness, male and female from Amazon. I plan to install it soon, and then at least I can get rid of the terminal block I've been using for the radio wiring. I was using that because I knew at some point I would be replacing the radio, and didn't wanna keep cutting wires back until there was nothing. This will isolate loose connections at the terminal block, or wires flexing there and causing problems. It'll be a much cleaner install to, and should make for easier upgrades going forward, not that I'm going to upgrade every year or 2...

[brokencase]

I installed a modern Kenwood radio in my Scorpio and I used the "Metra 70-1822 Receiver Wiring Harness kit" (available from Crutchfield). I find that the contacts to the speaker connectors in this kit are intermittent. It's definitely an oxidation issue. It will occasionally drop out on one speaker. If I blast the volume briefly then the connection is restored. I need to get in there and coat the contacts with KOPR Shield conductive grease.

[zxr250cc]

Hi all,

It has been a long while since I did an install but the best brand in the past for install kits, in my experience, was Scosche. Best Buy, Crutchfield or local car stereo folks should have these. I ran an A/V and car audio store in the past and that is what we used. If you wish to remove the cassette holders in the dash a double DIN kit would allow you to use combination GPS car audio system with a screen. The stock single DIN size can take all the normal size car stereos if that is what you want to use.

Cheers

[milehighXR]

I haven't taken actual measurements, but the cassette hole is shorter vertically, and wider than single din. Ghost here has made a 3d printed adapter to put a double din in the old clock location IIRC.

The Scosche adapter is only if you have the stock car side harness intact. Mine was cut out in a previous millennium when we put a new tape deck in my car while I was still in high school. Can't remember who did the install, but the internet was still in its infancy, and I know I didn't know about Crutchfield back then.

I think I have a Scosche kit for an XR laying around from when we out a new stereo in my dads XR, the PO of his car cut out the factory harness before we bought it.

[milehighXR]

Found my Scosche kit and the main harness for power etc... was missing one wire so I just tossed it.

I did however fix my radio losing power on me when going over bumps. Apparently the ground wire in the aftermarket radio harness, the one that came with the radio, isn't good enough for bumps etc... Once I made sure I had a good ground from the radios chassis to the cars chassis, the issue isn't there anymore.

Sometimes it's the simple things right in front of you that are the issue