Rix7

Now my head unit doesn't remember any of the settings I make after I turn my car off (bass, treble, mid, fader, balance, etc.). Anybody know a remedy for this problem? I can't imagine having more problems with wiring, but I know there has to be something in the unit that remembers settings you make to alter sound output. Thanks for any help! You people are my saviors!!

Icemark

does it remember the radio presets?

if it doesn't then you have a blown domelight fuse or the radio is not installed correctly.

if it does then there is something wrong with the radio, or a loose nut behind the wheel.

Rix7

I haven't even thought about radio presets. All I really care about is getting the sound settings to stay so I don't have to redo them every time I get in my car. I will try the radio presets though just to see.

Rix7

Ok, I tried the radio presets and they work fine. Now I've come to the conclusion that the only thing that could possibly be wrong is that the unit is bad. I just went and made an exchange, so hopefully this one will work like it should.

Rix7

I figured out my previous problem, but to fix that problem, I had to wire the constant 12 volt wire to the battery! That will drain my battery over time and I don't know if I can wire the battery wire anywhere else so it can remember the settings I make.

Where do all you people put your ground wire too? I'm sick and tired of the thing cutting out from being attached to the bracket at the back and the screws around the shifter aren't connected to the body of the car.

I'M ABOUT READY TO KILL THIS HEAD UNIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Icemark

Why didn't you use the 12volt constant in the dash at the back of the radio? Doesn't it work?

Most radios have 12volt constant lead that must be hooked up (typically this is a yellow wire on most aftermarket radios, there are exceptions so make sure you read your installation manual that came with the radio). Your radio presets should be lost as soon as it is disconnected. Connected correctly, this will not drain the battery as the radio will still shut off when the accessory wire gets turned off from the key. You do have that hooked up correctly right?

What model car are your working with? If it is an FC you should be grounding the aftermarket radio's black wire to the cars body. On FCs I use the nice 10mm bolt behind the center console’s front access panel.

What radio are you using?

It really sounds like you may need professional help here if you can't find all the wires. Perhaps you should consider paying a local stereo shop to fix your wiring.

Rix7

1) I just thought I couldn't hook up the constant 12 volt wire from the adapter because of what Flybye said in the beginning of his post of the wiring diagram for the bose system.

2) '93 touring.

3) Kenwood KDC-V6017

4) I can find all of my wires fine. It's just that getting everything correct with the adapter and the Kenwood harness has been more trouble than I have had with car stereo stuff in the past. I spent lots of time doing my own stuff in my old talon and had a few problems along the way that were fixed without spending too much time thinking about a possible cause. This was with using an amplifier/subwoofer combo too. Other things I have read about on this forum have warped some of my connections too. Some things have been good and others bad. Anyway, everything appears to be in order now, but I just need to find a GOOD place to put my ground wire. I have tried a few places like I stated in my other post, but they just aren't good enough for me and I want to see where others put their ground wires so that I won't have to worry about the stereo cutting out. After I find a good place, life will be peachy.

cafe

You don't need ground wire as long as you have your antenna hooked up. Antenna is your ground .I don't have aftermarket radio in my FD yet but it works with other cars.... try that

Rix7

Well then why does my stereo cut out sometimes when I have my antenna connected fine? This is with an unstable ground connection on that bracket thingie at the back of the din area. I have also hooked up the wires on my unit before without a ground and have never gotten any power as a result. So, ???????

Icemark

EEEEEKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Fire FIRE FIRE FIRE.

The ground through the antenna is only as good as the connection of the antenna to the body.

The reason the antenna sheild ground is to the radio, is to help the already weak ground potential of the antenna. AND it is the ground potential of the antenna if your car is equiped with the windsheild/hatch antenna.

NO NO NO NO NO never never ever ever use the radio antenna as ground, you are just asking for problems!!!! Problems like reduced sound output/power on the radio, reduced reception, and the dreaded Ground loop that causes engine noise.

Ground the radio to that nice metal cross member under/in the dash or to the steering column support. The bracket at the back of the din is not hooked up to the metal of the body, that won't work either. Go to the metal cross member. Don't micky mouse it!

cafe

Like i said <font color=red> I don't have aftermarket radio in my FD yet </font> I installed some other cars and it works fine for me. I know it's very important to get ground wire stable. However if you can use antenna as ground then why not?

Icemark

Because the antenna isn't a ground. It is a sheild.

Get your multi-meter out and read the ground potential. You'll see its ground potential is not the same as a body part.

If it is not the same you will do one or more of these things:
#1 Burn up the radio.
#2 Cause engine noise on the radio
#3 Damage the antenna
#4 have intermittent operation of the radio.
#5 have poor radio reception

I could go on and on and on.

Let me put in another way. This is like removing the ground straps on your motor. Sure the car may still run, because of the ground through the tranny to the body, but do you think its going to run as well as if it had its ground straps back on? It won't. Grounding a radio through the antenna is the same thing.

If you have done this in other cars you have a duty to call those people up and fix their cars correctly.

This is why I recommend professional help or installation. I spent 17 years working on car electronics and installing car stereos, and fixing crap like that, and you wouldn't believe the number of radio's sent back to be fixed because of a poor ground, because of someone who thought they knew how to install made a silly little mistake like that!

Rix7

Thanks for all of your help Icemark. I'll look around the steering column for a good ground and then I'll be able to finish this whole thing! Yippie!!

Angel Guard Racing Team

Can someone tell me where exactly in the radio do all the plugs go? Some fit in more than one place... I already know what the wires are I just don't know where to stick each plug. It is a factory 87 no CD Radio.

Icemark

Angel Guard Racing Team

How about a view from the back of the radio that tells me where these go???. Which is what I need. I know what the wires are I just need to know which are the front and back outputs from the radio. There are two 3 wire pins on my car!!!! If telling you that it has Factory EQ, Radio and Cassette helps...

Angel Guard Racing Team

This is how my unit looks on the back.

Angel Guard Racing Team

The only thing that works is the antenna. The round plugs only have one way to go. But the 3 and 4 wire plugs can fit any 3 or 4 wire available socket. Can someone tell me how their radio is connected? I know engines, turbos and modifications, I have installed my own radios before but this thing looks more like a home theater system than a radio

Angel Guard Racing Team

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Icemark

Here's the plug layout: