Stereo Trouble

[CTsalt12]

Hi All,

I am a bit of novice with electronics,  but I've been able to get by fixing most everything that's needed it up to this point in my short 3 seasons of boating.  

I installed a marine stereo at the beginning of last season.  It worked all year, and in the end of the season my poorly crimped ground / power wires (I forget which one) came loose.  I figured no worries, I'll fix it over the offseason.  So I re-connect the wires over the winter, to no avail, stereo does not power up.  I changed the fuse in the stereo, nothing.  I use a test light and voltmeter, and I'm getting power.  So I figure the stereo has bit the dust.  Fast forward to this past weekend, I finally bought the new stereo expecting an easy install.   Wrong, I can't power up the new stereo, but I am getting power to the wires still.  What am I forgetting to check?  All my other electronics work 100%, including my DC Accessory charger which is wired to the same fuse block / switch as my electronics panel.

Thoughts?

[seabob4]

Jimbo, how are you hooking up the yellow wire from the stereo harness?

[CTsalt12]

Jimbo, how are you hooking up the yellow wire from the stereo harness?

I'm not hooking it up to anything.  Might this be my problem?  I was under the impression this was for memory and I'm not sure I need that?

[seabob4]

Jimbo, how are you hooking up the yellow wire from the stereo harness?

I'm not hooking it up to anything.  Might this be my problem?  I was under the impression this was for memory and I'm not sure I need that?

BINGO!!  The yellow wire MUST be hooked up, or stereo no workie.  You can either terminate it with red (won't keep clock or pre-sets when you cut power), or run it straight to the batt (keeps clock and pre-sets).  But it HAS to see 12V+...

[CTsalt12]

Jimbo, how are you hooking up the yellow wire from the stereo harness?

I'm not hooking it up to anything.  Might this be my problem?  I was under the impression this was for memory and I'm not sure I need that?

BINGO!!  The yellow wire MUST be hooked up, or stereo no workie.  You can either terminate it with red (won't keep clock or pre-sets when you cut power), or run it straight to the batt (keeps clock and pre-sets).  But it HAS to see 12V+...

You da man Seabob!  I appreciate it, I'm sure this will do the trick.  My old POS stereo didn't have a yellow wire so I just left it dangling.

[seabob4]

 My old POS stereo didn't have a yellow wire so I just left it dangling.

Jesus, did it have a dial and a tuning knob?

[gran398]

   

[wingtime]

Some new radios don't require a keep alive circuit.  I know all the Jensens don't.  But like Bob said if the new radio has a yellow wire you have to supply power to it one way or another.  If you don't the radio will not work.  On a boat I don't use the keep alive since it will quickly kill your battery when the boat is not in use, so I just connect the yellow to the main radio + feed.

[CTsalt12]

Yeah actually I think the old one (Boss brand) did in fact have a yellow wire,  but It apparently didn't need 12v.  Hmm.

[CTsalt12]

So I got the stereo working just fine, it was of course the yellow wire.

Now I have a separate issue.  For some reason, during the first trip with stereo a popping noise coming from the speakers started.  Once you turn it up to a certain volume they get crackly/ popping noises.  They were just fine before this.  The wires are not touching any metal, and the connections seem solid.  What could be the cause of this?  I've done research and seen all kinds of crazy ideas from car people and boat people.

[seabob4]

Jimbo, since you just terminated the yellow (and probably the red wire as well), I'd focus my attention on the ground off the head unit.  If all the speakers are "popping", the problem lies with the wiring harness off the head unit (1 speaker popping, the problem is probably with that speaker).  Also make damn certain that the 12-pin connector is fully seated in the plug on the back of the head unit...