Car Radio

[Anonymous No.1929063]

First and foremost I'm a brainlet. Now with that out of the way let me ask this; My fucking car radio wasn't saving the radio station and had a really hard time finding the channel then I had the great idea of fucking with the cabling and now it doesn't turn on at all.

The cables are in the spot they should be and it turned on more than once after doing pic related, then I heard a bip our similar noise and it stopped working. Can't even get the CD off.
Help pls.

[Anonymous No.1929072]

>>1929063
Are you sure that you have it plugged in correctly? I can't really tell from the angle of your pic.

[Anonymous No.1929075]

without knowing the vehicle, radio model and a picture from all 4 angles its a little difficult to say

[Anonymous No.1929077]

We can find the radio manual online as a PDF file if you tell use the model, same goes for the car's electrical system too.

Need more information to help you.

[Anonymous No.1929078]

Looks like it's time to buy a new radio/wiring harness.

[Anonymous No.1929085]

>>1929072
It's plugged the exact same way as before. It just doesn't have the black plastic around the ends because I removed to fool around trying to find the right combination for it to save the radio channels.

>>1929075
>>1929077
Opel corsa B and jvc kd-r421
Dumping pics

>>1929078
I guess, that or install a bluetooth loudspeaker.

[Anonymous No.1929086]

[Anonymous No.1929091]

[Anonymous No.1929093]

Last one.
Can take better photos tomorrow if needed be.
My biggest concern is that when I was messing around the radio fried or some shit like that. It should at least show that is receiving power and let me get the cd even if the rest didn't worked properly but it seems dead as fuck. Even the reset button didn't do a damn thing.

Also sorry if the english is poor and makes it difficult for you guys to understand what the fuck I'm talking about.

[Anonymous No.1929094]

>>1929085
>It just doesn't have the black plastic around the ends because I removed to fool around trying to find the right combination for it to save the radio channels.
Oh, shit, OP, I think you may have toasted it, I really hope you didn't. Your original problem wasn't going to be fixed by rearranging how the wires are connected.

[Anonymous No.1929106]

>>1929063
>>1929091
Did you leave the main battery connected to the wiring system? If so, that is a dumb mistake before you go around exposing connectors to electronic components on the wiring system. Luckily, people have been doing this mistake since forever. If you put everything back as-is and it still doesn't turn on then you can be sure a fuse popped. You need to find the fuse box (typical locations are 1 under the hood near the battery, 1 underneath the dash near the steering wheel). Usually, the radio's fuse is underneath the dash. The fuse pops so your wires don't catch on fire in case of a short, which is probably what happened in this case.

[Anonymous No.1929111]

>>1929094
Seriously mate? Fuck, the radio was kind shitty but at least it worked ok with the cd. I guess that's what happens when you're a brainlet and start messing around with things you have no idea.
Any way to find if the radio is toasted?

>Your original problem wasn't going to be fixed by rearranging how the wires are connected.
The same radio worked on the previous car, the harness seemed to have a different arrangement.

[Anonymous No.1929114]

>>1929106
>Did you leave the main battery connected to the wiring system?
>First and foremost I'm a brainlet.
I absolutely did!

> you can be sure a fuse popped
Does that make a noise when it happens?

>You need to find the fuse box
Will check that my friend.

[Anonymous No.1929116]

>>1929063
On this picture here, the wires between the black connector and the radio:
a) speaker wires are the group of wires left of the red wire.
b) red/yellow are probably power wires (ignition and battery+), black is ground, purple/white (or blue/white?) is the antenna power-on, the green/white(?) on the right might be a dimmer, I don't know.
These are educated guesses, and I'm also partially colorblind.
The fuse you popped can be tested with a multimeter and DO NOT replace with any fuse you have lying around, make sure the rating is the same as the burnt out one.
From memory, in the USA, either the red or yellow will be B+ (battery) which might be why the station is lost (lost power when ignition is off). However, this isn't likely and nothing else in the wiring system will be affecting your broken radio (in my imagination).
In the future, do not expose wires/connectors like you did, you should disconnect the connector and jam a multimeter probe in there if you want to know what is what.

[Anonymous No.1929119]

>>1929114
When everything is quiet, fuses will make a small popping sound. Before you fix anything:
1) disconnect battery.
2) if you don't have multimeter, just pull each fuse and visually inspect it. It will be a blade-type fuse and you can see a small conductor in the plastic between the two blades. If it's broken, then that is the dead fuse.
3) goto store, buy exact same fuse. You usually have to buy a small pack.
4) reinsulate the connectors, make sure no exposed connectors remain.
5) replace fuse.
6) reconnect battery.

[Anonymous No.1929122]

>>1929111
>The same radio worked on the previous car, the harness seemed to have a different arrangement.
Radio might be fucked, hopefully it had protection circuits. That aside, though, I have two questions: First, did the radio ever work correctly in your current car, and secondly, was the previous car a different make and/or model?

[Anonymous No.1929123]

>>1929111
Radio should be OK. Usually, radio manufacturers, car manufacturers all have similar but different wire harness colors, and they can even change from year to year on the same model of car. For future reference, you can use some niggling problem as an excuse to upgrade to a new head unit. At least that is what I do instead of looking at wires. Good luck.

[Anonymous No.1929127]

>>1929119
On #2, pull one fuse at a time, they are different ratings and you don't want to mix them up.

[Anonymous No.1929130]

>>1929116
Thanks, tomorrow will mess around again and trying to get it fixed. I noticed the radio itself has a fuse, I checked it before and it didn't seem fucked.
>From memory, in the USA,
I'm in Europe if that matters.

>>1929119
>When everything is quiet, fuses will make a small popping sound.
I'm almost sure I heard that.

I will do, thanks.

>>1929122
>First, did the radio ever work correctly in your current car,
No, it had a hard time locating the the different stations, I had to do it manually. As soon as I turned it off it was gone again.
>and secondly, was the previous car a different make and/or model?
Yeah, it was a renault.

>>1929123
Thanks mate-

[Anonymous No.1929240]

>>1929130
>I noticed the radio itself has a fuse
That fuse is for shorts inside the radio, not on the wire harness. If you want to check whether your radio is working, you can power red/yellow on 12 volts, and black on ground (-). It should power on normally but you'll need to check which wire is antenna to test the radio. Honestly, though, don't bother. Just buy a new head unit and swap it out if it bothers you.
>No, it had a hard time locating the the different stations, I had to do it manually. As soon as I turned it off it was gone again.
A lot of things can be wrong inside the radio or even the antenna (most are amplified and require power nowadays). Judging on this thread, it seems out of your skill range to diagnose and fix on your own. You can get a new head unit with bluetooth for about $80 and an adapter for the connector for $5-10 more. You already know how to pull the radio and dick with the wire harness so you're 80% of the way there.

[Anonymous No.1929257]

>>1929240
I really appreciate the input.

>it seems out of your skill range to diagnose and fix on your own
Absolutely but I need to start from somewhere. Time isn't a problem so making mistakes and using this chance to try to learn from them seems like a good way to improve myself. Even if only a little bit.
Ideally I would have a friend or a family member to help me fix it and learn from them irl, but hey I'll take any help I can get from you guys and try to make that work.

[Anonymous No.1929283]

>>1929130
>No, it had a hard time locating the the different stations, I had to do it manually. As soon as I turned it off it was gone again.
Definitely sounds like a problem within the radio itself, then. Find out how to do so safely, then open it up and check the power supply; it's sounding like it's not getting accessory power. Again, though, this assumes that you didn't fry it while experimenting with wires.

[Anonymous No.1929391]

With all those exposed connectors on the backside of that plug, if you had anything conductive that could have touched and arced any of the many connectors there, some internal component would very likely get cooked.

[Anonymous No.1929395]

>>1929130
> >First, did the radio ever work correctly in your current car,
Accidentally typoed that question, I meant to ask if it ever worked correctly in the previous car.

[Anonymous No.1929595]

>>1929395
It worked perfectly in the previous car.

[Anonymous No.1929622]

LADS is possible this is the popped fuse you guys warned me about?

[Anonymous No.1929623]

>>1929622

[Anonymous No.1929624]

>>1929623
>F1

>(20A) Interior lamp, boot lamp, horn, audio unit, hazard warning lamps, alarm system
Found the diagram on the web, it seems to be the case indeed!

[Anonymous No.1929662]

>>1929063
In future never do anything without thorough research. That's what car forums and car audio forums are for. Now you know. Never assume anything. Find out. Always.

[Anonymous No.1929666]

>>1929622
Yes you found it.

[Anonymous No.1929680]

>>1929666
Radio's fuse was also blown, went and bought new ones too. Gonna make this shot work yes or yes, I swear on you guys happiness

[Anonymous No.1929681]

Faggos it works!!!!!!
Now help me fix the fucking controls!

[Anonymous No.1929684]

This is how it is currently plugged and controls don't work. The sound's good though.

[Anonymous No.1929687]

>>1929680
I have that same car OP, two of them actually, it's weird seeing someone with it.
Fuckers are closing in on 25 years old.

[Anonymous No.1929691]

>>1929687
Mate then tell me the color scheme on the wiring.

[Anonymous No.1929692]

>>1929691
I'll go down later and snap a pic for you. I have a meeting rn.
I have a different radio though.
If the controls aren't working but the radio itself works it's probably something wrong with the unit itself.
The wiring is only for power, the antenna and the sepakers afaik.

[Anonymous No.1929767]

>>1929622
Yep, that's what a popped fuse looks like, btw, you may want to consider buying a test light, makes checking this sort of thing a lot easier.
>>1929595
In that case, it sounds like the solution to your problem is buying an adapter, and here's another question: Was the radio OEM in the original car, or was it aftermarket?

[Anonymous No.1929768]

>>1929767
>>1929681
Oops, didn't see your post when I asked, definitely aftermarket, can post the documentation for the radio?

[Anonymous No.1929782]

>>1929692
Thanks.
I think I fucked up irremediably though. I just stripped the car's cabling itself from its "connector". Now all I have to work with is a bunch of stripped wires.

>>1929767
I brought a bunch of fuses, already blew like 3 of them lmao.
No mate, no documents.

[Anonymous No.1929866]

>>1929063
Are you the same dude who was trying to repair his refrigerator a while ago?

[Anonymous No.1930003]

>>1929782
>I think I fucked up irremediably though
Nah, you can still fix it by using an adapter, given what you have to do to install an adapter.

[Anonymous No.1930518]

>>1930003
Listen to this anon. Open google, type in
"[your car] radio wiring harness" and bask in how easy your task is made for you. Hint, those exposed wires will have to be even more exposed to connect to the wiring harness which means your fuck up becomes irrelevant.

[Anonymous No.1930878]

>>1929684
When you short wires on your wiring harness, usually the current will bypass your radio and just pop a fuse. None of the wires should affect the controls of your radio. If the radio's audio and display work, then probably the buttons should as well. I recommend you disconnect the battery, work on the wiring, reconnect the battery and test. Search for a wiring diagram for your radio, and search for a wiring diagram for your car's model and year. Then link the correct wires according to their function and color. From Japanese radio's (I usually buy Pioneer or Alpine):
White/gray are front L/R speakers.
Green/purple are rear L/R speakers.
Red is ignition (12V on/off according to key position).
Yellow is battery (12V constant).
Black is ground.
White and purple/blue stripes is the antenna relay output (turn on antenna with head unit).
The fifth non-speaker wire will be a dimmer input from your car's illumination to your radio's display.
For the buttons, I'd detach the face and reattach and hope that works. Smell the radio to see if there's any burning. If after fiddling with the controls it still doesn't work, then you may have burnt out something and can try to open the radio and see if you can fix it but it will be harder to do that than what you're doing right now.

[Anonymous No.1930879]

>>1930003
He said he ripped the car's wire from it's connector, the car's wire harness itself. The adapter is from the radio's connector, to another connector that connects to the car's connector.

Radio CN (comes with radio) <==> adapter connector (sold separately) <==> car's connector (comes with car) <==> car's wire

[Anonymous No.1930881]

>>1929782
Take a picture of the damage and post it.

[Anonymous No.1931194]

>>1929866
Nop.

>>1930881
This is as of now. Kinda works but buttons don't. It also goes on and off as it pleases.

[Anonymous No.1931196]

>>1931194
Forgot photo.

[Anonymous No.1931335]

>>1931196
OK. I can see one quick-disconnect in the tray so I assume that is what you used for connecting the wires together. I say make sure the crimps are nice and tight and then they do a pretty good job holding together. Vibration and such will make loose connections turn your radio on/off intermittently. I guess the radio may have suffered some damage from a short after all (buttons not working), that's too bad. However, next head unit you get will be easier to wire up since you have some experience now. Just remember to disconnect your battery before working next time. Also, something else to note, it seems like older cars have longer wire harnesses because even after cutting the car's connector off it looks like there's plenty of wire available to work on. I can tell you for sure, newer cars have shorter wire harnesses so if you cut it you'll be reaching inside the panel/dash to put on crimp connectors. If you work on a newer car, do yourself a favor and buy the adapter-connector beforehand for use between the radio's connector and the car's connector. Best of luck, anon.

[Anonymous No.1931682]

>>1931335
>quick-disconnect in the tray so I assume that is what you used for connecting the wires together
No lad, I just wrapped the wires on themselves and covered them with tape. No wonder it's so shitty.

[Anonymous No.1931974]

>>1931682
You're really on a budget, aren't you? If you haven't any dinero the best thing to do is twist them hard then wrap in electrical tape. You'd have to undo the wires end-to-end the way they are now and have the bare ends facing the same direction to twist them harder than they are now.
For this type of thing I usually use one of 3 things:
1) Solder and shrink-wrap
2) Quick-disconnects
3) Wire nuts
I prefer #1 or #2 much more than #3 but there's nothing wrong with all 3 choices. The upside of #2 is that if you have strong hands then no problemo and you can reuse one side for your next radio. #1 you'd have to cut and resolder to your next head unit. I think the cheapest option are wire nuts but they're the hardest to size up. Good luck man.

[Anonymous No.1932502]

Ultimate troll thread.

[Anonymous No.1932626]

>>1931974
>You're really on a budget, aren't you?
Anon I drive a Corsa B from the 90s, it goes without saying.

>1) Solder
I have that, it's somewhat of a tedious job but it's would indeed provide for a much more secure connection. If I can find the right wire combination to make the buttons work again I'll then definitely do that. Thanks for the recommendation and all the support my friend.

>>1932502
What?