It seems so straightforward: Standardized connections allow car radios to connect the speakers to the power supply in a consistent manner.
An appropriate adapter will solve the problem of something that does not fit properly. What a waste of time, theory. On the other hand, what practice teaches us is this: No way!
Simple fundamental principle
Because it is an electronic component, the radio in the car is subject to the same physical laws that govern all other electrical parts.
These electronic components are referred to as “consumers,” and they can be anything from lamps to seat heaters to secondary motors (electric windows) or even an automobile’s audio system.
The principle that electricity must always flow through circuits is regarded as the most fundamental of all principles in the realm of electrical engineering.
Without exception, every single electrical consumer needs to be installed inside of a closed system.
This consists of a power source that has a positive pole and a negative pole, as well as the electrical cables that correspond to those poles.
To simplify, the outgoing cable includes all of the connections that lead to the consumer, and the return cable includes all of the connections that lead back to the power source.
Providing Grounding in Order to Reduce Cables
If every electrical consumer in the car had its own dedicated circuit, the interior of the vehicle would quickly become a tangled mess of wires and cables.
Because of this, a straightforward strategy is utilized that not only makes the installation process simpler but also brings the cost of the vehicle down: The sheet metal body of the vehicle serves as a conduit for the return current.
A robust cable runs from the body to both the battery and the electric generator, connecting them both to the latter.
Therefore, every consumer has the ability to establish the complete return conduit by means of a connection to the sheet metal. This may appear to be a straightforward and wonderful solution; however, it may result in complications when mounting the car radio.
To what extent does the radio require electricity?
Given that a car radio needs not just one, but a total of three power outlets to operate properly, this is not a minor matter.
Two are required for the actual radio function, while the third is for the speakers. The new car radio features two power outlets, which are labeled as follows:
-The unchanging good news
– The spark that ignites the engine
The new automobile radio depends on the persistent positive to maintain correct memory operations. The following are some of them:
– The language of the menu can be customized
– The demo mode off
The predetermined stations
– The location in the vehicle at the time of parking where the CD or MP3 player was located
The power supply for the normal operation of the vehicle is found in the positive terminal of the ignition.
In the past, each of these functions operated on its own. In most cases, contemporary car radios demand a tamper-proof connection to both of the power supplies. If that is the case, they won’t work properly.
The newest radio for the car
There are several strong justifications for upgrading the radio in your car. The previous one is either inoperable or does not have the functions that you require.
The hands-free device and the contacts for MP3 players are now considered to be standard equipment.
When purchasing an older used car, however, it is not uncommon to come across an older radio that does not yet have these functions installed in it.
Thankfully, every new car radio that is shipped comes with adapters to secure a connection to the vehicle’s electrical system.
One thing immediately stands out about this situation: There is a break in the yellow and red wires caused by a connection to a plug. This is the case for a particular reason.
The importance of having reliable tools
You need the following in order to mount a car radio, even one that is resistant to being mounted:
- 1 Multimeter
- 1 Wire stripper (pay attention to the quality of the stripper, and do not use a knife to cut cardboard!)
- 1 Set of Wire Terminals and Clamps
- 1 Fine nose pliers
- 1 compact and flat-bladed screwdriver (pay attention to quality, a cheap voltage detector breaks right away)
A multimeter is an essential piece of equipment for installing a brand-new radio in a vehicle.
These devices, which are now availablestarting at 10$, are very handy and useful for locating faults in the wiring, and they can be purchased for as little as 10$.
With this kind of preparation, the existing problems don’t stand a chance. The next step, which is absolutely necessary, is to move forward methodically.
The radio in my brand-new car is perpetually out of tune.
However, this is the error that can be corrected with the least amount of effort: Simply the fact that it turns on is evidence enough to conclude that it is being supplied with electrical power.
On the other hand, in this instance, the positive for the ignition and the positive for the permanent have been switched places.
Because of this, the wires that are colored red and yellow both have a plug connection. Simply unplug the wires and re-plug them with their ends crossed. As a result, the issue has been resolved, and the radio is now operating as intended.
There is a problem with the brand new car radio.
Even though everything is hooked up properly, the car radio will not turn on. It’s possible that these issues will arise:
The radio has stopped working.
1. Verify the functionality of the fuses.
It’s possible that the electrical problem in the car is caused by a fuse that has blown, as this is a common problem that can occur.
In order to accomplish this goal, the fuses are inspected. Keep in mind that the flat fuse is situated exactly next to the car radio plug.
2. Additional testing procedures:
Even if all of the fuses are in fine condition and the radio is completely silent at any volume, there may be a problem with the power supply. There may be a number of causes for this.
The first corrective is to: Test it out by mounting the old radio. If it is operational, then the primary function of the wiring harness has been validated. In this kind of scenario, there is a problem with the connection.
To find out which contacts are being used by something else, we now use the multimeter.
It is important to emphasize the significance of the colors red, yellow, and brown or black that are located on the power plug of a vehicle.
Tip: The probes on the multimeter each have a cap on them, and that cap insulates the stem of the probe, so there is only one bare end that is exposed. First, remove these caps, and then insert the style into the various contacts so that they fit tightly.
The voltage on the multimeter is currently set to 20 volts DC. This time, the wall outlet is under the microscope.
There was no response: The yellow contact is not a ground fault nor a permanent positive.
12 Volt: The yellow contact is always the positive one, and there is also a ground contact present.
There was no response: The yellow contact does not indicate a permanent positive or a ground fault.
12 Volt: The red contact is always positive, and the ground contact should not be disturbed.
Recognize the presence of a ground fault
The dark stylus is pressed up against the exposed sheet metal of the body. After that, the yellow and red wire contacts are positioned with the red stylus on top of them.
If a voltage is now detected, then it is possible that the ground wire has a break in it.
On the other hand, the adapter is connected to the socket successfully if the connecting plug has working ground contact.
You will then be able to determine which cable the ground contact leads through using this method. In the event that the cable terminates in close proximity to the vacuum, the adapter’s connection pins are amenable to modification.
This is not easy to do and will require some training on your part. In most cases, you will be able to transfer the adapter pins to another slot. Because of this, the power supply pins should have a large number of open slots.
Activating the lighting system
Even the discovery of ground contact on a pin does not constitute full and final proof. There is also the possibility that the confusion here is caused by a constructional deviation on the part of some car manufacturers.
It is important to note that points 1 through 4 are covered again with the light on.
If there is no longer any trace of an electrical circuit, this indicates that the grounding for the car radio is either incorrect or insufficient.
Establishing a long-term optimistic outlook
The quickest and simplest approach to creating a positive charge that is permanent is to connect a wire to the car and have it run directly from the battery.
Running the cable may not always be the easiest solution, but when it is, it often results in a very clean and organized setup.
However, for this technique to work, a 10 amp fuse needs to be permanently attached to the line; otherwise, an overload could cause the cable to catch fire.
Creating a connection to the earth’s surface
The good news is that the process of establishing a ground connection is quite uncomplicated.
An extensive black ground wire linked to a ring terminal is all that is required to make this happen. This component can be attached to the unfinished sheet metal of the body in any orientation using, for example, a screw.
The black wire is then connected to the adapter’s black wire so that it can be utilized. In order to accomplish this, it is cut in half there, the insulating layer is removed, and a terminal block is used to connect the two halves.
Create a spark so the fuel will ignite.
If the existing wiring harness does not contain any useful permanent positives, another consumer may be substituted in its place.
In the case that this failure takes place, the ignition lock contact usually won’t work properly.
The problem of having to install one can be avoided if the ignition impulse is obtained from a source other than the starter contact.
For instance, the cigarette lighter or the 12-volt car socket would be an ideal location. The component is taken apart, and the location of the electrical power supply is discovered.
The wire assignment is determined with the assistance of a multimeter once more in this stage. Create a connection cable in the shape of a Y using the wires that are left over, preferably ones that are red.
In this location, the power supply of the cigarette lighter is mounted. You are now able to pass other wires through the adapter to the positive contact on the ignition by passing them through the open end.
In the best of all possible worlds, that cable will also have a fuse rated at 10 amps installed in it.
Warning of an error on the brand-new car radio
In conclusion, it is possible for the car radio to give an error warning at some point. An illustration of a typical warning is as follows:
The radio is absolutely dead in this situation and won’t even shut off on its own because it won’t power down. In the vast majority of instances of this kind, the following has taken place:
Through its casing, the radio has established contact with the ground. This may occur if a ground wire that has been damaged during installation is required to be run through the mounting frame or housing in order to complete the installation.
After further disassembly, the ground connection on the radio is examined for accuracy. Fixing an issue in this manner is possible in many different contexts.
It is not always as easy to mount a new car radio as the manufacturers make it sound like it will be.
However, even the most stubborn radios can typically be mounted in any vehicle so long as the mounting process is carried out in a methodical manner, some level of skill is applied, and the appropriate tools are used.
