Electrical problem need help please

[rubdog]

Hey guys hope you can help, my pioneer radio (aftermarket) started going on and off for about a few months now the music would still play. But the real problem is that this week the lights on the A.C. turned off. and the radio suddenly stop working, and then today my alarm stop working. I allready had the alternator replaced about 1year and half ago. But I noticed totally different problems since I first replaced the alternator My H.I.D work perfect and even the lights inside the odometer. So I'm hoping its not the alternator again is there anything else that can make my alarm, radio and lights of my a.c. turn off.

[qsiguy]

Since you have aftermarket equipment that is the first place I'd look. There are so many variables with the aftermarket component wiring that it's difficult to t-shoot without more info on how it was wired. I have seen quite a few times when the aftermarket stereo was wired wrong and they used the dash light dimmer circuit for ground. That happens when they are using a test light or meter to measure for voltage or ground on the radio harness wires but they fail to turn on the parking lights when they are measuring and the dimmer and/or parking light wires appear to be a ground so they wire the radio ground to that. The radio will have the on/off symptoms you explained. Also, at some point you may blow the dimmer pot or the instrument lamp fuse, which you seem to have done. The odometer lamp may be on a different circuit from the instrument lamps so it's still on. IIRC the odometer doesn't dim with the rest of the dash lights. It's also possible that the alarm and/or radio are getting their power from a low amperage capacity circuit and now you've blown a fuse and they are dead. This goes back to how the aftermarket equip was wired, who knows?

That said, it is highly possible that your alternator, and/or the related components, have failed again. What kind of alternator did you use? Checker and Autozone products tho they have a good warranty they can sometimes fail after a short time. The warranty doesn't cover the labor which is extensive. Anyway, I'd also check the alternator and regulator (which is inside the alternator).

Obviously, check all your fuses as well. Under the dash and under the hood. I'd pull your radio out and double check the wiring on it. For the radio to turn on/off it will typically have a bad ground or there is a short on one of the speaker wires. Naturally, one of the power wires could be loose as well. Just check them all out, make sure they are secure. Make sure the radio ground is to a ground and not an OEM wire.

Try to get more info and report back. At this point with the info you've given we just have to throw out ideas.

[rubdog]

Hey thanks for all the info. as for the install of the radio I installed it myself, I bought the wire harness so I did not strip and wires its just plug and play. But I'll make sure on all the fuses like you said. As for the alternator I also installed it myself but its being more than a year. I'm just hoping its not my alternator because it was a b#@$! to install. I'll make sure I take out the radio this weekend, but hopefully its just a fuse.

[qsiguy]

Make sure the radio is grounded to the metal chassis and not a wire in the OEM harness. Even if the car does have a ground it's always better to connect it to a good chassis ground.

[rubdog]

I'll make sure I do that this weekend.