Head unit gets power but does not display/function

['93Talon]

I am working on a 93 Talon I just picked up. It had an older Pioneer unit but wanted to put the newer Sony HU I have in. I am not an expert, but have wired up a few stereos and subs, so I know my way around the wires. That said, I have a problem here. The original HU was only wired to the ignition power I assumed because the memory was reset each time after the car was turned off. Now I am at this point: I have the red and yellow wire from the car wired to the yellow wire on the aftermarket harness. I also have the blue wire from the car going to the red wire on the harness. I do not have the orange +/- dimmer wires wired to anything and from my research, that is fine. This is the only way I can seem to get any power to the head unit. I know it is getting power because when I touch the droung from the HU to metal I get spark, and I can insert and eject a cd into the unit, but no other buttons/functions/screens are working.

Things to note:

1) This hu has been wired up before and worked just fine.

2) Before this and now, my interior light/dome lights only work when the ignition is on. I am pretty sure that is wrong.

3) If it matters, I am pretty sure I blew a fuse for the interior lights by grounding one of the leftover dimmer (orange) wires on the oem harness.

Hopefully tomorrow I am going to check the fuses and maybe try to power up the pre-existing hu to the power only to see if I get different results.

I will appreciate any help on this matter. Thanks!!!

 

[i_nick_2005_i]

Try cleaning the faceplate connectors.....It has to be the display not getting connection or failed completely. Your interior lights / illumination wire on CD player has nothing to do with the problem. I'm positive of this.

Edit: Oh snap!, it's a Sony..... there's your problem Sorry, I'm only kidding, but I just had to do it. If your wiring is correct: 12 Volt, (for sure) then it would have to be your faceplate. You may try ordering a new one, but just for s**** and giggles you could try it in another car, or hooked up to battery charger. Just to eliminate your car being the problem.

 

['93Talon]

So, I must know more than most of the people on this site since only one person has thrown in a hand to help. Great.

From my own work, here is what I have found. Something is messed up with the SONY unit (which doesn't surprise me much) because when I wired in the previous Pioneer unit, it worked fine just as before. S the sony is out of the equation.

No matter what I do, I can not get the stereo to turn on and off with the car, keeping all the setting saved. It all has to do with the yellow constant wire. If that constant wire is connected to the the constant or ignition wire on the aftermarket harness (yellow and red) The unit gets power all the time, regardless of the ignition.

So I either have power all the time, power ONLY with the ignition on (means so saving setting), or no power at all. Right now, I have it wired up exactly as it is supposed to be according to the labels on the oem wires, and the wiring diagram for the aftermarket unit. The only wires not connected are the dimmer wires from the car (not needed) the blue/white wire from the head unit which I am pretty sure is for the power antennae (not needed) and some unknown blue wire coming from the car on the negative harness. In other cars, that is usually the power antennae wire that you usually tap and amp into but this car has no power anything so all I can figure is that that wire might have been the ground wire for the factory radio.

I have no idea why the heck I am having such trouble with this, but right now I just turn the head unit on/off manually and I can have all my settings and such saved. Until I figure out why this is the case, I am going to leave it like this.

 

[i_nick_2005_i]

Well, if it were me I'd just "rig" a wire from your fuse box that would be used for "ignition" power. That's how I hard wire my radar detector. I just take a half inch or so of wire, bend it over one of the fuse prongs, insert fuse, and it holds the wire in tight and provides me with my ignition power.....

 

[Defiant]

So, I must know more than most of the people on this site since only one person has thrown in a hand to help. Great.

Sorry we're all too stupid to leap to your aid.

Good luck.