The brown wire has the voltage when ignition is turned on

The Clarion stock radio suddenly stopped working. I've removed it suspecting a fuse had blown but could not locate any inline fuse behind the radio. In any case I believe it's the radio itself that has died because I measure 17.5V on one of the wires to it when I turn the ignition on. Also the aerial goes up when I turn on the radio.
Could do with some help on this one please. Is there a fuse inside the radio that's maybe gone? If I have to replace it, any suggestions on what each of the spaghetti wires are for?
Also anyone got thoughts on a radio upgrade.

 

Some models had multiple radio fuses. Look in the regular fuse boxes and in the console. You might find a fuse under the console cubby box or under the gearshift panel. Or perhaps further forward behind one of the console "cheek panels".

The radio relay is also in the console....just aft of the gearshift area as I recall. Worth checking if the fuses are confirmed as OK

Yours looks like an aftermarket radio installation, judging from the bracketry and spaghetti wiring. Most aftermarket radios of the last 20 years or so use standardized wiring colors/codes. A bit of Googling should reveal them. Anyhow, you'll typically have two "+" inputs: one that actually powers the radio so it'll make sound and another to keep the 'memory' alive for the clock and station pre-sets.

If the radio itself has a built-in fuse it'll probably be visible and accessible externally. So, if you don't see one, you probably don't have one.

A reading of 17.5 volts on any wire is odd and suggests a problem in and of itself. Normal system voltage is typically 13.5-14.0 volts with the engine running.

Cheers
DD

 

Hi Doug,

thanks for replying. Further research suggests the original radio fitted was a Clarion dac5574, replaced with this one ... a Clarion dac4066, hence the wiring !

I too can't understand the 17.5V so will do some more investigations and looking for fuses.

cheers

 

Hi Livetorock

At the risk of the Photos and or the Text disappearing, I will keep this very short and hope for the best, as I have fitted Stereos in both 'Cherry Blossom' as well as '50 Shades'

There are also 2 Inline Fuses, one of which is easy to see which I think you've found already and another one, which is right at the back of the hole that the unit slides into

What I know about Auto Electrics you could write on the back of a Stamp but Wiring it up was dead easy, so just in case this all disappears (again!)

It would probably be better if I just gave you a couple of Links, where the Photos should help you to figure out what to do

How I fitted a Stereo in 50 Shades my Grey XJS including Wiring diagram

How I fitted a Stereo in 'Cherry Blossom'