Alpine Deck Turns off and back on

[hellouser 10+ year member]

Im having some issues with my Apline CDA-117 deck, heres whats been going on with it lately:

-turns off and back on randomly, always remembering where the unit was playing music last and at which specific point, so memory is not lost. First couple days I had it, it did NOT do this although I didnt drive around with the car for too long anyway. Ive done my research and read that because settings and memory werent reset it could be bad wire connection, apparently or possibly the accessory wire. Sometimes, when turning on the AC the deck turns off, but it mostly turns off on its own and turns back on.

-the deck installation isnt complete yet, and ive got the lower compartment open with my usb and aux cable exposed and am capable of messing around with the back of the unit. after some time, it gets VERY hot, particularly the area on the back of it which feels like a solid heat sink.

-on my third day i cranked the volume to around 80-90% up (still using stock speakers) playing music from my mp3 player connected to the alpine via auxiliary (line in). After about 30 to 45 minutes of play, i turned down the volume and noticed a buzzing/whirring noise coming from the unit itself, sounded like a small fan was inside it, almost like a fan on video cards in a computer case. The weird thing was, that when flipping through sources, CD, USB, AUX, and finally Tuner, the whirring noise stopped when selected to Tuner. I turned off the deck for a few minutes, kept driving and the whirring noise remained present HOWEVER it wasnt as loud. I'm guessing the deck is overheating??

-this morning i turned on my car and the unit said 'interrupt'. turned the car off and on again, same thing; interrupt. Tried pressing some buttons, turning off the deck itself, nothing changed. As I mentioned my compartment is open, so i tried moving around some of the cables and it started to flip through sources and it work. Its DEFINITELY a wiring issue, but why does the unit keep turning off/on and getting so hot? Its probably around 60-80 degrees celsius, literally more or less the same heat as a computer video card heat sink when playing games.

What could be the problem? Not enough juice is coming into the deck? Or did I just simply get a dud deck and should get a replacement??

Thanks!

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[hellouser 10+ year member]

I think I've figured out what the problem is:

Its most likely a battery or alternator issue, a lot of the times when I turn on my AC, break (and lights go off), use 4 ways, etc. the my Alpine stereo turns off, the headlights dim as do some of the lights inside the car, its like the whole car is about to shut down. Im thinking of getting a new battery and maybe even replacing the alternator.

However, the overheating issue still scares me about the unit. I really dont want the Alpine deck to overheat and crap out. The back plate on the deck which is a heatsink gets warm to the touch in about 5-10 minutes. If I turn up the volume up to around 80% (30th notch out of 35) the heatsink temperature rises greatly, if I were to touch it and press against it, it would probably be enough to cause a burn. Is this normal? I do have a 6 speaker setup in my car; 2 tweeters on the dashboard, 2 6.5 speakers in front and 2 6x9s in the back. Could the tweeters be the cause of the problem with too much power being used from the amp hence the overheating? Ive been told this isnt really possible because tweeters dont use much power.

A friend of mine is offering me his fosgate amp for free (from 5 years ago), and all of his Infinity speakers (also for free). At the moment I have stock speakers, but I spoke to an Alpine rep over the phone and said the speakers could be the reason for the decks overheating, he said something about the ohms and impedence (it didnt really get through to me since I dont quite understand what all of that means).

Would the Infinity speakers help? Should I install the Fosgate amp? Assuming I do, is it fair to assume it would take a load off the deck itself? Ive also bought an 8 Bazooka Tube which is self amplified, is it possible to still use it with the fosgate amp and the alpine deck?

I should mention the wiring is perfect, i had two friends who are pro at this look at the installation, and ive got the deck grounded in two locations. Its a 1999 Honda Accord EX coupe if thats any help.

Thanks everyone!

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

I was going to assume you had 2 ohm speakers, but Honda uses 4 ohm speakers. the aftermarket HU should be able to drive that load easily.

did you buy a Metra wiring harness adapter or did you cut factory wiring? pic of the wiring behind the HU?

the interrupt wire - pink/black should be taped up even if it's not in use (probably isn't). any unused wires should be taped.

many new head units have fans in them to cool the internal amplifier. at 80% the HU will get hot.

external amplification is always great - you get more volume with more clairty due to reduced distortion. It's more complicated though, and it sounds like you'll need your friends to help with installation.

 

[hellouser 10+ year member]

Yeah, the 'interrupt' was being caused when one of the wires (i think it was the pink one). I've got all of the cables now taped up, so the interrupt is no longer an issue.

However, last night when I was driving with the volume at around 25 out of 35 notches, the deck would turn off and on again along with the lights being dimmed anytime id turn on the A/C. The speakers are definitely stock. A similar thing happens when I press on my breaks and the read red lights go off; the lights dim for a fraction of a second and the deck produces no sound (yet remains on). Its really really weird.

I used a wiring harness, not sure of the make but it was around 20-30 dollars, I think. My boss hooked up all the cables and when I started having issues, another friend that knows his car audio (and has installed a ton of decks) went through the power cables and rewired them using a special rubber connection without twisting or having the wires tied together and then using a crimper. Looked really good to me. He grounded the deck to a second spot as well but it didnt do much.

Im thinking of replacing the unit, maybe its just a lemon? You wouldnt happen to know exactly how hot the heatsink is supposed to get, it almost burns, and the loudness of the fan got me really worried, I don't want it to overheat and burn on me.

If I decide to take the fosgate amp, is it still possible to use my self amplified Bazooka Tube? Thanks!

 

[hellouser 10+ year member]

Ugh....

Last night I turned on the car, let the unit play some music for a bit, and it shut off for a bit and im pretty sure it did so when the engine revved down. I noticed this and tested the AC again, turned it on, and the unit shut off and went back on again. I turned off the car, turned it back on, problem was solved.

Im thinking of taking in the car to my mechanic for a load test.