Audio system linked to car windows and randomly turns off.

[linearcitrus88]

Ok so about 2 years ago (whenever Circuit City was liquidating) , I decided to put a new head unit and speakers into my car( 1999 Camaro) . So I had Best Buy install everything and they told me they had to rewire my car or something (I know almost nothing about car audio) in order to get bass to both my front and rear speakers. So I said of course, whatever, I guess you know what you're doing.

A few months after they installed it, I started noticing that my radio would turn off and turn back on when I hit bumps in my car, or sometimes just randomly. Sometimes it would turn right back on, and sometimes it would stay off for long periods. I figured it was a loose connection so I checked, but couldn't find anything.

Not long after, I noticed that when that happens, my car windows don't work. So since then, I've figured out that beating on the side of my console while holding down the window button will make it turn back on (sometimes I literally have to beat on it for 15-20 seconds).

Does anyone have any idea what this is? or how I can fix it? Like I said I'm not a car audio person, but am a car person, so I have car electrical experience. Should I just take this somewhere and have a professional figure it out?

Thanks for reading this far

Click to read more...

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

Yes.

 

[>>SQL<< 10+ year member]

^^^^^^^^^^^ this

 

[brodeisel 10+ year member]

go kick best buy installer in between the legs first

 

[Wingsfreak9 10+ year member]

go kick best buy installer in between the legs first

circuit city* out of business. not possible bro

 

[brodeisel 10+ year member]

circuit city* out of business. not possible bro

He said he had best buy install it though

 

[Wingsfreak9 10+ year member]

He said he had best buy install it though

i stand corrected and i apologize lol

 

[VWBobby 10+ year member]

Best suggestions above, let a pro figure it out. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif Do your research about local installers FIRST, don't want to get $crewed again. Sounds like they might've tied the power for your HU into your source for the window power. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/uhoh.gif.c07307dd22ee7e63e22fc8e9c614d1fd.gif

 

[bubbagumper6 5,000+ posts]

There's a loose connection inside the panel you're banging on obviously....

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

take it to a pro, or inspect the wiring connections and redo them.

if you are a car guy and can handle a soldering iron or own a compression/ratcheting crimper - go ahead and redo every connection. start with the dozen connections behind the head unit. you can unplug the wire harness from the HU and from the vehicle (assuming they used the proper adapter) and redo the connections at a workbench.

if you see radio wires disappearing into the dash, and they are not speaker wires, then be wary and consider a professional even more. if you are comfortable with wiring, it's not that hard. what they did will stand out. i fix installs by removing everything the previous installer added. and undoing their connections. then i repair the damage they did. after that, i redo the installation correctly. i don't trust another installer once i encounter issues. i've seen a lot of poor work over the years.

then remove each speaker and inspect the connections. crimp/solder/heatshrink each connection to ensure no bare wire strands are touching.

while the door panels are off, make sure the window control connections are solid. look for a fuse tap in the fuse box. it is possible they use one to steal power for the HU - and they shared the window fuse to do it.

 

[kramer_212 10+ year member]

sounds like a switch is bad, and you have a loose wire behind your stereo pull it out and check the yellow, red, and black wire remove neg on battery first because the yellow will have power even when the car is off.