Harmon Kardon Drive+Play is killing my battery. HELP

[DaveInPA]

This is my first post here and I'm hoping you guys can help.

I had a Harmon Kardon Drive+Play installed in my 2004 Mazda 6 a couple of years ago. It's always worked great, until today. When I went to go home tonight, my car wouldn't start. The lights in the car turned on, but the starter wouldn't even start to engage. While I was trying to start the car, something was clicking really fast and all the lights on the gauges and stuff were flashing like crazy and the tach and speedo were going up and down really fast, but nothing was getting to the starter. It was pretty crazy.

Then I noticed that the display on the Harmon Kardon unit was stuck on please wait . . . . and it wouldn't turn off, either manually or by turning off the ignition. It was stuck on, and I'm assuming it drained my battery. I got someone to jump my car and while I was driving home, the Harmon Kardon unit wouldn't do anything, no matter what I did. It's stuck on the please wait . . . screen and won't turn off, and didn't turn off when I shut the car off when I got home tonight.

So basically, the thing is still on and my battery is going to be dead again in the morning. What do I do?

Thanks

Dave

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[18inchjeepin 10+ year member]

disconnect the unit to save your battery!

 

[DaveInPA]

disconnect the unit to save your battery!

I have no idea how to disconnect it, that's the problem. lol

 

[Saint211 10+ year member]

Sounds like a problem with the unit. Im pretty familiar with these. If it was a problem with the wiring this would have happened sooner. They need a 12v, ACC, and ground.

If your not familiar with install take it to whoever installed it. It may be as simple as disconnecting it and reconnecting it (disconnecting the 12v line will make it lose memory, thus resetting it) also unpluig the line that runs from the brain to the screen.

Other than that the issue sounds like the unit may have went. See if you can get it warrantied.

 

[Saint211 10+ year member]

This is how you disconnect the unit.

You need to trace the wire from the controller or screen back to the brain. A popular place to hide these is where the center console and the radio part of the dash meet.. behind the panels next to where your feet would go. Other than that its entirely wherever the installer put it. Theres a couple pluds on the brain. A wire that connects the screen, a wire that connects the controller, a plug for he FM direct adaptor, and a plug that contains the ground, ACC and 12v line.

Try unplugging it then plugging it back in. Of it still doesnt work, unplug it and take it back to the installer.

 

[DaveInPA]

Thanks Saint. I'm just going to jump the car in the morning and take it back to Circuit City and let them take care of it. I have no clue how to take my dash apart. This sucks!

If this thing is screwed, what's the best unit for integrating the ipod into a factory stereo? The new Harmon unit?

 

[Fiercetimbo17 10+ year member]

Yea these do ****, you need to reset the unit but it will probably happen again. The newer Drive and plays are much better but alot more money. The alpine is also nice.

 

[Saint211 10+ year member]

It depends onthe level of integration you want.

The newer drive and plays work ok, they offer the best integration wise. You could also try the peripheral kits. Integration-wise you will get less but it will charge it, shut iot off and skip tracks. They are priced fairly high and only for selective vehicles.

Other than that you dont have many options on a stock radio. You could get a generic FM modulator and that would in a sense provide and auxiliary plug. But that just gives you the ability to play o na select radio frequency... no real integration.