Help - Android Head Unit Overheating

[jim010]

Hello,

I bought an Android double din head unit. It is a 8 core 8 GB RAM 128 GB ROM LTE from Aliexpress. Everything works in the Android head unit I bought, but I did have to figure out the wiring situation on my own. Problem I am having is that the back of the unit heats up very quickly within a minute or 2 (area circled in red) even if the unit is turned off. It heats up to the point that it is almost hot enough to burn skin (At least that is what it feels like). I know it is a heat sink, but why soo hot? And if it is an amplifier, why is it so hot so quick when there are no speakers wired up?

It is not the speakers or anything else, as I only have the 16 pin ISO power plug connected - nothing else. So I have it narrowed down to that plug at least. But I still can't figure out why it is heating up like that. I unpinned everything in the power plug except for the ground, ACC and the battery+ and it still really heats up right away. My wiring seems ok. Hoping someone on here can tell me what I am doing wrong?

The part that gets really hot is right above the power plug on the right. The rest of the back is nice and cool. Just that one part.

Here is how I wired it:

8 pin power plug (A) to Android ISO 16 pin power plug
pin 8 to pin 1
pin 7 to pin 3
pin 6 to pin 4
pin 5 to pin 8 (I disconnected this to see if it was my problem, but nope)
pin 4 to pin 2
pin 3 not used
pin 2 not used
pin 1 to pin 5 (for reversing camera - works)

Suggestions? This getting really hot thing is concerning.

Click to read more...

 

[jim010]

No, but I can narrow it down and tell the seller, no? I just want to get to the bottom of it and educate myself. Internet if fine, but not having much luck finding my scenario.

 

[spokey9]

No, but I can narrow it down and tell the seller, no? I just want to get to the bottom of it and educate myself. Internet if fine, but not having much luck finding my scenario.

Probably because most people would just ask for a refund honestly...there's realistically so many China made variants of an android hu that getting specific info is gonna be difficult

 

[jim010]

Yup ... I have noticed.

 

[HardofWhoring]

Does it matter which one, it's the heat. It might keep working when they tested it, but you could ask em first how they tested it, and I'll bet they didn't stress test it, in a confined space like a dash.

"There's excessive heat, that you are not comfortable with introducing to your dash and components in the dash, and would like to go another route."

 

[SilverSquared 10+ year member]

Get a cpu heat sink and put her on there. Sand that area down and solder the heat sink to the chassis.

 

[jim010]

Get a cpu heat sink and put her on there. Sand that area down and solder the heat sink to the chassis.

I was thinking of that. And squeezing a cooling fan in somehow.

Is there a product you recommend?

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

I don't believe it is the internal amplifier, as it should not heat up if I didn't hook up the speakers, correct?

A poorly designed audio amplifier circuit can get very hot even at idle or low output. I don't know much about CPUs but I'd imagine it's the same. Poorly designed heat sink or some half arsed attempt to over-clock or something and I'd bet there's some chips on an Android device that can get blazing hot too.

Most of the Android forums I've found in searching up answers to things I've wanted to do are more focused on the software side, but there's probably someplace out there where somebody knows a bit more about hardware.

 

[Sanz]

Hi Bud. I will be honest with you on this. All these units from Aliexpress dont last. they are junk. I have had one in the older honda civic 8th gen it last only a year. It had the same heating issue..the rca pre out v is also low and the screens get faulty with touch points. This is just my Opinion from past experience. Id Suggest to stick to a brand thats decent Kenwood Pioneer or Sony. They have warranty