One of the most difficult aspects of troubleshooting electronics, including virtually every electronic item in your automobile, is that most issues are transient. It might be difficult to pinpoint intermittent issues. You'll need to check each of these possible problems one at a time to figure out why your car audio won't work but has power. Continue reading to learn what to do in such a situation.
How To Fix Car Stereo?
Here are some of the things you need to check if your car stereo won't turn on even after having power
- Protect Mode - Some car radio units contain a security function that stops them from working if the power is cut off. The concept is that if the head unit is taken, it would be rendered worthless, which should dissuade the theft of these devices. You'll want to make sure your radio unit doesn't have any anti-theft features before continuing the testing process. If the screen is completely blank when the device fails to power up, you're likely dealing with a different issue. However, if you have access to one, study the owner's handbook, or call the company to ensure there isn't a specific process.
- Check For Fuses - You'll need to check one or more fuses on most vehicle radios, and you could also have auto amplifier circuits and other related components in the mix. One will be found in the car's main or auxiliary fuse block, and it will be clearly labelled. Other automobile radios have fuses built on the backside, while some installations have extra fuses on the power cable or wires. If any of these fuses are broken, it's possible that your car radio won't turn on even after having power. You need to replace them to see if the problem goes away.
- Pigtail Connector – The pigtail connector might also be causing issues for your car stereo even though it has power. If you have any concerns regarding the pigtail connector of the radio set, you can remove it and replace it to ensure correct seating. Suppose your installation contains an adapter that links the head unit to the factory wiring. In that case, you may also unhook it all and reattach it to make sure everything is making solid electrical contact before trying to power up the radio again. You may also discover that disconnecting the head unit and adapter for a short period fixes the problem with some replacement radio sets and adapters.
- Grounding Unit - You may be suffering from ground loops if the audio equipment is not correctly insulated. If the car audio does not turn on when the ignition is turned on, the grounding may have a problem. To solve this issue, you need to look at corrosion on the wires. Examine the pigtail's electrical connection to the ground. Either the wires have been detached or require reconnection to a more suitable ground.
Car radios keep you from becoming bored while driving. If your car radio isn't working, look at the steps listed above to see if they may help you solve the problem.
