sorry if this problem has been adressed before; I wasn't sure how to search for it

anyways, I have an Alpine CDA-7894 head unit that was on the car when I bought it. yesterday morning all of a sudden, it started to sound like my CD was skipping...but then I switched over to the radio and it was cutting in/out in the same way that made it sound like the CD skipping. when I try to play the stereo in CD mode, it shows the track timer going, but the sound randomly cuts in/out. This happens pretty much only when the car is moving; not so much when parked.

I don't really know how to begin diagnosing the problem (not too knowledgable with stereos), but my first guess is that the wiring somehow came loose from the speakers or head unit.

Any help is appreciated. thanks!!!

 

Sounds like a reasonable assessment. If you adjust the balance all the way one way or the other do you have the problem?

If so, the only one of the speakers is loose, I would pop off the door panel on that side and look for loose wires.

Do you have an amplifier? Check the ground on the amplifier, also check to make sure the power connection to it is good. Also check the connection to the battery as this may have come loose.

I don't believe you are losing power completely as the HU would bink on and off. I would guess faulty ground, or loose speaker wire.

If all that fails, pull the HU out and look for disconnected wires in the harness (keep in mind there MIGHT be some wires intentionally left unconnected.)

 

thanks for the input. alas, a screwdriver is nowhere to be found in the office, so I might just take it to Circuit City after work to have someone look at it

 

Circuit City? At least find a reputable shop. Or go to a hardware store and buy a screwdriver. Consider it an investment with unlimited potential for return.

 

yeah I might as well take apart the door panels when I get home

the thing is, that when the sound cuts out, all the speakers go out, including the ones behind the seats. so I'm not sure if I should be looking at the wiring at each speaker

 

Do you have an amp?

 

no amplifier...

took apart the door panels today and all the wires looked fine. re-connected them anyways, and it still does the same thing.

I don't have the little tool to pull the head unit out...might just bring the car to Al & Ed's

 

You don't need a tool to remove the HU. It 4 phillipshead screws

 

ohh...snap

anyways I finally got the bracket and HU out, and the wiring harness looked securely in place; I re-connected it to the HU and it actually improved somewhat (didn't happen as much)

took it to Circuit City anyways and drove around with the car stereo guy and he said it was a faulty module in the head unit.

does that sound about right?

 

Listen, I wouldnt rule it out. We cant tell over the internet if the headunit is defective. A few of my friends have issues with their alpine heads. Some of them turn on/off randomly, others have the face going black...etc...

It might be a short inside the HU, which you would obviously need to replace.


So....

IF these are all correct...

1)Wires are securely attached to speaker terminals AND polarity is right...
2)Speaker wires are securely attached to harness, and the polarity is right..
3)Harness is SECURELY attached to the headunit
4)The speakers arent blown (if they are both doing the clipping thing, the odds of both of them being blown are astronomical)

then the headunit is fried.