Help: My new JVC HU keeps shutting down

19685 Views 14 Replies 8 Participants Last post by Bucktown, Jun 27, 2010

basik

Discussion Starter · Jun 11, 2010

I just installed a new JVC HU in my truck last night and thought all was well. I'm getting sound on all speakers... I thought everything was good to go, but this morning when I drove it I found out if I turned it up too much (not a lot just enough to hear clearly over the rain) it would cut out and shut itself down. It was much more sensitive to this with AUX/USB and my Ipod. The radio seemed to handle a bit more volume before it began cutting in and out and shutting off for a second.

It seems to me it's almost like it's shorting out or something?

I grounded this thing to one of the bolts behind the HU.

My one thought is, because I didn't replace the speakers maybe they're shorting out? Or maybe the HU sees they can't handle it and shuts off?

I know the stockers run 2ohms or whatever but I was hoping to run them a month before I could dump some money into speakers...

Any ideas???? Please?

Here's the unit I installed:
JVC KW-XR610 CD receiver at Crutchfield.com

Save

1 - 7 of 15 Posts

basik

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jun 11, 2010

It worked totally fine with the OEM HU under any volume. And it didn't have any problems under low volume with the new HU, so I don't think its shorting between the factory harness and the speakers... but I guess I can tripple check my harness... I had soldered them and heat shrunk them so I don't think there's really anything to short... But it could be...

From what I've gathered elsewhere I'm leaning towards:
1.) Bad ground
2.)2/4ohm incompatibility

Save

basik

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jun 11, 2010 (Edited)

I twisted together the ground from the HU and the one from the harness and put them under a screw I saw behind the HU.

I just reealized though... That screw his holding some plastic to metal, and I just put it under the screw head, so it might not be a very good ground. I should screw a new screw direct into the metal tube thing back there and ground it there... But I thought grounding it to the harness and the chassis would be OK, since it's my understanding it can ground with just he harness, it's just not as good as the chassis ground...

Mylt1 said:
it could be a ground issue. did you install a new ground are is it just grounded via the antenna plug? how did you install the wiring, using an adapter or cutting the wires? 2/4ohm isnt really an issues unless your really cranking it. an aftermarket dack, while not designed to run at 2ohms will run it for a while at normal volumes without any issues. start cranking it though and heat builds up and can cause the radio to either fry or go in to protect mode. usually though it will just fry itself.

I really hope it isn't a short... I wasn't looking forward to taking off all the door panels just to replace some damn speakers... And now it looks like I might be pulling wires... Yuck.

hyunelan2 said:
The OEM may not have had any speaker continuity protection, which most aftermarkets do. If you've got a nick in a wire somewhere that is touching metal (on any of the runs to the speakers), it may only trip into protection once there is enough current [loud volume] going through it.

If checking the harness connections doesn't show anything out of the ordinary, you might try disconnecting one speaker at a time at the headunit harness, until you stop tripping the headunit's protection. If you find a speaker causing the fault - it's time to inspect/replace the wiring to that speaker.

Save

basik

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jun 11, 2010

Interesting, in that case in my attempts to be somewhat redundant I've probably got me just one shi**y ground, or just the antenna... Fingers crossed this is the case as that's an easy fix.

Mylt1 said:
there is no ground wire in the 05-08 radio wiring harness. several people have had problems with that when the ground was only going through the antenna wire. pull the dash and find something metal to ground to, make sure its clean(sand down the paint till you have shiny metal).

Save

basik

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jun 11, 2010

Well... It wasn't the ground... I read 13+ volts easy through my ground... I tried unhooking the plug for the rear speakers and it allowed me to turn the volume up a bit more all in the front but then it died. If I plugged the rear in it blew much quicker. The OEM HU lets me turn it up all the way. This leads me to rule out a chaffed wire/stock speaker wire short I would think because the odds more than one wire are messed up isn't that great... And like I said before the stock HU works fine at full volume (sounds like crap but it works)

And to make matters worse... I saw on my wiring harness there was an orange/black wire labeled dimmer, so i looked up the wiring diagram and found the dimmer wire ran with the illumination wire so I hopped it over and now my deck won't dimmer with the headlights. OEM or the JVC. And now my tail lights don't come on with my headlights (though brake lights still work)
I'm sure this is a fuse... Any idea which one? I'm so pissed this thing is fighting me every step of the way I don't know if I want to check them all right now. Buggers are tiny.

Oh I also check continuity between the wiring harness and the JVC harness and it's good.

See less See more

Save

basik

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jun 12, 2010

Alright... I found the fuse, and replaced it good to go with that.

I spent the last 20 min with Crutchfield's Tech Support (fantastic btw)

I had put some 4ohm speakers in and still had the issue... I powered just the fronts and it did it on either side. Verified the ground again. Tried resetting the HU. Checked the ohms on the speaker side and got readings of 3.4-3.6 so he determined it was probably the HU itself shorting out.

Unfortunately, they're backordered on my unit so I'm getting the upgraded version for a small difference. Hopefully that was the issue and all will be well by Wednesday (when I should get it)

Keep your collective fingers crossed....

Save

basik

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jun 17, 2010

In case anyone wanted to know... I got the JVC KW-XR810 model today and it went in no problem, no more shutting down issues...

And for anyone on the fence between the two models... Get the 810... It's much nicer... And I've had both installed

So I should know.

It had the additional USB port, Bluetooth, and many more options within the device itself. It even displays in a better format.

Save

1 - 7 of 15 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.

Top Contributors this Month