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adonh · 05-17-2013, 04:58 PM

I replaced the stock Sony dash radio in my 2005 396XL MH with an new Pioneer that includes Bluetooth and xm. It worked fine good sound while driving and parked hooked up to power. But for some reason a few weeks ago I get no sound when the ignition switch is turned on. But the sound comes back on as soon as you turn off the ignition switch. The power is still on because the radio lights are on. Just the sound is not working while the ignition switch is on. As I said this only stared doing this a couple of weeks ago and everything was working fine after the radio was installed. I can't figure it out so was hoping someone might have have thought as to what this could be.

Thanks

jml255 · 05-17-2013, 06:54 PM

How did you wire the radio? Did you use the factory harness and get an adapter or did you cut all of the wires from the factory plug and wire them up to the new head unit?

adonh · 05-18-2013, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jml255

How did you wire the radio? Did you use the factory harness and get an adapter or did you cut all of the wires from the factory plug and wire them up to the new head unit?

I had it installed where I bought it. The installer used the wiring harness that came with the new radio and then matched the wires from the old radio and spliced the 2 sets together. Everything worked for about 2 weeks, then no sound when the coach is running and the ignition switch is turned on for all audio sources, FM/AM stations, XM, Bluetooth and USB connection for music on iPhone. The screen lights up and displays content, just no sound. When you turn off the ignition you have sound.

jml255 · 05-18-2013, 07:41 AM

I would take it back to the place where you had it installed and explain the issue to them.

adonh · 05-22-2013, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adonh

I had it installed where I bought it. The installer used the wiring harness that came with the new radio and then matched the wires from the old radio and spliced the 2 sets together. Everything worked for about 2 weeks, then no sound when the coach is running and the ignition switch is turned on for all audio sources, FM/AM stations, XM, Bluetooth and USB connection for music on iPhone. The screen lights up and displays content, just no sound. When you turn off the ignition you have sound.

Ok I have had this problem checked out by my local RV repair shop and they could not find the problem. So I took it back to the store that installed the radio. They also have no answer, they even tried a new radio, same think. They both said it could be the "Amplifier that controls the front and mid speakers. There are 3 speakers mounted in the ceiling up front and 2 on each side mid coach. My question is there a separate Amplifier if so where is it. I can't find it.

Thanks for your assistance

Muddypaws · 05-22-2013, 06:14 PM

Are the speakers shared with a TV or DVD sound system? If they are that would be the first place I would look.

Seems weird that it would work for a couple of weeks and then stop. Has anybody (yourself included) messed with the radio's settings? Maybe it's a setting that's specific to ign. on? Does it have speed sensing volume? If so disable it and see what happens.

adonh · 05-23-2013, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muddypaws

Are the speakers shared with a TV or DVD sound system? If they are that would be the first place I would look.

Seems weird that it would work for a couple of weeks and then stop. Has anybody (yourself included) messed with the radio's settings? Maybe it's a setting that's specific to ign. on? Does it have speed sensing volume? If so disable it and see what happens.

I am not aware of any changes in the radio settings. In fact they put a new one in and still the same thing. There are no speed setting. The speakers can be shared by the TV but they are not connected to the TV at this time and were not connected when the radio was working fine. There does appear to be an amplifier that was stock with the coach and I am tracking that down now. Also as I understand on motor homes with front Television, there is a disconnect for the TV if the ignition is switched on. The speaker circuit may be wired to the same circuit as the TV I have check that out as well, I just don't know how to do that yet.

Thanks for the input

Razzman · 05-23-2013, 11:46 AM

The most logical place for an amplifier in a MH will be under the dash somewhere. They come in many sizes and shapes but in essence your looking for a square or rectangular box 10-18" long and around 3-4 inches thick generally with cooling fins on the sides. It will have a couple of large power wires, usually red/black in one end and 18-16 gauge speaker wires going to the other end. I say "logical" placement as all amps turn on via a remote power lead (blue wire) from the dash head unit. Too far of a run and the signal will not turn on the amp as the wire gauge is only 20 or 22. Generally an amp is placed where it has "air space" around it for cooling as they can get extremely hot.

So based on all of that unless the amp recieves the remote signal to turn on and the speaker wires route through the amp, there's no way for it to play unless the head unit is turned on. That's your source of investigation. But you stated he spliced all the wires from one harness to another, do you know how many wires he spliced? To operate the head unit itself takes only four wires: red (fused)=main power, black=ground, yellow=constant power for clock and blue=remote amp turn on (if applicable). Those color codes are standards in the audio industry.

So all of that being said some installers will use a powered relay to trigger the amp if the run is too long. Not sure but some will power them off of the ignitin circuit, that very well could be your culprit if used. Remember the amp can only turn on if the head unit tells it too, it cannot control the head unit (music) in any way. Hope this is understandable and helps.

adonh · 06-05-2013, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Razzman

The most logical place for an amplifier in a MH will be under the dash somewhere. They come in many sizes and shapes but in essence your looking for a square or rectangular box 10-18" long and around 3-4 inches thick generally with cooling fins on the sides. It will have a couple of large power wires, usually red/black in one end and 18-16 gauge speaker wires going to the other end. I say "logical" placement as all amps turn on via a remote power lead (blue wire) from the dash head unit. Too far of a run and the signal will not turn on the amp as the wire gauge is only 20 or 22. Generally an amp is placed where it has "air space" around it for cooling as they can get extremely hot.

So based on all of that unless the amp recieves the remote signal to turn on and the speaker wires route through the amp, there's no way for it to play unless the head unit is turned on. That's your source of investigation. But you stated he spliced all the wires from one harness to another, do you know how many wires he spliced? To operate the head unit itself takes only four wires: red (fused)=main power, black=ground, yellow=constant power for clock and blue=remote amp turn on (if applicable). Those color codes are standards in the audio industry.

So all of that being said some installers will use a powered relay to trigger the amp if the run is too long. Not sure but some will power them off of the ignitin circuit, that very well could be your culprit if used. Remember the amp can only turn on if the head unit tells it too, it cannot control the head unit (music) in any way. Hope this is understandable and helps.

Sorry it has been a few days getting back to this and I appreciate your input. Here is what I found when I removed the Pioneer Radio from the dash and looked at the wiring connections.

Here is a picture of the wiring coming out of the dash with the old Sony wiring harness. Off to the right you can see the blue/white wire that was labeled in the Sony wiring diagram as the AMP. The installer placed a connector on this wire and crimped the blue/white wire with an orange wire at one end of the connector. The orange wire is not from the old Sony wiring harness and comes from a bundle of wires under the dash and I don't know what the orange wire is. There is nothing connected to the other end of the connector.

The next picture is not real clear but you can see the light blue/white wire from the Pioneer connector that plugs in the back of the radio. It is then on one end to the solid blue wire you see but the solid blue wire does not connect anything.

I have looked under the dash and through the radio dash opening and I still can't find the Amp. There are a bunch of wires, ducks and equipment that block my view.

Thanks for your help.

Razzman · 06-05-2013, 03:54 PM

adonh, the blue/white wire is the amp take-off for Pioneer. If i was to make a guess here i'd say the factory installer just used whatever they had to wire in the amp lead from the radio to amp. That's typically what happens when non-audio industry types do an install. At this point your only means of finding it is to trace that wire or look in/under everything you can.

If you have a large side bolster down beside the drivers seat at the floor look there as well. Sometimes installers get overly creative when installing amps to hide them, I've seen them under chairs, couches and in/behind cabinets. Unfortunately these things need air to cool them and if too closed in they'll fail. If you have an exterior electronics cabinet of any type look in there as well. If the wire loom looks like it goes out through the firewall then look into any looms exiting the engine/gen compartment. If you look in the looms and find wires of matching colors you've probably found it, see where it goes from there.