Hello:
I wanted to listen to my MP3 player (no, it's not an iPod) in my car without using an FM modulator, so I found a cable that plugs into the CD-changer connection (IP-bus) on the back of my Pioneer car radio and has L/R RCA connections on the other end. The idea is to play music from the MP3 player and the stereo will find hear a signal when switching inputs (or Sources, as Pioneer calls them).
Anyway, it was hard for me to reach the back of the stereo even after taking the panels off, so I decided that it'd be easier with the head unit removed. I didn't have the instruments to pull out the head unit, so I took it to a car stereo installer who pulled it out free of charge, as long as I did my work off premises. So he takes out the unit, I plug in the special cable on the back and all of a sudden the car stero won't turn on. I didn't think it was the installer's fault because all he did was pull out the head unit a little bit and I finished taking it all the way out. I got home and was scratching my head as to why it didn't work.
A friend of mine loaned me a power supply unit (PSU) that I set to 12 volts. I was able to turn the stereo on by grounding the negative from the PSU and applying power to the red (AC?) and yellow (continuous?) on the radio. I'm able to turn it on applying power directly to the pins on the back of the unit and also from the beginning of the wiring harness when connected to the stereo, so I have power continuity all the way.
That ruled out anything wrong with the radio, and everyone else says that of course there's something wrong with the power on the car. I used a Fluke to test voltage on the power connection coming from the car but honestly I wasn't sure if the voltage reading was correct or if it changed too much by me moving the Fluke's pins. Anyway, there was some reading, not zeroes. What should I be getting on the Fluke?
I tried spare fuses, but unless the spares are bad, there's something else going on.
Just so you know, I do have an amplifier and subwoofer in the back of the vehicle. There is a cable coming from the amplifier that connects directly to a wire on the Pioneer's side of the wiring harness. This enables the car stereo to turn on the amplifier. I tested the car stereo without the amplifier wire connected just to see, but nothing.
Another thing, I haven't pushed the head unit all the way in because that would mean another trip to the installer to remove it if it doesn't work for more troubleshooting.
I hope it doesn't have to be pushed all the way in for it to work... :-(
Do you guys have any troubleshooting suggestions? A friend of mine mentioned something called "security codes", but I don't think that applies to aftermarket units, does it?
Please advise. Thanks.