My electronics have been butchered..

[jamiepyrite]

Few things really..


So when I got the car, I bought a new head unit for it. Installed it but it wasn't working. I'd heard that some head units don't work unless the aerial is connected, so went up and bought the adaptor for the aerial from halfrauds. Still didn't work! Tried everything and nothing worked.. Then while sat in the car thinking what it could be I mindlessly switched the lights on and whoosh! We have a working head unit! (note: I hadn't passed my test at this point so hadn't driven it)

A friend of a friend who works in a garage came around to have a look at it and to re-wire it so I didn't need the lights on for it to work..

The way he's rewired it is so it now has the dashboard backlights on permanantly when the key is in. The lights symbol is always on. My head unit loses all its settings, etc. when I take the keys out and when I put them back in, turns itself on for 2 seconds, spits the cd out, then turns off! So I have to turn it on myself and feed the cd back in..

Also, when the key is in, the lights for the registration plate are on.


What in gods name has he done to my electrics?! I'd love to get all this sorted out. Where would actually repair this dodgy work?


Also, where would I wire in a cigarette lighter socket? I have one wired up (with an inline fuse and ground) but I just need to install it. My '95 CL Impact 1.4 has an empty slot for a cigarette lighter socket..


I can solder fine, I have the haynes manual, I'm just not too sure on where to wire it up!


Thanks in advance

 

[dirtbiker]

My cigarette lighter (retrofitted like you're doing) is wired to the permanant live for the head unit (red wire) and the head unit's ground wire.

Edit: for the bulb in the lighter i tried wiring it to the lighting feed for the heater controls but i think my bulb has blown so it doesn't work, no big loss...

For some reason on the lower spec models the head unit permanant live runs through the Cigar lighter fuse in the fuse box so you should be fine to do this.

With regards to the wiring i'm not too sure i'm afraid, my expertise is limited to connecting up ISO connectors for headunits lol

 

[adamgardiner]

there is some times a wire from the lights to light up the head unit when the lights are on he has prob connected that in with the switch live, also the reason it looses all the settings is prob due to the perminant feed and switch feed being the wrong way round(this sometimes has to be changed on some head units before instalation, they are normally Red and Yellow but cant remember which 1 is which
adam

 

[mr.aston]

I used the power for my cd player to power my cig lighter. I didnt have 1 as standrad either. Thought this ws better, cos like the radio, it wont work without the keys in.

 

[adamgardiner]

any luck fixing it?

 

[Fl@pper]

any luck fixing it?

too busy giving the fitter a right kicking i bet

 

[davidol]

certain cars (1995 shape micra for example) wont work without the aerial connected as the standard unit earths through the brackets that connect it to the dash as standard but these arent used when a aftermarket unit is fitted, the unit then earths through the aerials connection to the chassis but this does it no good at all so remember to run a new earth cable, easy as

 

[seatdude]

i work at helfords, ive been told u can only hard wire the sterios in beezas mine works when car isent running but drains the battrey

 

[Fl@pper]

i work at helfords, ive been told u can only hard wire the sterios in beezas mine works when car isent running but drains the battrey

they have std DIN wiring connectors in em

 

[jamiepyrite]

Haven't had a chance to look at it yet but I shall do tomorrow

I have some of those little clip things that you can use to split a cable cleanly so you can run another cable from it. Will this be fine for the live going to the head unit or will it result in the head unit losing power while I'm using the cigarette lighter?


I'd assume red wire is permanant feed, yellow wire is switch feed.. I'll have a look and see what can be done.

 

[dirtbiker]

I have some of those little clip things that you can use to split a cable cleanly so you can run another cable from it. Will this be fine for the live going to the head unit or will it result in the head unit losing power while I'm using the cigarette lighter?

That's the set-up I've got in my car and it works fine. A word of warning though, those little connectors are pretty rubbish, I had to scrape off the insulation on the wire with a knife and then put the connector over before it would work. Have a multi-meter handy so you can see if you're getting power or not... Good luck with it.