Have I Fried My Radio?!

[lagonda 42]

Finally started reassembling car interior. New aerial connector making poor contact meaning reception often fails on medium wave, so thought I'd sort that while I had good access. Take covers off radio, close up aerial contact, and thought I'd best check that had sorted the problem.

Plugged everything in, switch on, all appears to be OK...then fuse (no.7 in the fusebox, not the one on the radio). Thought I might have touched small bare area of + connection to radio on radio chassis (although it looked pretty impossible), so tried again with care. Fuse blows again...realise it's actually a spare lead in the loom of wires to the radio, with a bare connector, touching on the only bit of the body above the gearbox to be light on paint! Replace fuse. Try radio...all lights up, but sound very low even on max volume...same if I put a tape in. Can just hear it OK, but not loud enough to hear with engine running! Checked voltage between aerial outer (earth) and + connection to radio, & getting 13volts. So what's going on?

Can I really have damaged the radio by blowing that fuse twice? The radio own fuse is only someting like 5amp rating & that's fine. Any thoughts as to how I can sort this?!

Laurence

[lagonda 42]

Just an update...connected radio direct to battery, still no difference, so the fault is definitely within the set rather than due to a poor external connection (wouldn't have that luck).

The set does have terminals for rear speakers, so I tried plugging the (front only) speakers into those....result! Full volume plugged in there, so at least I can use it.

But! Have rear speakers to instal (stolen by thieves who stole car & returned it minus speakers!), so would like to resolve problem with radio.

 

So! Anyone any ideas? Seems problem has to be restricted to output to front speakers, & it's not a bad connection where they plug in.

 

Laurence

[Anthony 1,003]

I assume that you've double checked that the fader isn't set to the rear speakers, or something daft like that?

[lagonda 42]

Hi Anthony

 

You might well be right.....have never used 4 speakers so didn't know there was a front-rear fader. Had a play with radio, & found that pressing in (didn't know you could do that!) & turning the left-hand knob does indeed remove all sound....can I take it that's the fader you're referring to?!

 

This 205 doesn't usually allow me to get away with doh! moments. Found a strange burnt area on the headlining the other day....thought it might have been a delayed reaction to oil stains on there....but later realised that the disassembled shaving mirror I've been carting around Europe on the parcel shelf has recently been exposed, as I'd finally taken out all the dashboard plastics to actually fit them! Suppose I'm lucky it didn't burn through the outer roof or actually catch fire....

 

Cheers

 

Laurence