Headunit Problem

[2052006 10]

Following the demise of my heater matrix a few weeks ago I realised, as I had suspected, that my head unit had been damaged by water ingress. I therefore bought a new one, checked all the connections, cleaned them all up and fitted it. All was well until a couple of mornings later when I first started the car, the radio switched itself off and then on again. It also lost all the presets that I had set in doing so. I assume the constant live was being interupted??

It has since continued to do this, at various and random times. One night it kept coming on and off, seemingly caused by bumps as I drove along. I have had it out since and checked all connections again and all seems well, though it only lasted for a day or two, before it started playing up again.

So what is likely to be the main cause? Faulty headunit? Bad earth? Break in the constant live (though having checked, that seems ok), Something shorting?

Any common area on the 205 which normally causes this? I have a feeling, but can't be sure, it had done this once or twice with the old headunit as well, so I'm thinking it's more to do with the wiring than the headunit itself.

Thanks…

[AlexRS2782 136 1 Cars]

I used to get this with mine, but i put it down to the fact i'd fitted the BBM engine mounts and the additional vibration maybe meant the wiring behind was getting knocked slightly loose when also going over certain bumpier surfaces. Saying that when i removed the standard head unit back when i got the car it looked like the heater matrix could have leaked at some point with a previous owner and been changed so it's possible the wiring in that area could have been damaged as well.

 

Sadly i never got to the bottom of it though, because i never really used the head unit, so i just took it out and blanked the gap over.

[pug_ham 243 3 Cars]

It sounds like bad wiring to me, how is the head unit wired in?

 

By the standard adaptors between head unit & Peugeot loom or badly home fitted with bare wires twisted together etc?

 

g

[2052006 10]

Its the usual ISO (?) connection from rear of headunit which then goes into a red plug on the end of the pug loom. I assume this red plug-to ISO plug is standard? It's all in good condition as far as i can tell. In fact the ISO part of the loom is brand new as it come with the headunit. I've tried wiggling all the connections whilst i've had the unit out and all seems ok. Of course, that's not very scientific, but it makes me think it must be a problem elsewhere in the wiring, ie. further into the car? Sometimes, i think it even disconnects itself overnight, or if not it must be when i very first start the car in the morning, before it even turns a wheel. What would this point to?

[keeperlit 4 1 Cars]

I've got the same problem with my head unit losing power over bad bumps and losing its memory (poor thing). The head unit used to work fine in other cars so I'm putting it down to dodgy French wiring at the moment. soon I'll rip out out and find the problem. I hope the heater matrix is ok!

[pug_ham 243 3 Cars]

The red plug is the standard Peugeot loom plug, the iso adpater from this is aftermarket to suit newer headunits.

 

It is possible the permanent 12v & switched 12v have changed position to suit the new head unit iso plug but I'd expect them to be the same, the car wiring never altered afaik but they can change between models.

 

I know I've had to swap the permanent & switched wires round before when fitting a stereo from another car in to a 205.

 

Does your stereo work when the ignition is switched off?

 

g

[2052006 10]

Graham, no the headunit doesn't work with the ignition off. The perm and swtiched are definitely the right way round.

 

I had the unit out again and thought I may have found the problem in one of the connection blocks - some of the terminals looked a little wonky inside.

 

Didn't resolve the problem though. Much to my annoyance, it's still randomly turning itself on and off. Yesterday morning, as soon as I had started the car, it was on, off, on, off, until finally staying on! What I can't understand, is that it was doing this while the car was stationary, I hadn't moved an inch! So it's not like the movement of the car was causing a loose connection.

 

I'm beginning to wonder whether the fault is within the headunit itself?

[omega 82]

why not try another permant live direct from the battery to see if that cures it.

[pug_ham 243 3 Cars]

If the stereo wiring is all good, are the fusebox plugs all secured & fitted properly?

 

Does anything else play up when the stereo does its tricks

 

Check the other items that run off the same fuse, faiuling that a different fuseboard.

 

g