dash Radio in AS 396 MH

[adonh]

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 beacuse 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

[adonh]

Originally Posted by adonh

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

Ok I have had this problem checked out by my local Airstream 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 both said it could be the "Amplifier that controls the front and mid speakers. There are 3 speakers mount 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

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by adonh

Ok I have had this problem checked out by my local Airstream 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 both said it could be the "Amplifier that controls the front and mid speakers. There are 3 speakers mount 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

Well, seems to me the people that installed it owe you a warranty repair due to defective workmanship. If they can't find the problem, then they owe you a refund, in the amount that it will cost you to take it somewhere else and have the installation done over.

[adonh]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

Well, seems to me the people that installed it owe you a warranty repair due to defective workmanship. If they can't find the problem, then they owe you a refund, in the amount that it will cost you to take it somewhere else and have the installation done over.

The warranty or refund is not a problem. They even put in another new radio, same issue. The question is there an separate amplifier some where that may be the issue. Thanks

[masseyfarm]

On the motorhomes with front Television, there is a disconnect for the TV if the ignition is switched on. This is mandatory under the motor vehicle act.

I would think your speaker circuit is wired to the same circuit as the TV.

Try actually shutting the TV off. Does it still do it?

Many owners will bypass the shutoff so that the TV will work while underway. I have never bothered to change mine as the last thing I want to listen to is a TV while going down the road.

On my Clipper there is an OEM rocker switch on the dash that kills the speakers by turning power off at the amp. which is located on the back side of the center console. (the console has to be pulled out to access it.)

Your unit is 9 years newer so I am sure the wire harness is not the same.

All you can do Don is follow those wires from the radio and you should be able to find the amp.

Dave

Originally Posted by adonh

The warranty or refund is not a problem. They even put in another new radio, same issue. The question is there an separate amplifier some where that may be the issue. Thanks

[Steve Bryant]

Don,
Does your owner's manual have a wiring diagram that includes the radio/entertainment system? I'm especially interested in the speakers.

Did the installer hook the low level audio outputs up to your new Pioneer radio? If so, that definitely indicates a remote amplifier somewhere in the system. You might want to call Airstream Customer Service and ask about the location of a remote amplifier.

Steve

[Steve Bryant]

Don,
I just pulled up the 2005 Owner's Manual and on page H-28, it identifies fuse F11 as being a 7.5 A fuse for the sound system amplifier. I'd be curious if that fuse is putting out 12 VDC when the ignition is off and 0 VDC when the ignition is on. Also, try to find out where the power amplifier is located and if a relay controls power to that amplifier.

[adonh]

Originally Posted by Steve Bryant

Don,
I just pulled up the 2005 Owner's Manual and on page H-28, it identifies fuse F11 as being a 7.5 A fuse for the sound system amplifier. I'd be curious if that fuse is putting out 12 VDC when the ignition is off and 0 VDC when the ignition is on. Also, try to find out where the power amplifier is located and if a relay controls power to that amplifier.

I will check the F11 fuse today. looking at the wiring diagram Sony CDX-F5500_F5000 wiring diagram.pdf for the Sony that came with the Coach, CDX-5000, there is a connection from the radio to an "AMP REM" shown as a blue/white wire. I will have to trace that wire down. More later.

[adonh]

I won't be able to follow up on this until next week, thanks

[Steve Bryant]

Don,
You're on the right track. You want to know that the blue/white wire from the radio is feeding power to the remote amplifiers with the engine running and with the engine off. Note: the blue/white wire does not supply primary power to the amplifiers. The function of the blue/white wire is to supply a small 12 VDC signal that activates a relay located within each of the remote speaker amplifiers. The amplifiers should also receive 12 VDC from a primary power wire that likely originates at F11. My gut tells me that you're getting much closer to resolving this issue!

Steve

[adonh]

Originally Posted by Steve Bryant

Don,
You're on the right track. You want to know that the blue/white wire from the radio is feeding power to the remote amplifiers with the engine running and with the engine off. Note: the blue/white wire does not supply primary power to the amplifiers. The function of the blue/white wire is to supply a small 12 VDC signal that activates a relay located within each of the remote speaker amplifiers. The amplifiers should also receive 12 VDC from a primary power wire that likely originates at F11. My gut tells me that you're getting much closer to resolving this issue!

Steve

I did find the F11 fuse and when I pulled it the power to radio went off. So I guess the radio and the "amplifier" run on the same fuse. My plan is to pull the Pioneer radio and see what wires are attached from the Pioneer harness that was spliced in to the wires in the coach. I may even try reinstalling the old Sony and see what happens. More later

[Steve Bryant]

Don,
Since you say that the radio audio comes out the speakers when the engine is not running, but it stops when the engine is running try these troubleshooting steps:
1. Find the remote amplifiers and verify that the primary power wire and the blue/white (or what ever color it is at the amplifier end) have 12 VDC with the engine not running. This is what I would expect or you wouldn't hear audio through the speakers.
2. Then start the engine and re-verify 12 VDC on primary power and the amplifier energizer wire (connected to blue/white). I expect that at least one of these wires is loosing power when the engine is running.
3. If one of the two wires in step 2 does loose power, trace back the wires and find out why.

Since audio initially came out of the speakers whether the engine was running or not with your new Pioneer receiver, I suspect that something has come apart in the wiring. It may be a bad splice or something like that.

Steve

[adonh]

I was able to spend some time today on the radio and pulled the Pioneer out of the dash. I had watched the service tech when he installed the radio and he left the old Sonny wire harness connected and just cut the wires back a few inches and then connected the wires from the Pioneer by matching the color of the wires. In most cases the colors are just about the same.as I had found out on the Sony wiring diagram the blue/white withe goes to the amp. I found the blue/white wire from the old sony harness and the matching blue/white wire coming from the Pioneer. Neither are connected to anything. There is an orange wire that connects at the same end of the Sony blue/white wire connector but the other end of the connector is empty. I thought about connecting the blue/white wire from the Pioneer to the blue/white wire in the dash but decided I would check this out first. I don't want to blow up anything. I still can't see anything that looks like a amp under the dash by crawling around on the floor or by looking through the opening for the radio.

[Steve Bryant]

Don,
Tell me the model number of your new Pioneer radio/head unit. Then I'll pull up the .pdf that shows the wiring diagram of it and the Sony CDX-F5500/F5000 that you've already hyperlinked in post 8 above. I'll send you a PM with my cell phone number. If you'll give me a call over the weekend, I will have had time to look things over and we can discuss the issue directly on the phone. If the blue/white wire from the Pioneer is the external amplifier activation line (like on the Sony) then that's likely the problem. In this case, you'll need to crimp the two blue/white wires together to make things work. But don't do anything yet, get me the Pioneer's model number and call me over the weekend. That way, we can ask questions of each other, etc.

Steve

[adonh]

Originally Posted by Steve Bryant

Don,
Tell me the model number of your new Pioneer radio/head unit. Then I'll pull up the .pdf that shows the wiring diagram of it and the Sony CDX-F5500/F5000 that you've already hyperlinked in post 8 above. I'll send you a PM with my cell phone number. If you'll give me a call over the weekend, I will have had time to look things over and we can discuss the issue directly on the phone. If the blue/white wire from the Pioneer is the external amplifier activation line (like on the Sony) then that's likely the problem. In this case, you'll need to crimp the two blue/white wires together to make things work. But don't do anything yet, get me the Pioneer's model number and call me over the weekend. That way, we can ask questions of each other, etc.

Steve

Steve the model # on the Pioneer is DEH-X8500BS. 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.


The next picture is not real clear but you can see the blue/white wire from the Pioneer connector that plugs in the back of the radio. I has a connector crimped on one end but is not connected to any thing.

[Steve Bryant]

Don,
Here is the Owner's Manual for your Pioneer Radio. If you look at pages 24 and 25 of the manual (section 4 which is part of the installation instructions), you will see that the wire intended to activate the remote amplifier(s) is also a blue/white wire from the Pioneer radio. So, assuming that the orange wire in your motorhome's wiring harness connects to the remote amplifier activation wire(s) the blue/white wire from the Pioneer should be crimped to the orange wire. If picture 1 shows a remnant of the Sony harness that was left in your MH, I would say that the installer placed a butt splice on the blue white wire and intended to hook it to the amplifier activation wire, but never finished the job. I'd take this information back to the installer and say something like: "Look at this! The blue/white wire to activate the amplifier doesn't go anywhere. What's going on with this."

You could do this yourself, but I think that the installer should finish the job and make it right. That way the onus is on him and any implied warranty for the installation is still his responsibility. I look forward to talking to you over the weekend. I'm also sending you a correction to my cell phone number. My PM has my home phone, but I intended to send my cell phone so that you can catch me wherever I am.

Steve

[adonh]

Originally Posted by Steve Bryant

Don,
Here is the Owner's Manual for your Pioneer Radio. If you look at pages 24 and 25 of the manual (section 4 which is part of the installation instructions), you will see that the wire intended to activate the remote amplifier(s) is also a blue/white wire from the Pioneer radio. So, assuming that the orange wire in your motorhome's wiring harness connects to the remote amplifier activation wire(s) the blue/white wire from the Pioneer should be crimped to the orange wire. If picture 1 shows a remnant of the Sony harness that was left in your MH, I would say that the installer placed a butt splice on the blue white wire and intended to hook it to the amplifier activation wire, but never finished the job. I'd take this information back to the installer and say something like: "Look at this! The blue/white wire to activate the amplifier doesn't go anywhere. What's going on with this."

You could do this yourself, but I think that the installer should finish the job and make it right. That way the onus is on him and any implied warranty for the installation is still his responsibility. I look forward to talking to you over the weekend. I'm also sending you a correction to my cell phone number. My PM has my home phone, but I intended to send my cell phone so that you can catch me wherever I am.

Steve

Hi Steve, it rained today so I did not get over to storage, but I will check this out tomorrow. It sure looks kike the 2 blue/white wires should be connected. I will probably try that myself since it is difficult to get the MH in their parking lot close to the area they do installations. I will let you know.

[adonh]

Originally Posted by adonh

Hi Steve, it rained today so I did not get over to storage, but I will check this out tomorrow. It sure looks kike the 2 blue/white wires should be connected. I will probably try that myself since it is difficult to get the MH in their parking lot close to the area they do installations. I will let you know.

Steve I connected the blue/white wires as we discussed but it still does not work. I think I will reinstall the Sonny to match all of the original wires and try to get back to a system that works the way it is supposed to.

Thanks for your help.

[Steve Bryant]

Don,
I'm glad to help and I'll be curious as to how the Sony works once it's reinstalled.

Steve