Fitting new "car" stereo system in a boat - won't turn on

Rafiki

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I'm in the process of fitting a Sony "car" music system, DAB/FM Radio, bluetooth, links to Ipods etc etc . Fitted all the wiring, but the damn thing wont switch on. I have carefully checked with multi meter that it is receiving power, have tried connecting the casing to negative, have tried with a small 12v battery as well as boat batteries, but wont fire up. I have also checked the inbuilt fuse. Any ideas anyone ? Surely it doesn't know it isn't in a car?

If no-one has any bright ideas it will have to be returned as 'dead on arrival'

Andrew
 
It needs a negative connection on the black wire. It will need two wires connected to the positive, red and another (i think yellow, but double check). One needs to be a permanent connection if you want it to remember setting and stations etc. If it still won't work, send it back.
 
Last edited:
Paul,
I thought the Yellow was optional ( to remember stations) and I hadn't connected that one , but you may well be right. I will be back later in the week and will try that.
Cheers
 
Paul,
I thought the Yellow was optional ( to remember stations) and I hadn't connected that one , but you may well be right. I will be back later in the week and will try that.
Cheers

It's optional on some, but i have a feeling on the Sony radios it has to be connected. Let us know how it goes :encouragement:
 
on some the yellow needs power, it is optional whether you supply permanently and have working memories, or just link it to the red and do without... you will eventually bring a permanent supply so might as well do it now....
 
You need the red and yellow attached to 12v+. One is a permanent feed, and the other is a switched feed (so that the radio switches on and off with the ignition key). If you want to kee the station memory, you need to have the permanent 12v wire and the negatve directly to the battery (and just have the swtched live through the switch panel).
 
All inline fuses intact ? , not just visually, use continuity on multimeter to check.
Is it a weeny little inline glass fuse or blade fuse in actual radio body ?
All to easy to briefly reverse the polarity and pop a fuse.
Cannot remember the last time we took any thing electronic out of a box and it failed to work.
Apart from Ebay cheapo chinese clone stuff.
 
You need the red and yellow attached to 12v+. One is a permanent feed, and the other is a switched feed (so that the radio switches on and off with the ignition key). If you want to kee the station memory, you need to have the permanent 12v wire and the negatve directly to the battery (and just have the swtched live through the switch panel).

That's what i said in post #2 :)
 
All inline fuses intact ? , not just visually, use continuity on multimeter to check.
Is it a weeny little inline glass fuse or blade fuse in actual radio body ?
All to easy to briefly reverse the polarity and pop a fuse.
Cannot remember the last time we took any thing electronic out of a box and it failed to work.
Apart from Ebay cheapo chinese clone stuff.

If he hasn't connected the yellow wire, it won't work.

The fuse on a Sony is a blade fuse on the rear of the radio, however, the wiring to the radio will still need a fuse at, or close to, it's supply source.
 
I fitted a Sony CDX-GT470UM three years ago. I followed the wiring instructions and it worked. But last season it was switching off intermittently, and it won't start this season. I'll look at the fuses, connections etc when it's priority climbs further up the fitting out list. I hope it can stand the cold and damp air of a boat - my previous car radio in the boat lasted 14 years.
Gordon
 
Worked out how to change wave band on my Sony,yesterday.
Has only taken me 9 months.
Can now listen the Radio Caroline on 648 MW. :)
 
Worked out how to change wave band on my Sony,yesterday.
Has only taken me 9 months.
Can now listen the Radio Caroline on 648 MW. :)

Have just bought Pioneer car radio for boat. Cannot understand it. D**n thing too clever for its own good. Smartypants sort of kit, gives me the feeling the designer wanted to make customers look foolish. Why is everything so complicated nowadays? I'm going to have to read an instruction book just so I can listen to a radio. Madness. Is there a market for simple gadgets, without special features, that just do the basics? Like a radio with an On/Off switch, a tuning knob and a volume control? I don't mind complication where it fulfills a purpose, but so many things nowadays seem to be more complicated than they need to be.

Now, where did I put my Zimmerframe?
 
I took the Sony stereo out a while back to do some woodwork and i won't be putting it back. I have a soundbar with a Bluetooth input that connects to my phone. My phone has the Radio Player app' installed, so i can listen to every radio station in the country, including Caroline :)
 
I took the Sony stereo out a while back to do some woodwork and i won't be putting it back. I have a soundbar with a Bluetooth input that connects to my phone. My phone has the Radio Player app' installed, so i can listen to every radio station in the country, including Caroline :)

Fine when and if you can get a decent digital signal Paul.
 
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