I've to a Kenwood KDC-X492 from the PO, and it's been acting up recently. First it lost the ability to connect to my iPod via USB; no prob...just run it through the stereo cable.

But now it's put itself into "protect" mode, which the manual states is a speaker wire short.

Question 1: With the HU starting to fail, is this just another symptom and another reason to get a new HU?

Question 2: Is there any way to troubleshoot which speaker wire is shorted before I tear everything out? I was hoping to do it later this year or next with an audio overhaul, but not ready to commit at this point.

Thanks!

rkb

 

You'll need to find the speaker connections, either at the factory amp or on the back of the head unit if the amp is no longer in use, and test each one with an ohm meter. They should be close to the impedance rating of the speaker. (I'm guessing somewhere around 4 ohms, but could be anywhere from 2 to 8.) Anything less than 1 ohm is probably a short.

 

Thanks, ordered some radio keys...will dive in this weekend when they arrive.

 

Follow-up. Checked all my wires, it all checks out. Turns out that when I turn on my off-road lights, it sends the head unit into protect/short mode. The lights are controlled by a switch tapped into the cigarette lighter power; I'm assuming the power drop when I turn them on fools the stereo into thinking there's an electrical short.

I know it's not the intended use, but do you think a small capacitor would buffer the drop? Any other solutions?

 

Yep, run lights to a separate fuse to battery

 

What Buzz said: Rather than messing around with the lighter circuit, just run a new line for the lights and be done with it.

 

Roger, that's what I was suspecting. I just hate getting under the center console again ! Any reason for me not to tap into the sunroof switches for power? I don't use them... It's not blowing any fuses as it sits, just the radio trying to protect itself.