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Small problem with a radio change

  • 31-12-2014 2:44pm
    #1
    flogen
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 10,243 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    Hey folks.

    Have a very small and annoying problem and figured I'd ask here to (hopefully) get the simple solution!

    My girlfriend got herself an Opel Agila a few months ago and, given that it was a fairly basic stereo with a broken CD player, I decided to get her something a little better as part of her Christmas present.

    I also decided to install it covertly so it'd be a surprise on Christmas morning, but that turned out to be a bad idea.

    Installation went fine, up until the car not starting the following morning (due to a blown fuse).

    It turns out that on these cars two of the cables in the stereo's adaptor (ignition and memory - red and yellow) should be reversed.

    I'm presuming/hoping this caused the blown fuse (though someone here might be able to say for sure), so am going to try again with them reversed.

    The only problem is, I can't get the cables apart to swap them over.

    There's a connector mid-way through them that looks like this and they move a bit but won't separate completely - and I'm afraid I'm going to end up breaking the wire while trying.

    Is there a nack to separating them that I should know or will I need to cut and replace?

    Thanks.


Comments

  • #2
    Special Circumstances
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,569 ✭✭✭Special Circumstances


    Doubt the reversal of yellow/red blew a fuse. Connecting red or yellow of the cars wiring to something else would do it alright. Did the fuse go on the car or was it a fuse at the back of the radio? Double check everything. Maybe some 12v lead tipped off bare metal?

    Bullet connectors should just pull apart but get a grip of the actual connector - if you just yank by the cables then you may pull the cable from the connector rather than separating the two parts of the connection.


  • #3
    flogen
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 10,243 Mod ✭✭✭✭flogen


    Special Circumstances wrote: »
    Doubt the reversal of yellow/red blew a fuse. Connecting red or yellow of the cars wiring to something else would do it alright. Did the fuse go on the car or was it a fuse at the back of the radio? Double check everything. Maybe some 12v lead tipped off bare metal?

    It was the fuse in the car that went... not sure what could have hit bare metal but will have a good look and see what might have happened.
    Bullet connectors should just pull apart but get a grip of the actual connector - if you just yank by the cables then you may pull the cable from the connector rather than separating the two parts of the connection.

    Thanks - will just have to keep trying at it. They seem to move a bit but just won't pull apart at all.


  • #4
    Special Circumstances
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,569 ✭✭✭Special Circumstances


    Had a bit of a dig around there but couldn't find any bullet connectors. As far as I recall there's a bit of resistance to separation but not mad resistance. I only get to see em every few years when I change car/radio.

    Once you have double checked wiring and had a test power up, tape up the wiring and connectors to reduce the risk of shorts but more commonly rattles. Some road surfaces make aftermarket radio wiring rattle against other bits of plastic in dash.


  • #5
    flogen
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 10,243 Mod ✭✭✭✭flogen


    Cheers. The connections have a kind of plastic/rubber cover on them but there's a chance I'd let that slip off when installing. Will make sure it's not the case next time and will tape it all up when done.

    Probably a stupid question but worth asking just in case - should the fuse in the back of the radio correspond in any way to the one in the car? Just want to make sure I'm not left with a dead car again!


  • #6
    Special Circumstances
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,569 ✭✭✭Special Circumstances


    The fuse at the back of the radio is what is.
    If it's okay then it's okay.
    If it's blown double check wiring and replace like for like.


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  • #7
    MobileAudio
    Registered Users Posts: 89 ✭✭MobileAudio


    flogen wrote: »

    Probably a stupid question but worth asking just in case - should the fuse in the back of the radio correspond in any way to the one in the car? Just want to make sure I'm not left with a dead car again!

    Not always. Most car stereos have a ten amp fuse but some car fuses may vary.

    I have come across some wiring blocks on newer cars where for some crazy reason the manufacturer has completely reversed the positive and negative pins. Result can be a blown fuse and even a blown radio. last one I spotted like this was a Peugeot.


  • #8
    flogen
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 10,243 Mod ✭✭✭✭flogen


    Thanks for all the help.

    When I looked closer at the bullet connections I could see a little dint on them, as if they'd be stamped in a way to make splitting them harder... so I slipped a small screwdriver under to loosen it and they came apart with a bit of persuasion. Just used a pliers to tighten them again when I swapped the connections over.

    Anyway - had another go at installation (taking out the fuse from the car just in case) and all went smoothly - stereo is now working perfectly and the fuse is holding up fine!

    On reflection I think the issue may have been that the cabin light is run off the same fuse (or at least it went with the fuse). As I had that on while trying to install it in the first place, I'm presuming that caused a problem when I hit off a wire or something.


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