Amnesiac Car Stereo

CyberDave

CD Player. In my new car I have a Sony CDX-M7850 CD player. It cannot maintain stored stations. (ie. when I store radio stations or leave it turned on when I leave the car everything is reset when I get back in.

However, if I turn off the car and remove the keys just for, say, 1 minute and then restart the car it remembers the stations. It remembers them after a few minutes but not after a few hours. Does anybody know what might be the problem with my amnesiac car stereo? Thanks

ps. The car is a Volkswagen Golf if this makes any difference...

bangersandmash

Pehaps it is a power/battery issue?

also, i think i read that the -/+ connectors are switched in VAGs

or perhaps you have been playing too much Radiohead

CyberDave

I think it could be a battery issue as well, as the clock resets to 1.00 every time I come back to the car. Not sure what you mean by the +/– thing...

bangersandmash

AFAIK - I have only read this some where, but in VW/Audi/Seat etc... cars, the power connector for the stereo is the opposite way around. I meant positive/negative terminals when I said +/-

CyberDave

bangersandmash wrote: »

AFAIK - I have only read this some where, but in VW/Audi/Seat etc... cars, the power connector for the stereo is the opposite way around. I meant positive/negative terminals when I said +/-

How do I change this? Which of the connections do I switch?

bangersandmash

Sorry, I have no idea. It is just something that I *think* i read a while ago...
what year is the car. It may be posssible to find a wirinng diagram or something on google.

CyberDave

2002

Steve

The ignition '+' and standby '+' are mixed up in the radio harness.

I've heard this from a few Golf owners.

It's a matter of swapping pins in the plug - I don't know which ones though, sorry.

There may be an adapter available so you aren't messing with the wiring - anyone come across one?

bazz26

I think this subject was discussed here recently (within the last month or so). VWs have a different setup to other cars with regards the memory connection for the stereo.

Maybe a bit of googling will shed some light on this.

CyberDave

bazz26 wrote: »

I think this subject was discussed here recently (within the last month or so). VWs have a different setup to other cars with regards the memory connection for the stereo.

Maybe a bit of googling will shed some light on this.

Thanks Bazz. I have been googling for a while with no luck. It's so annoying to have to resave the stations every time I get into the car. Any hints on search words?

bazz26

CyberDave wrote: »

Thanks Bazz. I have been googling for a while with no luck. It's so annoying to have to resave the stations every time I get into the car. Any hints on search words?

This might be it:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055250406

Tropheus

Installed an LG bluetooth head unit in my father-in-law's 2001 Passat recently. Had the same problem - it wouldn't store the stations or BT settings.

I have a volt meter and checked the connections. Turned out that the ignition connection and constant 12v connection were switched on the Passat which meant that the unit wasn't getting any power when the ignition was off so lost settings.

I switched the two wires and solved the problem. Seems to be a common problem on VAG cars according to above posts.

CyberDave

ksimpson wrote: »

Installed an LG bluetooth head unit in my father-in-law's 2001 Passat recently. Had the same problem - it wouldn't store the stations or BT settings.

I have a volt meter and checked the connections. Turned out that the ignition connection and constant 12v connection were switched on the Passat which meant that the unit wasn't getting any power when the ignition was off so lost settings.

I switched the two wires and solved the problem. Seems to be a common problem on VAG cars according to above posts.

I know, but which wire to switch is my dilemna. There are so many of them and a few of them are not even connected up at all. Have you any idea where I might find a diagram on the net, I have been searching but to no avail.

Kimbot

More than likely its the Yellow and Red wires on the Radios wiring harnesss that have to be changed.

Tipsy Mac

Yes swap red to yellow, yellow to red and it will fix it, the connections should be split in the middle just open the connection and swap each so it's red to yellow, yellow to red.

Steve

Is this what you need:
AFAIK sony uses std ISO connector.



August 1974 to February 1992
This adaptor is required to replace a VW Golf factory fitted radio with a Blaupunkt aftermarket model. It converts the car's original power and speakers wiring connector to a standard ISO connector, as used on all our radios. Simply plug one end of the adaptor into your cars wiring harness, and the other end into your new radio; no cutting of wires is necessary.
Part reference: PC2-18-4


Found here: http://www.bluespot.co.uk/install/show_model.asp?id=294E

Wertz

This might help. It's the set up in fig 2 that you need to do on German cars I think...

CyberDave

OK. I'm at my wits end trying to figure this one out. I asked the guy in my local Auto Accessories shop to have a look at it this evening and he couldn't figure it out either. He has installed lots of stereos in VWs and has never experienced the problem.

Here is Diagram A:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21377182@N08/2377797089/sizes/o/in/photostream

This is the way the wires were set up when I removed the stereo. I had sound but it wouldn't retain memory like station settings or where it was on a CD when I left the car.

Here is Diagram B:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21377182@N08/2378635754/sizes/o/in/photostream

This is what we tried to see if it would work hooking both the red and yellow from the Car Stereo up to the battery wire. I think this has probably blown a fuse as I don't have any sound at all now. It hadn't worked in the first place anyway.

Any help would be appreciated, or if anybody knows where in Portlaoise I can find somebody that can have a look at this for me. Thanks