I got an MP3 deck for x-mas and FINALLY got around to installing it in the GSR. Now everything was hooked up correctly as it should be, and properly soldered, etc.. When I power the deck the rear section with the heatsink looking thing gets hot really ******* fast. Too hot to touch the damn thing. At first I heard a sizzle and shut it off. Rechecked everything and it regardless it always just heats up within a few seconds.

When I first installed it and tested it everything worked fine. So, I cleaned up the wiring and got it ready to put it in but wanted to test it one more time and this happened. Thing is the deck won't even turn on now, besides getting hot. It's an alpine so it's a descent brand. Any ideas guys? I thought about just chucking it in the field in front of my house.

 

Could it be that your ground sucks, my amps used to do that way back when i had a system in my car, the amps would get so hot right away. I put a better ground and everthing got better. As far as your deck goes, does it smell burned? Try checking the fuse on the car, or on the deck. Also check if you wired the ground and power cables right, good luck, alpine is the ****

 

a grounded speaker could also cause the radio to heat up, like the + or - touching ground, or each other. but what you're describing sounds like a swapped power connection (especially the sizzle noise) or just a bad radio, if the fuse on the deck isn't blown, and you still have 12v and switch on the car harness, the deck is fuct

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mr_nemesis2003 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Could it be that your ground sucks, my amps used to do that way back when i had a system in my car, the amps would get so hot right away. I put a better ground and everthing got better. As far as your deck goes, does it smell burned? Try checking the fuse on the car, or on the deck. Also check if you wired the ground and power cables right, good luck, alpine is the **** </TD></TR></TABLE>

I have the ground wire connected to the ground wire in the harness. I've always done it like this before in the past with this car. ( 3rd deck). Should I try connecting it to the car, instead of the harness?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ccjustin &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">a grounded speaker could also cause the radio to heat up, like the + or - touching ground, or each other. but what you're describing sounds like a swapped power connection (especially the sizzle noise) or just a bad radio, if the fuse on the deck isn't blown, and you still have 12v and switch on the car harness, the deck is fuct</TD></TR></TABLE>

What can I do to check the speakers? I didn't notice any burnt smell, but I only heard a sizzle for a sec before I pulled the harness.

expletive I hope the deck isn't damaged. I've had this since xmas and never got the time to install it.

 

was it a new (in the box) radio? A kenwood harness will fit an alpine, but the 12v and ground are switched, (learned that the hard way)
the only way I can think of to check your speakers is with a meter, just check for continuity with ground on all 8 wires.
I'd see if a car audio place can look at the radio for you, my CC does it for free, but other places may do it for minimal charge. If the deck's OK then have them check the harness, (they will also be able to check the speakers at the same time)

 

I had a kenwood in there that I pulled. The Alpine came with a new harness and I used it. I was hoping I could reuse the kenwood, but you are right and the wires were not in the same locations.

I'll see about having a shop look at it.

 

Deff. sounds like shorted out speaker outputs, either one or more of the speakers or one or more of the speaker wires is shorting to ground, or the speaker outputs are miswired, if you heard a "sizzle" it was probably the outputs going west, [shorting out] that would account for the heat sink getting hot very fast.

A poor ground is not your problem, a poor ground or a poor power would still allow
the HU to work, just not very well, and would even heat up if cranked up, [driven into clipping] but not when first turned on.

What is the model of the HU? 94