i have a 4 year old kenwood kdc-mp919 cd/mp3 player that has recently been acting up. i was changing some speaker wires around as well changing the antenna, when the unit stopped powering on. it definitely has power going to it, because when i turn the ignition to ACC or ON, the faceplate motor flips the face to the sideways position like it does when you want to detach the face.

the unit shows no lights or any life when i press any buttons. i tried pressing the reset button, but that didnt change anything. if i dont remove the face, the head unit stays in that position for the entire time. if i remove the face, the face bracket retracts into the position where you can reconnect the face on the normal operating position. but every time i put the face back, and turn the ignition on, the face comes back to the removable position.

does this kenwood head unit do this when the radio antenna is not attached? should the unit still function normally without an antenna attached? what else could be causing this problem? i checked all fuses and double checked all wiring.

thanks

 

meter your wires to make sure that both the switched and constant power are getting the correct voltage AT the plug. how do you know both fuses are good did you meter them or just look at them?

 

I would bet that if you have a MASK deck that's 4 years old, the ribbon cable that goes between the face & chassis has failed like they are known to do. Happened on my Excelon deck that I purchased in '98 and my 819 that I bought in 2002 (or '03)...

The current deck failed in November of last year, and had the same symptoms... Deck would open half way, and none of the buttons worked, but the volume control was okay...

Luckily, I had a service plan and didn't have to pay for the repair.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 01d17 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">meter your wires to make sure that both the switched and constant power are getting the correct voltage AT the plug. how do you know both fuses are good did you meter them or just look at them?</TD></TR></TABLE>

yeah, did exactly as you said. voltages were checked at the plug, and the fuses were checked for continuity.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by B18C_EJ8 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I would bet that if you have a MASK deck that's 4 years old, the ribbon cable that goes between the face & chassis has failed like they are known to do. Happened on my Excelon deck that I purchased in '98 and my 819 that I bought in 2002 (or '03)...

The current deck failed in November of last year, and had the same symptoms... Deck would open half way, and none of the buttons worked, but the volume control was okay...

Luckily, I had a service plan and didn't have to pay for the repair.</TD></TR></TABLE>

hmm whats a MASK deck and how would i know if this unit was a MASK deck?

 

It's the flip-face... That's what they called it when they first came out with the reversible face...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by B18C_EJ8 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">It's the flip-face... That's what they called it when they first came out with the reversible face...</TD></TR></TABLE>

yeah thats definitely the one i have. damn, is there a recall on the unit? has anyone installed a new ribbon cable before?

 

There is not a recall, and many repair shops are capable of replacing the cable.

If you're comfortable with disassembling electronics, you can try to fix it yourself. Try http://www.partstore.com for the replacement. Part number should be J84-0121-12.

 

How much does repair shop charge for this typically? I've these multi-angled motorized faceplate units and the thing quitted working after two years.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Mark27 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I've these multi-angled motorized faceplate units and the thing quitted working after two years.</TD></TR></TABLE>

You don't say. It really quitted? That's crazy.

Expect to pay $100+ for a ribbon cable replacement.

 

The weird thing is, the rubber belt is not broken. It just seems to be mis-aligned. I've opened it and saw a few plastic gears. If only I know how to set its default position, I can fix it..