I just put in an aftermarket radio in recently. One time, after washing the car, the radio wouldn't turn on. After a few starts, it worked fine. It would always turn on when just the electricity was on, but not always when the engine was on.

I went on a road trip a few days later and the condition degraded. It took more and more starts to get the radio to start. In addition, it occasionally would shut off as we were driving. Later on the trip we noticed that as the radio was off, so was the electricity in the cigarette lighter.

Now, as the trip has just ended, I cannot get either to work (except when only the power is on). I can live without the radio I guess, but I need that cigarette lighter to work in case I ever need to charge anything.

Interestingly enough, after the car turns on, the radio makes a set of beeps that it made in my old car when it is disconnected from power.

Does anyone know what could be going on? I did install the radio with my dad.

 

First check under-dash fuse no. 11 (10A), both the radio and cigarette lighter are protected by that fuse.

Only use the same amperage fuse as a replacement if it is blown.

 

The circuit goes through the cigarette lighter on my 97 DX. Make sure it is screwed in tight. Also mine has a "back up radio" fuse under the hood, that really screwed me up for a while. Then maybe take the radio out again and see if it is where you connected it. I would also suspect your crimps may be loose. About the beep, do you have the ignition and battery wires correct?
Hope it's nothing else... like somethign with water.

 

The circuit on a 92 Accord is different than a 97 Accord. On a 92 Accord, the power for the stereo doesn't go through the cigarette light relay like on a 97.

However, on a 92, both the radio and cigarette lighter are protected by the same fuse.

 

Would a fuse explain why it turns on some of the time and when just the battery is on?

 

I checked the fuse and it seems to be fine.

 

I guess I didn't read your post all the way through, I thought both no longer worked.

If it comes on intermittently, check:

- your aftermarket stereo wiring connections to make sure they are tight.

- the 20P gray connector (connector C425) located behind the center dash is not loose; some wires for both cigarette lighter and stereo run through part of that connector.

- the ground wires connected to G402 (located behind passenger kick panel); both the cigarette lighter and stereo share that same ground.

 

If it worked before, then I would suspect soemthign you touched while installing the radio. Perhaps a ground isnt tight? Or a connection wasnt made properly, or perhaps a pin got bent. Sounds for sure like a poor/intermittant make up of a wire. Hard pard is finding it.

 

I don't think I touched any wires besides those directly plugged into the stereo. I suppose it is possible that some wires are loose because the process that my father and I went through was to clip the wire set going into the old stereo and attach the corresponding wires on the new stereo using these tubes that you pinch with pliers. We had the redo some of the connectors as we were doing them because they weren't tight enough. Also, the ground for the radio is part of this set of wires, so I did not attach the aftermarket radio ground to the chassis, but to the ground wire for the old radio.

However, I fail to see how this accounts for the fact that it will function with just the battery on or why the cigarette lighter won't work. At least from this specific error.