I'm at my wit's end...

[Ryry]

Hello,

My name is Ryan, I'm new to these forums and I'm at my wit's end with my car stereo system. I am in dire need of some experienced advice on my situation.

My Situation:

I drive a 2007 Chevy HHR with a car stereo system my Step Dad installed for me back in '07. This system only included a 12" sub woofer, an amplifier and two additional speakers in the trunk. It worked wonderfully until I ditched the CDs and caved into buying an iPod back in '08. Unfortunately, my stock stereo did not support an iPod, so I bought and installed an aftermarket head unit. And well, everything worked amazingly until a few months ago.

One night while blasting the music at my normal volume level, the stereo shut off and restarted itself. It continued to do this an endless cycle until I turned the volume down. Since then, if my stereo gets even remotely loud, it does this.

Theeeen another issue presented itself. My dashboard lights and gauges go simply crazy when its loud. I'm talkin' going from shining bright to turning off, or even my speed/fuel gauges going to 0 when I'm clearly doing 70 mph on a full tank. It's even got as bad where this happens and the stereo is barely on.

I took my car into Geek Squad and the guy told me right off the bat that I had installed the wrong wire harness when I installed the aftermarket stereo 4 years ago. Apparently, certain GM vehicles have a "Computer System" in their stock stereo, that if taken out, needs to be replaced with the proper wiring harness that holds the replacement "computer system". He installed the proper wire harness for me and apparently it made my issue 10x worse. In which case he took it out and put my car back to the way it was.

Now I'm sitting here and my question is, what could possibly be wrong with my stereo system? I'm not too keen on the exact specs of everything I have installed, but I'm hoping the information I gave could be enough for some leads? Please help!

Thanks,

Ryan

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[05trailblazer 10+ year member]

i dont see why after four years it would mess up. its most likely something else in your electrical.,

 

[NoKings 10+ year member]

My buddy had a 2001 S10 start doing the same thing about six months after I installed his system. The tardfest stealership mechanic he took it to said my power wire was shorting (it wasn't) and that was causing the dash to flip out and the truck to die. They charged him $700 for a new alt and battery before I could look at it. He got it home fine and went to start it the next day....nothing.

Needless to say after having my work scrutinized by an idiot I went to said friends house with my DMM to figure this thing out. His dash was clicking, gauges were all over, system sounded terrible WHEN it would play.

I grabbed his positive batt terminal and yanked it tight, problem fixed. New terminal hardware and some baking soda/water mix and his truck has never worked better, and it only cost $2.39 at Vato Zone.

Loose terminals sink ships bro.

 

[garretttt4 10+ year member]

Prolly not gunna fix it, but I was having problems with my gauges and lights would go out randomly. But I had to replace the stock ground. Just replaced it with some 4 gauge I had and works good. Somethin to try and only costs like 5$ if u have to buy like 2 feet of wire and it can't hurt.....

 

[mylows10 5,000+ posts]

i'd say check the battery when the system is one ,sounds like it's not holding the charge very well, or even charging .i had a issue like this in our blazer ,what it ended up being was that the system was too powerful for the stock electrical so it kept popping some diode in the alt

 

[sjv13 10+ year member]

Hello,


One night while blasting the music at my normal volume level, the stereo shut off and restarted itself. It continued to do this an endless cycle until I turned the volume down. Since then, if my stereo gets even remotely loud, it does this.

Theeeen another issue presented itself. My dashboard lights and gauges go simply crazy when its loud. I'm talkin' going from shining bright to turning off, or even my speed/fuel gauges going to 0 when I'm clearly doing 70 mph on a full tank. It's even got as bad where this happens and the stereo is barely on.

This makes it seem to me like a ground wire somewhere wriggled itself loose. Check all the power wires in the circuit (from the battery and from the amp).

 

[Ryry]

Thank you for the replies! I'm excited these tips all sound like something I could handle myself.

I'll give me some of these a whirl tomorrow and report back.

Thanks again!

- Ryan

 

[Warren89 10+ year member]

Sounds like a voltage regulator. It controls the amount of volts the car gets. Old cars had them on the alternator but most new cars use the on board computers. To control it.

 

[SilentAssasin 10+ year member]

Simple really, better electrical! HO alt, extra batts, bigger wires!

Hello,
My name is Ryan, I'm new to these forums and I'm at my wit's end with my car stereo system. I am in dire need of some experienced advice on my situation.

My Situation:

I drive a 2007 Chevy HHR with a car stereo system my Step Dad installed for me back in '07. This system only included a 12" sub woofer, an amplifier and two additional speakers in the trunk. It worked wonderfully until I ditched the CDs and caved into buying an iPod back in '08. Unfortunately, my stock stereo did not support an iPod, so I bought and installed an aftermarket head unit. And well, everything worked amazingly until a few months ago.

One night while blasting the music at my normal volume level, the stereo shut off and restarted itself. It continued to do this an endless cycle until I turned the volume down. Since then, if my stereo gets even remotely loud, it does this.

Theeeen another issue presented itself. My dashboard lights and gauges go simply crazy when its loud. I'm talkin' going from shining bright to turning off, or even my speed/fuel gauges going to 0 when I'm clearly doing 70 mph on a full tank. It's even got as bad where this happens and the stereo is barely on.

I took my car into Geek Squad and the guy told me right off the bat that I had installed the wrong wire harness when I installed the aftermarket stereo 4 years ago. Apparently, certain GM vehicles have a "Computer System" in their stock stereo, that if taken out, needs to be replaced with the proper wiring harness that holds the replacement "computer system". He installed the proper wire harness for me and apparently it made my issue 10x worse. In which case he took it out and put my car back to the way it was.

Now I'm sitting here and my question is, what could possibly be wrong with my stereo system? I'm not too keen on the exact specs of everything I have installed, but I'm hoping the information I gave could be enough for some leads? Please help!

Thanks,

Ryan

 

[Lexicon740iL 10+ year member]

Go to your nearest Batteries Plus and have your battery load tested. I see things acting very weird when the Battery voltage is low or the CCA's aren't there. "I Work in the battery industry"

It would be a good first place to start.

When the current is low on certain BMW's the transmission goes into limp mode and doesn't shift past second, Various gauges and systems like dynamic stability or 4x4 are disabled. These things can go haywire when a Battery/Voltage Regulator/alternator are failing

This sounds like some of the symptoms you are experiencing.

 

[Warren89 10+ year member]

Though that would help in general it's not necessarily going to fix the problem. He's had the system for awhile with no issue so I believe its safe to assume his stock electrical was sufficient for his set up.

 

[Warren89 10+ year member]

My comment is directed at silent assassin

 

[Ryry]

Well, I loosened all the ground connections, cleaned and re-tightened them. They weren't really dirty, but I tried it anyway. The system could go much louder this time, but the gauges are still jumping and flickering on me at high levels. It also shuts off.

FYI - I forgot to mention that I'm using a new battery as of 3 months ago. I woke up one morning and my car was dead. I figured after 5 years it was time to replace it, so i did.

What do you guys think is worth checking next?

- Ryan

 

[ThatChevyGuy 5,000+ posts]

My buddy had a 2001 S10 start doing the same thing about six months after I installed his system. The tardfest stealership mechanic he took it to said my power wire was shorting (it wasn't) and that was causing the dash to flip out and the truck to die. They charged him $700 for a new alt and battery before I could look at it. He got it home fine and went to start it the next day....nothing.
Needless to say after having my work scrutinized by an idiot I went to said friends house with my DMM to figure this thing out. His dash was clicking, gauges were all over, system sounded terrible WHEN it would play.

I grabbed his positive batt terminal and yanked it tight, problem fixed. New terminal hardware and some baking soda/water mix and his truck has never worked better, and it only cost $2.39 at Vato Zone.

Loose terminals sink ships bro.

and i thought i was the only one who called auto zone that! awesome....(im not racist, but there is always some hispanics buying chrome vents or rolls of chrome or exhaust tips)

 

[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

Well, I loosened all the ground connections, cleaned and re-tightened them. They weren't really dirty, but I tried it anyway. The system could go much louder this time, but the gauges are still jumping and flickering on me at high levels. It also shuts off.
FYI - I forgot to mention that I'm using a new battery as of 3 months ago. I woke up one morning and my car was dead. I figured after 5 years it was time to replace it, so i did.

What do you guys think is worth checking next?

- Ryan

If you have the time, And someone to drive you to an auto store/alternator ,starter sales place, Id take the alternator off, and get it tested..It may have a bad regulator,or something,not shelling out the proper voltage/worn out..If it is in fact no good, id get the largest amp alt you can buy without getting an ho alternator, unless you have the funds to buy one.Id get the alt tested next