First of all, I have my doubt if you can figure this one out.
My radio is just plain weird. It's an aftermarket radio, Jensen, quality product and all, but the previous owner installed it himself. I don't know WHAt he did wrong but somethings a miss. Heres a list of what happens...
We all know that there are 5 stages of an ignition, lets call them -1(turn the key bacrkwards) 0(where you start) 1(where you get power) (2 where you continue to get power) 3(where you start the starter). The radio SHOULD be working in stages -1, 1, and 2, yes? Well, it only works in stage 3.
About 85% of the time when I hit the brakes the radio will go out, but it will turn itself back on.
About 20% of the time when I accelerate the radio will go out, but it will turn itself back on.
Maybe about 8% of the time when I have a steady acceleration then take my foot off of the gas pedal, the radio will go out, but it will turn itself back on.
About 80% of the time when I tuen on my wipers, the radio will go out, but it will turn itself back on.
About 30% of the time when I turn on my brights, you guessed it, the radio will go out, but it will turn itself back on.
Maybe about 10% of the time when I turn my lights on, yup, the radio will go out, but it will turn itself back on.
Sometimes when I hit bumps on the road, the radio will go out, but it will turn itself back on. But not everytime I hit a bump. I've hit speedbumps, rumble strips, and roads littered with potholes, and the radio doesn't always go out.

Then theres another problem that I'm hoping you guys will figure out with me here. My brake lights seem dim, as well as my dash lights. Aside from the aftermarket radio the previous owner put it, he also installed a set of fog lights that seem to be set up POORLY. Sure theres a switch on the bottom of the dash that controls them and works, but it seems to be a bad connection job. The fog lights are getting power from a single wire connecting directly to the positive terminal. It's not connected to the main power cable coming off of the terminal, but it's kind of situated next to it if you can understand this.

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-1978 El Camino-
www.geocities.com/sleepyli0n/MyCar.html

Install a GOOD ground in two places. One from your radio chassis to a solid metal ground, say firewall or body behind kick panel. The second one from engine to firewall. Use a real ground strap or at least 10ga wire with ring terminals and clean off the paint where it attaches. Do this then check back.

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Dave Bradley
www.corvetteforum.net/classics/d1_bradley (http://www.temp.corvetteforum.net/classics/d1_bradley)
'69 SS396 ragtop
'33 3W Coupe
'65 Vette BB Roadster

Hey, this is problaby not it but who knows.. This kinda happened to me when i installed an CD/Radio player ( CLarion) where after a while i couldnt even get it to turn back on i thought i broke it. Basically it was a bad ground, i changed it used the origianl from the am radio and it works perfect..so i say jsut try re wiring the who this again there might be a bad wire some where...


Dan

I definitely second (or third?) the bad ground theory. It sounds like not only is the radio not grounded good, buy maybe the car body and or chassis as well. Sounds like your previous owner was not so good electrically.

Anyway, get a good ground strap to the body and one to the chassis. Make sure your radio is then grounded good to the body.

About the power...you probably have three power inputs to the radio:

1) Main Power
2) Memory power
3) Dash light power (this one is sometimes optional)

Ideally, the radio would power in your -1 and 1 positions (accessory and run positions?...is the "2" a transition position?) Ideally, it would shut off in stage three so that you don't get undervoltage and spikes, etc from the starter. So track you down a good wire that is hot only in acc and run...that will go to your radio +12V. Then track down one that is hot all the time, that is your memory back-up.

Hint...make sure the main wire DOES go off in the "0" position, or your battery will go dead eventually.

Good Luck

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Corey
Corey's 67 Chevelle Page (http://www.sunflower.com/~corey872)

Good grounding is a must. Because of what you described I am thinking you may have a power supply problem instead. Almost every time you add an additional load such as wipers and lights your radio may be robbed of the 12 volts it needs. I would check both the Positive and Negative supply and correct all poor connections you find. I think you may find a few.

Note: Radio does infact recieve power in all the stages it should, its the speakers that don't pick anything up.
Oops

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-1978 El Camino-
www.geocities.com/sleepyli0n/MyCar.html

i just installed my stereo and i had a loose ground that made the radio go out when i hit the brakes. You can always pop underneath the dash and check to see if all the wires from the harness are connected to the right places. You can usually get a color code of wires in the harness from the company's (jensen's) website

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1968 Chevelle malibu w/ 327 bored .030 over, TH350 w/ shift kit
MyChevelle (http://www.cardomain.com/member_pages/view_page.pl?page_id=252044&make_type_query=make%3DChevrolet&model_brand_query=model%3DChevelle&tree=Chevrolet%20Chevelle)
12 bolt w/ 3.73's